The Australian government has been contracting for Erickson Air-Crane helicopters during their down-under fire seasons since ”Millie” (N223AC) was deployed there in 1997. They seem to have a special fondness for the ships which can carry 2,650 gallons of water, especially since the 2001-2002 bushfire season when ”Georgia Peach” (N154AC) and “Incredible Hulk” (N164AC), were rushed out from the U.S.A on board a Russian Antonov An-124 air freighter to assist with bushfires near Sydney, working with “Elvis” which was already “in the building”.
Their fire season this year has caught the Aussies by surprise, starting in New South Wales weeks earlier than usual — before the contract for the Sky-Cranes begins. While at least two Air-Cranes had already been shipped to the country from Greece by air freighter, not all of the flight crews had arrived when dozens of very large bush fires broke out that so far have burned about 200 homes and caused the death of one person. There is a bit of a controversy going on with some residents not able to understand why the huge helicopters can’t be used to fight fires without a flight crew.
One headline shouted the news:
Critical US water bomber grounded during NSW bushfire crisis
Reports say that by this weekend both Air-Cranes were actively fighting the fires.
Aircraft are staffed as ordered by the contracting agency. It’s not up to the operator.
That is good,bean
Hell, they are FAA airworthy…….and….Aussies do not have the LMA bureaucratic hangups in contracting as we do here…
No LAT’s, no VLAT’s?
Maybe UA is going to sell them the P-3’s 🙂