When the USFS created contracts for new tankers, many safety and performance criteria were explicitly spelled out. Other countries have followed suit to ensure the highest level of safety for the high-risk task of aerial firefighting. A number of different airframes have been converted to airtankers over the past 20 years. They all share common factors, such as good low-speed handling, rugged construction and reliability.

“There was also concern of the dollar cost of operating the DC-10,” Smithley continued. “However, once it was used on fires, the incident commanders saw its value and the DC-10 is now very popular and in demand during the US fire season. And since it carries 9,400 gallons (35,500 liters), the cost per gallon dropped is very competitive with other airtankers. While there are fewer bases it can operate from, it can cruise at 380mph (610km/h), which helps reduce round-trip times. It is not unusual for us to work on one fire, then be sent a thousand miles (1,600km) to another one at the end of the day. It flies at 40 per cent of max gross weight, which gives it a good thrust-to-weight ratio during missions. 10 Tanker dropped 12 million gallons of retardant with four aircraft in the 2021 fire season.”

Some startups prefer to refine their products and services and perfect them according to a certain standard before revealing them to the public. Premature publicity can lead to heightened expectations and scrutiny, which can be detrimental if the product is not yet ready for the market.

The interview process in a stealth mode company can be tricky because you need to strike a balance between keeping company details private and sharing relevant information about the position with your interviewees. Thus, the recruitment team should conduct a thorough and rigorous process to ensure that the right talents are chosen and avoid the risk of leaking too much information to candidates who are not qualified for the job.

There are several reasons why business owners would choose to create a stealth-mode startup, and these include the following:

While your startup is in stealth mode, it is still important to highlight your company’s vision, core values, and unique culture to attract top talent. Communicating this information can inspire potential candidates to join your team, especially those who share the same goals and values that you have. Additionally, you can highlight the exciting opportunities, as well as challenges, that lie ahead to pique the interest of sales professionals who are passionate about making a difference and being part of an innovative and groundbreaking startup.

“We have nine BAe-146 tankers, each with a 3,000 gallon (11,350 liter) internal retardant tank,” stated Condit. “We did this to keep the cabin pressurized and maintain the same center of gravity and mass that the aircraft had when it was used as a passenger aircraft. Our proprietary internal tank also allows a constant steady control of the drop pattern using computer-controlled valves, no matter what the attitude or g-force on the aircraft. We call it the Active Response Tank.”

To achieve this, you and your recruitment team should leverage personal referrals, networking events, and industry conferences. On the other hand, you may want to skip posting your sales job ads on online job portals and social media websites because you might get tons of applications that may not be even a good fit for your organization.

“A large airtanker conversion is an extraordinarily long process, requiring a significant investment,” explained Larry Pahl, Director of Airworthiness Engineering at Conair. “Nearly 15 years ago, when we started converting the RJ85, we were impressed with the aircraft’s speed and ability to carry 3,000 gallons (11,350 liters) of retardant, while still maneuvering well in challenging conditions at low speeds and low elevations on 3.5-hour missions before having to refuel.”

Each Conair airtanker undergoes heavy maintenance between fire seasons, with extensive annual testing and inspection processes to identify metal fatigue, including Non-Destructive testing – such as X-ray, eddy current, eddy current array, and ultrasonic methods, to locate sub-surface cracks without harming the integrity of the aircraft structure.

During stealth mode, you can conduct beta tests properly and efficiently without worrying about major errors disrupting ongoing operations and the need to quickly fix any errors. This is also a good opportunity to get valuable feedback from a select group of users, helping you improve your products and address any issues before a public release.

A well-executed public launch after a period of stealth can generate curiosity and excitement in the market. This surprise factor can attract media attention and increase your chances of getting noticed by potential customers and partners.

The key to an effective and no-risk interview process is maintaining open communication and professionalism at all times so that you can establish trust with potential hires while keeping your company information confidential. This is also a good time to explain to them the NDA and why they should sign it.

“To account for the fatigue impact of the firefighting role on the structural integrity, we employ a Damage Rate Factor for firefighting where each mission on the Dash 8-400 airtanker is equivalent to a multiple of commercial cycles on the airliner version of the airframe,” said Brent Misura, Director of Engineering and Customer Service with Conair. “Prior to selecting the Dash, we consulted with all airframe manufacturers and by far the Dash 8-400 airframe would perform significantly better over the long term in the aerial firefighting role, with some manufacturers projecting the Damage Rate Factor to be 20 cycles or more for every aerial firefighting cycle.”

