Siuslaw NF/Salem BLM District Aviation Plan
AVIATION MANAGEMENT PLAN
Siuslaw NF/Salem BLM
2012
REVIEWED: _____Daniel C.Eddy 4/11/2012______
Unit Aviation Officer DATE
REVIEWED: __/s/ Gary L Sterling______4/25/2012______
Regional Aviation Safety Manager DATE
APPROVED: __Robert Kim Reed___ _5/15/2012
Regional Aviation Officer DATE
APPROVED: __Kurt S. Kleiner______4/12/2012______
BLM State Aviation Manager DATE
APPROVED: ______
Forest Fire Staff Officer DATE
APPROVED: ______
Salem BLM District Manager DATE
APPROVED: ______
Forest Supervisor DATE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. AVIATION MANAGEMENT PLAN SUPPLEMENT Page
A. PURPOSE OF THIS SUPPLEMENT 4
B. POLICY AND DIRECTION 4
C. PROGRAM OVERVIEW 4
Call When Needed (CWN) Aircraft
Facilities
Non-Fire Uses
D. ORGANIZATION AND STAFFING 5
Forest Supervisor/District Manager
Unit Aviation Officer (UAO)
Dispatch Center Manager
Contracting Officer
Project Aviation Officer
Helicopter Manager
Fixed Wing Flight Manager
Aircrew Member and Passengers
All Siuslaw NF/Salem BLM Employees
E. TRAINING 8
F. AVIATION MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 9
Aircraft Uses on the Siuslaw NF/Salem BLM District
Aerial Detection/Reconnaissance
Resource Reconnaissance
Suppression
Administrative Travel
Aerial Application – Seed, Fertilizer, Spraying
Aerial Ignition
External Loads
Law Enforcement
Other Aviation Projects
G. AIRCRAFT 10
Government Owned/Leased and Operated Aircraft
Call When Needed Aircraft
Other Agency Aircraft
End Product Contracts
Aircraft Ordering, Scheduling, Dispatching and Tracking
Financial Management and Reporting
Search and Rescue
H. AVIATION ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROGRAM 17
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Risk Analysis; common to all flights
Risks and Hazards that are Common to all Aircraft Operations
Accident/Incident Reporting
I. PROGRAM AND ACTIVITY MONITORING, REVIEW, AND FOLLOW UP 22
II. AVIATION OPERATIONS PLAN
A. HAZARD MAPS 23
B. AIR SPACE COORDINATION 23
C. PERSONNEL DIRECTORY 24
Siuslaw NF/Salem BLM Unit Aviation Officer
Unit and Regional Aviation Organization
D. REFERENCES 25
I. AVIATION MANAGEMENT PLAN SUPPLEMENT
A. PURPOSE OF THIS SUPPLEMENT
The purpose of this plan is to align Unit Aviation planning and operations with national and State/Regional standards. This plan is designed to accompany and supplement USFS and BLM National and State/Regional Aviation Management Plans, Forest Service Manual 5700, BLM 9400 Manual, and applicable handbooks and Operational Guides to derive one complete planning document. Another purpose is to aid the user in discovering the scope of aviation services available on the Siuslaw NF/Salem BLM District and the policies, regulations, and procedures to be followed while involved with the program. This plan also identifies the interagency personnel involved in aviation management and their responsibilities.
B. POLICY AND DIRECTION
The purpose of aviation management on the Siuslaw N.F. (SUF) /Salem BLM District (SAD) is to provide safe, efficient and economical use of aircraft in conjunction with land management activities and fire suppression objectives. It is believed that this goal may only be accomplished with thorough risk assessment, planning and management. This document is specific to the SUF/SAD, and is the guiding document to all aviation activities on the Siuslaw NF and the Salem BLM District. Only direction more specific or restrictive than that contained in parent plans, manuals, handbooks, and guides will be included. Information from those parent plans, manuals, handbooks, and guides may be included where it is important to include as a reference. This document is the basic foundation for effective mission accomplishment with minimal risk factors to aviators, participants and management.
All aviation operations will be planned and conducted under applicable direction and criteria specified in the Forest Service Manual (FSM 5700 Aviation Management), the USFS National Aviation Safety and Management Plan (NASMP), DOI 350-354 DM, Bureau of Land Management National Aviation Plan (NAP) and 9400 aviation policy, 14 CFR-Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) , National, Regional, State and Forest directives and plans. This plan references and supplements those plans and handbooks. Operational Guides will be utilized to supply guidelines, but do not necessarily supply policy or direction unless otherwise noted within this plan. (Many guides, such as the Interagency Helicopter Operations Guide, or IHOG, have been adopted by the USFS and BLM as policy.) Employees of the Siuslaw NF/Salem BLM District will always conform to direction supplied within this plan, regardless of aircraft ownership or procurement authority. Intra-agency aircraft and personnel conducting operations on the Siuslaw NF/Salem BLM District administered land will be expected to operate under standards set forth within this plan, or their home unit plan, whichever is more restrictive.
