New Fire Bombers Arriving LATS/VLATS
 

Yesterday saw the arrival of the first fire bombing MD87 in Australia, N292EA via CNS and PNG to RAAF Edinburgh in SA.
Another MD87 is heading to Perth, currently in Japan

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N293EA

Meanwhile another VLAT is heading to Canberra today from Hawaii DC10 N522AX,
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N522AX

The other Dc10 is due next week to the Sydney area - N603AX.

Spares for the VLATS were collected in New Mexico this week by a RAAF C17 which will ensure the first DC10 won’t need to return home prematurely, along with a KC-30A they also collected retardant from Nellis, one of four such shipments over the next two weeks.

Two Japanese C130s arrived Friday to support bushfire efforts as well, 75-1077 is one of the tails, 1078 is the other.

N603AX is arriving in YSRI and not YSSY right?

I would expect Richmond is likely but nothing is certain until the day.

Correction, 85-1079 is the other tail of the Japanese C130

It appears that DC10 N522AX is currently in HNL waiting for weather to improve at Pago Pago before continuing its ferry to Australia .

Dave C

That’s what the Pilots told head office, we know they went to the beach :D

Does anyone have a list of all the firefighting aircraft operating in australia (including those that are yet to come)?

Also, i heard on the news that there was also an aircraft (firefighting) due to arrive from Malaysia?

http://www.nafc.org.au/?page_id=271

Malaysia has offered up their CL415's

Oh, ok. I would assume it would be the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency since they have 2 CL415s. I've seen one of them when i went spotting in Malaysia last year.