(Download a display with more pictures
by clicking on any picture below.) Aerial Tanker displays |
(Download a display with more pictures
by clicking on any picture below.)
On Friday, June 15, BAE-146-200A N146FF Tanker 40 arrived at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport from Albequerque. It dropped a load of fire retardant on the Poco Fire near Payson on its way. It joined Lockheed P2V-5E Neptune N69278 Tanker 05 and 10 Tanker Air Carrier McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911.
Winslow-Lindberg Airport is home to an air tanker station. On Monday, June 13, A Lockheed P-3 Orion, a pair of Lochkeed P-2 Neptunes and a Skikorsky S-64 Skycrane visited the airport to support operations against the Wallow Fire.
10 Tanker Air Carrier DC-10-30 N17085 Tanker 911 arrived at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport at 8:28 AM on June 9, 2011. It made one flight at 11:30 to drop retardant on the Wallow Fire, almost 150 miles to the east. It returned at 12:40. Tanker 911 did not fly on Friday. It resumed flying missions against the Wallow Fire on Saturday Morning.
The Gap Fire started burning on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 1 near West Camino Cielo on the crest of the Santa Ynez Mountains above Goleta.
I read a report on Inciweb that 13 tankers, including the DC-10 and two SuperScoopers, fought the Corral Fire near Malibu on Saturday, November 24. I went to Fox Field near Lancaster on Sunday morning to photograph the tanker operations. When I arrived there were two Butler Aircraft Douglas DC-7s and four Neptune Aviation Services Lockheed P-2 Neptunes parked at the tanker station.
Aerial tankers have been fighting the Day Fire for many days. On Monday, September 25, the tanker action was concentrated over Santa Paula Canyon, just a few miles from Ojai. Lockheed P-3 Orions from the Santa Barbara Air Attack Station shared the sky with Lockheed P-2 Neptunes from the Fox Field Air Attack Station. Bell 205 and 212 Hueys paraded back and forth above the Santa Paula River.
Tankers fought the Day Fire from the Santa Barbara Air Attack Station for ten days, from Monday, September 18 to Wednesday September 27. Three Lockheed P-2 Neptunes and four Lockheed P-3 Orions were photographed during the period.
A wildfire broke out northwest of Goleta on Saturday, September 9. A variety of tankers and air attack airplanes arrived at the Santa Barbara Air Attack Station to fight the fire Saturday afternoon.
Three aerial tankers and a pair of Air Attack planes came to the Santa Barbara Air Attack Station to fight the Perkins Fire in the Los Padres National Forest on Monday, June 19. The fire was 100% contained by June 26.
Lockheed SP-2H Neptune, N355MA Tanker 55 made a visit to the Santa Barbara Air Attack Station in September 2005.
A variety of airplanes and helicopters helped
to extinguish the Cachuma Fire in Santa Barbara County from Tuesday May 4
to Friday May 7.
Turbulent winds forced tankers to drop their
loads of retardent alongside the Fox Field runway on October 26,
2003.
The Camino Fire broke out on the
crest of the Santa Ynez Mountains above Santa Barbara on August
15, 2002. I shot pictures of three helicopters, a Grumman S-2
Tracker, and a Douglas DC-4 fighting the fire.
Tankers fought the Wolf Fire from
the Santa Barbara Airport during the first half of June 2002.
Tankers that were assigned to fight
the Bouquet Canyon Fire from the Santa Barbara Airport on Sunday,
May 12, 2002.
Tankers that were assigned to fight
the Bouquet Canyon Fire from the Santa Barbara Airport on
Saturday, May 11, 2002.
Azalea Fire, Vandenberg
AFB, September 27, 1997
New
Cuyama Fire, July 3 and 4, 1996
Air Tankers at Santa Barbara, September 30, 1993: Air tankers fighting a wildfire from the Santa Barbara Airport on September 30, 1993 included Lockheed P-2V Neptunes, Lockheed P-3 Orions, and a Lockheed C-130 Heercules.
