I know AA 51 is ANF night air attack out of Fox.
But Wildcad FICC is showing an AA 52 (classic Aero Commander air attack platform) in addition to BDF AA 12
Who is AA 52 and is it out of SBD?
Is it local, state or fed?
Per the 2019 Mob Guide (https://gacc.nifc.gov/oscc/mobguide/2019CAMOBGUIDEChapter50.pdf) Air Attack 51 is the night flying ship out of WJF. No air attack 52 on that list though, so not a perfect answer. I don’t think it be a CalFire Air Attack since I believe they’re almost exclusively OV-10s except for their training air attack.
Who ever it belongs to it’s registration is N108SA & its currently committed to BDC GACC Support (per Wildcad)
I know So Cal Edison and PGE have both paid this year for a extra tanker out of Fullerton. I don’t know if this is related but something to add to the discussion.
AA 52 is a Federal Air Attack. It not assigned to any forest so it is essentially a GACC asset. provided by South Ops. It is however is hosted at SBD. So the difference is AA12 is staffed with an ATGS position funded by BDF, either the ATGS or FAO usually will staff with fill in by way of team effort. Where as AA52 is staffed by a position funded by the Region and also supported by the system with fill ins. Make sense? There’s some aviation lingo in there.
Also, side note to RED14, its not a “tanker” at Fullerton. Semantics with verbiage but also important to know actually what leaders in the region have available to them and where it is so when you make requests to your ECC you’re making the right order. There is a S-61 tanked Type 1 helitanker call sign ORCO copter-61 with support from ORCO copter 76, a S-76 intelligence and support helo. All available to South Ops for initial attack. And yes, via money for Edison. The power companies are moving big time this year to support the cause and have some accountability to their infrastructure that causes fires.
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Hey FSFF - u make perfect sense! AA 52 must be a new resource for this year as I don’t recall BDF hosting another AA platform.
Ha ha - I remember when AA 51 was “AA 01” Uflying out of Burbank!