Mr. Speaker, Return to Written Question 24-12(7), asked by Mrs. Marie- Jewell to the Minister responsible for forest fire management concerning firefighters hired to accompany pilots.
Two companies were contracted to provide an experienced pilot to accompany the DC-4 crews. They are: Foulger Aviation Services of British Columbia; and, Ken Harvey Associates of Alberta.
The estimated cost of each contract is $10,000. These are per diem contracts, and the final costs will depend upon the length of time the pilots are required. One of the pilots had to leave early because of illness. The remainder of the training is being carried out by the other pilot.
The decision to hire these experienced pilots was in response to concerns raised by the UNW on behalf of the air attack officers. DC-4 captains with forest fire environment experience have been deployed to the DC-4s in the role of independent observer. The pilot accompanies the crew, provides assistance and direction, as required and until such time as the GNWT and Buffalo Airways jointly acknowledge crew proficiency in a forest fire environment.
The estimated time to complete the contract was two weeks. One crew has been approved for operations as of this past weekend, and the other should be approved this week.