"The Canadians have their CL-215 tankers and CL-415 SuperScoopers. They developed the CL-215 – which Robinson considers superior to anything the United States has – in 1967, and they've been rebuffed by the Forest Service for 35 years.
They have not been able to come in and compete for Forest Service contracts because they are not a private contractor association," Robinson explains. "They're part of the Canadian government. It's a quasi-private, public-private partnership, but the Forest Service does not want its contractors to face outside competition."
According to Robinson, the only place Canadian planes are used for firefighting is in Los Angeles County, which leases two of them every year and has for about 10 years, ever since the Malibu canyon fires."
I always wondered why idle bombers up here were never sent down south when you guys got hit hard by forest fires, now i know it was stupidity.
Both countries should have an agreement and consolidate their resources.
