Friday Fun: MAFFS Aerial Firefighting Training

Direct link to video from the Daily-Military on YouTube

Enjoy this video of C-130 Hercules planes equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System (AKA MAFFS) doing training including working with a lead plane. The footage is from the Daily-Military

C-130 MAFFS working January 2025 CA Wildfires

Direct link to video from US Military Action on YouTube

When there are not enough USDA Forest Service contracted airtankers to go around, there are eight Modular Aircraft Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) that are used by eight C-130 aircraft at three National Guard Unit and one US Air Force Reserve Unit, each military unit has two C-130s that can be equipped with MAFFS:

• 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard, Port Hueneme, California 
• 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard, Reno, Nevada
• 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard, Cheyenne, Wyoming 
• 302nd Airlift Wing, Air Force Reserve, Peterson Air Force base, Colorado

A MAFFS is loaded onto the C-130 for firefighting, you will see this at about the three minute mark in the video. For more information on the USDA Forest Service MAFFS go to this website.

I only just found out that allC-130's equipped with MAFFS were activated to help fight the wildfires that burned in southern California in January 2025. I had come upon the YouTube video that I shared above. I wanted a little more information to share with you and found a nice article with a video from Air & Space Forces Magazine reporting on the activation of the eight MAFFS equipped C-130s. I checked the Aerial Fire Magazine that I subscribe to and saw this January 22nd Aerial Fire article and video showing a C-130 MAFFS from the 302nd Airlift Wing working the Palisades Fire.

About C-130 MAFFS for Aerial Firefighting

 C-130 military aircraft that can be configured as firefighting aircraft with special portable retardant delivery systems, known as Modular Aerial Firefighting System (MAFFS), are a great resource. While these C-130 MAFFS do a lot of work out west when activated, they are a national resource available when there are not enough air tankers and helicopters to work in an area with a lot of wildfires. Currently there are 8 C-130 MAFFS available from four military units: 

152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard, Reno

153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard, Cheyenne 

302nd Airlift Wing, Air Force Reserve, Peterson Air Force base, Colorado 

146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard, Port Hueneme 

For more information about MAFFS as well as a couple of videos see this webpage on MAFFS from the US Forest Fire Service

Thanks to my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page for sharing a video about MAFFS from KCAL News in southern California. The video is under three minutes and you will learn more about C-130 MAFFS and how they are used.

Direct link to video from KCAL on YouTube

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

Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS): spring 2022

 

Many of you may already know that the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) are activated as needed when all contracted firefighting aerial resources are already committed. There are eight C-130’s in the MAFFS program:

• 146th Airlift Wing - California National Guard 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard
• 152 Airlift Wing - Nevada Air National Guard 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard
• 153rd Airlift Wing- Wyoming Air National Guard 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard
• 302nd Airlift Wing Air Force Reserve, Paterson Air Force Base 302nd Airlift Wing, Air Force Reserve, Peterson Air Force base

Each C-130 in the MAFFS program is fitted with a 3,000 retardant tank that is installed on each aircraft (see the video).

MAFFS are important because they provide a “surge” capability that can be used to boost wildfire suppression efforts when contracted airtankers are fully committed or not readily available. They can discharge their entire load of up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant in less than five seconds, covering an area one-quarter of a mile long by 100 feet wide, or make variable drops. Once the load is discharged, it can be refilled in less than 12 minutes (Obtained on April 27, 2022 from https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/planes/maffs)

There is a nice article from Task and Purpose (April 24, 2022) focusing on the 302nd Airlift Wing Air Force Reserve speaking to how MAFFs are used to fight wildfires. It is a nice read and I hope you take a few moments read the article. The article provides some additional background on the MAFFs program and how the Air Force crews approach firefighting in their C-130s. Here is an excerpt providing a little more detail on the turn around time for reloading a MAFFS c-130 and flying the fire.

"The maintenance crews waiting at the flightline are trained like a NASCAR pit crew, the officer explained: the plane can land, take on a fresh supply of fire retardant and take off again in as little as 15 minutes. A hard day’s work might involve six to eight drops, but crews have performed as many as 15 in a single day. Remember, each of those drops involves an intense amount of concentration to pull off, but it also requires a significant amount of flexibility, Lt Col Richard Pantusa is the chief of aerial firefighting for the 302nd.

All it takes is the wind to shift 90 degrees and everything we’re working on can be called off,” Pantusa said. For example, if smoke blows over the drop zone, it might limit visibility, which makes it too dangerous for MAFFS crews to fly into. Luckily they do not fly alone: it’s standard procedure for C-130s and other firefighting aircraft to follow a smaller lead plane, often flown by federal or state pilots, which makes sure the conditions and wind speed are good and that the escape route is clear for the aircraft to climb back up.

