N17085

This entry covers the airframe bearing tail number N17085, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 built in 1975 with manufacturer's serial number 47957. The airframe is owned by BC AIRCRAFT LEASING LLC, a corporate lessor based in Albuquerque, NM, US, and is registered in the US registry. The aircraft has been modified from its original passenger layout into an airtanker retardant-tank configuration for aerial firefighting operations, a notable role change that has defined its recent operational history and maintenance focus.

The original cabin capacity of 345 seats has been supplanted on this airframe by its conversion to a retardant-tank configuration, reflecting a specialized mission fit rather than standard passenger service. Avionics and systems have typically been adapted to support low-level, tactical aerial firefighting sorties, with mission systems focused on retardant delivery, ingress/egress routing and enhanced situational awareness for dispersed wildfire operations. Based in the owner's home location of Albuquerque, NM, US, the aircraft is suited to long-range repositioning flights to fire theaters and can operate from major airfields while supporting remote drop zones. Maintenance considerations for this airframe emphasize structural integrity and systems reliability under the high-cycle and low-altitude stressors inherent to airtanker work, as well as specialized inspection regimes for the installed retardant tanks and delivery plumbing.

The McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 family occupies a niche as a long-range, widebody tri-jet designed for high-capacity transcontinental and intercontinental routes; the -30 variant emphasizes extended range and payload. In conversions like this airframe, operators repurpose older widebodies to meet specialized demand—here, aerial firefighting—rather than passenger deployment, which changes the buyer and charter market toward mission-specific lessees and government contracts. Competing solutions for large airtanker roles include other converted widebodies or purpose-built tankers, with considerations for maintenance cost, availability of parts for GE CF6-50 SER powerplants, and residual resale value influenced by the extent of firefighting modifications.