I would like to address a couple of issues brought out by this story.

“But too frequently it is because of the screwed-up system for contracting air tankers, one that is careful to protect private companies that own the planes from unfair competition in the industry and even from competition from the government”

To me, the system seems set up to protect companies that employ senior US Forest Service employees.  Just follow the chronology on this one:

it will apparently take me a few posts to get everything on here