Fire (water) Bombing

[Malcolm]

1 hour ago, J.O. said:

Someone please correct me if this is wrong but I've heard that those radial engines don't run very well on low lead fuel.

'the article is about a "no lead" fuel.....

[J.O.]

Same applies. They were designed to run on leaded fuel and apparently running without lead causes several issues including detonation prior to top dead centre.

[Malcolm]

Interesting but I guess only time will tell. I remember when lead was taken out of car gas but you could purchase a bottle of additive to take the place of the lead

[Malcolm]

During FAA approved detonation testing, the detonation protection from use of G100UL avgas was the same or even exceeded that of a corresponding ASTM D910 100LL. That detonation testing was personally observed by highly experienced FAA propulsion engineers.

G100UL® high octane unleaded aviation gasoline

[boestar]

100 LL and 100UL should have the same detonation characteristics since they share the same AKI.

The issue comes with the older engines not having the hardened Valves and seats which the lead helped protect.  This was an issue when lead was removed from Auto Gas, the Valves started to see damage that the lead was actually helping to prevent.

They should just make everything diesel and run it on JetA

 

[deicer]

http://continentaldiesel.com/typo3/index.php?id=2&L=1

https://www.deltahawk.com/engines/

https://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft-diesel-aircraft-engines-revolution/

[Malcolm]

US Genius Invention to Fight Massive Forest Fires From The Sky | Watch (msn.com)

[Malcolm]

How B.C.’s firefighting smokejumpers take ‘ultra-extreme and make it seem mundane’

 

• Times Colonist
• 21 Jul 2024
• BRIEANNA CHARLEBOIS

VANCOUVER — Standing on the edge of an open aircraft hatch, a smokejumper in a pale yellow suit steadies himself before rocking back then swinging out the door and vanishing as gravity takes over.

“Jumper’s away,” someone inside the plane yells as the video pans outside the window, where smoke billows toward the sky from a wildfire below.

The footage is from last year at the start of what would soon become the busiest smokejumping season in the 25-year history of the program.

Smokejumpers, also known as parattack crews, are wildland firefighters who are trained to parachute from fixed-wing aircraft, called “jumpships.”

The job is thrilling, and like all firefighting comes with an element of danger, said veteran B.C. smokejumper Tom Reinboldt.

But with rigorous training, he said, the goal is to “take what seems ultra-extreme and make it seem mundane.”

Once on the ground, the firefighters might battle a blaze using water from a natural source, or perform other firefighting tasks like tree-felling or conducting controlled burns.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said there were “165 operational fire jumps in 2023, more than doubling the previous record of 82.”

Reinboldt said this season is a “continuation of last year.”

“It’s not quite as busy as last season, but a lot of those fires burned over the winter,” he said, adding that while there haven’t been nearly as many “initial attack starts” as there were in 2023, crews have been seeing the same types of fire behaviour.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said they had been rapidly deployed this week to cover a surge of newly discovered fires.

There are only two parattack bases in Canada and both are in Prince George Fire Centre, one in Mackenzie and the other in Fort St. John, employing 60 smokejumpers.

Greg Jones has been jumping for 11 years and now holds the title of wildfire technician spotter with the Omineca Smokejumpers.

“Pretty well every crew has been busy already this year,” said Jones, based in Mackenzie. “Not flat out like last season [was] yet, but it’s been steady.”

The secret to their usefulness, Jones said, is the specialized aircraft that allow jumpers to be anywhere in the province in less than two hours.

“Airplanes give us some flexibility,” he said. “The trade off there is, of course, you can’t land airplanes in the wilderness so that’s where the parachuting comes in.”

As a command spotter, a main role of Jones’ job is to assess wind conditions before deploying jumpers.

Wind drift indicators, or “streamers,” are tossed out of the plane by spotters. The seven-metre lengths of red and yellow crepe paper flowing in the wind allow the spotter to determine how to safety deploy jumpers.

Once a location is determined, jumpers in protective Kevlar jumpsuits and caged helmets are sent out one or two at a time. The plane will circle until the jumpers are safely on the ground before more crew members are deployed.

Supplies including camping gear and food and drinking water for 48 hours are also dropped by parachute.

Jones said the firefight begins once crews are on the ground, and while their plan varies depending on the fire, they work “like every other wildfire crew.”

“[It’s] some combination of either suppressing the fire directly with water and co-ordinating aerial resources using pump hose, or removing fuel from the fires path whether through ignitions or heavy equipment,” he said.

