SUPERTANKER fights fires - a converted Boeing 747-400

Some good video ... Coming in LOW - Lining UP - In Position - FLUSH 19,200 Gallons in 6 seconds - NO ****!



A 747 'Supertanker' rains retardant on California's wildfires

I did not notice that the quoted text list climb rate as feet per second instead of feet per minute. 6000 feet per second is even faster that the claims of Weatherby ...

Bekeart

That's a great machine! Before I retired over 5 years ago I was an instructor on the 747-400.

I think that climb out is probably 6000' per minute.

Amazing video!

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

6000 ft. per second ? Now that is fast.

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Who are those guys?

They must have changed it because it now says 6000 feet per minute.

In 1990 I worked out of Everett Washington , to help do the foundation and structural iron
for the new Hanger and Paint building that was to be the new home for the coming 747's.

The old buildings were too small for the new "Jumbo" designs,
even when they were in sections.
The second year, they were starting to put a few together and
they were quite the plane. One of the workers gave me a picture
of what the cockpit and dash board would look like.
Lots of controls, light and little do dads all over the place..... Wow !!

Maybe even have a whole fleet of 'em. It would be great to have something that can fight California wildfires and win. Every year it's the same thing. People dying and property destroyed. I don't think it's unreasonable.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

They could be used in other states also.

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Mighty 90's,Trying 4 a 100!

8 years ago, it cost $30K an hour to operate. I imagine it is a lot more today and with an original roll-out cost of $50 mil I don't envision a fleet.

Fahrenheit 747: World’s Biggest Fire Extinguisher Douses L.A. County | WIRED

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Since it takes days and weeks to fight those wildfires a jetliner could make a pretty long trip. Base them in NE California they could cover most of the western states with this problem. And more personnel would be available to fight the smaller ones before they get huge. Some of the pictures I've seen look like erupting volcanoes. It's really jaw dropping and every year it's the same thing. And with the climate changing it's just going to get worse. So maybe a SMALL fleet. Property damage alone is in the billions each year and I don't know how many lives.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I don't really expect that will happen no matter what the damage is. I guess they are lucky to have one.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Last November it was deployed to Haifa and in January it was deployed to Chile. It does get around.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

The guy who runs the company is out of Oregon. He has developed an amazing machine! I used to watch the borate bombers run out of Pangborn Field in Wenatchee during fire season, back when they were still flying B17s. They don't hold a candle to what this aircraft can do!

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Even older, even crankier....

Very cool! That and the "WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP" heavy helicopters full of water to snuff the fires!!

For the Cali fires, it is based at Sacremento airfield. During the Napa/Sonoma fires, it sorteed for about 1/2 hour, returned to base, reloaded with retardant, water or foam and could sortee again in less than an hour. It usually was 2 hours between sortees, so pilots could be briefed and a flight plan laid out.

Did they at one time use seaplanes that could land on a lake and suck up a new load of H2O.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Was discussing the fires and one person was bemoaning what the fires were gonna do to the price of wine. A younger gent remarked to hell with the wine-think what it's gonna do to the marijuana crop!! Probably won't affect us here as our bud is usually home grown or from Mexico

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All the flying I did (as a passenger) for years was on much smaller jets, the largest being a DC-10...I always remember the respect a "heavy" got at the airport, getting priority on moving around while lesser craft sat on the taxiways and waited.
I can't begin to imagine flying such a craft under such "delicate" conditions, with the terrain thermals, the "fire weather", smoke, etc., not to mention the reaction to the sudden dump of such a large cargo.
I tip my hat to the pilots (but also to all involved in the fire-fighting efforts).
I gained some perspective for a summer (many years ago) working on a fire crew in northern Minnesota...wet bandana on the face and a five gallon water can with pump wand as a backpack, using a "Pulaski" to dig and establish firelines, set backfires, etc. Incredibly hot, dirty, and dangerous work, but awesome camaraderie amongst the crews and a learned respect for the power of a wildfire.

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Do or do not. There is no try.

I remember as a kid helping my grandfather clear firebreaks. Man that was exhausting work. Sure am glad we never had the chance to see if they worked!

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