Alma to Moffett?
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Iāve heard that and Iāve heard another location in the same area
The budget document doesnāt mention the engine company staying with the copter base
The whole property there was falling apart in the 90s when I worked there
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Also Bear Valley to Hollister AAB.
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Boggs goes somewhere closer to Clearlake
Kneeland moves somewhere less isolated
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Cool seeing a scooper fly over my house then hear they are loading from wishon, brings me back to June 11 2014 see the scoopers out checking lakes for reloading(wishon was one) as I was heading up highway 168 was a bright spot on a very sad day.
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The Scoopers are on contract with California, or the Feds?
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I believe at least 2 are on a USFS contract in R5. Dont know if there others on Fed contracts for other Regions. There may be some others on a CWN contract.
LA County usually puts 2 on contract, based at Santa Monica, during Santa Ana season.
This info may be outdated. It may have changed in the past few years.
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I donāt think the scoopers, being the costliest firefighting aircraft, have ever been on a CA contract.
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I believe LACās scoopers are based out of Van Nuys. Funnily enough, they are just about to land in a few minutes to begin their contract on Sept. 1st! https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=c06f0b,c06f0d
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You are correct about Van Nuys. Sorry! (Theyāre close to each otherā¦)
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Canāt blame you, thereās so many different airports or landing areas in LA County alone that can support firefighting aircraftā¦
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Moffett idea was shut down over a year ago. From what Iām hearing they are planning on moving to Livermore Area. Probably in about 20 years knowing how slow the state moves.
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Engine has moved out of Alma. Only a Copter base there now.
Also Hollister has had the Hawk for over a year now.
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The Alma engine is no longer there? Where did it go and why? Disrepair?
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Where did it go? With Stevenās Creek moving thatās a large hole in SRA coverage
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The original SCU copter base was Smith Creek, the pad is still there
That being said, would be a terrible location for a tender to respond from.
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I was at Alma when Smith Creek Helibase went into operation. Those poor guys on the tender were run ragged. Hours late getting to the fire and hours late getting home. Caused me to decline an offer to be on the crew. 
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Smith Creek STA 23 is still there. Still running one type 3.
Almaās engine has moved to Almaden STA 22. Now a two engine house.
Alma needed more living space due to 24 staffing and night flying crews.
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Talk of Smith Creek reminded me of what seemed like a close call, getting buzzed in a parking lot by a Huey that came out of there at what seemed like max power + 20% on a hot unstable afternoon. The guy I was with, Elmer Raymond, old school TGU FF, said āI donāt think the pilot was planning to come this way when he lifted!ā Seemed like a pretty squirrelly spot on the landscape, and yeah, Mt Hamilton Road is no joke for just about anything larger than a Mazda Miata.
Steve Rife RIP, 2025, had funny stories about being at Smith Creek - he drove a 240Z, and his buddy was a cop stationed at Mount Hamilton Ovservatory. Steve said late at night, theyād play cops and robbers, and his buddy would chase him up the mountain.
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There used to be a UC Public safety officer the worked out Lick Observatory and covered all that country for emergencies.
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