Before leaving SEATs and moving on to my next series of posts on stall speed, I want to briefly address the issue of SEAT (single engine air tanker) airbases. I obtained a copy of the 2008 Air Tanker Base Directory -- now outdated and no longer available on the web -- published by the US Forest Service. There are SEAT only bases in just about every region of the U.S. And many bases serve both multi-engine airtankers and SEATs. I did a very rough and not reliable count of the airtanker bases. There are a little over 100 bases, approximately 1/3rd are SEAT only bases, and just over half are authorized for SEAT and multi-engine airtankers.
Of course, there are likely to be many more SEAT bases that are not on this list I referred to such as those who have SEAT contracts with States, such as Downstown in New Jersey.
Reference
US Forest Service. 2008 Interagency Airtanker Base Directory (NFES # 2537), Good through December 1, 2008 (no longer available on the web).
CAL FIRE (CDF) S2T Tanker 71 working Sawtooth Complex Fire (2006)
Sawtooth Complex Fire (Sept. 2006), San Bernardino County CA. Photo Credit: U.S. Forest Service
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