MAFFs belong to the federal government.
I am under the impression that none of the C-130’s currently have a retardant system in them.
They will need a retardant system to be installed which is still a bit out. I believe they will going with a gravity system similar to the Coulson system. You won’t see the Cal Fire C-130s on a fire this season and probably not next either.
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Remember reading a story about Lockheed signing a deal with Coulson to build gravity tanks and purpose built air tankers on the LM100J which is the civilian version of the C130J. A quick Google search shows the FIREHERC being marketed by Lockheed with options for a RADS gravity tank system or a MAFFS pressurized system
CalFire facebook
page has a video reminding all it will be a couple years before the planes go in service
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Correct, first C-130 probably won’t see action until 2021 and the others falling in line through 2024. Meanwhile they have Coulson T-134 on exclusive use for 3 years to not only respond but train CalFire pilots
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This is wat I really appreciate about this site. So many knowledgeable people willing to share with the rest of us. As a late friend of mine would say, “You don’t know what you don’t know until you know.”
Props (no pun intended) to you all and be safe out there.
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I’m impressed that they were able to get a training program up and going that quickly for their new to them aircraft. Additionally that they put one on exclusive use to they can iron out the wrinkles with it at different bases before they put them there full time.
Also it explains why T-134 has been ordered to just about every going fire, even when it is a long haul.
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Video of CalFire training on C-130
Interesting article on California’s air fleet
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They certainly were for this one. It had not been called in yet when they came across it.
CAL FIRE Amador-El Dorado Unit
CAL FIRE contracted air tanker 134, staffed with Initial Attack rated pilots from McClellan Air Base was returning from a fire in Madera-Mariposa Unit when they noticed a fire in the Slough House area. The fire was moving at a moderate rate of spread with an impending threat to structures. Tanker 134 made the decision to drop 4,000 gallons of retardant on the fire assisting Sac Metro Fire to stop the forward progress of the fire, thus mitigating damage to nearby structures and vehicles.
#sloughhouse
Image from #copter2
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KCRA news article on the C-130’s note they will be in service 2021
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I thought they had 12 or 13.
Hemet Ryan, Ukiah, Sonoma, Rhonerville?, Grass Valley?
Hollister is out until they build a new base there.
From STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Capital Outlay Budget Change Proposal ( http://web1a.esd.dof.ca.gov/Documents/bcp/1920/FY1920_ORG3540_BCP2692.pdf )
"The paved pad area is inadequate at Hollister Municipal Airport to refuel aircraft separately from
the retardant refilling pads. If an air tanker is out of service due to maintenance or refueling, it
must be parked on one of the existing three loading pads, eliminating that pad from use and
significantly slowing fire attack operations, as well as requiring unsafe maneuvering of larger
aircraft. Operating in such a tight area is hazardous for fuel trucks, air tankers, mechanics,
loaders, and parking tenders. The base has handled the reloading of up to 14 air tankers and
parking of 13 while supporting multiple major incidents. At such times the available space has
proved inadequate to maintain desired standards for air base operating safety and resource
deployment efficiency.
The loading ramp is inadequate for the larger tankers or for large fire operations. Only loading
Pad 3 is available to reload Type II air tankers. This pad is situated so that any tanker on that
pad cannot taxi to the runway if an air tanker is being loaded on Pad 2. The dirt island in front of
Pad 3 restricts the ease of movement of aircraft around the loading area. This pad is also not
paved to weight-bearing limits."
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If you guys know anything about CAL FIRE you know it’s very dynamic and 2 years is a long time for them to figure it out. I’ll take a look at the email again and see where they were talking about.
Because Hemet-Ryan has San Bernardino ATB just 12 air miles away. Ramona has nobody except a couple of helicopters from San Diego City down the road. Makes more sense to cover San Diego Unit with all they can take since they have no help coming East or South.
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Ramona has CAL FIRE AirAttack 330 and Tanker 70 & 71 with USFS Copter 538. CAL FIRE MVU also has Copter 10 & 12 out of Gillespie (San Diego County Sheriffs ships with CAL FIRE Helitack Crew. San Diego City Fire has Copter 1 & 2 and the new FireHawk they have is Copter 3.
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SDSO also has Copter 9 and 11. Plus the CNF helitanker and the 2 SDG&E helitankers out of Gillespie Field. I was not questioning helicopters. They play a important role. And SD City is not going to give up all their helicopters for a County fire. They will give us only 1 copter, being at type 1 or 2. My thought process was fixed wing aircraft. The given is if San Diego brakes a fire, Riverside will to.The fixed wing at SBD cannot land at Ramona, per FS direction. So only S-2’s can land at Ramona, right now. So that means a 40 response from SBD to say Campo, then a 50+ plus min back, reload, and head back. Having a C-130 that can land at Ramona is a very smart decision. Especially when it takes 1.15 min for the tankers out of Paso. As a side note BAe 146’s can land at Ramona, if they are on a CAL FIRE contract. But cannot if on a Federal contract. Go figure that one out.
Thanks retired guy
