Friday, June 13, 2014

Aero Flite's CL-415 T-260

For reasons that I'll share momentarily, I have found myself thinking about Aero Flite's CL-415, T-260 (N389AC) that is on contract with the US Forest Service. As you may recall, the US Forest Service awarded a five year contract to Aero-Flite for one CL-415 scooper. The CL-415's tank capacity is 1,600 gallons, see Fire Aviation's 10/29/13 article on the Aero-Flite Contract

I know, from Fire Aviation on May 8th, that T-260 worked the wildfires in Oklahoma in early May. Anther media reports on T-260 at the Oklahoma Fires (with pictures) may be found on NewsOk (5/10/14).

I have at least briefly mentioned most (if not all) of what I have written in about T-260 in this article on my Airtankers101 Page. What got me thinking about the CL-415 is a short article that came across my desk a couple of weeks ago from WZZM13 ABC on May 30, 3014 who reported that on May 30th, the CL-415 tanker was stationed in or near the Huron-Manistee National Forests (northern lower peninsula of Michigan). I have been trying, without much success so far, to find out if she is still in the lower peninsula of Michigan. 

I liked thinking about her being here in the east, at least for a short of time. So I felt moved to write this article about her because she was in Michigan ready to work fires. And where ever she is today as I write this, she and her crew are ready to work fires in support of the crews on the ground. To her crew: thank-you and stay safe.


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