SEATs: 2019 edition

I have not forgotten about the great work that SEATs do in flying wildfires to help out the wildland firefighters on the ground. While their retardant tanks only hold 800 gallons, they are small and can use smaller landing strips then the larger air tankers. I have no specific information about the contractual situation for SEATs in 2019. I believe that the last two years that all SEATs were on call when needed contracts with no SEATs on exclusive use contracts.. However, I do know from video footage and media reports that SEATs have been flying this season. See for example, see this short video, courtesy of InciWeb shared by the NWS IMETs on their Facebook page of a seat flying the Tucker Fire in California earlier this year. KTXS 12 ABC has an August 15th news report with video of a SEAT based at the tanker base in Abilene Texas. Finally there is a nice video report from KREM2 CBS out of Spokane Washington where a SEAT pilot shows us his cockpit controls, go here for this August 15th report from KREM2.

Before you go take a look at these two very short videos of SEATs dropping on a wildfire. The first video is from 2010, showing a SEAT dropping on a wildfire in Idaho.


Direct link to video

The second video is from Texas A&M Forest Service of a SEAT dropping on a March 2018 wildfire in Gray County Texas.


Direct link to video