truly minor correction,
Air Attack platforms are not agency owned aircraft nor are the pilots government employees. the only government employee(s) is the Air Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS). you probably confused Leads and Bravos for Air Attacks. Lead and Bravo platforms are mostly, but not all agency owned aircraft. the Air Tactical Pilot and Air Tactical Supervisor (if Bravo) are government employees.
Admin ferry flights usually are performed by Lead/Bravo aircraft. I was graced with the pleasure of meeting the then current Forest Service Chief (who was in the past an ATGS) once during the Rough Fire, he arrived via a Lead/Bravo aircraft. it was a big to do that day. another time we had the regional Forester visit us again via Lead/Bravo aircraft. Air Attack platforms do ferry people around but very rarely. an Air Attack once ferried a RAMP Manager and a Parking Tender from Fresno to Bishop to staff Bishop reload base. so it happens.
Interesting note on Leads and Bravos,
FS Lead Planes are called by their pilot’s designator number. The 1st number is their FS Region, the 2nd number is their unique designated pilot number, i.e.: "Lead 1-9”.
BLM Lead Planes are called as “Bravo” and their pilot’s unique designator number also, i.e.: “Bravo 8”.
Alaska Lead Planes are called as “Alpha” and their pilot’s unique designator number, i.e.: “Alpha 4”.
CalFire Lead Planes are called as “Charlie” and the pilot’s unique designator number, i.e.: “Charlie 2”.
An ASM (Aerial Supervision Module) has two people on board, an ATP (Air Tactical Pilot) and an ATS (Air Tactical Supervisor) commonly referred to as a lead plane pilot and an ATGS. An ASM can cover both roles for an incident, air tactical supervision for assigned aircraft and lead for airtankers.
if there is only an ATP (FS or BLM) on board then they’ll use the call sign, “Lead 1-9”, or "Lead 8", and can only work in the role of a Lead Plane. I n the not so distance past there was such a thing as a "Lead Bravo", these were BLM platforms with only a ATP onboard, this was judge to be too confusing of a call sign so they Dropped the "Bravo" part. When there is an ATS on board, (now an ASM), then FS and BLM call sign will be, “Bravo 1-9”, or “Bravo 8”. Alaska and CalFire will almost always be an ASM called by “Alpha 4” or “Charlie 2”. In the absence of an ATS, they will be called, “Lead Alpha 4” and “Lead Charlie 2”.
When a Lead Plane Trainee is on board with the Lead Plane Pilot they will never be an ASM during training; and they will commonly be called by the trainee’s unique designator, i.e: “Lead 6-6 Trainee” or “Lead Bravo 4 Trainee” for BLM.
it's an easy confusion.
Outstanding information! You are a definitive source for USFS aviation. I do have some confusion due to my memory not being as excellent as it has been in the past. I knew the air attack (ATGS) is a permanent employee, but forgot that the aircraft and pilot are contracted . When you said lead planes, not air attacks, ferry personnel around, I recalled that. I have one point of confusion left.
If BLM leads have a callsign of "Bravo" then how are they distinguished from other leads who add Bravo to their identifier when they go from a lead to a ASM? It's easy for a Forest Service lead that becomes an ASM as they just switch from "Lead 5-6" to "Bravo 5-6." However, the BLM leads are B-1 ("Bravo 1") and B-4 to B-9. I see that 4 of the 7 BLM leads in the U.S. are ASM qualified. This confuses me when I read the National Mobilization Guide.
Air Attack 15 is heard over here in the eastern Sierra frequently. I should have mentioned that forests with an air attack often use them to fly recon flights following lightning. Sometimes some forests will have their helos do recon flights post lightning, but usually after the ship has been launched on an actual fire. When there is a break in activity on that fire, they will make these recon flights. When AA 15 is not available Cal Fire's AA 440 out of Columbia is the usual ship that comes.
These are the current air attacks on National Forests in California:
North to South
AA 05 Klamath NF Siskiyou County Airport
AA 06 Lassen NF Chester Air Attack Base
AA 50 North Ops GACC Redding
*AA 507 & AA 509 North Ops GACC Redding Airport*
AA17 Tahoe NF Grass Valley Airport
AA 15 Sierra NF Fresno Airport
AA 07 Los Padres NF Santa Maria Airport
AA 51N Angeles Night Operations Capable
AA 12 San Bernardino NF SB Airport
AA52 San Bernardino NF SB Airport
AA 507 & 509 are Bell 209 Cobra Helicopters
They can be "Air Attack" (ATGS), "Helco" (Helicopter Coordinator) and "Firewatch." The latter is when they do remote sensing, including infrared. which is done at night. These are very small, pilot as single occupant, helicopters that are USFS owned, having been transferred from the military.
Cal Fire:
North to South
AA 120 Rohnerville
AA 240 Redding
AA 110 Ukiah
AA 210 Chico
AA 140 Sonoma
AA 230 Grass Valley
AA 440 Columbia
AA 460 Hollister
AA 340 Paso Robles
AA 410 Porterville
AA 310 Hemet-Ryan
AA 330 Ramona
All the above are Rockwell OV-10A's
**AA 500**
**AA 501**
**AA 503**
**AA 504**
**AA 505**
**I think these are all helicopters. They are based at McClellan.**
Information per the 2020 California Mob Guide.