Comments on: Reloading a Boeing 747 'Supertanker' firefighting plane

Reloading a Boeing 747 'Supertanker' firefighting plane

carter — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 05:42:13 -0800

In coverage of the recent fires in California you may have seen a Boeing 747 being used to drop fire retardant. Here's a behind the scenes look at how a 747 and DC-10 are refuelled and reloaded during firefighting operations, along with some insight into how the retardent equipment functions. The turnaround is very fast.

By: carter

carter — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 06:24:11 -0800

Here's the patent for the 747 system.

By: bondcliff

bondcliff — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 06:55:49 -0800

That's fascinating. Thanks for posting. I wonder just how much more efficient it is to use these larger planes vs. a fleet of smaller ones that maybe can be turned around faster. Or is the advantage that these planes can drop retardant in one giant area so the firefighters can then get in and clear it? Interesting too that these are a relatively new development in firefighting. This company was only started in 2002. I imaging flying a 747 150 feet over a fire and dropping a load of retardant is a skill that most pilots don't learn in 747 101. That's gotta take some stones.

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 07:09:09 -0800

A 15-minute turnaround on the DC-10 is pretty damned impressive.

By: ckape

ckape — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 08:47:34 -0800

I think the advantage to smaller planes is more that they'd be able to operate from airfields closer to the fire. If the planes are all flying the same distance to the fire then the bigger plane is more efficient. He said the 19000-gallon 747 could make about 4 trips and the 9000-gallon DC-10 could make 5-6, and that works out to 76000 gallons per day vs 45000-54000 gallons per day.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 09:16:48 -0800

As Camp Fire Death Toll Rises, Meet the Prisoners Making $1 an Hour to Fight California's Wildfires

By: carter

carter — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 09:43:07 -0800

I was watching some of the footage where there was a large wind driven fire right next to a subdivision. It seemed like the firefighters really needed to saturate that area with a lot of retardant ASAP.

By: elsietheeel

elsietheeel — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 10:10:53 -0800

I think the advantage to smaller planes is more that they'd be able to operate from airfields closer to the fire. This. CalFIRE has certain airfields and spaces where they can access and load up the big planes, but they're often a long way from the fire. We don't have a lot of airfields large enough to handle a 747 in NorCal. The airport in my town can't even handle a 10 passenger private jet. Also I think helitacks are used more often than even the smaller planes because they're more maneuverable. Here's more info about the 747 SuperTanker, which we just got last year. Wikipedia article on aerial firefighting.

By: phigmov

phigmov — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 10:16:41 -0800

Priceonomics article on the effectiveness & tactics for aerial firefighting. The media optics component is interesting, but also the use-cases for large vs small planes/helicopters.

By: ChurchHatesTucker

ChurchHatesTucker — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 11:50:31 -0800

Shouldn't those mixing guys have masks?

By: homunculus

homunculus — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 15:15:04 -0800

Footage of Fire Whirls Gives a Terrifying Look at the Infernos Tearing Through California

By: homunculus

homunculus — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 15:15:59 -0800

The Terrifying Science Behind California's Massive Camp Fire

By: pdoege

pdoege — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 16:15:06 -0800

Great video, thank you. These large tankers have replaced the old school Martin Mars flying boats that my father test flew. Much appreciation to the AF peeps at McClellan for keeping these tankers in the air.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 17:27:22 -0800

How the rich will survive the climate catastrophe

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 17:42:27 -0800

As schools were closed and areas evacuated, farmworkers told to stay in the fields

By: homunculus

homunculus — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 18:18:17 -0800

Thousands of Camp Fire evacuees in shelters, tents face long wait for normalcy They evacuated to escape the deadly Camp Fire. Then norovirus invaded their shelter.

By: Marky

Marky — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 19:38:10 -0800

For quick reloading, I don't think you can beat the Canadair 415, the "Super Scooper."

By: homunculus

homunculus — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 19:42:08 -0800

How the rich will survive the climate catastrophe It gets worse: Survival of the Richest: The wealthy are plotting to leave us behind

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 20:07:13 -0800

SF DSA has been handed out masks all day "We've got the city of San Francisco sending people our way for breathing masks. This is why mutual aid has a solid place in our organizing. When austerity destroys the capitalist state's ability to provide for people, they're gonna look somewhere. We have to be there for them"

By: Justinian

Justinian — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 20:32:59 -0800

Clara Jeffery, editor of Mother Jones:

There are between 600-1000 people missing in the Camp Fire. It's been 8 days. Let that sink in. If 1000 people were missing and presumed dead on the East Coast there'd be wall-to-wall coverage. We can hope that some people may just not have connected with authorities and their families. But it's been eight days. Eight.

I agree with her; it's shocking how little attention this is getting by the media and folks on the East Coast. If a meteor hit New York and killed 500 people we'd see nothing else for a week. Serves us right for living in California, I guess.

By: Justinian

Justinian — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 02:26:54 -0800

From the face-eating leopard files:

"My kids lost everything. I voted for him – and now? He can kiss my red ass," Ellsworth said. "What he said was ridiculous. It hurts my heart. A lot of us voted for him and he [talks] down to us?"

By: elsietheeel

elsietheeel — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 14:25:29 -0800

I've got coworkers who are posting to FB about how great it was that he visited and what a great president he is and I am like...why did I move to this red-state hellhole?

By: homunculus

homunculus — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 19:18:14 -0800

New thread about Paradise and the Camp Fire: Please excuse the smoke...