One of the biggest advantages of a stealth mode start-up is safeguarding its intellectual property from being copied or stolen by competitors. When you keep your business a secret, your ideas, technologies, and products remain confidential. This allows you to build a competitive advantage before revealing your products or services to the public.

Conair made the decision to install external water/retardant tanks instead of internal ones. The external tanks preserve the integrity of the airframe, allowing the aircraft to remain pressurized, reducing pilot fatigue. The external configuration also enables the multi-role variant of the Dash 8-400 airtanker to have its tank removed during non-wildfire emergency response missions, transporting cargo and passengers in the interior.

Barry Smith has been an aviation and emergency services writer/photographer for over thirty years. He has published over 250 magazine articles and six books. He has also worked in emergency services as a paramedic, volunteer firefighter, and member of search and rescue teams for over 40 years.

Another operator of former passenger jets as airtankers is Erickson Aero Tankers of Madras, Oregon. They have converted seven McDonnell Douglas MD-87s with 3,000 gallon (11,350 liter) retardant tanks. They are capable of operating out of airports with 5,000 foot (1,500 meter) runways with a full load. They also offer a cruise speed of 450 knots (830km/h) for fast turnarounds.

Finally, by keeping your products or services a secret, you run the risk of developing solutions that aren’t what the actual market needs. Without real-time feedback from potential customers, your business might not be able to address real-world pain points.

We speak to engineers about their work; we find out about the demands for transporting neonates; we explore when VLATs are the superior choice for firefighting; we look at the tools and training to ensure positive outcomes in the event of a power failure; plus all of our regular content.

If your product—or service—has reached a level of maturity wherein it’s fully functional, reliable, and offers a significant value proposition to customers, then it may be a good time to launch it in public. Make sure, too, that you have completed thorough testing and gathered positive feedback from beta testers and early users.

Investors are generally hesitant to invest in an unknown startup that has no data to show about its performance or potential for success. As a result, it might be challenging for you to secure funding during this phase.

A skilled and trustworthy recruitment team will be your secret weapon for recruiting the top talents in your stealth-mode startup. They have to be well-adept in handling confidential information and skilled at assessing candidates without revealing too many company secrets. While you can build this team in-house, you can also seek the help of professional sales recruiters or headhunters in Chicago. You can be sure that they have strong experience in working with stealth mode companies throughout Chicago and other major cities in the US.

Before launching your brand, make sure that you have conducted your market research, identified the right target audience, and received positive feedback from potential customers. Once you have determined a significant class or market that has a genuine interest in your product or service, then it is safe to say that your stealth startup company is ready to launch.

By letting them sign these documents, they are bound to keep everything you tell them confidential, such that if they breach the contract, they will face serious consequences such as potential legal remedies, financial damages, or injunctions. Even if a sales candidate were not hired, the NDA will prevent them from disclosing any information about your company to anyone.

With many areas of the world experiencing extreme fire seasons, more countries are seeing the value of LATs and VLATs. South America has seen record-breaking wildland fire loss and is using these large tankers in increasing numbers. Currently, Coulson, Erickson Aero Tanker, and 10 Tanker all have aircraft operating in Chile. While there are many tools in the aerial firefighting toolbox, these large tankers are, and will continue to be, an important option for firefighting agencies.

So while the stealth mode strategy can offer certain advantages to startups, you need to carefully consider the trade-offs and weigh them against your specific business goals and circumstances. Striking the right balance between secrecy and engagement with the market is crucial for long-term success.

When you are running a stealth mode company, you are keeping all its activities, products, and services under wraps from the public, competitors, and sometimes, even some employees in your organization. You are also avoiding publicizing its presence or disclosing detailed information about your offerings, business strategies, and development progress.

Remember that each startup is unique, and the decision to launch publicly should be based on a comprehensive assessment of your startup’s readiness and market dynamics. If you want to make sure that your startup is ready to operate publicly, you may seek advice from experienced business mentors, advisors, or industry experts.

Do you have a great business idea you want to realize, but keep it in secret for the meantime while you’re developing it? The best course of action you can take is to create a stealth mode startup. But what is stealth mode startup, and how does it differ from a regular startup company?

Without public knowledge of your business, you can avoid attracting direct competition. This gives you more time to establish your brand in the market and build a unique value proposition before other businesses or companies catch on. Additionally, you will not feel the pressure of launching fast just because you think that others might beat you up to it.

