SeeSOURCE:Flight International
Australia prepares for air tanker trials
By Emma Kelly
The Australian state of Victoria will deploy a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 on firefighting missions from January in the first trial of a very large airtanker in the country.
The DC-10-30, leased from US company 10 Tanker Air Carrier, arrived at Melbourne's Avalon airport in mid-December. Australian regulator the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has started final compliance assessment of the aircraft to allow it to enter service from January.
The aircraft, which will be based at Avalon, will be tested for a minimum 10 weeks. During the trial the aircraft will be used in actual firefighting, providing it is safe and appropriate to the situation, says the National Aerial Firefighting Centre, which arranged the lease.
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