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selected the BAe 146 type for development in 2010. A Supplemental Type
Certificate (STC) from the US Federal Aviation Administration for modifications of BAe 146 aircraft to be used for the aerial dispersant of liquids was issued in March 2010. The Interagency Airtanker Board (IAB) approved Neptune's use of the BAe 146 for agency use in 2016.
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powered, be able to cruise at 300 knots (345 mph), and have a retardant capacity of at least 3,000 US gallons (11,000 L; 2,500 imp gal). Neptune chose the BAe 146 as its primary aerial firefighting aircraft because of the 146's reliable slow flight characteristics, high cruising speed
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Neptune
Aviation began researching the development of next-generation air tankers in 2007. Neptune's team included experts in aerial firefighting, heavy jet operations, and modifications. After three years of research into aerial firefighting requirements and future direction, Neptune Aviation
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Neptune
Aviation was the first US operator to contract with the USFS in 2011 for a next-generation aircraft in the form of Tanker 40, a converted BAe 146. As of 2016, Neptune had acquired and converted nine BAe 146 aircraft into aerial firefighting tankers.
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company offering flight services (fuel, ramp services, maintenance and hangar space), a flight school, Neptune
Aviation Charter, Non-Destructive Testing services, and a FAA Part 145 Certified Repair Station (FAA CRS NI6R011N).
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to perform aerial firefighting missions for the U.S. Forest
Service and various State agencies. Neptune's P2V fleet performed 47,000 firefighting missions and dropped 97 million gallons of fire retardant during this period.
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aircraft as an aerial firefighting platform. Neptune's BAe 146 aircraft were the first aircraft that met the Forest
Service criteria to qualify as next-generation air tankers, which require the aircraft to be
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In
September 2017, Neptune retired its fleet of P2V aircraft with a celebration that included the last flight of multiple P2V aircraft at the same time. The P2V retirement proved short-lived, as
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At that time during the mid-to-late 90s, 14 aviation services and a nationwide fleet of 44 aircraft, provided aerial firefighting services under 3-year exclusive use contracts with the
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518:. The aircraft overran the runway and the front landing gear collapsed. The undercarriage and gear needed substantial repair. The pilot and co-pilot were not injured in the accident.
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contracts with the US Forest
Service. Neptune was the first- ever US operator to contract with the USFS in 2011 for a Next Gen aircraft in the form of Tanker 40, a converted
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aircraft equipped with the Active
Response drop system capable of delivering a payload of 3,000 gallons of fire retardant. Neptune's operations also include Northstar Jet – a
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As the U.S. Forest
Service looked for next-generation aircraft to replace older aircraft like the P2V, Neptune Aviation led the development of the
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Neptune's P2V aircraft found new homes in 2018 in museums around the country. Neptune donated P2V aircraft to the
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Neptune Aviation was founded by Marta Amelia Timmons in 1993 following the purchase of Black Hills Aviation in
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called two of Neptune's P2Vs out of retirement just seven days later to combat fires raging in California.
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211:. Neptune Aviation's primary focus is aerial firefighting and Neptune operates a fleet of 9
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Neptune is registered as a privately owned aerial firefighting company with the
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179:. In 2015, Neptune provided aerial support for almost 125 fires, mostly in the
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Since its inception, Neptune has been successful in acquiring and reacquiring
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airlines. The average age of the fleet is 29.1 years (As of July 2017)
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207:. Shortly thereafter, operations were moved to their current facilities in
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and throughout the world. Founded in 1993, Neptune Aviation is known for
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314:(where P2V Tanker 10 is featured at the main entrance to the airport).
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T61 Memorial, Klamath Falls Airtanker Base (Klamath Falls, Oregon)
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San Diego Air & Space Museum (San Diego, California)
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Missoula International Airport/MSO (Missoula, Montana)
611:"Neptune Aviation Services Fleet Details and History"
136:. It provides aerial support and firefighting to the
636:"Neptune Aviation slurry bomber crashes in Colorado"
339:Estrella Warbirds Museum (Paso Robles, California)
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491:Pre-owned by various American, European and Asian
242:. Starting in 2013, Neptune began phasing out its
590:"A memorial tribute to the crew of Airtanker 61"
331:Alamogordo Airport/ALM (Alamogordo, New Mexico)
278:in Paso Robles, California, the T61 Memorial at
259:For more than two decades, Neptune utilized the
537:"Marta Timmons of Neptune Aviation passed away"
246:aircraft and now flies an all BAe 146 fleet.