Air Tankers Over Nipomo, June 23, 1993: Airplanes and helicopters fight a fire near Nipomo, California on June 23, 1993. Tankers include a Bell-212, Bell 206 Jet Ranger, Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune , and a Lockheed C-130A Hercules.
Air Tankers at Santa Barbara, October 3 1987 : Air Tankers fighting a wildfire from the Santa Barbara Airport on October 3, 1987 included Douglas C-54 Skymasters, Lockheed P2V Neptunes, a Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer, and a Fairchild C-123 Provider.
Air Tankers at Santa Barbara, October 4 1987 part 1: Air Tankers fighting a wildfire from the Santa Barbara Airport on October 4, 1987 included Douglas C-54 Skymasters, Lockheed P2V Neptunes, a Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer, and a Fairchild C-123 Provider.
Air Tankers at Santa Barbara, October 4 1987 part 2: Air Tankers fighting a wildfire from the Santa Barbara Airport on October 4, 1987 included Douglas C-54 Skymasters, Lockheed P2V Neptunes, a Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer, and a Fairchild C-123 Provider.
" Air Tankers at Santa Barbara, October 4 1987 part 3: Air Tankers fighting a wildfire from the Santa Barbara Airport on October 4, 1987 included Douglas C-54 Skymasters, Lockheed P2V Neptunes, a Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer, and a Fairchild C-123 Provider.
Air Tankers at Santa Barbara, October 4 1987 part 4: Air Tankers fighting a wildfire from the Santa Barbara Airport on October 4, 1987 included Douglas C-54 Skymasters, Lockheed P2V Neptunes, a Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer, and a Fairchild C-123 Provider.
Air Tankers at Santa Barbara, October 4 1987 part 5: Air Tankers fighting a wildfire from the Santa Barbara Airport on October 4, 1987 included Douglas C-54 Skymasters, Lockheed P2V Neptunes, a Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer, and a Fairchild C-123 Provider.
Air Tankers at Santa Barbara, October 5 1987 : Air Tankers fighting a wildfire from the Santa Barbara Airport on October 5, 1987 included Douglas C-54 Skymasters, Lockheed P2V Neptunes, a Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer, and a Fairchild C-123 Provider.
Fairchild C-123K Provider Tanker 63 at Santa Barbara October 4 - 5, 1987: Fairchild C-123K Provider Tanker 63 at the Santa Barbara Airport while fighting a wildfire on October 1987 4 - 5, 1987
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer Tanker 124: Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer N2872G Tanker 124 operating from the tanker station at the Santa Barbara Airport in October 1987.
You can buy a 2020 Calendar
featuring my photographs of aerial tankers in flight and fighting fires. A dozen photos of aerial tankers:
You can buy a 2020 calendar
featuring my photographs of California Department of Forestry fire fighting aircraft. This calendar is dedicated to the men and women of CAL FIRE and honors those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the citizens of California.
A dozen photos of California Department of Forestry fire fighting aircraft:
You can buy a 2020 calendar
featuring my photographs of Day Fire Tankers at Santa Barbara.
Aerial tankers fought the Day Fire from the Santa Barbara Air Attack Station for ten days, from Monday, September 18 to Wednesday September 27. Three Lockheed P-2 Neptunes and four Lockheed P-3 Orions visited the Air Attack Station during the fire. This calendar includes a dozen photos of those tankers:
You can buy a 2020 calendar
featuring my photographs of Firefighting Helicopters. A dozen photos of firefighting helicopters.
You can buy a 2020 calendar
featuring my photographs of Giant Airplanes.
You can buy a 2020 calendar
featuring my photos of Coulson Flying Tankers Martin JRM C-FLYL Hawaii Mars at Lake Elsinore in October 2007.
Coulson Flying Tankers sent Martin JRM C-FLYL Hawaii Mars to California to help fight wildfires in October 2007.
June 23, 1993: Air Tankers Over Nipomo
July 30, 1990: Air Tankers over Santa Barbara County
Fifteen years ago, a plume of dense smoke erupted over the Santa Ynez Mountains on the afternoon of July 30, 1990. Several large air tankers fought the fire in the Santa Ynez Valley from the Goleta Tanker Station.
