Friday Fun: Stearman biplanes performing flybys

On this edition of Friday Fun, I offer a video from AirshowStuffVideos of two WWII-era Stearman Biplanes performing at the 2021 Wings fo the North AirExpo. Allow less than seven minutes to watch the video.

Direct link to video from AirshowStuffVideos on YouTube

Hurricane Hunters fly into Hurricane Ian

 I have spent much of the morning in touch with a good friend on the gulf coast of Florida relaying information to her about Hurricane Ian as they are having a difficult time with communications and getting current information on Hurricane Ian. It therefore seems appropriate and fitting within the aviation focus of this blog to share two videos of our wonderful Hurricane Hunter Aircraft flying into Ian. Before I do, I have previously posted many articles on Hurricane Hunters that my be found here, note these are articles tagged Hurricane Hunters. I also have to be quick because I have to recharge my wireless mouse in advance of a midday online commitment.

Life of an Incident Meteorologist: NOAA photo story

 I have a deep respect for the work that National Weather Service specially trained Incident Meteorologists (IMETs) do. IMETs are deployed for up to two weeks to provide weather forecasts specific to a wildfire. If you are like me, and I believe that some of you are, then you are wondering what it is like for an IMET on the fire line this summer. This photo story from NOAA called "Fighting Fire with Forecasts" provides an answer. Enjoy! IMETs save lives. If you have trouble accessing the tweet from the NWS IMET Operations or prefer not to access Twitter, here is the direct link to the NOAA photo story "Fighting Fire with Forecasts". Plan on spending some time with the photo story, there are several photos and a couple of videos.

Ever wonder what life as an IMET is like? Here's a good summary of life on the fire line for IMETs this summer helping our land management agency partners. @NIFC_Fire @NWS #WeatherReadyNation #ClimateReadyNation #Wildfire https://t.co/IrAvXUb0Ge

— NWS IMET Operations (@NWS_IMET_OPS) September 20, 2022

About the Great Basin Smokejumpers

Better late than never. I had my Omicron Covid booster yesterday and was a little out of it. So this is late. Enjoy this short video about the Great Basin Smokejumpers by the National Interagency Fire Center.

Direct link to video on YouTube by the National Interagency Fire Center

2022 wildfire season: NJ Forest Fire Service crews working in TX & MT

 Here in New Jersey we have been in a drought for the last couple of months and I know that the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) have been working to keep us in New Jersey as safe as possible from wildfires. I know that each year the NJFFS responds to requests to help wildland firefighters in other parts of the country to fight wildfires and this year is no exception. At no time did they put New Jersey at risk by sending crews and engines to assist crews in other parts of the country. I am always honored by the service of the NJFFS crews and engines working in other parts of the country, I am so proud of the NJFFS crews. This year NJFFS crews and engines have worked in Texas, Montana and Idaho. Typically, crews work on two week rotations.

This summer, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service spent eight weeks supporting the @TXForestService during heightened wildfire risk.

In total 26 firefighters from New Jersey spent a two-week rotation on one of three firetrucks that New Jersey provided to Texas. pic.twitter.com/HpvvKKGBv1

— New Jersey Forest Fire Service (@njdepforestfire) September 15, 2022

A little more about wildland firefighting in Maryland

After returning from a short trip to the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland on Friday, I was curious to see what I could learn about wildland fires in Maryland. It did not take me long to find the Maryland DNR's Forest Service Wildland Fire Page. Fire season peaks in the spring and the fall, similar to others areas in the mid-atlantic region. They have a nice downloadable page on wildfire behavior in Maryland

The first thing I checked out was their history page (pdf), the Maryland Forest Service was founded in 1906, the same year they started to fight wildfires. At one time there were many fire towers in Maryland, only a few currently remain. Today Maryland DNR has much of the same equipment and vehicles as other wildland fire fighting agencies: engines of various sizes and dozers along with GPS capability and vastly improved communications.

Finally, I was curious about the acreage burned by wildfires in Maryland. I found no information on wildfires in 2022, but perhaps I was not looking in the right place. I did find a page of wildfire statistics with annual reports from 2004 to 2021. I looked at the 2021 Wildfire Summary Report by the Maryland DNR. What follows is some information from the 2021 report:

• 102 fires burned 1,363 acres. 
• Looking at acreage burned, seven fires in January burning 973.8 acres, the second highest month was December where 17 fires burned 211 acres. 
• Current v ten year average
• number of fires: 102 wildfires in 2021, ten-year average is 122.4
• acreage burned: 1,363 acres burned in 2021 compared with a ten-year average of 1,947.5
• There is an active prescribed burning program with 2,769.2 acres in the 2021 prescribed burning program scattered across the state.

What I did not post here was the information that can be found in the daily intelligence briefings from the Eastern Area Coordination Center. I did take a peak at their EACC Detailed Situation Report by Protection Area (daily at least during fire season). There is a wealth of information in this report for the states in the Eastern Region. For example, in the report dated September 18, 2022, I saw that the 2 human-caused fires burned 18 acres in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge which I visited last week. I believe but am not certain there have been 12 prescribed burns in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge to date for 2,156 acres burned.