“Crews are self-sufficient out in the field or on incident for 48 hours, and then following that, they can be resupplied as needed, whatever makes most sense.”

Jones said it is predetermined how the firefighters will get themselves out of a site.

Sometimes, he said, they walk out.

Other times, they have to clear enough space to allow a helicopter to collect them. He said he has even been extracted by boat.

Reinboldt, who has been jumping for nearly four decades and is now based in Fort St. John, was instrumental in the implementation of parattack crews in B.C.

The program has tripled in size since it began in 1998.

“When we first started, we would get [between] 10 and 15 missions a year. Now an average year is probably about 50, a really busy year is 80, and last year was [about] 170.”

Reinboldt held senior management positions for most of his career, but said he made sure to jump at least once a year.

“I used to take my vacation to jump, so I enjoy it,” he said.

After officially retiring last December, Reinboldt said he lasted about four months.

“It’s a very in-the-moment job, which is what I think a lot of people seek it out,” he said.

“There’s not a lot of time to think about bills you have to pay or little issues that are bothering you. You have to be very focused on what you’re doing when you’re jumping out of an aircraft into a forested area that has a wildfire.”

Reinboldt said the thrill and camaraderie with other crew members has kept him coming back for more than 36 years.

“After you’ve done it enough, it’s no longer a fear thing and it’s more of a performance anxiety, combined with that ‘inthe-moment’ part that you like, but really, it’s being on the firelines with the crews,” he said.

All firefighting is dangerous, so training is essential, he said, noting that it’s no different than any other firefighting unit.

Both Jones and Reinboldt say there’s a misconception that the crews are only used to access remote areas.

“That’s part of what it does, but the main reason we do it is speed, range and payload,” Reinboldt said. “It’s a very quick way to get personnel and equipment to a fire and the parachutes. It’s just a solution to a problem.”

Though B.C. is now the only province that employs smokejumpers, their history elsewhere in Canada dates back to the mid-20th century.

Reinboldt said Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and Yukon — where he began his smokejumping career — all had programs that have since folded.

He said the program in B.C. has exceeded his expectations, but still has room to grow.

“The ability to have medical response,” he said when asked what he hopes for the program’s future.

For now, they are focused on the numerous fires burning across B.C.

Reinboldt said he’s excited to get back jumping and smiled as he reflected on a conversation with a friend about the job.

“And every once in a while, whether it’s a sunset or whatever, there’ll be a perfect moment. He said smoke jumping has an above average number of perfect moments.”

Article Name:How B.C.’s firefighting smokejumpers take ‘ultra-extreme and make it seem mundane’

Publication:Times Colonist

Author:BRIEANNA CHARLEBOIS

Start Page:A12

End Page:A12

[Jaydee]

 

[Malcolm]

Link to full story with pictures and video

https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/meet-the-bc-wildfire-service-aviation-fleet/

Helicopters and airtankers are a vital part of wildfire response in British Columbia. Their key purpose is to support firefighters on the ground by dropping water and fire retardant, transporting crews and other personnel, delivering gear, fire patrols and infrared scanning.

The BC Wildfire Service has a fleet of nearly 40 aircraft, including airtankers, birddogs, helicopters, and jumpships (aircraft used to transport parattack firefighters and for fire patrol) with access to many more as needed. These aircraft are stationed around the province during fire season and repositioned as needed to be ready for anticipated fire starts in high-risk areas.

[Malcolm]

Screen shot of water bombing of current California fire

 

[Malcolm]

 

[deicer]

I know it's expensive to keep them airworthy, at least it's going to be preserved in a museum!

 

[Innuendo]

Let's hope the #4 engine out is not too serious. I wonder what sort of spares/ resources they have in case of damage.

I heard a fairly second hand story that they are planning to use the engines from this  Mars to get the other one to Pima. Not sure how reliable that story is though.

A tip o'the hat to the Coulsons for what they must be putting into this. 

 

 

 

Edited August 7 by Innuendo

[J.O.]

Apparently the engine shutdown was a precaution for a low oil pressure indication.

[Malcolm]

All eyes to be skyward for final flight of Martin Mars water bomber

The Hawaii Martin Mars is set to take off from Port Alberni’s Sproat Lake on Sunday for its flight to the B.C. Aviation Museum in North Saanich

Darron Kloster
Aug 8, 2024 5:45 AM

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• 
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PreviousNext

1 / 2 The Hawaii Martin Mars water bomber in action. The massive aircraft will be on display at the B.C. Aviation Museum, with the grand opening of the exhibit set for Sept. 28. BC AVIATION MUSEUM

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Thousands are expected to watch the Hawaii Martin Mars water bomber as it makes its final flight on Sunday from Port Alberni to the B.C. Aviation Museum in North Saanich.

