Chinook In NSW for fires

What have you heard?
Capt Slong
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Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby Capt Slong » Fri Nov 13 2015, 01:43

I heard a yarn that there maybe a Chinook heading to Aus for the up and coming Fire / Flood season in NSW?? Not sure if its true??
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby FerrariFlyer » Fri Nov 13 2015, 01:58

By chinook do you mean the civilian equivalent - a Boeing 234? Very impressive to watch in the hands of an experienced logging pilot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_tzgHOBPPA&sns=em
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hand in pants
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby hand in pants » Fri Nov 13 2015, 05:28

More money going overseas that should be staying here.
There is a big arsed jet sitting at YSRI doing not much for a lot of money as well.
Hand in Pants, I'm thinking, my god, that IS huge!!!!!!!!
County
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby County » Fri Nov 13 2015, 05:58

The new world of f#€k the local bloke. If your not from overseas your no good.
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby Worzel_Gummidge » Fri Nov 13 2015, 06:20

I see your point, jobs and money going overseas, etc, but with no local companies offering Chinooks or DC10s what choice do they have if someone has identified a need for those assets. There's nothing stopping someone from building and equipping there own DC10 or Chinook!
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby Crusty » Fri Nov 13 2015, 07:30

There is also a Hercules based at Richmond I think plus the DC10 on a $9 mil contract, PLUS $ per flying hour I heard on the grape vine.
Why would you tool up for just aussie fires for 3mths income if you are lucky.
Unless you are on the NAFC contract or its a HUGE FIRE season, it is only the select few, the ones that are on the airdesk speed dial it seems that get the gig.
I do wonder how that happens in these times......!

Too much rain this year to worry anyway!
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havick
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby havick » Fri Nov 13 2015, 19:54

County, I don't know how you come to that conclusion. Both McDermott and Kestrel have a fairly sizeable portion of contracts throughout Australia.
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby Capt Slong » Fri Nov 13 2015, 22:07

Sooooo, after all that, can anyone tell if its true or not??
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby Yankee » Fri Nov 13 2015, 22:26

about the only company I know of that's running hooks is Columbia helicopters.
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby havick » Sat Nov 14 2015, 01:29

Could also be Billings out of Montana if it's true?
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby Firefish » Sat Nov 14 2015, 05:38

Floods?
Capt Slong
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby Capt Slong » Sat Nov 14 2015, 22:53

Well the way the summer has gone so far there won't be any fires for a while
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby vortexstate » Tue Nov 17 2015, 02:30

It's well and good for the companies that received contracts in Victoria or the companies that stand abreast with the RFS in NSW, but what happens to those local Australian organisations that didn't get a contract or have spent the money on upgrading aircraft and jumped through the thin hoops to support efforts and make a living?

With the increasing number of mediums + being imported for the season each year attached to local operators at cut prices, we have seen local CWN operators have being left to sweep up the crumbs.

I'm all for having an array of fire support, but don't forget the local operator (that employs local pilot's) that is trying to remain afloat during these times.

If this keeps up, we will all be conducting 15 minute scenic in medium twins to make a living. :roll: :roll:
County
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby County » Tue Nov 17 2015, 04:19

Happens every year Local NSW operators see all the interstate and international Heli's turn up at an airport near you in NSW.
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby chutedragger » Wed Nov 18 2015, 09:27

Once again!!!

Fires are not put out with "cinched" 1600 litre b2 buckets!

If Ozzie operators would buck up for heavies and mediums (that were not restricted!) then I am sure the RFS (government) would gladly hire them in lieu of the overseas guys.

Until then...quite whining...or put your money where your mouth is!!!
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havick
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby havick » Wed Nov 18 2015, 10:55

Fires are not put out with "cinched" 1600 litre b2 buckets!

If Ozzie operators would buck up for heavies and mediums (that were not restricted!) then I am sure the RFS (government) would gladly hire them in lieu of the overseas guys.


hallelujah, finally someone saying it how it is.

Just look at McDermott, Kestrel, Kareela just to name a few that have the lions share of contracts around the place. They have put their balls on the line over the years to invest in the company and buy a medium fleet (Australian owned) and as such have picked up contracts.

Can't see why everyone is crying about not getting work when they haven't invested the money into their own fleet (read multiple mediums - not just one).

Back to the topic at hand, word on the street is that it's these guys bringing a CH47 over http://chiaviation.com/
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby County » Wed Nov 18 2015, 20:24

So your saying that the guy with a civilian 204 or 205 will get a gig on the fires before restricted or foreign Heli's ??? RFS will do that will they ?
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby Hello Pilots » Wed Nov 18 2015, 21:17

County wrote:So your saying that the guy with a civilian 204 or 205 will get a gig on the fires before restricted or foreign Heli's ??? RFS will do that will they ?


We'll see this year when Jayrow brings over one of GSH's Eagle Singles and a 205b respectively pop;

Why "restrict" yourself with an ex military machine :D :D :D
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havick
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby havick » Wed Nov 18 2015, 21:48

Going around in circles here. Contract machines/operators will most probably get called out first as they should (they won the contracts), if other operators take a punt on CWN machines then they will clean up on campaign fires it's not rocket science.
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hand in pants
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Re: Chinook In NSW for fires

Postby hand in pants » Thu Nov 19 2015, 04:11

Havick, I tend to agree with you. However it can be a big ask for an operator to buy and equip 3 or 4 mediums as per RFS requirements and not have a contract before you cough up the money. Imagine spending $5-10 million and you don't get a contract. Hard to explain to the bank..................

A CWN agreement with RFS is worthless, every year they want more equipment you don't use, more training that is a waste of time (CRM, we are single pilot for gods sake, PC gone wild, same as sitting in a classroom for "flying the wire environment", if we can't do it by now, well, give it away).
We gave it away when we heard that we needed a multi shot bucket. $20,000 is a hell of a lot of profit eaten up in a season with CWN. I told the boss we could keep going but our hourly rate would be around $7,000 plus GST per hour with RFS paying for fuel. That's for an AS350SD2.
Hand in Pants, I'm thinking, my god, that IS huge!!!!!!!!

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