A close call

Post by **Garry Russell** » 29 Jun 2007, 11:04

:shock: Just how near to disaster can you get

http://aviation-safety.net/news/newsitem.php?id=1848

Garry

Post by **Rick Piper** » 29 Jun 2007, 11:28

Hi Garry

Here is a pic of the DC-10 firetanker (ex N69NA Pan Am/National Airlines)
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0994419/L/
beast or what ?

Regards
Rick

Post by **Garry Russell** » 29 Jun 2007, 11:33

:shock: Sure is

There's a 747 tanker as well

Garry

DispatchDragon · Post by **DispatchDragon** » 29 Jun 2007, 11:40

It is a beast but at the moment in the Western US any and all aircraft
capable of delivering "mud" are being called into service - it was used earlier this year in the San Joaquin Valley to very good use - the aircraft
delivers a phenominal amount of the red stuff. Im surprised that Evergreens much lauded 747 tanker has yet to make an appearance

For those of you not aware - there are an incredible amount of forest fires
burning west of the Rockies - the greater majority of which are manmade
The one burning in the Lake Tahoe area has already destroyed 150+ homes - And there were two this spring (both arson) in the Hollywood hills
area of LA.

Im not surprised at the almost accident with this aircraft - the turbulence
associated with these fires is incredible and tanker pilots do an incredible job and are amazing flyers - the fact that the crew avoided certain death
is testimony to that.

Didnt mean to wax philosphical on you all - but until you have seen the
sort of fires we get out here you cant really appriecate the job that tanker
(attack) pilots do

Leif

Chris Trott · Post by **Chris Trott** » 29 Jun 2007, 14:09

The Evergreen 747 project has apparently been abandoned due to problems getting the aircraft fully certified by the FAA and the USFS (US Forestry Service). Now with the DC-10 incident (not a near crash according to people who were there), I doubt it will go any further either.

According to the information I received from those people there, there was a significant downdraft or windshear event during the approach to a drop and the aircraft descended approximately 100 feet and clipped the top of several trees near a ridge line (these trees are probably 100 feet tall themselves) and then climbed back out as the crew powered up and abandoned their pass. To be honest, I've heard of this happening to many fire tankers at one time or another, especially with new crews whom haven't learned all of the vagarities of fire dynamics. According to the pilots I've talked to about firebombing, it seems like it typically looks worse on the ground than it really is.

BAe146 · Post by **BAe146** » 29 Jun 2007, 15:20

Time for more 146 fire bombers!

http://www.silverstatenews.com/newssect ... index.html

DispatchDragon · Post by **DispatchDragon** » 29 Jun 2007, 22:42

Nice Site 146

Also if anyone cares to delve click on the "Tankertown" link at the bottom of the page

Wonderful photos

(Im wondering if these guys are sane

???)

Leif

speedbird591 · Post by **speedbird591** » 30 Jun 2007, 11:46

As Leif says, this is incredibly dangerous work. Do you remember that C130 that broke up while fighting fires in Yosemite in 2002?

I've found this video as a reminder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bDNCac2N1o

Ian :sad:

DispatchDragon · Post by **DispatchDragon** » 30 Jun 2007, 12:17

Very vividly Ian - Allegiant started its life in Fresno and when I joined the company in 2003 they had put a memorial to the crew at the Tanker base across the ramp from us. Those guys really are incredible - I sat in the office one day watching a USFS OV10 doing touch and goes on what I thought was the short runway at KFAT which is 7000 foot long - he was actually using the grass between the runways and landing and taking off
between teh threshold and the first highspeed (about 2500 foot) - One of the guys who came across from FAT to Las Vegas with us has his attack card on the Neptune - and flying with him in the MD80 is about the safest place you will ever be. I have nothing but praise for them.

Leif