Tanker Drop

Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
L&R
Modern Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Modern Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
S

Sharpsman

Well-Known Member
*
Joined
Feb 13, 2016
Messages
519
Reaction score
0
Thought you fellows might like to see what my son Brandon's company does. This is a tanker drop out in Nevada made yesterday. The guys are working steady and bouncing around betwixt five different states out west! Whole damn place is a 'tinder box'!! The is an Air Tractor aircraft built in Olney, Texas. I flew a smaller version with 500 gal. tank and 750 HP. This one is a tat over 800 gals. and has 1700 HP.

36065256072_5ffefea4bd_b.jpg
Untitled by Sharps Man, on Flickr
 
That's a risky way to make a living. I wish him well.
What engine does that aircraft have that delivers 1700 HP?
Ron
 
Heuvos Grande!

I salute you both.

Was on the receiving end of a few orange clouds when they were needed most  in my youth, and I was right proud to have them!:Salute:
 
RonC said:
That's a risky way to make a living. I wish him well.
What engine does that aircraft have that delivers 1700 HP?
Ron
Click to expand...
Pratt & Whitney

Driving to work is VERY RISKY!! Start watching the people behind the wheel you're approaching looking down instead of on the highway!! Brandon didn't get into this last week; rather this is his 16the fire season and he has a very professional air crew. :Salute: :ttups:

He has 4 air crews out west now...and may send more. It's crazy dry that way!! IIRC Colorado had over 300 fires the month of June!!
 
I have always wondered... 

There have to be updrafts over the flames. How do they cope with that? 
Plus, suddenly dumping that much liquid at once has to cause a big shift. 
Is there training for that that is different?

I enjoyed that pic.
 
One of my brothers retired from the Army as a helicopter pilot and works now as a sub-contractor fighting fires in Montana with the USFS. He flies a Chinook outfitted with a drop tank. He says the up and down drafts in the mountains are the most dangerous things he encounters. He had a failure about 3 years ago and managed to set it down on a mountain highway missing the power lines and traffic. He almost retired again after that but changed his mind.
He never flew Chinooks in the Army, just Apaches, Cobras, and Blackhawks.
 
Kentucky Colonel said:
I have always wondered... 

There have to be updrafts over the flames. How do they cope with that? 
Plus, suddenly dumping that much liquid at once has to cause a big shift. 
Is there training for that that is different?

I enjoyed that pic.
Click to expand...
Drops can be made in four different levels of firegate openings....(gate openings are computerized and selected) 1 through 4 with 4 being dumping the entire load at once. Water weighs in at 8.34# gal. so when dropping the entire load, that is getting rid of 6,670# for all practical purposes instantly! Pilot procedure means keeping the wings level with application of forward stick pressure to offset load release! To an experienced high time pilot this is auto-refex action at work....meaning it doesn't have to be thought about! These aircraft are very stable.....dreams to pilot and as far as so-called 'updrafts' are concerned...they're 'handled' by the pilot constantly keeping his head out of his azz and being aware of flying the aircraft FIRST....and all else comes secondary!! :Salute:
 
Man good luck to him. That is some interesting stuff. I have fought a few woodland fire in the eastern U.S. (Virginia) only a couple with aircraft of some type. I have always been the ground pounder, but have been amazed watching the aircraft.
 
Sharpsman, what speeds can you achieve with that herd of ponies in that Tractor's Pratt & Whitney :?:
 
Going across country at altitude it's not uncommon to have a ground speed of say....200 knots! Not the fastest that could be attained but the idea is to not have to run at power settings used to haul a heavy load at say 8500' ASL where the fires often are....or higher! 200 kts. with a 40% power setting at 12,000 ASL for cruise is pretty neat!
 
Crop dusting has always been one of the most dangerous jobs, figure in all the risk factors of fighting fires and other unknowns makes me think this is the most dangerous job there is. Of course skill and a knowledgeable pilot reduce these risks. My hat is off to them! 

John
 
The reason young pilots get killed is because they have to think about too many things at one time instead of knowing where obstructions are. Older/experienced pilots survive because everything the younger pilot is having to think about.....comes naturally to thousands of hours behind the stick! I didn't get in an airplane.....I put it on! It has to become an extension of your brain!

IMO today....THE MOST DANGEROUS JOB is being an LEO!!
 
The statistics list I looked at says the most dangerous job is logging with mining and farming after that.
The insurance table list includes injuries as well as deaths. Not that many people fly so if most all got killed, it still wouldn't make the list ("x" # of deaths/accidents per 100,000 people.)

Firefighters are higher on the list than LEOs. I don't know if that includes flying firefighters.
 
Sharpsman said:
Going across country at altitude it's not uncommon to have a ground speed of say....200 knots! Not the fastest that could be attained but the idea is to not have to run at power settings used to haul a heavy load at say 8500' ASL where the fires often are....or higher! 200 kts. with a 40% power setting at 12,000 ASL for cruise is pretty neat!
Click to expand...
Wow  :shock: ...only  40%. :face:

That makes a lot of sense now that I think about the aircraft's intended use.
 
Sharpsman said:
The reason young pilots get killed is because they have to think about too many things at one time instead of knowing where obstructions are. Older/experienced pilots survive because everything the younger pilot is having to think about.....comes naturally to thousands of hours behind the stick! I didn't get in an airplane.....I put it on! It has to become an extension of your brain!

IMO today....THE MOST DANGEROUS JOB is being an LEO!!
Click to expand...
 
L.E.O.
Dangerous job????

Really?

Depends.

Where I was it was real bad.

13 serious injuries and disabled with 4th serious back injuries.

9 months in rehab getting use of my left leg back.
3 concussions.

Right knee has an implant or I'd be in a chair.

Fact is 3 surgeons said I would be in a chair without back surgery.

The 4th said to BELIEVE and WORK thus 9 months in physical rehab.
No back surgery but permanent intractable pain 24/7.
It's o.k. I walk.

Left as Lt. of day watch.
Served 10 years as a detective, 3 of that as Chief of investigations.

Also firearms instructor and trained 3 X with Massad Ayoob, trained sniper by
Carlos Hathock.
( r.i.p.) google Carlos, of 93 confirmed kills fame.
Don't know of Massad?
Perhaps you should.

After medical retirement from police work, went to college, earned 2 degrees and
retired again from G.M.
Stupid and lazy I ain't. :D
 
Carlos came up on the USMC Rifle Team as a 'new shooter' about 1962...the last year I shot with the AMU at Ft. Benning, Ga. as a Service Rifle shooter. In '63 he won the Wimbledon Cup shooting a 300 Win Mag. Very quiet, reserved fellow and one helluva MARINE!! IIRC...he came off the line with 190" of left wind drift on that rifle. Wind was RATHER STIFF!! :affraid:
 

Latest posts

Back
Top