Firefighting aircraft compilation
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at6
1st Sergeant
Those are real heroes.
fubar57
General
The Martin Mars "bombed" the beer gardens at the Powell River Sea Fair during the '60's and moved the beer gardens about 100 yards to the North
Admiral Beez
Major
The Viking CL-215 (ex-Canadair, ex-Bombardier). With only about one hundred examples produced it remains one of Canada's most famous contributions to civil aviation.
Thumpalumpacus
Major
Now them are some firedogs!
Back in 08, a brushfire happened in the hills of Ventura overlooking my home on Ventura Ave. VC Sheriffs brought in a helo with a bucket, and VCFD also got mutual aid from the ANG unit based at Pt Mugu -- in the form of a C-130 with a MAFFS system.
It was amazing watching them work (my home was perhaps 1/2 mile from the burning hillside). Their accuracy was incredible.
Back in 08, a brushfire happened in the hills of Ventura overlooking my home on Ventura Ave. VC Sheriffs brought in a helo with a bucket, and VCFD also got mutual aid from the ANG unit based at Pt Mugu -- in the form of a C-130 with a MAFFS system.
It was amazing watching them work (my home was perhaps 1/2 mile from the burning hillside). Their accuracy was incredible.
Admiral Beez
Major
This tragic C-130 didn't make it. Not a pleasant thing to watch.
Thumpalumpacus
Major
Indeed. Many folks give their lives for others who have no idea the sacrifices and suffering paid on their behalf, and that crew are among them. Is it a tragedy, or part of the job? I'm not sure, but I'm not belittling their sacrifice either.
Admiral Beez
Major
Good points. If I was friends, family or colleagues of those three C-130 aircrew I'd be very upset with whatever airworthiness certifying body or ground crew that approved that C-130 to fly ops.
Thumpalumpacus
Major
Right. And at the same time one knows that when charging into danger, that might be one's ass. There's no easy solution to this sort of equation.
Admiral Beez
Major
True, but when your life is in the hands of those who provided and maintained the equipment you'd like to hope that they did their job with skill and care.
Looking at this article it seems that the FAA let these pilots down, since the regulations did not exclude or limit elderly military surplus aircraft from being used as water bombers, and the requirements for fatigue cracks did not include deep inspections that aircraft operating in terrible conditions would benefit from.
I'm no pilot, but when I read about these C-130 water bomber pilots in Australia being sent into dangerous wind conditions I must admire them, and hope that they have well maintained aircraft and equipment for the job, Report released for fatal crash of C-130 air tanker in Australia - Wildfire Today
Thumpalumpacus
Major
You're right that inspection standards should be more rigorous. Indeed, they should be in my mind more rigorous than commercial inspection protocols, because the airframe is subject to much more stress. The airplanes are flying through hot updrafts, probably imposing big demands on wing-spars and such, as well as flying some short cycles under heavy load. As in all firefighting, failure kills people.
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GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
The C-130 was not designed for the stresses of water bombing.
When a CalFire C-130 lost it's wings* during a drop several years ago, the C-130 as eliminated from it's inventory and a complete evaluation of wing spars was conducted across military and civil operator fleets.
It also spawned a new guideline for load delivery techniques that reduce stress on the wings.
So if any operator maneuvers the aircraft outside of that guideline, they do so at their own risk.
* The CalFire C-130 was conducting a run downslope with a hard pullout at the end of the drop. As the pilot went to pull out, the stress was too great and the wings folded upward and then came off.
When a CalFire C-130 lost it's wings* during a drop several years ago, the C-130 as eliminated from it's inventory and a complete evaluation of wing spars was conducted across military and civil operator fleets.
It also spawned a new guideline for load delivery techniques that reduce stress on the wings.
So if any operator maneuvers the aircraft outside of that guideline, they do so at their own risk.
* The CalFire C-130 was conducting a run downslope with a hard pullout at the end of the drop. As the pilot went to pull out, the stress was too great and the wings folded upward and then came off.
at6
1st Sergeant
Now the State of California is using C-130s again.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
Not CDF (CalFire).
The CANG C-130 fleet is partially grounded due to budget issues.
The only C-130s active on fires at the moment are USAF and Coulson C-130s.
Admiral Beez
Major
Indeed. When you look at the Canadair CL-215 and 415, with a max takeoff weight of up to 19,890 kg (43,850 lb) in a compact fuselage, those things are built like tanks.
Good one!
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