RIP Micheal Collins

I am pausing today to remember Michael Collins, NASA astronaut from Gemini 10 and the Command Module Pilot of Apollo 11. Mike died on April 28th from cancer at the age of 90 with his family by his side, (obituary from the Washington Post). May you rest in peace and may you fly in favorable winds.

Direct link to video from NASA

I wish that I had an opportunity to meet and talk to Mike Collins in person, I think that we would have had a fun time. But I did get to know him through his book, Carrying the Fire. I purchased a paperbook copy of the book several years ago. Unfortunately, I can not seem to find it at the moment. I may have lent it to someone. But I did purchase a Kindle version two years ago (2019 edition) and read it from cover to cover. I appreciated what to me was a down to earth writing style. I felt like I got to know Mike through his writing. He took me into the cockpit and aboard Gemini 10 and Apollo 11. I recall that he made some of the more technical terms understandable to this lay person and non-pilot. Thank-you Mike for this book and for writing a children's edition of the book.

NASA posted some statements on the passing of Mike Collins and has a nice page on Mike with links to a biography, pictures and videos.

I found this 10 minute 2019 video of a PBS NewsHour interview with Mike Collins on the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 flight to the Moon. I share this here because you will hear him speak of some the reflections and experiences that he wrote about in Carrying the Fire.

Direct link to video from PBS NewsHour

Global Supertanker (T944) ceased operations

As some of you already know, the company that operates tanker 944 (Boeing 747), Global Supertanker ceased operating T944 on or about April 21st of this year. I read this news on Bill Gabbert's Fire Aviation site on April 23rd. Here is an excerpt of Bill's reporting on April 23rd.:

The investor group that owns the 747 Supertanker, Tanker 944, is shutting down the huge air tanker. In an email sent April 21 to officials in Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and the federal government, Dan Reese the President of Global Supertanker gave them the news:

This week the investors that own the Global SuperTanker just informed me that they have made the difficult decision to cease operations of the company, effective this week…This is extremely disappointing as the aircraft has been configured and tuned with a new digital drop system and other upgrades to make it more safe and efficient.

Mr. Reese said in the email they are in discussions with prospective buyers, but it was unknown at that time if the aircraft would continue to be configured as an air tanker capable of carrying more than 17,500 gallons or if it would be used as a freighter.

If you have not already done so, you will want to read Bill's full report about the cessation of operations of Global SuperTanker Services.

Global SuperTanker Services is owned by Alterna Capital Partners

On Monday, April 26th, thanks to Mike Archer's Wildfire News of the Day e-mail newsletter, I read an April 26th article on the Aerial Fire Magazine about the cessation of tanker 944 operations, Global SuperTanker/Alterna Capital Partners Release Official Statement on GST Shut Down: the management of Alterna Capital Partners says in part:

Unfortunately, the 2009 vintage Alterna fund that owns GSTS has a 10-year finite life and does not have the resources to see the vision to come to fruition. Accordingly, the decision has been made to immediately cease all GSTS operations and look for alternatives to maximize the value of the team, the drop system and the 747-400 aircraft.

Alterna is actively pursuing various options, including, but not limited to, the recapitalization of GSTS as an aerial firefighting business, the sale of GSTS to strategic or other investors and/or the sale of the aircraft as a freighter. The option to sell the aircraft as freighter has been in part driven by the COVID-19 crisis, which has led to a significant increase in value for freighter aircraft.

Please take a couple of minutes to read the full statement from Alterna Capital Partners about why the decided to cease operations of Global SuperTanker Services.

The 747 Supertanker (tanker 944) with her 17,200 gallon tank capacity was a great resource in the aerial firefighting toolbox. California, Mexico and Chile are among the places where she flew fires. She will be missed. I sincerely hope that any financial and any issues (if applicable) with the 747 and the tank will be resolved so that she may return to service as an airtanker. 

Firefighter with medical emergency during Lakewood Fire (March 2021) goes home

The firefighter that had a medical emergency during the Lakewood Fire (March 15, 2021). I wondered what had happened to him but heard no news. I figured that no news was good news. And it was.

I saw on a few social media accounts that the firefighter with the medical emergency, Brian Sauers, was released from the hospital on Friday, April 23rd. Brian is a 40-year veteran of the East Dover (NJ) Volunteer Fire Company and the NJ Forest Fire Service. The Asbury Park Press (paywall, but you get a couple of free articles) has a nice article on Brian's release from the hospital that you may find here (with photos). 

I was moved to see the response from the NJ Forest Fire and local fire companies lining up to greet him as he was released from the hospital. So nice to see a motorcade honoring and celebrating the living.