“They show us where the retardant goes, we fly right behind him,” Pantusa said. “They help before you take a 150,000-pound aircraft through.”

As I write this I believe that annual training for MAFFS is underway, after which MAFFS will be ready to be deployed to wildfires if the call comes. Thank-you to the pilots and crews of the C-130 MAFFS for your service. Be safe.

 

2021 wildfire season: Thank-you National Guard MAFFS

While I understand that there is a shortage of air resources during this devastating wildfire season in the western United States, see Bill Gabbert's Fire Aviation (August 14 and July 28 and his article about California asking for more air resources, there are several small and large tankers with pilots and crew working hard out west in the support of the wildland firefighters on the ground. Today, I want to take some time to thank the six MAFFS C-130s that are working wildfires out west. As I understand it these military reserve personnel have special training to be a part of the MAFFS team when they are called up to work wildfires. Thank-you all MAFFS crew, your service is appreciated and not forgotten.

Here is a short video (direct link to video embedded below) from the Wyoming National Guard where you will hear one of their loadmasters talk about what he does. Thanks to all those who are flying and crew for the six MAFFS in service flying fires in support of the wildland firefighters on the ground. Stay safe.

2020 wildfire season: Bobcat Fire in San Gabriel foothills and Mt. Wilson

A couple of days ago I began to follow the Bobcat fire in the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County, California. The fire is threatening nearby foothill communities. As I write this, the fire has burned 44,393 acres. While some mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted, allowing residents to return, other mandatory evacuation orders and evacuation warnings remain in place.  I began following the fire through the Bobcat Inciweb pages, the Angeles National Forest facebook page as well as some media outlets, see for example this KABC article (September 16th) or this KCBS report (September 14th) or this September 15th article from Pasadena Now. Yesterday I learned that the flames came within 500 feet of the observatory. Tankers and helicopters made strategic drops to help the firefighters on the ground fight the fire on Mt. Wilson and save the historic observatory as well as vital communications and electric infrastructure. I was very interested to see that a portable container was set up on Mt. Wilson to allow the LA Count Firehawk to dip and drop on Mt. Wilson.

See this September 15th twitter post from the LA County Fire Air Ops retweeted by the Mt. Wilson Observatory, you will have to click on the link to see the photo of the Firehawk dipping on Mt. Wilson

Today, @LACoFireAirOps set up a mobile water reload container in the Mount Wilson parking lot. With support from a @Cal_OES fire engine, one of our brand new S70i Firehawk helicopters helped protect @MtWilsonObs & other critical infrastructure from the advancing #BobcatFire. pic.twitter.com/sSufOOKqOI

— LACoFireAirOps (@LACoFireAirOps) September 16, 2020

Alternatively, the same photo is included in the following Facebook post from the LA County. The link to full post where you may read about the evacuation orders and see the 3-D photo (very cool) may be found here.

Firefighters continue to work to fight the fire on Mt. Wilson and to save the observatories, outbuildings, and transmission infrastructure. While progress has been made fires continue to burn, so they are not out of the woods yet. The firefighters have also worked hard to protect the foothill communities. Kudos to the firefighters.

Direct link to video from CBS Los Angeles

The two facebook posts below were posted on September 15th.

aerial firefighting: MAFFs, SEATs, and Helicopters

I had shared three videos here in October 2018 of MAFFs, SEATs, and Helicopters working wildfires. Unfortunately, all three videos are no longer available.

MAFFS 4 (2013) drop run from take-off to landing

Enjoy this video of MAFFS 4 from the 146th Air Wing of the Air National Guard (Port Hueneme, California). In this video, shot by Col. Bryan Allen, MAFFS 4 is working the 2013 Springs Fire near Newbury Park, CA. Col. Allen takes us along on a drop run from take-off to landing with radio transmissions.

You will hear the crew talking to each us during the flight as well as other radio transmissions relating to the drop run. Among the highlights of the video are the crew going through various check lists, setting up a show-me run where the lead plane shows them the location of the planned drop with smoke, the drop run itself, and the flight back to base. You will hear vocal alerts from the C-130: altitude, landing gear, and terrain warnings. I think but am not sure that the crew had the landing gear down during the drop run. Remember that the MAFFS and other tankers fly at a low altitude when making their drops, hence the altitude and terrain warnings.

Allow just over 15 minutes to watch the video.



Direct link to Col. Allen's video on Youtube

MAFFS6 dropping on Thomas Fire (December 8th)

Here are two videos of MAFFs 6 of the 146th Air Wing of the  Air National Guard (Port Hueneme, California) dropping on the Thomas Fire (Ventura County, California). Both videos are filmed by Col Bryan Allen. Allow about 14 minutes to watch both videos. According to the information provided by Col Allen, "The location of this drop area is Northwest of the City of Fillmore, Northeast of Ventura, on the larger mountain above Fillmore/Santa Paula"

Thank-you 146th Air Wing!


