Visit to Downstown: SEAT Loading

I continue with my series on SEAT operations at Downstown, writing today about SEAT loading operations. The AT-602 you see in the photos below is Carlie sitting on the ramp at Downstown on April 25, 2012. At the time, the date of my visit to Downstown, she was still on contract with the NJ Forest Fire Service during the spring wildfire season. She sits on the ramp with a partial load (in this case about 370 gallons) of water in her hopper. As I understand it, and if memory serves, the reason that she was sitting on the ramp with a partial load as opposed to a full load of 600 gallons of water was to take some weight off of the tires.

As soon as the Downstown Dispatch Center Downstown Dispatch Center receives the order for a SEAT, Charlie 1 is loaded, filling her hopper to capacity (600 gallons). The loader takes the hose and fills the hopper to capacity. About five minutes later Charlie 1 takes off to fly to the fire.

Downstown AT-602 "Charlie-1"

Downstown AT-602 "Charlie-1"

Downstown AT-602 "Charlie-1"

Loading Area at Downstown

Loading Area at Downstown

My friends at Downstown sent me the photo that you aww below of one of their mobile nurse units. In this example of SEAT loading operations, the mobile nurse unit is used when a SEAT is temporarily working from another airport (without their own loading facilities) close to a wildfire. The annotations are mine, based on my conversations with my friends at Downstown.

One of Downstown's mobile nurse units

Next up on May 18: a quick look at cockpit "drop" controls in an AT 602