LARGE AIR TANKER OPERATIONS IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Transcription

1 LARGE AIR TANKER OPERATIONS IN NEW SOUTH WALES Asian Pacific Aerial Fire Fighting Conference 2018 Jason Heffernan, Assistant Commissioner

2 History Victorian Government pioneered the use of Large Air Tankers in Australia during the 2014 / 2015 summer. The NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) observed and learnt from their experiences. It was evident that the LATs had a significant impact on fighting bush and grass fires across Victoria, supporting ground-based crews in combating these incidents. Following outcomes of the Victorian experience, the NSW RFS committed to a Large Air Tanker and Very Large Air Tanker trial in NSW. The NSW Government announced funding as part of the 2015/16 State Budget to allow the NSW RFS to undertake a two year trial.

3 The Trial The L100 and DC10 were sourced through the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) Two lead planes also sourced Following confirmation of aircraft, NSW RFS worked with Department of Defence to utilise the Royal Australian Air Force Base at Richmond to the north-west of Sydney. This was the nominated operating base for the air tanker project. A number of temporary operating bases were established across NSW including Albury; Dubbo; Tamworth; Canberra and Williamtown

4 The Trial Cont d Retardant mixing plant established at RAAF Base Richmond Contractors identified to conduct mixing and loading with suitable capability to load 44,000 litres of product within 15 minutes. Contractors also provided a portable capability for interstate and international deployments

5

6

7

8 NSW LAT/VLAT Trial Operational Deployments 2015/16

9

10

11 LAT (L-100) 15/16 16/17 96 sorties 78 sorties 1,440,000L 1,170,000 Total litres 2,610,000L

12 VLAT (DC-10) 15/16 16/17 33 sorties 53 sorties 1,376,000L 2,279,000 Total litres 3,655,000L

13 Case Study Beecroft Peninsula Fire (Jervis Bay South Coast) Fire ignited in Defence live firing range (unexploded munitions) on 26 November Initial direct attack by firefighters not possible. The fire was burning south of the Currarong Village which has a population of 500 people. Strong southerly winds were expected to push fire north. Aircraft were engaged to lay retardant lines ahead of the southerly change to protect the village.

14

15

16 LAT & VLAT Retardant Drops

17 Case Study Highlights Approximate loading times of VLAT (13 mins) and LAT (12 mins). The VLAT completed 2 drops (86,000 litres) and LAT completed 3 drops (45,000 litres) = total of 131,000 litres. A two kilometre retardant line was established within 4.5 hours. By comparison, a Single Engine Air Tractor (SEAT) would need to complete 49 drops to establish a similar line. The use of the LAT and VLAT in this instance greatly assisted ground crews to protect the village of Currawong. The timeliness and retardant capacity of these aircraft enabled the line to be completed before the fire reached the community of Currawong.

18 Trial Results These aircraft provided invaluable support to ground crews during fire incidents not only across NSW, but also in other States including Victoria, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania, as well as internationally in Indonesia. Through the National Aerial Firefighting Centre Resource Sharing arrangements, the NSW Rural Fire Service was also able to utilise the Large Air Tankers contracted in Victoria. In 2017/18, these aircraft provided support to fire fighters in various locations across NSW including; Narrabri, Orange, Singleton, Sutherland, Lithgow, and Bega areas. The contract arrangements put in place by both NSW and Victoria in partnership with National Aerial Firefighting Centre, have built a significant capacity for both States and the entire country. Suitable aircraft, and long-term ongoing arrangements for this capability, are being considered by the NSW Rural Fire Service together with the National Aerial Firefighting Centre.

19 2018/19 Fire Season Through the NAFC, the NSW RFS has contracted the following LATs: 2 x Avro RJ85 2 x Rockwell Turbo Commander (Lead Plane) B737 Fireliner RAAF Base Richmond (RJ85; Lead Plane; B737) Dubbo Regional Airport (RJ85; Lead Plane) Retardant mixing and loading to be undertaken by trained NSW RFS field crews

20

21 B737 Fireliner

22 Future Challenges with using LATs Ongoing availability of LATs (two Hemispheres) Longer fire seasons Increased community expectations Budget considerations Further work required to ensure interoperability with other aircraft such as single engine air tankers (SEATs). best combination; both aircraft types play important role in aerial firefighting operations More research required into effectiveness