MISSOULA — The U.S. Forest Service says it has approved a Montana-based firefighting company’s jet aircraft to be used to drop retardant on wildfires this season.
Agency spokeswoman Jennifer Jones tells the Missoulian that Neptune Aviation Services received permission to use its BAe-146 jet tanker beginning Saturday and going through Oct. 5.
President Dan Snyder says the company has been working to transition to the jet as its next-generation aircraft. He says he’s hoping to have more of the jets fighting fires after the first jet proves itself in the field.
The company had to retire an older Orion P2V bomber in February when workers found a crack in a wing support during a routine inspection and pulled it from service.