We got the call to help with some fires northeast of Phoenix this month.
Water soluble orange paint added for visibility. We also paint two or three feet white on the top of one of the rotor blades. That really helps other aircraft pick us out from above.
The buckets we use are normally set up to hold about 500 gallons. I didn’t get any working shots, but here’s a little video clip of us doing some training last year. (Sorry for the redirect, we can’t seem to put videos up on this site.)
Cross posted from AirPogue
How much does that bucket weigh? It seems like it would be weighted at the bottom too to sink quickly to scoop up water ?
How many gallons does it hold?
Years ago when I was flying I was going from Monterey to Sacramento – flying over the hills around San Jose at 5,000 feet.
There were some fire fighting planes a few thousand feet below and it was a site to behold – an aerial choreography – the spotter planes directing traffic, the tankers coming in – dumping their loads – and leaving – some impressive flying -
The buckets we use are about 250 lbs empty, but they tend to lay down on their side in the water and displace enough to float. It just takes a little for them to start filling up. We use the 660 gallon model, and usually cinch it down to about 450 gallons (about 4000 lbs with water) with the A models. A full bucket weighs about 5800 pounds.
Thanks Pogue – pretty amazing what you guys do!
My years as an Airtanker pilot-I have always been impressed with the
Rotary Wing folks -part of the toolbox (that is a bit bare right now)
Thanks,Pogue…
Years ago (all my stories seem to start with that preface) – an Army friend let me take the controls of his OH-58 – Bell Jet Ranger – and I remember moving the cyclic ever so slightly and going into a 30 degree bank. I think there is a big of Zen to flying those
IOW if you see the stick move you are moving it too much!
I had the pleasure of doing a hop in a Bell 47(hotrod Soloy conversion)
Agree with Bill different world for us fixed wing people..My friend had a story of working all day at Spraying coming back to the little Ag field that he was flying out of to go home in his Super Cub at about 8:30 pm.
Jumped in started, lined up Twisted and pulled the flap handle up.
He drove home….