Airtankers in action: MAFFS (2013, 2018 and 2020)

 I was thinking about MAFFS (Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems), eight C-130s from four National Guard and Air Force Reserve that are called up when needed when all contracted aircraft are in service, for more information see my April 2022 post on MAFFS. In a couple of months there should be a training for all C-130s and crews in the MAFFS program. But that did not stop me from finding a video to share with you from airailimages showcasing C-130 MAFFS in action. Recall that each C-130 MAFF is fitted with a 3,000 retardant tank. The video is a little over two minutes, enjoy. You may want to go to the direct link to the video below and read about this video for more information on what is in the video.

Direct link to video from airailimages on YouTube

New Jersey Forest Fire Service 2023 Wildfire Season and Prescribed Burns continue (February 24)

 

As the spring prescribed burning season in New Jersey continues, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) has been also worked small brushfires around the State. I do not have access to number for this fire season, but I do know of some small brush fires thanks to reliable social media. These small brushfires include but are not limited to the following brushfires, thanks to the North Jersey Wildland Fire Association's Facebook page who support Division A (northern NJ) of the NJFFS. I am listing brushfires where I know that the NJFFS responded. I did not list a few other small brush fires that I saw where I did not know if the NJFFS responded. My thanks to the NJFFS for containing these small brush fires fairly quickly and in some cases before nearby residences and other structures were threatened. 

Blairstown (Warren County) NJ on February 20th, 1/4 acre

Alexandria Township (Hunterdon County) NJ on February 20, 3 acres

Pochuck Valley (Sussex County) NJ on February 16, acreage unknown

Wantage (Sussex County) NJ on February 7, 1/4 acre

Martinsville (Somerset County) NJ on February 6, acreage unknown

2022 Wildfire Season: Red River Initial Attack 2022 season

On a slightly more personal note I have been involved in purchasing my first new car in 18 years the last couple of days. Needless to say I have been slightly distracted taking care of various details prior to and just after the purchase. I continue with Subarus. Anyway, I am not here to talk about cars but I am here to continue posting about aerial wildland firefighting and related concerns. To that end, I continue with sharing videos from wildfire crews summarizing their 2022 wildfire season.

I came across a very nice video with some great fire photography from Ben Johnson summarizing the Red River Initial Attack Crew's 2022 wildfire season. I think but am not sure that this crew may be based in the northwestern United States. It does not always matter that I don't know for sure where a wildfire crew is based. The point in continuing to share these videos is both to provide folk like me with a glimpse into life on various kinds of wildland fire crews in different parts of the United States as well as my way of acknowledging and thanking a particular wildfire crew for their sacrifice in working on a wildfire crew in order to keep us as safe as possible from wildfires.

Please enjoy this video of the Red River Initial Attack Crew's 2022 wildfire season.

Direct link to video by Ben Johnson on YouTube

NJ Forest Fire Service 2023 Prescribed Burning Season (Feb 20th update)

 Today is the Presidents Day holiday here in much of the United States. While a holiday for some, it is not a holiday for members of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service who may be on call in the event a wildfire breaks out. This is also the spring prescribed burning season here in New Jersey, so wildland firefighters are conducting prescribed burns today around New Jersey. Today's prescribed burns are being conducted in Burlington (3), Cumberland (1), Mercer, (1)  Monmouth (3) , and Ocean (5) Counties. For details see the Facebook post below and click on more. 

Thank-you to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service for all you do to keep us in New Jersey safe from wildfires.

Direct link to February 20th Facebook Post from the NJ Forest Fire Service

NJ Forest Fire Service 2023 Prescribed Burning Season (February 17th Update)

I continue with the NJ Forest Fire Service spring 2023 prescribed burning season by referencing this February 10th news release from the NJ Dept of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)  discusses prescribed burns conducted by the NJFFS. The NJFFS conducts prescribed burns in the spring of each year, and sometimes in the fall, “to reduce wildfire risk and manage natural resources by burning the buildup of potential fuels such as undergrowth, leaves, branches and pine needles on forest floor.” 