This document is only a tool with which effective planning may be accomplished. Responsibility and the corresponding authority for management is assigned to individual’s on-scene and in the dispatch section to maintain vigilance and hold to the standards established in this and other plans, in order to assure safety in all aspects of our operations. The SUF/SAD Aviation Plan is reviewed annually and updated as necessary. The aviation programs contained in this plan are all within the scope and expertise of the Unit Aviation Staff to plan and supervise.
C. PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Nature and Scope of Forest and District Aviation Program: This aviation plan covers the Salem District BLM and the Siuslaw National Forest. The Salem District’s northern boundary is the Columbia River and its southern boundary lies halfway between Salem and Eugene. From east to west the District stretches from the crest of the Cascades to the Pacific Ocean. The Siuslaw National Forest’s Northern Boundary is Tillamook and it Southern is Coos Bay. From east to west it stretches from Willamette Valley to the Pacific Ocean. The terrain is rugged and rises from sea level to 4100’ at Mary’s Peak in the Coast Range. BLM suppression is handled by the Oregon Dept. of Forestry. As such they handle all suppression aviation activities on the Salem District. The Siuslaw National Forest averages 10 fires, most at less than ¼ acre. Aviation use on fires is limited. Both Salem District BLM and Siuslaw National Forest have some non-fire aviation use. These are mostly end product contracts for timber sales and log placement.
Call-When-Needed (CWN) Aircraft: Call-When-Needed Contractors are a major supplier of aircraft services on the Siuslaw NF/Salem BLM District. Services for light (Type III) helicopters are procured through the Region 6 Light Helicopter Contract. BLM missions utilize the OAS On-Call Small Helicopter Contract. Type 1 and 2 helicopters may be ordered under the “USFS National CWN Heavy (Type 1) and Medium (Type 2) Helicopter Services” contract through the Dispatch Coordination system. (BLM Fire aircraft orders are filled through a “Task Order” to AMD that is processed at NICC.) The USFS Contracting Officer is located in Redmond, Oregon as a member of the Regional Aviation Group, and the Contracting Officers Representative will be designated by the R-6 Aircraft Contracting Officer. Fixed wing aircraft will be ordered in like manner from the appropriate USFS or OAS contract sources.
Facilities: No landing strips, permanent or semi-permanent facilities exist that are maintained by the government on the Siuslaw National Forest/Salem BLM. Temporary helicopter bases and landing sites are determined on an as need basis and are approved ahead of use by qualified aviation managers and specialized land use managers.
Non-Fire Uses: Non-fire uses of aviation resources on the Siuslaw NF/Salem District include; search and rescue, law enforcement, administrative flights, reconnaissance (other than fire detection flights), aerial ignition, aerial application, collection services, and special Regional flights. Non-fire projects, other than those covered in the Planned Aircraft Uses portion of this document will require an approved Project Aviation Safety Plan (PASP) before proceeding. Aircraft that are needed for BLM non-fire missions or projects will be ordered through the procedures outline on the OAS website as described in the BLM National Aviation Plan and BLM Oregon/Washington State Aviation Plan.
Ordering of aircraft, whether for fire or project work, will be channeled through Coastal Valley Interagency Communication Center (CVICC). Orders for aircraft for project work will be accompanied by an approved PASP. Employees who supervise or participate on non-fire aviation missions must meet the applicable Interagency Aviation Training (IAT) standards as required by FSM 5716.03 and 5725.06 (for USFS employees), DOI-OPM 4 and National Aviation Plan (NAP) for BLM employees, as described in Section E. of this Plan. NWCG (Fire) aviation qualifications frequently match or exceed the IAT training standards. The acceptable crosswalks of approved positions are documented in the IAT Guide found at www.iat.gov.
D. ORGANIZATION AND STAFFING
Forest Supervisor/District Manager
The Forest Supervisor/District Manager is responsible for all aviation activities on the Siuslaw NF/Salem BLM District and has delegated their authority to the Unit Aviation Officer (UAO) to advise and counsel users of aircraft. The Forest Supervisor/District Manager is actively involved in the planning process through the UAO.