Direct link to video on Youtube


Direct link to video on Youtube

MAFFS in action over Oct 2017 northern California wildfires

Watch this video of MAFFS 4 and 6 from the 146th Air Wing of the California Air National Guard over the Central Complex Wildfires that burned in and near Santa Rosa in October 2017.

Direct link to video

Images from recent wildfires in California and Canada

Here are some videos and images from recent wildfire activity in California and Western Canada.

First up a video shot from the cockpit of a C-130 MAFFS from the 146th Airlift Wing team. There was a nice short article on the Weather Nation about this C-130 MAFFS with a link to the video from the National Guard that I am embedding below. This is great footage of the view from the cockpit of working a fire.


Direct link to video on Youtube from the National Guard


CBS News had a nice report (with a photo gallery and videos) on wildfires in California and western Canada (go here for the September 13th report from CBS News). The video link in the report that says "wildfires rage in 8 western states (dated September 3rd) may lead you to another CBS News video, However I did find a direct link to this video. As always, I am never quite certain how link the embed code for videos from network news outlets will work. So if you arrive here later to find that the videos no longer play, you will know why. Before I share the videos, there is a great photo gallery of images from wildfires in the western USA and Canada included in this CBS news report on the western widlfires. As fate would have it, I had trouble with the embed code that CBS news supplied, that happens sometimes so here are direct links to the two videos included in the report:

• Wildfires rage in 8 states (September 3, 2017)
• Time-lapse video of Eagle Creek Fire-OR (September 6, 2017)

Perhaps you will find references and links to these videos and the CBS September 13th report on the wildfires on other websites that cover wildland firefighting. I  heard about these reports and videos from Mike Archer's Wildfire News of the Day e-mail newsletter for September 19, 2017. Mike does a great job with the Wildfire News of the Day (5 or 6 days a week). Thanks Mike!

MAFFS in Wyoming

A nice video of the MAFFS North Carolina Air National Guard in Wyoming on May 2 2014. I am not sure, but I am wondering if this is during training.


direct link to video on youtube

MAFFS -WY National Guard

Two short videos of Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems (MAFFS) from the Wyoming National Guard:

Taking off:

Making a drop:

These two videos and some photos of MAFF mission preparations on this flickr set from the Wyoming National Guard. Thanks for your help!

MAFFS training

It is a little late for MAFFS training, but I was looking for something a little different to post today as I was busy today with an ongoing construction project at my home.

Enjoy!

Reflections on following wildfires on the radio

I was out of town for a few days last week and away from easy access to the internet access. So, I lost the ease of access to the internet to follow news in the business of aerial wildland firefighting. However, I did have a radio. I believe it was last Wednesday when I first heard about the Black Forest Fire (north of Colorado Springs CO) on an hourly news report on National Public Radio. What did I know from these reports? I knew that there were many evacuations and some residences had been destroyed. I knew that there were fires burning in four states, including Colorado. As the week wore on, the number of residences destroyed increased and I knew that large numbers of people were under mandatory evacuation. 

Finally, on Friday evening I made a point to listen to a longer news show on NPR and heard a slightly longer report that explicitly referred to air tankers working the fire. By this time, I knew from news reports that there were two deaths and that large numbers of folk remained under mandatory evacuations.

However, while my first hand knowledge of this fire was limited I knew that the Black Forest Fire was a major fire with a large number of destroyed buildings and at least two deaths. I figured that airtankers and hells were working the fire, and it turns out that my suspicions were correct. I found my thoughts turning to all of the ground crews, tanker and help pilots and supporting crews who were working the fire. I knew that the deaths saddened all concerned. I knew that no ground or aerial wildland firefighter likes to lose houses. 

And while I was reliant, for the most part, on NPR for news, I thought back to the summer of 2008 when I was again away from the internet and reliant on NPR for news. I had finished writing in my blog about my trip to Malawi and was struggling a bit about what to write about next. I heard many news reports on NPR about a fire that was burring in southern California not far from where a couple of friends of mine lived. I started writing about that fire and about my process of learning about the world of wildland firefighting. A few months later, I began writing about aerial wildland firefighting. And here I am five years later. Only this time, when I heard reports about the Black Forest Fire, I had an idea based on what I was hearing on the radio, about what all of you wonderful ground and aerial wildland firefighters were doing. 

And just as important, even though the other wildfires that were then burning were not "named", I knew that there were other ground crews and other tankers and helos working other wildfires in other states.

Stay safe out there.

I am sharing a video that Mike Archer of the Fire Bomber Publications Blog shared last Thursday, June 13th. You will see some video of last Wednesday's (June 12) air attack operations on the Black Forest Fire. I'm not sure if the embed code works so you may not see the video below, if not here is a direct link to video and report from kdvr.

