Airtankers A Go Go!

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Richard from Rotterdam
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Airtankers A Go Go!

Post by Richard from Rotterdam »

While updating the Bushplane topic, I came across some prints that have been used in a tripreport published in Scramble Magazine back in either 1997 or early 1998.

A different topic but quite the same feel to it. Once again the pictures are flatbed scans of so-called digiprints.

When I paid my first visit to the US in 1993, I was really only interested in military aircraft. Thanks to my travelpartners for introducing me to both the bushplanes and old props. I was very fortunate to see some classics back then and it inspired me to go back a couple of times to see more of these old beauties.

This topic is about the so-called Airtankers. Or aerial firefighters... Over the years I managed to see quite a few of them. Here is just a small selection.

Make sure you add your pics to the topic!!!

And that's a hint for Key as well!!! Start scanning!!

Richard.

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Neptune N1386K of the aptly named Neptune Aviation, on fire duty at Wenatchee Pangborn Airport in Washington State (sep97)

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One of the many Trackers belonging to the California Department of Forestry and Firefighting at their former headquarters at Ryan Field in Hemet CA. It was firing up for another sortie to assist in combating a big forest fire near Los Angeles. We later saw this one, N450DF/90, at Ramona, which was closer to the target area. (sep97)

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A C-54 or DC-4, N62297, called Tanker 14. It was fully loaded with fire retardant to combat the same fire the above Tracker was working on. We earlier saw the action itself. Will try to scan some of the slides of that in the near future.
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Stephan Lodewijks
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Post by Stephan Lodewijks »

:shock: Awesome! Love the first two! (I'm not into civil aviation, but these, I think, are cool!)

Regards,

Stephan
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mwpeters
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Post by mwpeters »

Nice idea to start a phototopic. The picture I uploaded below is still one that I think; Did I accidently turned it 180 degrees in photoshop :wink:. Never thought that a Grumman Tracker (althought Turbo Tracker) is able to perform a barrel roll.

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Richard from Rotterdam
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Post by Richard from Rotterdam »

Awesome shot of the Turbo Rukker as we affectionally called them... :wink:

Should officially be a Firecat shouldn't it?
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Richard from Rotterdam
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Post by Richard from Rotterdam »

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One of the Martin Mars firebombers at Sproat Lake, Port Alberni (BC) in 1995.

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Not quite an airtanker, but a spotterplane of the Bureau of Land Management. Picture taken at Boise (ID) in 1993.
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