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634:Missoulian, the Associated Press and the.
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687:Privately held companies based in Montana
379:Yankee Air Museum (Belleville, Michigan)
347:Glendive Airport/GDV (Glendive, Montana)
514:after a retardant drop on a wildfire in
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255:P2V aerial firefighting fleet (retired)
692:American companies established in 1993
328:N203EV (former Evergreen Tanker 142)
227:. Of the 44, Neptune operated 6, all
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280:Crater Lake–Klamath Regional Airport
565:Liedtke, Kurt (September 7, 2018).
512:Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport
592:. Lakeview Interagency Fire Center
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567:"Air tanker to be retired Sunday"
506:On July 22, 2010 Tanker No. 44 a
453:and outstanding maneuverability.
407:BAe 146 aerial firefighting fleet
304:San Diego Air & Space Museum
130:Missoula International Airport
122:Neptune Aviation Services Inc.
58:Missoula International Airport
20:Neptune Aviation Services Inc.
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93:Marta Amelia Timmons, founder
516:Rocky Mountain National Park
510:was damaged upon landing at
225:United States Forest Service
177:Canadian Wildlife Federation
173:United States Forest Service
169:National Wildlife Federation
39:; 31 years ago
16:Aerial firefighting company
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395:Neptune Aviation Services
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575:. Klamath Falls, Oregon.
312:Missoula Montana Airport
276:Estrella Warbirds Museum
508:Lockheed P-2V-5 Neptune
501:Incidents and accidents
461:Neptune Aviation fleet
429:Klamath National Forest
425:Happy Camp Complex Fire
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229:P2V Neptune airtankers
205:Alamogordo, New Mexico
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615:www.planespotters.net
481:British Aerospace 146
417:British Aerospace 146
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284:Klamath Falls, Oregon
240:British Aerospace 146
213:British Aerospace 146
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181:Western United States
128:company based out of
261:Lockheed P-2 Neptune
244:Lockheed P-2 Neptune
154:aviation maintenance
682:Aerial firefighting
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300:Ypsilanti, Michigan
217:Fixed-base operator
158:fixed-base operator
150:aerial firefighting
126:aerial firefighting
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543:. October 29, 2020
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400:Tanker 14 (P2V-5)
392:Tanker 44 (P2V-5)
384:Tanker 43 (P2V-7)
376:Tanker 45 (P2V-7)
360:Tanker 12 (P2V-5)
310:, California, and
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368:Tanker 6 (P2V-5)
363:To be determined
344:Tanker 5 (P2V-5)
336:Tanker 7 (P2V-5)
296:Yankee Air Museum
292:Glendive, Montana
209:Missoula, Montana
197:Lockheed P-2E(AT)
134:Missoula, Montana
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665:Official website
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643:. Retrieved
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618:. Retrieved
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164:operations.
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72:Headquarters
547:November 2,
469:In service
162:air charter
676:Categories
645:2017-07-28
620:2017-07-28
596:2022-02-16
523:References
352:Tanker 10
101:225 (2017)
90:Key people
64:Fleet size
466:Aircraft
323:Location
320:Aircraft
308:San Diego
236:airtanker
98:Employees
450:turbofan
76:Missoula
472:Orders
446:turbine
441:BAe 146
427:in the
423:on the
269:CalFire
187:History
106:Website
80:Montana
42: (
34:Founded
475:Notes
419:drops
294:, the
142:Canada
124:is an
250:Fleet
146:Chile
549:2020
175:and
160:and
113:.com
53:Hubs
44:1993
37:1993
485:10
448:or
306:in
298:in
290:in
132:in
678::
638:.
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581:^
569:.
557:^
539:.
488:—
415:A
302:,
286:,
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195:A
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67:9
46:)
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