Runaway grassfire -part II

[Wyandot Jim]

Cary,
From my understanding the planes drop the Retardent to help retain the fire and allow the ground crews to build fire lines. Water on large fires doesn't do much good it just turns in to steam.
Cal Fire does not allow single engine aircraft to fight fires.

What airport do you live near?? Cal Fire has a base at Nevada County Airport along with others

Air attack

How California uses dozens of aircraft to battle wildfires

www.reuters.com

Tankers don't usually drop retardant directly on the fire itself. Instead, they let it go in front of a fire, directing its course or slowing its advance, and giving ground crews a chance to control or extinguish it. Retardant can also be released to protect homes or important sites and to keep access roads open.

Cal Fire flys many types of planes, this is the one you probably saw.
It is a modified Navy S-2

The Broncos are used for control and lead in for the bigger planes

 

[caryc]

Cary,
From my understanding the planes drop the Retardent to help retain the fire and allow the ground crews to build fire lines. Water on large fires doesn't do much good it just turns in to steam.
Cal Fire does not allow single engine aircraft to fight fires.

What airport do you live near?? Cal Fire has a base at Nevada County Airport along with others

Air attack

How California uses dozens of aircraft to battle wildfires

www.reuters.com

Tankers don't usually drop retardant directly on the fire itself. Instead, they let it go in front of a fire, directing its course or slowing its advance, and giving ground crews a chance to control or extinguish it. Retardant can also be released to protect homes or important sites and to keep access roads open.

Cal Fire flys many types of planes, this is the one you probably saw.
It is a modified Navy S-2

The Broncos are used for control and lead in for the bigger planes

I think they were the S2's. The airport is the Hemet Ryan airport in Hemet California. Many years ago they used to use the TBF's single engine torpedo bombers. They were really something to watch in action. The hills up here are mainly boulder strewn places. No way to get any vehicles or dozers or any other fire fighting equipment up there. I've been through many fires up here in 50 some years. They don't usually put fire fighters on foot up above those fire lines with the fires racing up hill from from the winds created by the fires. That's where the planes come in. The ground crews will fight like heck to save any homes in danger. I used to work at Hemet Ryan airport in an Aircraft Job shop there. We always knew exactly when there was a fire somewhere when we heard those TBF engines firing up. They rattled the heck out of our shop windows. They made one heck of a racket.

 

[Paul B]

"We always knew exactly when there was a fire somewhere when we heard those TBF engines firing up. They rattled the heck out of our shop windows. They made one heck of a racket."

When I lived in Winnemucca Nevada they used to spray the town just before the Fourth of July weekend to kill the mosquitoes and gnats. I moved there in 1979 and in late June 1980 was working the midnight shift at the airport. When the sun came up here was this TBM parked at the airport. The TBM is a TBF made by a different company. IIRC, the TBF is Grumman and the TBM General Motors. Same plane, different designation but damned if I know why? I remember him firing it up and was it LOUD! Took him almost a week to complete spraying the town and down along the Humbolt River. I was home on my days off when he fired that thing up and you could hear it taking off. My home at the time was seven miles from the airport. We were blessed with thatnoisemaker for every late June for three years when they changed the company that did the spraying. The rest of the time an AgCat was used. I couldn't believe I missed that TBM but I did. I always liked the sound of those old warbirds. However, if you want loud, try a B25 on for size. Way to cool to never have heard one. I got to hear the one used in the Enola Gay movie.
Paul B.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Paul The Navy designation code has the manufacture in it.
Here are a few Yea it is confusing. Also the model number was also included. Like F4U-4
TBF= Torpedo Bomber, Grumman
TBM= Torpedo Bomber, General Motors.
SNJ= Scout Trainer, North American
F4F = Fighter, Gruman
FM2 = Fighter, General Motors (same as F4F)
F4U =Fighter, Chance Vought
PBY = Patrol Bomber, Consolidated
N3N= Trainer, Navy
PBJ = Patrol Bomber, North American (B-25)

 

[caryc]

Jim, My boss when I worked in that aircraft job shop at the airport used to call those S2's snoopy airplanes. I can't remember why but, now as I recall, they were painted completely yellow. The double engine planes I saw the other day were red and white. But, they look to be longer and not as squat looking as the S2's so, I really don't know what they were. I was just glad they were there.