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Air Support

ovrszd

ovrszd

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Messages
1,523
Location
Missouri
Occupation
Retired Army
skyking1 said:
that's a nice ride, 1300 SHP P&W turbine out front with lots of power. It's an Air Tractor AT-802.
It will pick up ~9500 pounds of fuel, pilot and product.
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I don't know the Company name, they have two of them. They are based in Texas and come North as the crops mature. I'm in Northern Missouri, almost Iowa.

He passed in front of me intentionally. Had went behind me the previous pass. Wagged his wings as he turned into this pass. We were working in the same area for about two hours that morning.
 
ovrszd

ovrszd

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Messages
1,523
Location
Missouri
Occupation
Retired Army
skyking1 said:
You have to like that. Whenever I could I'd always wave at people too.
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Missouri Air Guard fly over my property in C130s frequently. Usually a pair. 400-500ft altitude I'd guess. If I'm out in the field and see them coming I wave. About half the time they see me and respond. Crew probably says "there's that old retired Army guy again, let's make his day and wag at him". And it does. Have rode tens of thousands of miles in the C130 starting in Vietnam.
 
W

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
12,529
Location
Canada
There were 4 air tractors flying over my property scooping up water to fight a major forest fire that went through in 2010. I was lucky the wind changed and I wasn't right in the middle. They spent several weeks putting out hot spots and had 2 water bladders in my parking area. Of course after the fire the rains came so they made a mess of my driveway. 3 Cats sent in to make a fire break made a mess of the MX track. They should have never went in because it was so smoky they couldn't see. One of the operators said if my track hadn't been there, they might not have made it out. The flames went right over top of them and they backed up about 300ft. onto the track and followed it back out. The fire boss from Sustainable Resources chewed out the county fire marshal for having one of his team send the Cats in. He said they want to fight the fire but not risk peoples lives to do it. The air tractors were only about 200-300ft. off the ground. First time I ever saw a plane with a roll bar. I waved at the pilots but they were on a mission. I think they said it cost $10,000,000.00 to fight the fire.
 
Fatgraderman

Fatgraderman

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2014
Messages
288
Location
Innisfail
Occupation
Crash test dummy
Welder Dave said:
There were 4 air tractors flying over my property scooping up water to fight a major forest fire that went through in 2010. I was lucky the wind changed and I wasn't right in the middle. They spent several weeks putting out hot spots and had 2 water bladders in my parking area. Of course after the fire the rains came so they made a mess of my driveway. 3 Cats sent in to make a fire break made a mess of the MX track. They should have never went in because it was so smoky they couldn't see. One of the operators said if my track hadn't been there, they might not have made it out. The flames went right over top of them and they backed up about 300ft. onto the track and followed it back out. The fire boss from Sustainable Resources chewed out the county fire marshal for having one of his team send the Cats in. He said they want to fight the fire but not risk peoples lives to do it. The air tractors were only about 200-300ft. off the ground. First time I ever saw a plane with a roll bar. I waved at the pilots but they were on a mission. I think they said it cost $10,000,000.00 to fight the fire.
Click to expand...

Was that the Slave Lake fires?
 
C

cuttin edge

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
2,733
Location
NB Canada
Occupation
Finish grader operator
Welder Dave said:
There were 4 air tractors flying over my property scooping up water to fight a major forest fire that went through in 2010. I was lucky the wind changed and I wasn't right in the middle. They spent several weeks putting out hot spots and had 2 water bladders in my parking area. Of course after the fire the rains came so they made a mess of my driveway. 3 Cats sent in to make a fire break made a mess of the MX track. They should have never went in because it was so smoky they couldn't see. One of the operators said if my track hadn't been there, they might not have made it out. The flames went right over top of them and they backed up about 300ft. onto the track and followed it back out. The fire boss from Sustainable Resources chewed out the county fire marshal for having one of his team send the Cats in. He said they want to fight the fire but not risk peoples lives to do it. The air tractors were only about 200-300ft. off the ground. First time I ever saw a plane with a roll bar. I waved at the pilots but they were on a mission. I think they said it cost $10,000,000.00 to fight the fire.
Click to expand...
Not sure if it is still the same, but years ago, if there was a fire, they could draft your equipment to help fight the fire. you would be paid, and their insurance would cover you if something happened, but you had no choice but to send it. I remember a driver telling a story about traffic on an old bridge being held up, and thinking 3 float trucks and 3 D8Ls was a lot of weight to be sitting on one span.
 
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