The much coveted DC10 fire fighting tanker that has proved invaluable in the US for its aerial fire fighting capability can now be leased by European governments through Air Partner. The London Gatwick-based company has been appointed sole European agent for the tanker following the recent registering of a second identical aircraft.
This additional capacity means that one of the jets is available for seasonal summer charter to any interested countries, or groups of countries, who are at risk of destructive and costly forest fires and feel they could benefit by having the aircraft on standby.
The tanker is being marketed by Graham Davey, who has joined Air Partner as its first Government and Defence Business Manager following a 36 year military career as a Senior Officer in the Royal Air Force. In his new role he is also tasked with developing new business with overseas armed forces, raising the company’s exposure among non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and undertaking client liaison with the Defence Forces of Ireland.
Mr Davey said: “There have been a number of significant forest fires throughout Europe in recent years and the availability of the DC10 supertanker to add muscle and efficiency when a fire is raging is a real boon.”
The DC10 took four years to develop and is operated by 10 Tanker Air Carrier. It can fly as low as 200feet above ground level and holds 12,000 gallons of fire retardant or water (five-ten times more than other mainstream fire fighting aircraft), which can be released in a continuous 800 metre line as wide as a football pitch. Flying at speeds of up to 400 knots, it can reach a disaster zone considerably faster than any other aircraft used for a similar purpose, none of which are jets. As a consequence, this opens up the choice of basing options and provides considerable flexibility.
Prior to joining Air Partner, Mr Davey was the Executive Manager for all Ministry of Defence commercial and military airlift tasking. While at the MoD he led the team that planned and managed military operations globally, including humanitarian relief aid flights, troop deployments, hostage and troop recovery, country evacuations and peace keeping missions.
The 24/7 Air Partner Group has 22 offices worldwide, with 13 in 10 European countries.
Forty percent of Air Partner’s sales derive from government charters and the company is vetted, authorised and used by governments and royal families from 30 nations in addition to NGOs such as the United Nations, Red Cross and the European Union. Over the last decade, 50,000 flights worth USD$750 million have been completed for the governments of a dozen Western countries, including six of the G8, using private jets, commercial airliners and airfreighters of every size and type.
