[Mudboy Slim]

"...on the fire in Colorado, near Durango, we had 3 aircraft working along a housing development…….. The three aircraft were keeping the fire away from this sub[division]by laying down retardant. The Columbia (another company) aircraft had to leave in about 20 minutes for fuel. They called our aircraft, which had almost 2 hours of fuel remaining aboard, and told us we had to come in because it’s time for [our] 2 ½ hour rest break. Our guys said they didn’t need the break,[ they were used to flying 10 hour days every day] …….they said you come in and land or you’re going to be in violation….….you have to remember, we have to fly 15 or 20 minutes back to the heli-base, shut the aircraft down, stop the rotors and then start it back up again and fly back out…..by the time our aircraft got back out there the housing development was GONE."

SHEEEESH...we really need to get the Feds outta the business of overseeing the maintenance and upkeep of our public lands, but I see nothing but an increase in the amount of acreage under Federal control. These BureaucRATS seem utterly clueless, yet the Senate wants to make it all-but-impossible to fire incompetents and ne'er-do-wells!!

Thanks fer the bump, AuntB, and good luck out there...OpieMUD

[Movemout]

We need to get the feds out of business period. They get in the way of real people and waste our money. We need the military, a few temporary diplomats, some research and development, and minimum regulation in certain areas. Beyond that we need them to go away.