In conducting prescribed the NJFFS considers 

Several climatological and environmental conditions, all of which influence a burn’s intensity and severity, are considered when conducting prescribed burns to accomplish various resource and ecological objectives, such as reducing hazard fuels and managing habitats. The Forest Fire Service and Division of Air Quality work together to assess wind speed, humidity and temperature and to determine the best days to conduct prescribed burning. Other factors considered include the density and arrangement of the vegetation being burned. ... In 2022, the Forest Fire Service completed prescribed burns on 11,925 acres of state-owned lands, 3,363 acres of other government-owned land and 1,694 acres of privately owned property, for a total of 16,982 acres. (NJDEP February 10, 2023 News release)

For additional information on the NJFFS prescribed burning program please refer to the news release from the NJDEP.

As I wrote on February 8th, the spring prescribed burning season began in early February. In order to keep informed I signed up for text and email alerts from the NJFSS  . The NJFFS also has a facebook page where you may find information on current prescribed burns. In addition, the NJFFS implemented a prescribed fire dashboard in 2022  where you may find information on current active and scheduled prescribed burns.

In the last week, the NJFFS has conducted prescribed burns around the state in Burlington, Cumberland, Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Ocean, Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon, and Sussex Counties. Prescribed burns are conducted weather permitting and scheduled burns may be postponed if the weather conditions are not favorable. As I write this, there is light rain in my area and we had some light rain yesterday. I have not yet received any notifications about prescribed burns scheduled for today, February 17th.

2022 Wildfire Season: Stanislaus Hotshots 2022 Season

 I will be posting more in a couple of days or so on the prescribed burns that the New Jersey Forest Fire Service are conducting in New Jersey. In the meantime as I will be busy most of the day visiting a good friend I will continue posting videos from wildfire crews summarizing their 2022 season. Today I am sharing a video by Riley Yuan with highlights from the Stanislaus Hotshots 2022 season. I enjoyed this video getting a peak in to what life is like for the Stanislaus Hotshots in action and during important downtime to refresh and recharge. 

March 3, 2023 update. I did enjoy this video, unfortunately this video is no longer available, but I do want to thank the Stanislaus Hotshots for the work they did during the 2022 fire season to protect us from wildfires.

Direct link to video by Riley Yuan on YouTube

2022 Wildfire Season: Wyoming Hotshots 2022 Season

I continue sharing 2022 season summary videos from wildland fire crews. Today I am sharing a short but very nice video from the Wyoming Hotshots. The Wyoming Hotshots are based in the Medicine Wheel Ranger District of the Bighorn National Forest, here is their Facebook page. I have seen references for a webpage for the Wyoming Hotshots but it did not look like an active website to me. I like this short video summarizing the Wyoming Hotshot crew's 2022 season because you see the crew working fires, playing, and taking a meal break. 

Direct link to video from Jake Lang on YouTube

Update on aerial operations in Australia following T-139 crash

I wrote on February 6th about the crash of Coulson's T-139 while flying a fire in the Fitzgerald River National Park in Western Australia on February 6th. I understand that T-139 had done a split-load, dropping half their load in two passes over the fire. Shortly after dropping the second load, T-139 crashed (see this February 7th article from WAToday).  It is a miracle that both pilots survived and are now out of the hospital. By now, I suspect that conditions are safe enough at the crash site for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau begins their investigation into the crash (go here to read their first report with basic information. 

Coulson had suspended all operations on February 7th for a welfare rest to give crews to rest and reflect. According to their news release, Coulson resumed aerial operations on February 8th. 

The crash of T-139 left Western Australia with only one large airtanker. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service has three large air tankers and loaned one to Western Australia to support their bush fire operations, Conair T-166, an Avro RJ85. T-166 arrived on February 8th.  If you have difficulty seeing the Facebook post from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA that I embedded below, here is a direct link to the post which I believe should be freely available to those who don't have a Facebook account.

NJ Forest Fire Service 2023 Prescribed Burning Season (Feb 8)

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) has begun to do prescribed burns to reduce litter and plants in the field or forest to reduce the chance of wildfires. For more on the NJFFS prescribed burning program read this news release from February 2022. 

On February 6th prescribed burns were conducted in Burlington, Camden, Ocean, Somerset and Sussex Counties, for more information see this Facebook Post by the NJFFS. The next day the NJFFS conducted prescribed burns in Cumberland, Ocean, and Somerset Counties, go to this Feb 7th Facebook post by the NJFFS for more information.

