DC-10 fire tanker

[Outnumbered]

They used this jet for the first time Sunday to drop on the Sawtooth Complex fire.
The Story and update on the fire: (http://www.rimoftheworld.net/columns/rotw/governor?PHPSESSID=22b40fbe97e928737412a45b2a13b72 e)
http://www.airliners.net/photos/photos/5/4/3/860345.jpg

[Kilrtoy]

WOW bad ass

[SHOTKALLIN]

I drove past the fire on Friday. I saw 7-10 helicopters with buckets trying to battle the blaze. It looked like spitting on a campfire. Why aren't there more of these planes?

[Sleek-Jet]

That's cool and all... but doesn't seem to be a very practical way to fight wildfires... I guess it depends on the topogrophy, altitude of the fire, ect...
God forbid, but just imagine when one of those piles in to the trees comming off a run one of these days...

[Hardly Satisfied]

sweet A$$ Plane that's alot of water

[Outnumbered]

I drove past the fire on Friday. I saw 7-10 helicopters with buckets trying to battle the blaze. It looked like spitting on a campfire. Why aren't there more of these planes?
I think it has a lot to do with the terrain and visability. They had to ground all other aircraft to get this one in for its run. Just too dangerous with the smoke, canyons, and the speed differential between the helos/prop planes and the jet.
It drops 12 times as much though so its worth it. They have made three runs with it so far.

[Havasu_Dreamin]

God forbid, but just imagine when one of those piles in to the trees comming off a run one of these days...
It's happend before. The wings came off of one plane a few years ago while fighting a forest fire either up in Northern California or Oregon.
There is also the Super Scooper. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_CL-415)
Additionally, I thought I read about a company that wants to use old 747's.....

[Outnumbered]

It's happend before. The wings came off of one plane a few years ago while fighting a forest fire either up in Northern California or Oregon.
There is also the Super Scooper. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_CL-415)
Additionally, I thought I read about a company that wants to use old 747's.....
Ya, but those are old prop planes. I think the jet fuel explosion is the concern with these planes.

[Sleek-Jet]

It's happend before. The ings came off of one plane a few years ago while fighting a forest fire either up in Northern California or Oregon.
There is also the Super Scooper. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_CL-415)
That's kind of my point, though nothing the size of a DC-10/747 has been used yet, or lost for that matter...
Interesting about them grounding all other aircraft while this thing does it job. The feds have rules on how long an aircraft can remain on a fire before they are required to go shut down for so many minutes (I think they have to stop every 3 hours for 45 minutes... ). This pretains more to helo's than fixed wing, but hopefully the IC has timed it so when the DC-10 is dropping water, all the other birds are back cooling their heels.

[JB in so cal]

out for maintenence and upgrades. If they put both these planes on the fire, I'd bet it would make quite a dent.
http://www.aviationexplorer.com/747_water_tanker.htm

[Havasu_Dreamin]

I'm sure this has been figured out, but I aint that smart. Anyway, I wonder how low these planes have to be to have the desired affect when dropping their loads of water? Naturally some of the water is lost to dissipation as it descends to the fire.

[BajaMike]

I'm sure this has been figured out, but I aint that smart. Anyway, I wonder how low these planes have to be to have the desired affect when dropping their loads of water? Naturally some of the water is lost to dissipation as it descends to the fire.
Evan the water dissipation helps the fire, it increases the humidity....
:idea:

[Havasu_Dreamin]

Evan the water dissipation helps the fire, it increases the humidity....
:idea:
See, like I said, I aint that smart as I had not thought of that.....

[kcvega]

That's pretty neat. My brother in law is stationed on Colorado during the summer as a fire fighter for the forestry service. They got on a fire a few weeks ago where on of his buddies got trapped in a fire, had to have a helicopter dump his whole bucket on they guy and make a trail for him to run out. Would be very scary to say the least. Those guys work their asses of when they're on a big fire.

[lalhc]

Very cool! I'd feel much more comfortable if there were several more of those planes protecting my home in Lake Arrowhead.

[RitcheyRch]

The DC-10 and 747 are bad ass fire fighting tools. I have a few friends that worked on the design of it at Evergreen.
http://www.airliners.net/photos/photos/5/4/3/860345.jpg

[missspent]

Great idea...now their getting it...get some of that 50's stuff out of the air. Sending this to all my brothers, Northrop Engineering, Falcon Jet and Saab. Big "#$@*&^" drop!
www.lakehavasucityinformation.com