Hi Chris,

My name is Keith Eyler. I am a pilot for Aero Union and currently this season am Flying with Del Hunt whom I’m sure you know of very well. I was flying the last bit of the four mile Canyon fire myself last year as well. The reason I’m writing is to ask for you to help us out this year.

This week the U.S. Forest Service canceled all of our air tanker contracts falsely sighting our continued airworthiness’s program. The real reason for canceling our contracts is unknown but we suspect very political. This of course will put us out of business and reduce the nation’s Heavy tanker Aerial fire fighting fleet by almost half. As you guy’s experienced an air tanker is an amazing fire fighting tool and as it is, these extremely specialized resources are all ready stretched thin around the nation.

We are asking if you could spread the word in your local community of our predicament and get as many people as possible to write letters and make phone calls to local government Representatives, as well as Senators in Congress to help restore our contracts with the Forest Service and get down to the bottom of the real reason our contracts were suddenly canceled. Currently our CEO along with the FAA, who says we are in compliance, are headed to Washington to fight for our livelihoods. Any support your community could provide for us will be greatly appreciated in our time of need. All we want to do as crew members is get out there and do what we do best. Save properties, lives and fight fire!

Sincerely,

Keith Eyler  Tanker-21

P.S.  Here is Delbert and I on a fire in Arizona this year as it rages towards a community. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQT21UBGsVk