Along with a behavioral interview, you can also include assessments and technical evaluations to gauge an individual’s skills and expertise in handling the position without disclosing too much proprietary information.

Because of the limited visibility of a stealth mode startup company and the minimal information you can disclose, recruiting sales professionals—and any other employee for that matter—can be quite challenging. You have to have a thoughtful and strategic approach to attract top talent and ensure that they will comply with your confidentiality requirements.

10 Tanker uses Operational Limit Monitors that record stress at multiple points to pick up overloads and get a picture of the day-to-day stresses placed on the airframe during tanker missions. If anything occurs, the airframe, flight controls and engines can be checked for damage. This information can also be used for establishing time frames to check for fatigue during heavy maintenance in the off-season. While the pilots may fly seasonally, the maintenance crews work year-round.

Conair has supported the French government for decades by providing airtankers for their fleet; first the S-2 Fire Cat and now with the Dash 8-400MRE multi-role airtanker, offering passenger, cargo and medevac support in addition to airtanker capability. The 8th Dash 8-400MRE airtanker, converted in-house by Conair, will be delivered to France later this year.

Answering the questions above should give you a good idea as to how long you can stay in stealth mode. Some startups choose to stay in stealth mode for only a few months, while others may extend it to several years. There is no definite answer or rule about the duration of your startup stealth mode, and the important thing to note is that you can use this time to refine your products, protect your business’s intellectual property, secure funding, and build strategic relationships with investors.

Once a startup in stealth mode feels confident in its product or service and is ready to enter the market, it will typically come out of stealth mode and make its business public. This is also the time when they will launch their offerings publicly and engage with customers, investors, and the media to build their brand and business.

“In the beginning, there was resistance from firefighting agencies to such a large aircraft being used as an airtanker,” commented RK Smithley, a DC-10 instructor pilot for 10 Tanker. “There were questions about maneuverability in steep terrain, how long it would take to reload and return to a fire, as well as the infrastructure needed to support it – such as longer runways and the physical size of the tanker base not being able to accommodate its wingspan.

After perfecting your business model, developing your products, building your organization and teams, hiring skilled sales professionals, and securing funds and investors, is your stealth mode startup company ready to launch? Here are signs that will help you make an informed decision.

Recruiting sales professionals for your stealth mode startup, therefore, requires a mix of meticulousness, creativity, and transparency within boundaries to not only attract top talents but also make them understand why your company chooses to adopt a stealth mode strategy. Building a strong sales team is essential for the eventual successful launch and growth of your startup.

“When we began looking for an airframe to replace our piston-engine P2V tankers, we wanted an aircraft with good maneuverability and an excellent safety record, that could be quickly loaded and launched within about ten minutes after it landed at a tanker base,” explained Kevin Condit, Neptune Marketing Manager. “The (BAe)-146 checked all of the boxes for us. With a decade of experience with them now, it has been a great platform. British Aerospace was, and still is, a great partner with Neptune. We worked with them to test its maneuverability and its low and slow handling characteristics. It has excellent short field abilities and can work out of any retardant base in the US.”

“One of the most notable tools protecting both the safety of our crews and integrity of the airframe, is our Transport Canada certified Flight Envelope Awareness System, developed by our in-house engineers,” explained Brent. “It is installed in the flight deck and designed to provide pilots with enhanced safety awareness information, such as slow speed awareness and angle of attack detail. This technology produces safer operations, as it prevents flight envelopes exceedances and excessive G loads, as opposed to measuring them after the damage has occurred. The system is in the pilot’s field of view, enabling them to stay in the safe zone and minimize exposure of the aircraft to high-risk excursions outside of the flight envelope.”

Intellectual property refers to anything created by the mind, including product inventions, artworks, and designs among others. Startups may want to keep their innovative ideas, technologies, and products confidential to prevent competitors from copying or replicating them before they launch to the public and gain a competitive advantage.

A successful business or company should run smoothly and seamlessly, with different teams and departments working together to achieve a common goal. If you have already built a solid foundation for your stealth startup and each of your staff knows what to do and how to contribute to the daily operations of your business, then this is a good sign to launch publicly.

It is also important to note that, while a stealth startup offers many advantages, it also has drawbacks and disadvantages. Below are some problems and challenges you might face if you choose to adopt a stealth-mode business strategy:

Another way you can attract top talents and hire sales professionals to join your startup while in stealth mode is to offer competitive compensation packages and benefits. Since you can‘t disclose a lot of information about your company, what you can share with potential hires is what they can expect when they get hired in terms of compensation and benefits. These include salary, sales commissions, health benefits, leaves, equity, and performance-based incentives.