This just in: Coulson 737 Fireliner Tanker 139 in Accident Pilots OK

 I went to Coulson Aviation's Twitter account looking for some photos of their operations in Australia when I came upon this tweet reporting on an accident involving one of their 737 Fireliners, T-139 in western Australia. I am very happy that both pilots are ok.

One of our 737 FireLiners, Tanker 139, operating in Western Australia was involved in an accident while tasked to a fire Monday, 6 February 2023. Both pilots walked away from the crash. More here: https://t.co/PsObuOuDOr

— Coulson Aviation (@CoulsonAviation) February 6, 2023

Here is a statement from Wayne Coulson, he says in part

We are very grateful the two team members on Tanker 139 are safe.

We are offering all the support we can to our local and international crews. We’re also grateful for the support being provided by our firefighting and aviation industry colleagues in Western Australia.

According to media reports on WA Today and ABC Net AU T-139 crashed in the Fitzgerald River National Park 460 kilometers or 285 miles southeast of Perth Australia. See either media report for a map. 

My prayers go out to the two pilots and their families, Coulson Aviation, and local officials in the area of the crash site. I am very happy to be able to report on a tanker crash where both pilots survived.

Added at 4 PM EST on February 6, 2023: Fire Aviation has done their usual good job reporting on this crash in a February 6th post. In this article, Fire Aviation also reports that after Coulson finished converting the 737 to configuration as a Fireliner Tanker, the T-139 Fireliner flew its first fire in July 2022 in the U.S. and arrived in Australia in December 2022. Their article is worth a read.

Friday Fun: Snow S-2 one of the first agricultural aircraft

 I knew that I wanted to focus on some Friday Fun today. In considering what I wanted to share, it has been awhile since I shared anything on ag aviation, so I knew that is what I wanted to focus on for today's Friday's Fun. It did not take me long to find this video by Tyson of Ag Aviation Adventures showcasing the Snow S-2. The Snow S-2 was designed by Leland Snow and built by Snow Aeronautical. Leland Snow designed the first purpose-built aircraft for ag aviation. If you go to Ag Aviation Adventure's video showcasing a fully restored Snow- S-2 and expand the "show more option" you can see their excellent commentary on the Snow S-2, Leland Snow, and commentary about their video. Here is what they say about Leland Snow:

Leland Snow is the pioneer of Ag Aviation and he is the brains behind both of the two most popular ag aircraft used today. After the Snow S-2, he went on to rename/redevelop under the name Thrush Aircraft. When Thrush moved from Texas to Georgia, Leland resigned and started Air Tractor. It’s hard to say what Ag Aviation would be today without Leland Snow. What’s even more wild, shortly after Leland, who at the time was 23, completed test flights with the S-1 in 1953 he flew the S-1 on application jobs in both Texas AND in Nicaragua until 1957. Ag Air Update has dubbed Leland Snow “the godfather of the modern ag aircraft” and we couldn’t agree more.  

Enjoy this video on Ag Aviation Adventure's video showcasing the Snow S-2.

Direct link to video by Ag Aviation Adventures on YouTube

Conair Retired CV-580 Tankers: Last Landing T-55

This is a little late, but very heartfelt post saying goodbye to Conair's fleet of nine CV-580 Convair air tankers and one L-188 Electra. Conair retired these air tankers in 2022, see Conair's news release on the retirement of the Convair's. You may also want read this January 3, 2023 article from Aerial Fire Magazine. Fire Aviation has been covering Conair's retirement of the Convair's and their purchase of Q-400s, see for example two articles: January 2021 and June 25, 2022. I knew about the long service of both of these airtankers and in January 2022 I shared a video of a walk around of both of these tankers.

Quite by accident, I found a video shot in late September 2022 of the final landing of Conair Convair Tanker 55 at Victoria Airport complete with a water salute. Well done Convair Tanker 55 and all other Convair air tankers. You did good work helping ground pounders fight wildfires, including helping us here in the lower 48 of the United States. 

Direct link to video by Nybotor1 on YouTube