October 3 - 5, 1987: Air Tankers at Santa Barbara
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Tankers
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses were once widely used to fight forest fires. In
recent years all the surviving B-17 tankers have been restored to stock military
configuration. Many of them remain airworthy. This display features photographs of
B-17 tankers taken from 1971 to 1984.
Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer Tankers
Hawkins & Powers of Greybull, Wyoming
maintained five Privateer tankers in airworthy condition until
recently. Tragically, tanker #123 shed a wing and crashed near
Estes Park, Colorado on July 18, 2002, killing its crew of two.
Hawkins-Powers has four remaining airworthy Privateers.Douglas DC-6 and DC-7 Aerial Tankers
Numerous DC-6s and DC-7s have been converted to fight wild fires
over the years. Lockheed C-130 Hercules Firefighters
For over two decades, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Lockheed C-130 Hecules have fought wildfires with the Mobile Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS). In the late 1980s, former Air Force C-130As were transferred to civilian owners and modified with tanks to carry 3,000 gallons of fire retardent slurry. On June 17, 2002, Hawkins Powers C-130A N130HP, Tanker 130 suffered a main wing box failure and crashed as it was fighting a fire near Walker, California. The civilian C-130A tanker fleet was immediately grounded. Only military C-130s continue to be used in the role of firefighting tanker.
Martin JRM Mars
Coulson Flying Tankers sent Martin JRM C-FLYL Hawaii Mars to California on October 24, 2007 to help fight the numerous wildfires. It was temporarily based at Lake Elsinore.
McDonnell-Douglas DC-10 10 Tanker Air Carrier, N450AX
DC-10 Tanker Air Carrier, N450AX is the first DC-10 modified to fight wildfires. It can carry up to 12,000 gallons of water.
Evergreen International Boeing 747 Supertanker
On Wednesday May 31, the Evergreen International 747-273C Supertanker flew from Boise, Idaho to the San Bernardino Airport with a load of 20,000 gallons of water that it dropped in a demonstration of its potential as a firefighter. This was the final demonstration in a tour that took the Supertanker to Sacramento California, the Aberdeen Proving Ground Maryland, Scott Air Force Base Illinois, Tallahassee Florida, and Boise.
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Aerial Tankers
2020 Calendar
Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress N17W Tanker 04, Santa Barbara, September 12, 1979
Douglas DC-7C N5903 Tanker 35, Santa Barbara, November 28, 1980
Douglas C-54E Cargomaster N460WA Tanker 151, Santa Ynez Valley, July 30, 1990
California Air National Guard C-130E Tanker 6, NAWS Pt. Mugu, April 25, 1998
Douglas C-54E Cargomaster N8502G Tanker 65, Santa Barbara Airport, May 5, 2004
Evergreen S-64E Skycrane N6979R Tanker 707, Santa Ynez Valley, May 7, 2004
Evergreen International Boeing 747 Supertanker, San Bernardino, May 31, 2006
Grumman S-2T Tracker N439DF Tanker 74, Santa Barbara Airport, June 19, 2006
Lockheed P2V-5 N1386C Tanker 44, Santa Barbara, June 19, 2006
Coulson Flying Tankers Martin JRM Hawaii Mars, Lake Elsinore, October 27, 2007
McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 10 Tanker Air Carrier Tanker 911, Mesa, Arizona 2011
BAE-146-200A N146FF Tanker 40, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, June 15, 2012
Put a copy of the Aerial Tankers: 2020 Calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
Firefighting Aircraft of CAL FIRE
2020 Calendar