Unit Aviation Officer (UAO)
The UAO is responsible for the planning and supervision of the Interagency aviation program. The UAO oversees aircraft operations for compliance with policy and standards in all situations and initiates action for aircraft accident/incident reports and investigations. It is our expectation that the UAO will take action to ensure that all unit aviation programs and activities are conducted with a high regard for employee and public safety. All applicable laws and agency policies are to be adhered to. The risk assessment procedures and risk management principles to be followed are described in the BLM and USFS National, the FS R6 & Alaska Regional Aviation Plan, and the BLM Oregon/Washington State Aviation Plan, the IHOG, and/or the Interagency Safety Management Systems (SMS) Risk Assessment Workbook.
The UAO is to work closely with line and staff officers along with local fire management officials to accomplish mission objectives. The UAO is to be pro-active in the approach to all aviation issues. The UAO will provide aviation technical expertise in the interpretation of aviation policies between agencies. Any policy differences between agencies that cause conflict should be resolved with involvement of State and Regional Office Aviation Managers. The UAO will establish and maintain relations with SORO aviation managers, unit line and staff officers, and aviation personnel employed by unit cooperators. The UAO is delegated the responsibility for review and coordination of Project Aviation Safety Plans (PASPs) required for each flight operation on the SUF/SAD. When delegated the authority by the regional office, the UAO may approve USFS PASPs as long as the concurrent plans remain within approved parameters. Note: Although the BLM National Aviation Plan only requires the State Aviation Manager to review PASPs with a risk assessment that rates out at “High” or above, the current BLM OR/WA SAM requests at least a courtesy copy of all BLM PASPs sent to the State Office to be reviewed and retained on file.
This delegation carries full authority and responsibility in all aviation matters related to Resource, Law Enforcement, and Fire Operations up to and including all incidents. The UAO is authorized to stop any aviation activity which violates agency policy or direction, exhibits unacceptable risk, or jeopardizes the safety of employees or the public. This delegation does not carry the authority to deviate from any policy except in an immediate life and death emergency.
The UAO shall have a thorough knowledge of Aviation policy, regulations, manuals and guides concerning aircraft safety and use. The UAO's background shall include aviation related experience or tutorial/apprenticeship detail that includes hands-on fixed and rotor wing aircraft operations. The responsibilities of the UAO can be found in FSH 5709.16 and the BLM National Aviation Plan with any additional duties listed in the State and Regional plans. The training requirements and standards for Aviation Managers are found in the Interagency Aviation Training (IAT) Guide, which is found at www.iat.gov.
In addition to the duties in manual and handbook direction, the Unit Aviation Officer on the SUF/SAD will also be responsible for the following:
1. Coordinates with the Dispatch Center Manager on planned administrative aircraft use on the SUF/SAD.
2. Maintains coordination with other government agencies on subjects involving aviation operations.
3. Attends available training to maintain proficiency. Training plan should include Interagency Aviation Training (IAT) courses, and System Safety and Leadership in Aviation Management (SSLAM) courses when able. Attends regional Unit Aviation Officer meetings/workshops, when able, and participates in conference calls.
4. Coordinates activities with the local FAA, military, and other concerned agencies that may operate on, over, or near the Siuslaw NF/Salem BLM as needed.
5. Provides annual BLM aircraft use data to the SAM in the required Excel format found in the SORO Library at http://ordvac.com/soro/library/. Submits separate data on BLM Law Enforcement flight hours as specified in the NAP. (USFS annual data is extracted from the ABS database via a national process.)
6. Reviews SAFECOMs and makes recommendations to the Regional Aviation Safety Manager and SAM regarding corrective action taken or needed. Participates in Incident/Accident investigations as requested. Maintains SAFECOM Log.
7. The UAO has the responsibility and delegated authority to stop aviation activities that are unsafe or are not operating within agency policy guidelines.
Dispatch Center Manager
The Dispatch Center Manager will have a sound working knowledge and understanding of aviation management principles that includes; 1) aircraft capabilities and limitations, 2) Forest Service/BLM policies and regulations, 3) aircraft rental, contracting, and administration procedures, 4) payment procedures, and 5) knowledge of Forest/BLM aviation operations. It is recommended that Dispatch Center Managers successfully complete Basic Air Operations (S-270), the appropriate IAT courses for an “Aviation Dispatcher” (as listed in the IAT Guide found at www.iat.gov), and/or the NWCG D-312 Aircraft Dispatcher course and task book. Fire Aircraft Dispatchers who may fill an off-unit overhead order as an “ACDP” are required to complete D-312 and the ACDP task book in accordance with NWCG PMS 310-1. The following duties are delegated from the Unit Aviation Officer to the Dispatch Center Manager:
1. Coordinates planned administrative aircraft use on the SUF/SAD. Designates a Flight Manager and briefs the individual on their duties and responsibilities.
2. Maintains coordination with other government agencies on subjects involving aviation operations.
3. Initiates actions to order an Air Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS) and other contingency resources for standby during high fire danger days.