Random Ramblings: Aerial Wildland Firefighting

I have blogged about aerial wildland firefighting since 2009. I am not a firefighter and am not a pilot, just an interested bystander who wants to learn more and share what I learn here. Join me here as I blog on the aircraft and the pilots who fight wildland fires from the air in support of crews on the ground. I also blog on concerns affecting fire crews on the ground as well as other aviation and meteorology issues. Learn what it takes to do jobs that are staffed by the best of the best.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

A visit to NJFFS Air Attack Base at Aeroflex-Andover-pt 1

I finally made it to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service Air Attack Base at Aeroflex-Andover the Air Attack Base for Division A of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. That is my Division folks. They are really nice people and I had a great time. I spent a couple of hours there on a nice spring day. Oh, by the way, I drove. About an hour one way, not too bad all things considering.

Before I begin, I want you to meet Orville in the photos below. Orville is the airport cat, and a good mouser. He is a real sweet and friendly cat, coming up to greet me. As you can see, he posed for me. I feel like I made a new friend in Orville.

Orville posing in front of the NJ Forest Fire Service Air Attack Base Office

Orville

Unless something comes up, I'll be posting a few articles based on my trip to the Air Attack Base over the next few posts. Today I'm going to start with some photos of the Turbo-Cat.

There were three Ag-Cats on base today, the Turbo-Cat was not in service as her pilot had the day off. Instead, I got to spend some time with Joe, whom I met last year. In the two photos below, the Turbo-Cat is on the far end. Joe flew up in one of G-164-A (Radial) Ag-Cats.

Downstown Aero converted one of their G-164-A Ag-Cats to Turbine over the winter. They purchased a conversion kit and a turbine (Pratt & Whitney PT6A-28 680 hp) engine and did the conversion in their shop. Everything from the firewall forward is new. The new fuel tank is slightly bigger, 120 gallons compared with 80 gallons in the G-164-A Ag-Cats. And the hopper (also new) capacity is 400 gallons. Another nice feature is that there is a bottom loading fuel system. Joe tells me that they can refuel the plane and load water at the same time, saving a little time. The cockpit steam gauges have been replaced with a glass cockpit. There is a new drop spray boom system coupled to the new Ag Nav GPS. The plane has been repainted inside and out with.