Grumman US-2A Tracker N416DF Tanker 96, Santa Barbara, September 13, 1979
Grumman F7F-3 Tigercat NX7195C Tanker E40, Beale Air Force Base, May 31, 1980
Grumman TS-2A Tracker N405DF Tanker 72, Santa Barbara, October 16, 1985
Grumman TS-2A Tracker N406DF Tanker 73, Santa Barbara, July 19, 1990
Grumman TS-2A Tracker N420DF Tanker 75, Santa Ynez Mountains. August 15, 2002
Bell UH-1H Huey N805EH, Santa Ynez Mountains. August 15, 2002
McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-10 Tanker 910, Victorville, June 17, 2005
Grumman S-2T Tracker N439DF Tanker 74, Santa Barbara, June 19, 2006
Grumman S-2T Tracker N436DF Tanker 76, Santa Barbara, June 19, 2006
North American OV-10A Bronco N403DF, Santa Barbara, June 19, 2006
Grumman S-2T Tracker N439DF Tanker 74, Santa Barbara, June 25, 2006
McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-10 Tanker 911, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, June 11, 2011
Put a copy of the CAL FIRE: 2020 Calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
Day Fire Tankers at Santa Barbara
2020 calendar
Neptune Aviation Lockheed SP-2H Neptune, N4235T Tanker 09
Neptune Aviation Lockheed P2V-5F Neptune, N96264 Tanker 12
Neptune Aviation Lockheed P2V-5 Neptune, N1386C Tanker 44
Aero Union Lockheed P-3A-25 Orion, N920AU Tanker 20
Aero Union Lockheed P-3A-45 Orion, N921AU Tanker 21
Aero Union Lockheed P-3A-45 Orion, N922AU Tanker 22
Aero Union Lockheed P-3A-40 Orion, N925AU Tanker 25
Put a copy of the Day Fire Tankers at Santa Barbara: 2020 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
Firefighting Helicopters
2020 calendar
Santa Barbara County Fire Department Bell UH-1H Huey N205FD Tanker 309
Santa Barbara County Fire Department Bell UH-1H Huey N205KS Tanker 308
Era Aviation Bell 212 N508EH
Marine Corps Boeing-Vertol CH-46F Sea Knight BuNo 155315 Tanker 906
Marine Corps Boeing-Vertol CH-46F Sea Knight BuNo 156426 Tanker 904
Columbia Helicopters Kawasaki-Vertol KV107-11 N184CH
Siller Brothers Sikorsky S-61N N15456
Evergreen Sikorsky S-64E Skycrane N6979R Tanker 707
Helicopter Transport Services Sikorsky CH-54B Skycrane N720HT Tanker 720
Erickson Air Crane Sikorsky S64E Skycrane N247AC 744
Put a copy of the Firefighting Helicopters: 2020 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
Giant Airplanes
2020 calendar
Coulson Flying Tankers Martin JRM C-FLYL Hawaii Mars, Lake Elsinore, California, October 27, 2007,
NASA Boeing 747-123 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N905NA/Endeavour, Edwards Air Force Base, December 10, 2008,
Lockheed C-5B Galaxy 87-0032, Nellis Air Force Base, April 25, 1997,
Volga-Dnepr Antonov An-124 RA-82068, Phoenix, Sky Harbor, June 15, 2016,
Saudi Arabian Boeing 777-368ER HZ-AK17, Los Angeles International Airport, January 19, 2015,
Delta Boeing 747-451 N668US, Phoenix Sky Harbor, January 8, 2016,
Antonov An-225 Mriya UR82060, Zhukovsky, Russia, September 3, 1993,
American Airbus A330-323 N273AY, Phoenix Sky Harbor, December 20, 2017,
Virgin Atalntic Airbus A340-642 G-VWKD, Los Angeles International Airport, January 19, 2015,
Asiana Airbus A380-800 HL7625, Los Angeles International Airport, May 3, 2016,
Lufthansa Boeing 747-830 D-ABYK, Los Angeles International Airport, January 19, 2015,
All Nippon Airlines Boeing 787-9 JA837A, Phoenix Sky Harbor, January 28, 2018,
Put a copy of the Giant Airplanes: 2020 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
Martin JRM Hawaii Mars at Lake Elsinore
2020 calendar
Put a copy of the Martin JRM Hawaii Mars at Lake Elsinore: 2020 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
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