The water bomber is expected to leave its home base on Sproat Lake on Sunday afternoon and arrive at Patricia Bay between 6 and 6:30 p.m., depending on the weather.

Coulson Aviation, which donated the Martin Mars to the museum, isn’t announcing the exact takeoff time for safety reasons, hoping to avoid attracting crowds of boaters seeking one last look before the aircraft leaves its long-time home.

The final flight plan will include circling flyovers at several Island towns, likely Port Alberni, Campbell River, Powell River, Courtenay, Nanaimo, Duncan, Ladysmith and Crofton.

At Crofton, the Martin Mars will be joined by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds — coming from the Abbotsford Air Show — and escorted in style to its final landing at Patricia Bay.

All nine Snowbird planes will take part and are set to do a flypast over Greater Victoria.

“We expect thousands of people to watch this last flight and say goodbye to this amazing aircraft,” said Richard Mosdell, project head for the B.C. Aviation Museum.

Maj. Brent Handy, Snowbird 1 team lead, said the Snowbirds are proud to be able to fly alongside the icon of Canadian aerial forest fighting as it takes its final journey to its new home.

“The Snowbirds salute the brave firefighters, in the air and on the ground, that work to protect our country from wildfires and we are excited to see this piece of aviation history be preserved and on display to honour and inspire aviators past, present and future,” Handy said in a statement.

 

Fans of the 120-foot-long aircraft with a 200-foot wingspan will be able to track the Martin Mars on Flightradar24 with its aircraft registration code CFLYL. And the roar of the plane’s massive 10,000-horsepower engines will be hard to miss.

The museum’s Facebook account will also provide live flight details prior to arrival, and its website will have a map of the best water viewing sites for the public to see the final landing, as well as the closed areas.

Only seven of the Martin Mars aircraft were ever made by the California-based Glenn L. Martin Company, all for the U.S. navy as ocean patrol and long-range transport during the Second World War. Most were used for naval cargo on the San Francisco-Honolulu route until 1956.

The last four, sold as scrap, were bought by a B.C. forestry consortium and later converted to water bombers. One Mars crashed while firefighting in Northwest Bay near Nanoose Bay in 1961 with the loss of four crew, and another was critically damaged in a storm.

The remaining two Martin Mars bombers were acquired by the Coulson Group in 2007 from Timberwest and its subsidiary, Forest Industrial Flying Tankers. The Philippine Mars, painted blue and white, was retired in 2012 and was recently sold to an aviation museum in Arizona.

The red and white Hawaii Mars had its last fire season in B.C. in 2015, when it secured a 30-day contract with the province.

The massive water tankers fought fires in B.C. and other provinces for more than half a century. They were the largest fixed-wing water bombers in the world, with the ability to dump about 6,000 gallons of water.

In a statement, Wayne Coulson, CEO of Coulson Aviation, said the company is proud to see the big aircraft go to the B.C. Aviation Museum.

Coulson said between 6,000 to 7,000 hours have gone into final testing of the plane, and pilots and engineers were brought out of retirement to fly it one last time.

“Our dedicated team has been working tirelessly to prepare the aircraft for this significant moment,” Coulson said. “The enthusiastic response from both the local and aviation communities has been incredible.”

Mosdell said the final flight of the Hawaii Mars has attracted international attention, with more than five million hits on the museum’s social-media account.

Museum president Steve Nichol said planning has been underway to move the Martin Mars from Patricia Bay to the museum site at the east end of Victoria International Airport.

Museum officials say they have been working closely with Nickel Brothers Moving, Nav Canada and the airport authority, First Nations, RCMP and municipal, provincial and federal governments to pull the plane out of the water and get it across West Saanich Road and onto the airport lands.

Fencing, light posts and power poles will be moved. Beaching gear, or wheels, will be attached to the plane while it’s in the water on Monday, said Nichol.

The “de-watering” process will take place on Wednesday afternoon, when the Hawaii Mars will be manoeuvered through the Patricia Bay breakwaters and slowly winched up a Canadian Coast Guard ramp onto a concrete apron.

“This moment brings the Hawaii Mars full circle as this was the original ramp and location used in 1960 to bring the aircraft on land to convert it into the era’s cutting-edge water bomber,” said Nichol.

