Interview

The employment of an RAAF C130 Hercules in aerial firebombing operations this summer has raised considerable controversy. The RAAF is not happy at having one of its most useful aircraft dedicated to this task, and it appears that a majority of bushfire fighting authorities remain unconvinced about the value of aerial firebombing. At the time of writing, the aircraft, equipped with a modular airborne firefighting system (MAFS) on loan from the US Forest Service, had made a considerable number of practice drops but had not been employed in actual operations. JOHN SPIERS spoke to ROBERT CARR, National Air Operations Officer, AvIat1on Management, Boise interagency Fire Centre, Forest Service, USDA, BOB MARTIN National Aviation Maintenance and Equipment Specialist. Forest Service, USDA and Squadron Leader BILL MATTES, lead pilot on the fire-bombing Hercules of 36 Squadron at Richmond, NSW

RC: Bob and I are with the Division of Aviation, Fire Management, Washington Office. We are both very fortunate to be detached from the Washington office out to Boise Idaho where we head the operational aspects of our aviation programme.

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