The DC-10 fire tanker aircraft hit trees after dropping its load on a California fire and made a successfull emergency landing at the ex Air Force George air base this week.
http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/fire_1583___article.html/tanker_plane.html
By: Newforest - 11th July 2007 at 07:03
And here is a preliminary report on the incident.
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20070703X00873&key=1
By: frankvw - 30th June 2007 at 14:34
Well Steve, go to the link from the Victorville newspaper in the first post, scroll down and read what the person with the name tumblingbear posted.
You’ll have your answer. And believe me, he knows what he’s talking about.
By: steve rowell - 30th June 2007 at 07:34
Yes, there is one doing that job.
And quite frankly, I find the idea of a firefighting DC-10 flying low quite scary. It is a large airliner, with lots of inertia, and a higher speed. Not the little, manoevrable Tracker ususally sees service in mountainous areas.
It is just an accident waiting ot happen if you ask me, and they were lucky to come back.
It must be a feasible Frank or why else would they spend all that money on the conversion if it wasn’t suitable??
By: J Boyle - 29th June 2007 at 16:52
I read somewhere that Evergreen was suspending work on the 747 tanker program citing lack of orders.
By: lukeylad - 29th June 2007 at 14:30
Does any one know if the Evergreen 742 tanker is working in the fire zone?
By: frankvw - 29th June 2007 at 06:33
Yes, there is one doing that job.
And quite frankly, I find the idea of a firefighting DC-10 flying low quite scary. It is a large airliner, with lots of inertia, and a higher speed. Not the little, manoevrable Tracker ususally sees service in mountainous areas.
It is just an accident waiting ot happen if you ask me, and they were lucky to come back.
By: steve rowell - 29th June 2007 at 05:57
Big fires around mountains create VERY dangerous winds. .
The turbulence in the lee of any mountain is some of the most severe in the world
By: PhantomII - 29th June 2007 at 05:44
Didn’t know DC-10’s were used as fire fighters. That’s really cool!
It’s even cooler that they got down safely or that could have been a big tragedy…….
When you think about it, many often say that firefighters are unsung heroes. They are, but I’d argue in the world of aviation the aerial firefighters (helicopters & airplanes) are even more unsung. In the aviation world people think of airliners, light planes, or military aircraft of any type……nobody thinks about the myriad of aircraft and people that put their lives on the line day in and day out in order to control one of nature’s most violent acts….
I think a prayer for them all and what they do for us is worth everyone’s time just for a moment…….
By: CSheppardholedi - 29th June 2007 at 02:19
Big fires around mountains create VERY dangerous winds. Very unpredictable. Indeed great flying to get out of a very HOT spot.
By: steve rowell - 29th June 2007 at 01:45
Wind shear perhaps?? it’s probably due to the crews great skills that a tragedy was avoided
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June 28, 2007 at 2:57 pm