Direct link to video from New Jersey Shore Fire Response

Friday Fun: Congratulations Ingenuity on your first flights on Mars

I want to pause and to congratulate the entire team for your work in making the 2020 Mars Rover, Perseverance and the Ingenuity helicopter a success. Imaging that, a helicopter on Mars. I have been a space flight buff since I was six, so I find this pretty exciting. The image of Ingenuity that I embedded above is courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS.

Here are some videos courtesy of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Direct link to video of first flight from NASA JPL

Direct link to video of second flight from NASA JPL

Direct link to video of enhanced of launch of Ingenuity with dust

2021 NJ wildfire season: Prescribed burn in New Jersey (April 20th)

It seems that the New Jersey Forest Fire Service is continuing with prescribed burns, as conditions allow, in northern New Jersey (Division A). Yesterday, April 20th, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service conducted a prescribed burn on in Hopewell, Mercer County, on County land (go to see this NJFFS Facebook post).

Added on April 22nd: Bill Gabbert of Wildfire Today reported in an April 21st article that the U.S. Forest Service has suspended prescribed burn operations in the northern region -- Montana, northern Idaho, North Dakota, and a small portion of north west South Dakota because four firefighters experienced burn injuries while conducting prescribed burns. Two firefighters experienced severe third degree burns with surgical intervention. You will want to read Bill's April 21st article for more information. Stay safe out there.

Speaking of prescribed burns, thanks to my friends at the NJFFS Section B10 who shared a nice video yesterday from CBS Miami on prescribed burns conducted by the Nature Conservancy in western Maryland. Enjoy.

Direct link to video from CBS Miami

A close up of Air Tractors

I have had the privilege of meeting some Air Tractor 602's up close and personal and seeing them in action as an agricultural aircraft thanks to my friends at Downstown Aero Crop Service in Vineland NJ. Downstown just celebrated their 75th year in business. What can I say, they are elegant planes specially built for their tasks in agricultural and firefighting operations. 

Here is a four minute video from Texas Country Reporter (2017) of a video interview and tour of Air Tractor's factory in Olney Texas. Enjoy.

Direct link to video from Texas Country Reporter.

2021 wildfire season: wildfire at Vermont Quebec border

I was catching up on two days worth of Mike Archer's Wildfire News of the Day e-mail newsletters this morning when I saw that he posted a link to a short report from WCAX in Burlington, Vermont about a wildfire (size unknown) that burned at the Quebec-Vermont border, go here for the article. The wildfire started on April 14th in Quebec and burned into a remote area of Franklin County, Vermont. I do not know the exact location of this wildfire, but in years past I have driven through this area and can attest to its remoteness. Having spent portions of some summers in northeastern Vermont not far from the Canadian border, I often found myself wondering about wildfires near the border and how Quebec and Vermont agencies would respond. This fire gave me my answer. Quebec sent a spotter plane and two tankers while Franklin Vermont provided ground resources. 

A brief very brief overview of Pennsylvania's state wildfire agency and their 2021 wildfire season

Pennsylvania is a large state, but New Jersey does share a border with Pennsylvania and I do find myself thinking about wildfires in Pennsylvania, especially during the spring and fall wildfire seasons. I believe that the spring fire season in Pennsylvania is the same as here in New Jersey, March through May and again in the fall. I am not always tied into wildfire news in Pennsylvania, so I want to thank Mike Archer of Wildfire News of the Day, whose April 12th newsletter included a couple of articles about wildfires that burned in Pennsylvania the end of last week. 

• Two wildfires, fueled by strong winds, in Ohiopyle State Park in western Pennsylvania burned about 450 acres were contained on Friday, April 9th, see this article by CBS in Pittsburgh. 
• On or about Wednesday, April 7th, according to this report from YourErie two wildfires were reported in the Allegany National Forest in Pennsylvania. One burned about 261 and was estimated to be at 90 percent containment on April 12th, the second burned about 227 acres and was at 90 percent containment.

Reading about these two wildfires in western Pennsylvania got me interested in checking out the Pennsylvania state agency responsible for wildfires. The agency responsible for wildfires in Pennsylvania is the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) . I knew from poking around that there are 20 State Forest Districts in Pennsylvania, I believe each district is responsible for wildfires in their district. The DCNR has a page for wildfires that may be found here, with links for wildfire danger, historical statistics (some are by district), burn bans,  a nice fire tower story map, etc.. As I write this there is a summary report for 2020 wildfire season in PA that is available, it can be found here, but be advised that if you are arriving here in future years that the link may no longer be valid. I was interested in the following statistics from the 2020 summary report:

• 1.508 wildfires burned 3,021 acres with 17 structures destroyed, 2 fatalities and 12 injuries;
• 99.5 percent of these wildfires were caused by humans;
• the 10 year average is 750 wildfires and 3,500 acres burned;
• the largest wildfire burned 812 acres in early November in Monroe County, PA in northeastern PA.
• Pennsylvania DCNR air operations worked seven wildfires dropping 8,200 gallons.

