A good article on the first modified plane to have a tank to drop on a fire 75 years ago in the Mendocino NF
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My father was a test pilot at Edwards AFB and for a couple of summers in the early 60’s, when he could sneak away off base, he flew TBM’s out of the old Grey Butte airport dropping borate.
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There was an official 1/4 mile drag strip there around that time also. I believe it’s now the old service road on the south side of the runway.
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You’re not counting the one on the Jamison fire in 1954?
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Were any of the aircraft based at SMX kept local(ish) with the closure of Runway 12/20 at Santa Maria? Kind of a bummer that they couldn’t have done the work in the spring to keep the tankers flying, and I hope they’re able to finish the project ahead of schedule!
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Runway works never seems to work around fire season
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Seems one always needs the clear weather and heat for extended work and curing time.
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Redding Regional shuts down mid-September to I think mid-November for rehab on the whole airport
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The Ramona project looks to be starting too, barriers being put up around the pits
Mixing plant is gone
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I would like to know what the actual reason for rebuilding ramona is ,is it something thats truly needed and why ? Or is it someones pet project to spend a ton of money . I do understand tech has gotten better , however mixing and pumping retardent isnt super techinical. they did a major overhaul of it in the late 90s . They say its so they can load the c130s , they have been loading c130s , p3, p2, some of the new gen jet aircraft out of ramona .
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It’s all in this thread
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Look at Google Maps - Ramona has a very odd, inconvenient layout even for the mid-sized S-2s.
Here’s a comparison to a tanker base chosen completely at random (Chester), where the flow of aircraft is lined up with the taxi ways, allowing easier entry and exit, especially of multiple aircraft at the same time (up to five S-2s for example):
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And for the record, this is the first year that anything larger than the S2 has reloaded out of Ramona since the USFS Fixed wing left Ramona a long time ago.
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For the record that is incorrect , there have been several fires in sdu that the new gen jets have loaded out of ramona. Coulsens c130s have also flown and loaded out of ramona over the last couple years
Nearly three decades ago. I’d wager things are different now, in air attack, and the frequency and scale of wildfires, and the concomitant threats to life, infrastructure, and natural resources.
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also,
Part of the project also calls for redoing concrete pavement installed in 2000 that did not meet design specifications and which has fractured and crumbled. Airplane engines can be damaged if they suck pieces of concrete into intakes.
Cal Fire air base in Ramona getting $12 million upgrade – San Diego Union-Tribune
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After reading the budget documents
All the bases that are getting c-130s are getting improvements to crew habitation and various other improvements. State is investing a lot in new facilities
Complete new bases at Hemet, Columbia, Hollister
New copter bases for above plus Bieber, Boggs, Alma, Prado, Kneeland and Howard Forest.
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Aren’t the copter bases already done? They had to be for the larger, heavier Firehawks.
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Only Vina is a new base
Bases got larger pads for S70s but no hangers or other facilities added
Most are working out of modular buildings
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