Finally, I did get the feeling that as in other States, local fire companies provide mutual aid as needed to the Maryland DNR firefighters. I do not know what aerial resources Maryland uses to fight and/or observe wildfires. I do not mean to imply that are no aerial resources, just that I do not know about such resources.

I know that I am barely touching the surface of fighting wildland fires in Maryland. I do so to show that I am interested. I am hoping to follow a social media site that might help me keep in touch with Maryland and Delaware wildland fire news. 

Prescribed burning at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (Chesapeake Bay)

I got back yesterday from a short trip with some good friends to the Chesapeake Bay region in Maryland. We only had three days there and one of the treasures was the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge near Cambridge, Maryland. Always being on the alert for anything about wildfires, in this case prescribed burns, when we got to the visitors center of Blackwater, I noted that they had a display talking about prescribed burning in the refuge and why it is important. I was not thinking at the time, so I did not take a photo to share with you. I did appreciate and applaud the Fish and Wildlife Service for putting up this display to educate the public about the importance of prescribed burning. 

We were there twice, the second time we were there, I was asking one of the rangers if there was any flooding on the shorter driving tour that we were going to take, there was not. By the way, this was our second time on the driving tour. Anyway, she took the time to tell me that there was a prescribed burn going on, that we might see smoke. If there was any smoke, we were distracted by looking at the beauty of Blackwater, and later troubleshooting our maps app so we could get back to the place we were staying. Anyway, I do appreciate this prescribed burn in preparation for planting winter crops to support wildlife.

I thought that some of you might enjoy getting to know the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge so I am sharing a video of the driving tour we took. This was shot in the summer of 2020 by the Friends of Blackwater

Direct link to video on YouTube by the Friends of Blackwater NWR

Aerial fire fighting tactics

 I was looking for something different to post today and came across this video from 2015 that I had bookmarked for later posting. The video is called "Basic Tactics" and is shot from a camera mounted on the aircraft, perhaps on the wing. You will listen to radio conversations directing the aerial attack on the fire with some printed commentary telling you what is going on. I always enjoy these videos, I always learn. Enjoy.

Direct link to video on YouTube

Reflections on a little rain during a drought

 

This is the current Drought Monitor Map for the area covered by the NWS Philadelphia/Mt Holly Weather Forecast Office. We have had some beneficial rains over the last week, some of which may not be reflected in this map. I do not know enough to know what the situation will be when the next Drought Monitor Map is issued, will there be a slight change for the better? I am not a Meteorologist, but I suspect that we need several beneficial rainfalls before we come out of the drought. However, I along with my trees and other greenery are grateful for the rain. I am not letting up on my efforts to conserve water.

What I do know is that last weeks beneficial rains and perhaps today's rains mean that the wildland firefighters in my area got a bit of break. According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, fire danger today is low (map is updated daily, as it was last week following the beneficial rains (what you see will likely be different as conditions change). While I am grateful that the fire danger in New Jersey has been low the last few days, it is no time to be complacent. Wildfires can still happen. the crews of the NJFFS have not put away their equipment and trucks, they are still on call if the need should arise. 

I thank the wildland firefighters of the NJ Forest Fire Service and those in adjoining states for your service. Stay safe.

NOAA Satellites looking at wildfires

Coming off of a busier than normal couple of days, so I am sharing three videos of NOAA Satellites looking at wildfires. All three videos are from four to six weeks ago.

Fires Across Europe

Fires Across Alaska

Fire near Yosemite

Wildfire History: Lockheed P2V airtanker operations in 2017.

 I got side tracked yesterday with some unexpected business and was unable to make my usual Wednesday blog entry. I will be tied up with that same business this afternoon but I diid want to take a few moments to post. In this case, this is a video from Bob Webb showing the pilots view of air operations in steep terrain behind a lead plane. Enjoy

Direct link to video on YouTube from Bob Webb

Thank-you to all who are working this Labor Day

As I sit here at home on this Labor Day having a quiet Labor Day with my family, I am quite aware that many of you have to work today. I am not only speaking to wildland firefighters and other first responders and health care workers who are working today but all who work in retail, call centers, and other places of business who have to work today. Please accept my heartfelt thanks for all you do for us.

Friday Fun: aerobatics in Pitts Special

It is airshow season. I wanted to take a time-out to share something fun with you as we start the long Labor Day weekend here in the United States. In the video that I will share with you, you will see South Jersey native, Jason Flood flying a short version of his aerobatic routine in his Pitts Special, the Red Ghost. As I understand, the Pitts Special is designed for stunt and aerobatic flying. I enjoyed watching Jason's routine and I hope that you will. Allow about eleven minutes to watch the video. Jason performed his routine on August 30, 2022 at the New Garden Airshow in Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania

Direct Link to video by Zinger Aviation Media on YouTube.