We will discuss all these and more in this comprehensive guide about stealth mode startup company in relation to sales recruitment in Chicago.

Ultimately, the goal of all startups in stealth mode is to launch publicly and let the market know that they are open for business. But knowing when your stealth mode startup is ready to launch publicly is a critical decision that requires careful evaluation of your current business conditions and several internal and external factors and your current business conditions.

Derived from the military term “stealth mode” or “stealth technology” which means less visible to radar, a stealth mode startup refers to a business in its initial or developing stage that is operating in a highly secretive manner.

For a stealth-mode startup to operate seamlessly and productively, recruiting the right talent is crucial. Especially if your company is sales-centric, you need to have a proper strategy in place to successfully conduct sales recruitment without letting the public know about your company or your brand.

When you choose to operate your startup in stealth mode, you can have adequate time, space, and freedom to build a strong brand with a competitive advantage before facing the challenges after a public launch

Neptune has a nondestructive test lab at their headquarters, staffed with technicians that can assess any of the airframe or flight control components to check for fatigue cracks and excessive wear. They worked with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on modifying the aircraft’s maintenance schedule to compensate for the heavier use and strain of life as an airtanker.

When recruiting the right sales professionals for your stealth mode start-up, one of the primary things you need to do is to assure your candidates that their privacy will be kept confidential and protected. Informing them about your company’s stealth mode strategy will help them understand the importance and reasons behind your discretion. Not only should you provide them with a conducive and secure environment for interviews, but you should also be open to answering any questions they have about information security so you can maintain the trust and confidence of top sales talents in Chicago.

The Conair Group of Abbotsford, British Columbia, has been operating airtankers for more than 50 years. They have converted over 15 aircraft types, with more than 175 produced. Their current large airtankers are the Avro RJ85 and Bombardier Dash 8-400. Its US subsidiary, Aero-Flite Inc. of Spokane, Washington, also operates the RJ85.

Finally, if your stealth mode startup business was able to comply with all relevant legal and regulatory requirements necessary for conducting business in your target markets, then you are ready to launch publicly.

“The newest airtanker we are converting today is the turboprop Dash 8-400AT,” stated Jeff Berry, Director of Business Development at Conair. “We evaluated 29 large aircraft before selecting the Dash 8-400. We selected it as it could land at shorter runways than other large airtankers, locating it closer to where fires occur. It can carry 2,600 gallons (10,000 liters) of retardant, and flies as fast as a jet to fires. In addition, it is fully supported by the original equipment manufacturer De Havilland Canada, with an ample supply of parts available for years to come, making it less costly to maintain. Plus, it burns far less fuel than other large airtankers, so its operationally less expensive.”

If you wish to approach potential investors selectively and on your terms, operating in stealth mode can help you with this. You can choose investors who align with your vision, are active in your industry, and are genuinely interested in your products or services. As opposed to operating in public, you may receive a flood of investor inquiries which may cause you to lose focus on your selection criteria.

Being in stealth mode may prevent you from attending industry events, networking with potential partners, or building relationships with key stakeholders. This lack of visibility could hinder your ability to establish crucial business connections.

One of the most important elements you need to ensure before launching publicly is that you have secured appropriate intellectual property protections that will safeguard your business innovations and technologies. These include patents, trademarks, and copyrights for your products, digital assets, brand logo, and other important elements of your business.

Is your product unique? Do you offer something that isn’t available in the market yet? If you have a clear understanding of your competitive landscape and have established a competitive advantage that differentiates your offering from existing solutions in the market, then, by all means, make your brand available publicly.

Financial concerns are one of the biggest challenges of any startup company, whether they are in stealth mode or not. If your business has secured sufficient funding to support a public launch and sustain initial growth without significant financial constraints, then you should be ready to open it up to the market.

Creating an incredible sales team is another sign you are ready to launch your startup in public. Assess if you have a sales team ready to sell your products and services and if they are well-equipped to handle the demands of a public launch. Aside from this, they have to have the necessary resources, equipment, and expertise in place to scale operations and support customer needs.

If you’re planning to create a stealth mode startup, a follow-up to the question “What is stealth startup” is how long should your startup stay in stealth mode?

