Technology in Aerial Fire Fighting

Aerial fire fighting is a necessary tool to get to forest fires where few roads exist. An article in 1987 of Air and Space tells of how it was back then. I can assure you the system has been fully revamped with additional funds and can literally attack the fires in an offensive mannerism, when before it was about trying to control, then contain, then extinguish, then mop up. Constantly worrying about rekindling of hot materials in the canyons where it burns twice as hot and for a lot longer. As you remember there were some terrible fires over the last four years in NM, CA, NV, MT and AZ. Expect the same challenge this year, but expect an unexpected effort from our government as they have learned in the fires of 2000-2004 many things. Today we are getting better at fitting fires but phoschek, fire fighting retardant contains stuff that sterilizes the soil, kills vegetation (which would have been burned anyway) and later this causes flood damage due to the non-vegetation to slow water afterwards.

I have seen S-2s, B-17s, C-$114s, PBYs, DC-4s, DC-6s, DC-7s, TBMs, B-26s you name it anything and everything that could hold a load used in fire fighting, and many of these WWII vintage aircraft should be in museums but they are only flown about 100-200 hours a year. The rest of the time they are maintained and airworthy ready. Imagine getting parts for a PBY or TBM today? A rag tagged fugitive fleet of "Borate Bombers."

The fire fighting retardant is corrosive and very hard to clean from these aircraft and the bellies of the aircraft are permanently stained with red dye from the phoschek. It is corrosive, hard to get off and that red dye used for marking is unbelievably durable allowing it years to etch into the aluminum aircraft skin. Fighting fires in CA is good practice for military aviators, loud shouting on the radios, fire and smoke everywhere and you have to get in close with the mountains to put out the blaze. In close is where the up drafts and down drafts are exacerbated due to the heat and self generating wind fires of that magnitude produce. Not much different than close air support in the middle of a war zone.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.



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