A rainy and overcast day during spring wildfire season in New Jersey

Due to a rainy day, we are perhaps having a short respite during our spring wildfire season in New Jersey. I am pretty sure that the lookout towers are not staffed today and the contract aircraft may have an off day as well. It rained yesterday and it looks showers at least through the middle of the week. Nonetheless, depending on the location and the soil types, the soil can dry out pretty quickly. I know that even though the fire danger here in New Jersey is currently low, we are protected by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service and their mutual aid partners should the unforeseen wildfire start. And whether or not the rest of our spring fire season is wet or dry remains to be seen. Of course, wildfires do not follow a calendar, and dependent on rain and/or snowfall, can happen most any time of year. 

Today, as we have a short respite in our spring wildfire season, I want to share a three-minute video tribute to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Perhaps I have shared this before, and if so, reruns are always good. Enjoy

Direct link to video

2021 wildfire season: prescribed burning in NJ (April 9th)

This is our spring wildfire season here in New Jersey, our 21 fire lookout towers are all staffed today, our SEATs and helicopter are ready to go to help the firefighters on the ground should the call come. We did have some high fire weather concerns earlier this week, I do not know of any larger wildfires, and I still have no access to any kind of numbers on wildfire activity in New Jersey. Once the updates to the NJ Forest Fire Service web page are completed, I am sure that there will be some numbers available to the public.

Today the weather appears favorable for prescribed burning in northern New Jersey. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is conducting two prescribed burns in northern New Jersey today, April 9th (go to this NJFFS Facebook page for more information. As always, this schedule is weather dependent and subject to change.

• Sussex County, Walpack Township, Walpack Wildlife Management Area
• Warren County, Mansfield Township, Pequest Wildlife Management Area

There is a very nice article by Nancy Parello in the Spring 2021 issue of Jersey's Best about the NJ Forest Fire Service: On the front lines: Elite N.J. Forest Fire Service charged with protecting life and land. It is a great article, please take a few moments to read this article. You will learn about fighting wildfires in New Jersey, mutual aid, and prescribed burning. What Ms. Parello reports on prescribed burning fits right in to this post on prescribed burns:

While battling blazes is an important part of their work, preventing fires may be even more critical. That also means using fire to fight fire, using “prescribed” or controlled burns — a practice that dates back to Native Americans who set fires to maintain an ecological balance between the forests and the land.

  

“The best way to manage this situation is to actively manage the land and try to create forests that are healthy and less prone to large wildfires,’’ McLaughlin said. (Greg McLaughlin is Chief of the NJ Forest Fire Service)

 

These controlled burns clear out dried leaves, brush and branches that fuel wildfires. The fire service strategically sets these fires each year, targeting areas dense with old trees and thick kindling.

  

“We work through a very planned process,” McLaughlin said. “We use technology like GIS (geographic information system mapping) and field data collection to determine which areas need to be treated.”

 

“Without the prescribed burns, the same situation could happen here that happens in California,” Robertson added. “There’s so much flammable material that it would build up.”            

More on fire towers in New Jersey

obtained on April 7, 2021 from https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/fire/program/detection.html#

From time to time I like to write about the important role that fire lookout towers play in detecting wildfires in New Jersey. There are 21 fire towers in New Jersey, at least half of all wildfires in New Jersey are reported by fire tower observers (see this NJ Forest Fire Service page for more information including a brief description of each of the 21 fire towers). The lookout towers are staffed today because it is the spring wildfire season and the fire danger has been high of late.

To read about how lookout towers are used to detect wildfires, click on "how do fire towers find and report fires" they say in part

After spotting a fire the attendant uses a tool called an Osborne Fire Finder or an Alidade. This is an indicator or sighting apparatus on a plane table, used in angular measurement. A topographic surveying and mapping instrument with a telescope and graduated vertical circle is used to obtain the radial and distance to a suspected fire. From these measurements he will call in a "Smoke Report." By lining up this machine with the fire they can calculate the direction and bearing of the fire.

