- Title: INDONESIA: Display of waterbomber plane which can be used for forest fires
- Date: 1st April 2002
- Summary: (L!1) JAKARTA, INDONESIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) WIDE OF WATERBOMBER PLANE LANDING ON THE WATER SLV WATERBOMBER TAKING OFF WITH FULL LOAD VARIOUS OF WATERBOMBER FLYING IN THE AIR (3 SHOTS) SMV PEOPLE WATCHING VARIOUS, WATERBOMBER DROPPING WATER WHILE FLYING (2 SHOTS) SMV DEMONSTRATION COORDINATOR SPEAKING TO PILOT VARIOUS, MORE OF PLANE DEMONSTRATION SLV SPECTATORS HIT BY WATE
- Embargoed: 16th April 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: JAKARTA AND SUMATRA, INDONESIA/UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION
- Country: Indonesia
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVAE5J90NM7L19EWPAQZSI4MFLVO
- Story Text: With the threat of seasonal forest fires just weeks away, the world's most advanced fire fighting aeroplane has displayed its unique abilities to the Indonesian officials.
The "Superscooper" may be the answer to combatting massive fires and subsequent haze that engulf the South East Asian region every year.
The amphibious plane has a unique ability in its role as an aerial firefighter.
It requires only 12 seconds to scoop up more than 6,000 litres of water while skimming at high speed over any suitable water body.
This enables it to make repeated sorties to forest fires in difficult and inaccessible areas without returning to an airfield, delivering 56 000 litres of water in an hour.
Indonesia has been blamed for much of the smoke and haze that chokes the skies every year during the dry seasons.
Illegal logging and land clearing by large conglomerates and subsistence farmers alike in the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan is the main cause for these fires.
Manufacturers of the "Superscooper" feel they have found the perfect solution for the problem.
"Right now it is the only plane in the world that is uniquely designed, specifically designed for firefighting. It could certainly have a major impact on the frequent forest fires that you have in Indonesia," said Gilles Laflamme, Superscooper's Sales Director for Asia Pacific.
But Indonesia is still suffering from the lingering economic crisis in the region and might find it difficult to cough up the 25 million U.S. dollar price tag for one plane.
"I am not sure because the price of airplane in this presentation is expensive. And may be my government does not have enough money to buy the 20 million US dollar per airplane," said one forest official watching the display.
The Superscooper has an impressive record, presently in service throughout the United States and Canada as well as a many European countries including France, Greece, Italy, and Spain.
It remains to be seen if Indonesia will take the plunge, or otherwise the choking smog that has been a real problem in recent years will once again sweep the region. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None