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August 31, 2009

Tanker 979 (747 Supertanker) Maiden Fire Drop

 
MyFoxLA was the first to follow the Supertanker as it circled the Station Fire and made its first drop on a live fire. This day has been long in coming for the people at Evergreen Aviation in Marana Arizona.

The tanker offers up 20,000 gallons per load. Consider that Tanker 910, the DC-10 Supertanker delivers 12,000 gallons.

There is a new weapon over California fires and it is about time.

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Posted by: retired cap mike: 8:31 PM


Comments:
Wow... That was spectacular to watch! Thank you for tweeting the link!
# posted by Blogger Anakerie : August 31, 2009 9:14 PM
 
Amazing!!!
# posted by Blogger Unknown : August 31, 2009 10:33 PM
 
what's been holding them up?
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : September 01, 2009 12:39 PM
 
The USFS did not want to pay to the price. The tanker was set to be contracted in 2007 but a non firefighting USFS bureaucrat (I forget her name) did not sign off on it.

The ready to go tanker was left at the alter all through the historic 2008 California fire season.

This year it appears Cal Fire signed the tanker and dropped the DC-10 (Tanker 910) contract though they still use Tanker 910 on an on call basis.

Cal Fire understands the significant impact these grand aircraft can have on a fire.

Even so they are hesitant to employ them for initial attack which is a mistake in my opinion.
# posted by Blogger Mike : September 01, 2009 3:37 PM
 
Actually the Supertanker made its first drop on the Station fire on Monday August 31st. I have pictures of it dropping in the Acton area. We were lucky as we got it making its second drop (split load). No one was expecting it there as we heard it was working the Oak Glen and Penelton fires.
# posted by Blogger Unknown : September 01, 2009 10:30 PM
 
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