Thursday, October 17, 2024

Three at once

 


5 comments:

  1. Now there's an exciting job.
    Turbine on floats dumping on wild fires.

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  2. Those are called SEATs, Single Engine Air Tankers. The two models of Air Tractors carry either 800 or 1000 gallons of retardant or water and can be tricky to fly. Two SEAT pilots have died this year.

    In certain conditions the planes can tend to 'porpoise' when filling the tank and when that happens you've got to abort, dump what you've got and start over again. Not for the faint of heart.

    CalFire used to not allow them to fly until a few years ago, when two of them were laying over in Grass Valley when the Jones Fire broke out six miles away. They were immediately put to work. They've been flying here ever since, especially in the high desert country.

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    Replies
    1. Proof: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pYw1j-mcQg

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  3. I miss the old WWII radial engined airtankers. What a sight and sound they were.

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  4. Hope you have a lot of confidence in the pilot in front of you

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