SA Firefighter

General Discussion => SA Firefighter General => Topic started by: Timbo on December 09, 2006, 01:58:44 PM

Title: Sky Crane
Post by: Timbo on December 09, 2006, 01:58:44 PM
Geez she is a big ship.
Her name is 'Delilah'
FYI I have just posted some pics in the 'Gallery Test' for Yawl to have a peek
MrT
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: Alan (Big Al) on December 09, 2006, 03:06:40 PM
Whats with the thumbs down
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: calspec on December 09, 2006, 04:51:46 PM
Yes, I was wandering the same thing.  She can only get a thumbs up for her efforts during the week in SA.  What a machine.  With the results achieved for each and every drop, shame she is so expensive to maintain and operate, as we could do with one stationed permanently in SA.  Our little old budget just wouldn't cope.
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: Ryan on December 09, 2006, 04:52:53 PM
Maybe he's still lving int he 70's and was hoping for Elvis. 
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: Timbo on December 09, 2006, 04:56:39 PM
Quote from: Mundcfs on December 09, 2006, 03:06:40 PM
Whats with the thumbs down


What Thumbs Down?? - what does that mean - She is a great ship
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: Timbo on December 09, 2006, 04:59:12 PM
Ah, now I see what you mean - dunno what happened there, all fixed now
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: 5271rescue on December 09, 2006, 08:16:56 PM
mind you it still took 36 heres to get here,yes they are great but we missed out so we will have to just beg for it from the VICS or NSW when we need it again....
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: aust_fire1 on December 09, 2006, 08:38:18 PM
I was told it cost $12,000 per hour to use. Well there goes the end of year barbie :-D
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: 24P on December 09, 2006, 09:37:19 PM
heard during the week the government kicked in an extra 1.9 mill for air support. Anyone else hear this?
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: 5271rescue on December 10, 2006, 05:18:42 AM
I don't think cost should come into any job,as long as you are going to use the resource what is the problem?????really we are trying to stop something from getting bigger and we are always reminded of how much it will cost......
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: aust_fire1 on December 10, 2006, 05:25:48 AM
Not complaining about the cost,
I am curious to know how much it costs to hire it.

I got some good pics of her in action. Would love to have got a pic of it on the ground
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: medevac on December 10, 2006, 07:25:43 AM
i think its 3grand per hour,,,

and heres some interesting trivia.

apparently for it to travel from adelaide to pt lincoln it would take 6hrs and require a stop on the yorke peninsula to refuel.
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: aust_fire1 on December 10, 2006, 08:16:09 AM
6 hrs is a long time for that trip.
Where is it based. Is it in Vic or NSW
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: SA Firey on December 10, 2006, 08:17:09 AM
Quote from: Ryan on December 09, 2006, 04:52:53 PM
Maybe he's still lving int he 70's and was hoping for Elvis. 

Elvis left the building a long time ago :-P
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: Timbo on December 10, 2006, 02:59:26 PM
Quote from: aust_fire1 on December 10, 2006, 08:16:09 AM
6 hrs is a long time for that trip.
Where is it based. Is it in Vic or NSW

Based all over the world, She came from Greece before us for this season, then goes to Asia next, before returning to Greece for their next fire season. 
The Ericson Company that is American based has 40 of them in the air.
They do more than fire fighting - they are used a lot for building, and logging.

They ship it from country to country in the big russian cargo plane - the plane can carry 2 at once.
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: Timbo on December 10, 2006, 03:01:31 PM
Quote from: medevac on December 10, 2006, 07:25:43 AM
i think its 3grand per hour,,,

and heres some interesting trivia.

apparently for it to travel from adelaide to pt lincoln it would take 6hrs and require a stop on the yorke peninsula to refuel.

True - She uses 2000lt of AvGas per hour to fly, and only has a 2500 Lt Fuel Tank
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: Scania_1 on December 10, 2006, 03:07:08 PM
Unfortunately cost has been and always will be an issue. The budget is  not a bottomless pit and CFS have to be accountable to the government and the wonderful public for what is spent. Still see people sending letters into the paper every now and then suggesting we should have the canadair super scoopers here. Even though they are way more expensive and not suitable for areas like the Adelaide hills. Not to mention they are friggin slow.
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: medevac on December 10, 2006, 03:48:37 PM
lol and where the hell is there a decent water supply in SA for canadairs anyway??? other than the sea obviously...

just think, for the cost of one sky crane, theycould probly run another three koalas....  :roll:
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: RescueHazmat on December 10, 2006, 05:06:34 PM
I personally think the fixed wings we have, and the skilled pilots far out weigh any aerial fire fighting resource I have ever seen !
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: Pipster on December 10, 2006, 07:34:29 PM
Cost of running the skycrane is around $11,000 per hour.  Plus the cost of actually having it here.... (regardless of whether you use it or not....!) - I think that was around $1 million for the season (although that figure could be a bit rubbery...someone did tell me the cost, and I think that is right!)

For the cost of one skycrane, we can run most (all?) of what we have now...multiple bombers, helitaks etc....

CFS, like any other Government Department, has a budget, and we have to stick to it.   Sometimes, CFS needs to go to the Government, and ask for more - for things like this season, where CFS as a whole has been so busy....

While we could argue "what price is a life" and that CFS should be able to use whatever resources we can get, regardless of the cost, many other Government Departments could argue the same thing....and if they all spent whatever they thought they needed to, the Government would have a major budgetry problem!!

Overall, CFS has a budget, and has to use that budget in the smartest way we can -  with what is going to give us the best value for our money.....

Pip



Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: CaptCom on December 11, 2006, 07:33:16 AM
Quote from: medevac on December 10, 2006, 07:25:43 AM
i think its 3grand per hour,,,

and heres some interesting trivia.

apparently for it to travel from adelaide to pt lincoln it would take 6hrs and require a stop on the yorke peninsula to refuel.

I heard it's 12K per hour and it also costs to have it sitting doing nothing...

I find it hard to believe that it would take 6hrs to get from Adelaide to PL... they don't fly that slowly...I might be wrong... :?
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: fire03rescue on December 11, 2006, 03:16:35 PM
Just some facts from the web sites

Speed 115 Knots  about 212 Km per hour
Endurance 2.5 Hours Standard Tank
          4.5 Hours Aux Tank

http://www.ericksonaircrane.com/firefighting.asp
or
http://www.air-crane.com/services/fire_suppression.html
Title: Re: Sky Crane
Post by: SA Firey on December 11, 2006, 04:15:10 PM
Its been busy, was in Victoria then came over the border to Waikerie and then got deployed to Clare and then to Onkaparinga Gorge the same day.
You sure know when its coming and you have to be quick to get a shot off quick while it is in action or its gone :wink: