Fighting Wildfires in the Rockies: Operation Sky Hammer

Direct link to April 30th video from the Forest Service on YouTube

Enjoy this video about the Operation Sky Hammer program in Colorado where two Skycrane helitankers that can carry up to 2,400 gallons of retardant are used to help the wildland firefighters on the ground fight wildfires. 

LA County CH-47 Helitanker landing

Thanks to my friends at NJFFS Section B10 who share great wildfire videos on a daily and weekly basis. The video that I will be sharing with you is one that they shared in their videos of the week sometime last August. A very nice video from Ed Whisenant Aviation of an LA County CH-47 Chinook Helitanker from Coulson. I don't know about you, but I love watching helicopters and helitankers. I only saw a CH-47 live and in person, so to speak, about four years ago when a pilot friend took me flying and we saw one in the air from a safe distance. That was pretty cool. Perhaps one day, I will be able to get closer to one on the ground. In the meantime, I enjoyed this video and I hope you will as well.

Direct link to video on YouTube from Ed Whisenant Aviation

69 Bravo helitanker refill station (Topanga, CA)

I knew from videos that there was a helipad somewhere in LA County where helitankers could go to refill their belly tanks while working wildland fires. Thanks to my friends at Coulson Aviation, I learned of a video (embedded below) about 69 Bravo and the underlying technology. There are four pumpkins, each have a capacity of approximately 6,000 gallons, where the helitankers refill their belly tanks. What fascinated me is that the pumpkins refill automatically. 69 Bravo, opened in 2010. is possible because of the generosity of Simon T. There is a nice November 2019 LA Times article (paywall) on 69 Bravo which you may read for more information, here is an excerpt from that LA Times article explaining the importance of Bravo 69:

The base has been vital over the years for dousing fires in Calabasas, Monte Nido, Pacific Palisades, eastern Malibu and Topanga — areas frequently on high alert, given the narrow evacuation routes. The rugged canyons within a five-mile radius of the site are home to more than 11,000 structures, most of them residential, and more than 30,000 residents, according to a Times analysis of building footprints and population data.

The base is also used by medical helicopters and deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for other emergencies. A patrol vehicle remains there just in case.

And the site is a resource for fighting fires farther away, as drought and sanitation efforts, such as the covering of Santa Ynez Reservoir in Palisades Highlands, have made other water sources less accessible.

Here are two images from Google Earth. The first image shows the location of 69 Bravo and the second image is a close-up.

Added on May 9, 2021: I seemed to have missed the fact that the four pumpkins were upgraded from 6,000 gallons each to 8,000 gallons each.Thanks to Bill Gabbert of Fire Aviation for his fine reporting, in particular the article he wrote on May 8th about the upgrades at 69 Bravo.

Enjoy this five minute video from 69 Bravo where you will learn a little about the importance of the location of 69 Bravo, some of the technology, and some background information.

Direct link to video from 69Bravo

Matt, I post this in your memory. You would love this. May you fly in favorable winds.

Springs Fire (CA) - helos, a dozer, and T-44 dropping

direct link to video - helos dipping


direct link to video - helos dropping and dozer footage


direct link to video - a dozer, helos, fire footage, lead plane with smoke, T-44 dropping ( at 7:02)

I've been busy with some other work today, so I thought you'd enjoy these videos of the Springs Fire, which according to the latest update from CAL FIRE has burned 24,451 acres with 95 percent containment. Full containment is expected on May 9.

Helitankers and more from the Station Fire

This video is just over 7 minutes with shots of two helitankers loading retardant from dip tanks at what looks like a mobile retardant base. But the footage is more that shots of helitankers filling their belly tanks, there is some awesome photography of groundcrews and airtankers interspersed with the footage of the helitankers filling their bellies.

Erickson AirCrane: retardant and water/faom drops

Fixed-tank helicopters such as the AirCrane use Phos-Check 259F retardant, requiring that a mobile retardant base be set up near the incident. This happens on a regular basis with large fires. The video that I have embedded here shows an AirCrane using a dip tank to fill its fixed tank with retardant.

Being that the AirCrane can be used for retardant drops as well as water/foam drops, I asked Kenny Chapman when AirCrane is used for retardant drops in the U.S.:


Once the Crane is hauling retardant it is utilized the same as an airtanker. (Building retardant line ahead of the fire.) It can also switch back and forth between retardant, water and foam as needed. Retardant is not used in the initial attack role unless the helicopter is sent to a new fire directly from an existing incident that has a retardant plant set up already.

I asked him if there was ever a situation where a mobile retardant base was established where an AirCrane was working an existing fire and a “new” fire popped up near the mobile retardant plant. With a mobile retardant plant already set up near a “new” fire, was the AirCrane used to haul retardant in “initial attack.” He said:

I remember one that I did on a fire out of Santa Ynez around 2003 or so. Someone was smoking in fire camp and started a fire at the camp at exactly the time I was picking up a load. I was able to contain the new start with one load.

AirCranes carrying water/foam are frequently used in initial attack. The AirCrane has a separate foam tank, so after the pilot has filled the main tank with water he can decide whether or not to inject foam into the tank (already filled with water) based on the wants/needs/requirements of the incident commander.

Because the tank on the AirCrane does not have to be rinsed or otherwise cleaned out between retardant and water/foam drops, the AirCrane can go from flying initial attack with water/foam to flying extended attack with retardant once a mobile retardant base is set up near the incident.

Erickson AirCrane: firefighting module

If you go to Erickson’s firefighting page, you will notice a “quick specs” link at the top where you will find this information on the AirCrane’s firefighting module:

Our patented ram scoop hydrofoil allows the Helitanker to refill from fresh water and sea water sources in less than 45 seconds.

A flexible hose snorkel features a high pressure impeller and can draw water from any water source 18 inches (45 cm) or deeper as fast as 45 seconds.

The 2,650 gallon (~10,000 litre) tank drops water, retardant, or foam mix. Microprocessor controlled tank doors offer eight individual coverage level options.

accessed on June 17, 2009

The coverage levels referred to above may be selected by the AirCrane pilot. They are:

1 = 1 gallon per 100 square feet
2 = 2 gallons per 100 square feet
3 = 3 gallons per 100 square feet
4 = 4 gallons per 100 square feet
5 = 5 gallons per 100 square feet
6 = 6 gallons per 100 square feet
7 = 7 gallons per 100 square feet
8 = 8 gallons per 100 square feet

Erickson AirCrane: A versitile helicopter

Before writing a little more about the AirCrane's fire fighting abilities in my next post, I thought that this video clip will serve as a nice follow-up to Kenny Chapman's interview. You will some nice footage about some of the other things the AirCrane can do such as construction, rescue, a spray nozzle, etc.


This same video, embedded from YouTube, may also be accessed from Erickson's firefighting webpage through the video link (1st video on the left).

Erickson AirCrane: Kenny Chapman interview with Aero News

This is an interview by Aero News network with Kenny Chapman, Sr. firefighting pilot with Erickson AirCrane. He has been with Erickson since 1979. The best way to learn about the firefighting abilities of the AirCrane is to listen to what Kenny has to say in this 9 minute video. And while you are at it go to the youtube page and read all the commentary (click more info) in the grey box at the top right hand side of the screen.

I need to add that I have been in touch with Kenny Chapman over e-mail. I have learned a lot from Kenny about the AirCrane. Thank-you Kenny!

Stay tuned for more on the AirCrane in my next post.

Erickson Aircrane: intro, history and specs

When I started writing about aerial resources used to fight wildland fires six months ago, it did take me long before I saw pictures and videos of the Erickson Aircrane. The Erickson Aircrane is a type 1 helicopter (gross weight of more than 12,500 pounds, capable of carrying 11 to 16 passengers). The gross weight of the Erickson Air-Crane model S64-E is 42,000 pounds.

To provide a frame of reference, the Super Hueys that I wrote about recently are type 2 helicopters (gross weight up to 12,500 pounds, and/or carrying 8 to 10 passengers). The gross weight of H-301, one of CAL FIRE's super huey's is 10,500 pounds.

The Aircrane, when fitted with a fixed tank, is a helitanker. The Interagency Airtanker Board (IAB) establishes procedures and criteria for air tankers, helitankers, and tanks. According to section V (helitanker requirements)

helitankers shall be a Type 1 helicopter capable of lifting 1000 gallons of water at sea level (STP). Buckets will not be considered.

Erickson Aircrane has a very good web page chock full of information. The you tube video that I embedded above may also be found by clicking on the video link on their firefighting webpage (2nd video from the left).

This is the first of four or five posts that I will make about the Aircrane. Today I focus on history and specifications. In my next post, you will hear an Aero News TV interview with Kenny Chapman of Erickson. Among other things, Kenny describes the development of the Aircrane's fixed tank system and the Aircrane's firefighting capabilities.

Erickson has a web page where they write about the history of the Aircrane, here.

Specifications are shown in the image below for the two Aircrane models (accessed on June 8, 2009 from http://www.ericksonaircrane.com/index.php, design weights and performance page)