Your sales recruitment must be highly targeted, as opposed to choosing a broad approach to hiring sales professionals. This way, you can already filter qualified candidates and identify those with skill sets and expertise that align with your specific requirements. By adopting a targeted approach, you can minimize the risk of disclosing confidential information to candidates who might not even be qualified for the position.

What is a stealth company is easily answered by picturing a startup business that is not yet ready to open its doors in public, and thereby, operating in secret. This startup strategy offers businesses valuable time and space to build their brand, create valuable products, protect intellectual property, and strategize their sales and marketing plans without the pressure of public scrutiny. However, staying in stealth mode for too long may cause missed opportunities for market validation, customer feedback, and competitive advantage.

While in stealth mode, you can quietly observe the market, learn from the successes and failures of other companies, and adjust your strategies accordingly. This information can be valuable to you so you can improve your products and perfect your offerings before a public launch.

The only operator of very large airtankers (VLAT) is 10 Tanker of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They use four McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s as tankers. When the DC-10 was beginning to be phased out of air cargo work, the founders of 10 Tanker thought it would make a good airtanker and could be purchased at a reasonable price. Its engines are very powerful and, although large, it is highly a maneuverable aircraft. In addition, the tall landing gear would allow an external tank to be mounted to the belly. It uses a gravity flow tank system, which 10 Tanker believes produces a better drop pattern than a pressurized system.

After discussing what is a stealth startup, let’s look into the advantages of adopting this kind of startup operation. Below are some of the benefits of operating in stealth mode:

If you have completely fine-tuned your product, performed market research and brand building, and hired a sales team that is ready to sell your products or services, then a public launch may be in order. On the other hand, if you are still in the process of recruiting top talents for your stealth mode startup company, let Sales Recruiters Chicago help you find the right sales professionals to join your team. Contact us now and let’s discuss how we can assist in finding and hiring skilled and talented sales representatives who can contribute to the success of your startup.

Another disadvantage of operating in stealth mode is missed opportunities to build your brand and establish public awareness efforts, making it harder for you to gain recognition and credibility when you decided to finally launch.

However, staying in stealth mode for too long may cause your business to miss market opportunities and experience challenges in generating early customer feedback and market validation. Ultimately, you need to find the right balance between the benefits of stealth mode and the need to engage with the public and market effectively.

Remaining unknown can help a startup avoid attracting too much attention from potential competitors, investors, or regulatory authorities until they are ready for public launch and engagement.

When your company or startup is in stealth mode, you and your team can focus on developing your product, service, or business until it gets perfect—without the pressure of premature comments, judgment, and scrutiny from the public. This freedom allows you to iterate and refine your offerings until they are ready for public consumption.

One of the newest operators of LATs is Coulson Aviation of Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada. They currently build and use Lockheed C-130H Hercules and Boeing 737 airtankers. Both use Coulson’s proprietary 4,000 gallon (15,000 liter) tank. The tank for the C-130s is a roll-on, roll-off model, which can be changed out in about an hour. Coulson purchased five C-130s from the Royal Norwegian Air Force. Coulson also bought six Boeing 737-300s from Southwest Airlines. Called the Fireliner, it can carry 72 passengers with the tank installed. It has proven very maneuverable on fires and can cruise at 450 knots (830km/h). Coulson has had contracts for both types in Australia, Argentina and Chile this year. Coulson has also sold Fireliners to government agencies in Australia and Argentina.

Operating in stealth mode can mean that the business owner and their team want to concentrate on product development and refining their business model first so they can iron out any potential issues without distractions from external factors.

These documents will enable you to share specific details about your company and the products and services you plan to offer to candidates you are interviewing while ensuring confidentiality and protecting intellectual property.

Operating in stealth mode can make it difficult for you to gather early feedback from potential customers. Without public exposure, you may miss opportunities to test your products, gather user insights, and make necessary improvements based on real users—and not just beta testers.

While the first fixed-wing airtankers were small, single-engine aircraft, larger versions were soon developed in the early 1960s. These consisted mostly of multiple models of ex-military bombers and cargo aircraft. Faced with years of hard use in low-level turbulence and high-G maneuvers, metal fatigue problems began to arise. In 2002, two fatal accidents occurred where the wings failed during a drop mission. The US Forest Service (USFS) suspended the contracts for certain airtanker types and created a panel to look at the airworthiness of the large airtankers (LAT) as a whole. In 2004, the contracts for all LATs were cancelled due to safety concerns.