Global Supertankers Services Can Now Negotiate Contracts With The U.S. Forest Service

The U.S. Interagency Airtanker Board has approved "The Spirit Of John Muir" Boeing 747 supertanker for fighting wildfires on federal land in the U.S., clearing the way for Global Supertanker Services LLC to negotiate contracts with the U.S. Forest Service.

The aircraft is based in Colorado Springs, CO. The Colorado newspaper The Gazette reports that Global Supertanker Services CEO Jim Wheeler said in a news release that the company will be working on final approval of plans to obtain domestic and international contracts for the plane, which can deliver nearly 20,000 gallons of water of fire-retardant chemicals on wildfires.

"IAB approval is an essential requirement in airtanker contracts for some wildfire agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service," Wheeler said in the release. "With this approval, we look forward to bidding on - and winning - upcoming domestic and international contracts. We are grateful and excited to join the team of airtankers currently serving a critical mission for the United States and globally, and look forward to continuing to work with the USFS, CalFire and IAB during the final approval process."

The Forest Service is expected to issue a Request for Proposals for firefighting services in February, and Wheeler said the company plans to respond to that RFP.

(Image from file)

FMI: http://globalsupertanker.com