QC
Supreme Mariner
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2005
- Messages
- 22,783
This is actually a political topic here, but I am gonna post it anyway . . .
Every year we evaluate and discuss, and delay deciding on new technologies for fighting our fires from the air. My favorite is the Super Scooper, which is a Canadian Seaplane Fire fighter. The unique thing about it is that it reloads by touch and go on a lake, harbor whatever. Take a look at this vid and you can hear the pilot start powering up to load just after he lands. The second one is a drop video, for some reason they always work in pairs.
Super Scooper Scoopin'
Super Scooper Dumpin'
I saw a demo of them recently being flown over my house and they are just cool, but for some reason we still haven't decided if we want to buy some. Apparently we lease them while we think about it . . .
And we also had a big bidding/testing war pitting two passenger jet conversions for big drops against each other. Apparently the DC10 won as we are using it for drops of fire retardant this week. These first shots are from a fire about two months ago.
DC10 Drop in SoCal
DC10 same fire
DC10 News Clip
And the loser. Still very impressive, but for some reason have not heard hide nor hair of this one since last year.
747 Conversion
Along with Helicopters, the Super Scoopers and the wide bodies do different jobs, and we need all of them.
The politics of some of this is blowing up right now. Apparently there were lots of assets here beginning on Sunday, but some were grounded as the Military and the Forest Service work on different radio freqs and somehow they are not compatible, so the rule requires that there is a Forestry guy/gal on board all of them. Makes sense, but of course it's Bush's fault . . . I am serious
Every year we evaluate and discuss, and delay deciding on new technologies for fighting our fires from the air. My favorite is the Super Scooper, which is a Canadian Seaplane Fire fighter. The unique thing about it is that it reloads by touch and go on a lake, harbor whatever. Take a look at this vid and you can hear the pilot start powering up to load just after he lands. The second one is a drop video, for some reason they always work in pairs.
Super Scooper Scoopin'
Super Scooper Dumpin'
I saw a demo of them recently being flown over my house and they are just cool, but for some reason we still haven't decided if we want to buy some. Apparently we lease them while we think about it . . .
And we also had a big bidding/testing war pitting two passenger jet conversions for big drops against each other. Apparently the DC10 won as we are using it for drops of fire retardant this week. These first shots are from a fire about two months ago.
DC10 Drop in SoCal
DC10 same fire
DC10 News Clip
And the loser. Still very impressive, but for some reason have not heard hide nor hair of this one since last year.
747 Conversion
Along with Helicopters, the Super Scoopers and the wide bodies do different jobs, and we need all of them.
The politics of some of this is blowing up right now. Apparently there were lots of assets here beginning on Sunday, but some were grounded as the Military and the Forest Service work on different radio freqs and somehow they are not compatible, so the rule requires that there is a Forestry guy/gal on board all of them. Makes sense, but of course it's Bush's fault . . . I am serious