I have driven by or hiked by a couple of the towers, for example, Catfish Tower in northern New Jersey and the Lebanon Tower in central New Jersey. I know where the Culvers Tower is but do not recall  hiking on the trail that goes near that tower. 

The New Jersey Herald has a nice story, written by Bruce A. Scruton on published on April 7th, on a visit to the Culvers Fire Tower. The Mr. Scruton's article may be found and it includes a video which I am embedding at the end of this article. Here is a separate link to the video if you have trouble with the embedded video. I never know how long media outlets leave these videos up, it should be up for at least a couple of weeks. I warn you that the New Jersey Herald has a pay wall, but you should be able to read this article for free as you get a couple of free articles each month.

Mr. Scruton visited with Nick Valerio, the attendant at the Culvers Fire Tower. Mr Sruton reports in part

On Monday morning, Valerio stood at his post at the Culvers Tower, paying close attention to his surroundings. It's wildfire season in New Jersey, and the current fire danger is listed as yellow, or high. The spring and fall are the most dangerous for wildfires, said the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, part of the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Valerio guards in solitude in the steel tower that replaced the previous wooden one. The Culvers tower is only 47 feet tall, one of the shortest structures in the network. But it is built atop the Kittatinny Ridge, giving the observation deck an elevation of 1,509 feet above sea level, the second-highest in the network.

2021 NJ wildfire season: enhanced fire danger in NJ (April 5-6)

Tanker 61 is on duty to fight wildfires as New Jersey and nearby locations in Delaware, Pennsylvania and the eastern shore of Maryland are experiencing enhanced fire danger today and tomorrow (April 5 and 6).

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ

634 AM EDT Mon Apr 5 2021

DEZ001>004-MDZ012-015-019-020-NJZ001-007>010-012>027-PAZ054-055-

060>062-070-071-101>106-060000-

New Castle-Kent-Inland Sussex-Delaware Beaches-Kent MD-

Queen Annes-Talbot-Caroline-Sussex-Warren-Morris-Hunterdon-

Somerset-Middlesex-Western Monmouth-Eastern Monmouth-Mercer-Salem-

Gloucester-Camden-Northwestern Burlington-Ocean-Cumberland-

Atlantic-Cape May-Atlantic Coastal Cape May-Coastal Atlantic-

Coastal Ocean-Southeastern Burlington-Carbon-Monroe-Berks-Lehigh-

Northampton-Delaware-Philadelphia-Western Chester-Eastern Chester-

Western Montgomery-Eastern Montgomery-Upper Bucks-Lower Bucks-

Including the cities of Wilmington, Dover, Georgetown,

Rehoboth Beach, Chestertown, Centreville, Easton, Denton, Newton,

Washington, Morristown, Flemington, Somerville, New Brunswick,

Freehold, Sandy Hook, Trenton, Pennsville, Glassboro, Camden,

Cherry Hill, Moorestown, Mount Holly, Jackson, Millville,

Hammonton, Cape May Court House, Ocean City, Atlantic City,

Long Beach Island, Wharton State Forest, Jim Thorpe, Stroudsburg,

Reading, Allentown, Bethlehem, Media, Philadelphia, Honey Brook,

Oxford, West Chester, Kennett Square, Collegeville, Pottstown,

Norristown, Lansdale, Chalfont, Perkasie, Morrisville,

and Doylestown

634 AM EDT Mon Apr 5 2021

...Enhanced Danger for Fire Spread Today and Tuesday...

The danger for fire spread will increase across the region this

afternoon as relative humidity values drop into the low to mid 20

percent range and northwest winds gust 20 to 25 mph at times. This

combination of low humidity, warming temperatures, and gusty

northwest winds will produce favorable conditions for wildfires to

ignite and spread, especially this afternoon and early evening.

On Tuesday, relative humidity values will again fall into the low

to mid 20 percent range across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Northwest winds will be slightly weaker Tuesday, with gusts up to

20 mph at times.

Residents are urged to exercise caution handling any potential

ignition source, including machinery, cigarettes, and matches. Be

sure to properly discard all smoking materials. Any dry grasses

and tree litter that ignite will have the potential to spread

quickly.

For more information about wildfire danger, burn restriction, and

wildfire prevention and education, please visit your state forestry

or environmental protection website

Friday Fun: Blue Angels (2019)

For those of you celebrating Easter, this is the start of a holiday weekend, Passover began March 27th. I wish any of you traveling this weekend safe travels.

It is time for some Friday Fun in the form of a video showing the Blue Angels (2019). I do not believe that I have shown this before and if I have, reruns are always good.

Enjoy.

Direct link to video