About the C-130 MAFFS

There are eight Air National Guard/Air Force Reserve C-130s spread arose four military installations that can be equipped with a modular airborne fire fighting system (MAFFS). These C-130 MAFFS are used for aerial firefighting when all commercial air tankers are already committed or are not available. Up through June 7, 2013, I am not aware of any C-130 MAFFS that have been called up for aerial firefighting duty. You may download a fact sheet describing the MAFFS from this NIFC link (a MS Word docx file. The Air Force Reserve Command (302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson AFB, CO) has their own fact sheet describing the MAFFS that you may find here. Bill Gabbert of Fire Aviation wrote a very informative article on Ten Things to Know About MAFFS, I certainly learned something from his article.

The 302nd Airlift Wing provides two C-130s that can be equipped with MAFFS units. The remaining three military units providing two C-130s each are: the 153^rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard, Cheyenne; the 145^th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard, Charlotte; and the 146^th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard, Port Hueneme.

Loading the modular airborne fire fighting system (MAFFS) onto an Air National Guard C-130

direct link to video

C-130 MAFFS in action

direct link to video

C-130 MAFFS in action

direct link to video

Wildland Fires in CA and Tanker Tidbits: May 6

I was still a little under the weather this weekend and then catching up with some personal business today. But I have been following the wildfire situation in California. Here are some updates for you. Some of you may have been following these fires on various news outlets.

• KCRA is reporting that the California wildfire season is off to an early start, you may read the KCRA report (with a video) here.
• I wrote about the Springs Fire that is burning in Ventura County, CA on May 3. According to the CAL Fire incident page on the wildfire (no longer available), tt has burned 28,00 acres and is 80 percent contained. Evacuations orders have been lifted.
• The Panther Fire has burned 6,864 acres in Tehama County CA, and is at 60 percent containment. Three people have been injured.
• CAL FIRE activated T-910, see this article from The San Bernadino Sun, she dropped on the Gorgonio Fire. According to CAL FIRE's current incident reports the Gorgonio Fire burned 510 acres in Riverside County CA. The fire was started on May 4 and contained on May 5.
• According to the Department of Defense (article no longer available), two MAFFS from the Channel Islands were activated to help out with these California wildfires.

Revised on October 12, 2015 to remove dead links.

Thank-you Air National Guard and Reserve C-130 MAFFS

Direct link to video on dfidshub.net

In a year that may have been the worse year ever for wildfires, see this editorial from the MinnPost, four wings of C-130 equipped with Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems (MAFFS) were deployed to help aerial wildland firefighting efforts in the U.S. Each wing has a maximum of two C-130s. The four wings are:

North Carolina Air National Guard 145th Airlift Wing
California Air National Guard, 146th Airlift Wing
302nd Airlift Wing, U.S. Air Force Reserve Command
Wyoming Air National Guard, 153rd Airlift Wing

Tragically, MAFFS 7 of the NC Air National Guard, 145th Airlift Wing went down in early July killing 4 of 6 crew members. According to a Aug 28th Press Release from the U.S. Air Force, MAFFS had dropped 2 million gallons of retardant during the 2012 fire season on Aug. 24, and this was the first year since 2008 that all four MAFFS wings have been activated.

By Sept. 17, per a later U.S. Air Force press release, the U.S. Forest Service had deactivated all C-130 MAFFS. Each of the U.S. Air Force press releases describe the MAFFS program, some of you may want to spend some time reading both articles. In addition, the US Forest Service maintains a webpage on the MAFFS program.

Thank-you to all the pilots, crew, ground support staff, etc. of the four MAFFS wings for all that you did to help fight wildfires this year. 

Those who died when MAFFS 7 went in are flying in favorable tail winds. You will not be forgotten. Prayers continue for your family, friends, colleagues, and all who love you. And prayers continue for the two survivors and their families.

Wildfire in Aguanga CA: Air Ops

Last night I heard that one of the DC-10 tankers and a MAFFS were working a wildfire in Southern California. This morning I read about the Bucks Fire that is burning in Aguanga CA near Temecula on this wildland fire hotlist initial attack thread on Buck fire. I found a link from KABC 7 in LA to a story that included two videos showing air operations over the fire, the story may be found here . It was my intention to embed both of these videos, unfortunately I have been having difficulties with the embed code that I am not able to resolve. So I have opted to delete the embed code. Please take about five minutes and go look at both of the videos: Temecula-area brush fire continues to burn | Video | abc7.com (includes footage of DC-10, Grumman S-2T and a MAFFS C-130) and DC-10 air tanker makes two drops on Buck Fire | Video | abc7.com.

You might enjoy this KABC 7 photo gallery You might want to check out the wildland fire initial attack hotlist thread for the Bucks Fire.

I've made a few revisions today (the last on Aug 15, 2012, 3 PM EDT) fine tuning the links to the KABC 7 videos. Thanks for your patience!