Airtanker initial attack: a spreadsheet-based modeling procedure

Airtankers are widely employed in wildland fire control operations. This paper presents a spreadsheet procedure for modeling airtanker initial-attack performance within a protection region. Easily written and modified, this spreadsheet-based model provides the user with substantial flexibility when specifying the spatial distribution of fire occurrence within the initial-attack zone of an airtanker base. Once this spatial distribution has been specified, the expected flight distance from the airtanker base to a random fire ignition point as well as higher moments of the flight distance distribution are readily computed and applied using the spreadsheet. The chief advantages of this spreadsheet approach are described. Calculation procedures and potential applications of flight distance moments including the optimization of airbase location are illustrated. Detailed numerical examples and opportunities for future development are indicated.