The de-watering will involve Nickel Brothers Moving, Coulson Aviation and Cold Water Divers.

Between Aug. 19 and 23, Nickel Brothers Moving will lift the Hawaii Mars onto a heavy-haul trailer, and when airport operations have ceased for the night, move the aircraft through the airport lands.

Nichol said the move requires about four days to complete, with the aircraft being placed on a new concrete slab at its outdoor display location.

The day after the move, visitors will be able to walk around the outside of the aircraft while crews complete display preparations over several weeks, said Nichol.

The grand opening of the exhibit is set for Sept. 28. The museum is planning an “open experience format” so everyone can explore inside the aircraft and have an opportunity to sit in the pilot’s seat four storeys above the ground.

dkloster@timescolonist.com

[deicer]

 

[Malcolm]

Harbour Air pilot Rick Matthews (left) and alumni pilot Peter Killin flew the historic Hawaii Martin Mars water bomber’s final flight to the Saanich Inlet, north of Victoria. (Coulson Aviation)

"It's kind of sad that it's the end of the story," said Peter Killin, a longtime pilot who flew the Hawaii Martin Mars for the last time, along with Harbour Air's Rick Matthews, on Sunday. 

Killin, who has logged more than 1,000 hours of flying time with the water bomber, said he was introduced to the aircraft in 2000 by Matthews and was then hired a year later to pilot the Mars and help fight forest fires. 

[GDR]

I was just off the end of 09 and they flew directly over my head at under 200 ft or so. What a spectacular few seconds.

[GDR]

You wouldn't believe the crowds. It took me an hour to get home with a drive that normally takes less than 5 mins. The crowd was well inro the thousands just at the airport. )I would guess that it was between 15 and 20 thousand. I have no idea of how large the crowds were in Victoria.

[Robert Perkins]

Here's a few photos of the Mars flyover and arrival in Sidney on its final flight.  As Greg says the crowds were really unbelievable.

[Malcolm]

British Columbia Aviation Museum  · 

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VICTORIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: Just after 9pm in the fading sunset under pink and grey clouds on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, Nickel Brothers Moving special transportation service delivered the Hawaii Mars water bomber expertly and gently without a scratch onto the BC Aviation Museum property.

The Mars was securely held seven feet above the ground on a 360-turning trailer as it crawled across the active Victoria Airport taxiways just like the Space Shuttle, which all made for an amazing sight both from the ground and happily surprised passengers arriving on local airlines.

The museum warmly congratulates Nickel Brothers, especially Tim Nickel who has been the mastermind of the whole move from the de-watering last week to the transporting of the Mars.For sure some moments of passing fences, poles and a large grassy knoll were done with only an inch or two to spare, but all those nail-biting seconds for onlookers were planned out and just another day at the office for our movers.

The public are warmly invited to come visit the museum to see the Mars as a closed display, and future

access to the aircraft will evolve in stages as the exhibit is prepared. From August 26 to 28, the Marswill be lowered into its concrete pads outside in the museum’s airpark to take its crown jewel place ofhonour beside our other iconic water bombers in the growing BC Wildfire Aviation exhibit.

The grand opening date for visitors to tour inside the Mars is still to be confirmed and this will be announced with a press release. We can say now that the museum is trying to aim for September 28 onwards to have the first open stage ready for everyone to explore inside the aircraft, but the extent of the first open display stage has yet to be decided since museum staff and crew still have to wait until late next week to get 24/7 access to the aircraft in order to determine the many preparation tasks required.

[Malcolm]

Link will take you to a video of a Herc (C130H)  being converted into a water bomber.

Aviation Program | CAL FIRE

 

C-130H Airtanker Fact Sheet (34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net)

[GDR]

I had 5 years flying the 130 for 435 sqn with the last year working in the TAL school. Still my all time favourite airplane. You could do so much with that bird, from troop carrier  to paradrops with troops or cargo and i even got to do some LAPES, with all of this being new technology. It also had a very crew friendly cockpit.  

[J.O.]

Cal Fire had to work their way past a long line of roadblocks to bring the C130 program online. There were big challenges with ownership / chain of custody and replacement parts tracking and a lot of folks believed they'd never pull it off. This is a good thing for their program. Their S2s are pretty long in the tooth and require significant work to extend their service life. In addition to being another effective tool in the kit, the Hercs will give them the breathing room to get that work done on the S2s.