How safe is the Evergreen Supertanker?
Evergreen is working with the FAA to assure that the Supertanker is maintained under the strictest federal aviation regulations. This will help bring about the highest standards of safety, maintenance and training to the aerial firefighting industry. In addition, to ensure an elevated level of safety, the Evergreen Supertanker is outfitted with a flight data recorder able to monitor airframe loads. Also, the Supertanker, even with 20,500 gallons of retardant, is still 150,000 lbs below its maximum takeoff weight capacity. This provides an enhanced safety margin. Current airtankers takeoff at allowable maximum certified takeoff weight, leaving no margin for error. The weight of a fully loaded Supertanker aircraft is still below the maximum landing weight. This means there will never be a mission where pilots will have to dump the entire load, even if the aircraft is full, before landing.
