Aerial firefighting, also known as waterbombing, is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires. The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

Jan 3, 2023 · Explore the details behind the most popular firefighting planes used in the fire service. From the single-engine air tanker to water scoopers to air attack planes.

Large Airtankers (LATs) can deliver from 2,000 to 4,000 gallons of fire retardant to support firefighters on the ground. Aircraft types: P2V, HC-130H, BAe-146, MD-87, C-130Q, RJ85, C-130 H & J equipped with Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS).

A DC-10 Air Tanker, along with Utah National Guard Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks and other forest fighting aircraft, contained the fire successfully on August 22, 2021. In May 2022, DC-10 Air Tankers fought the Calf Canyon / Hermit's Peak complex fire west of Las Vegas, NM.

Firefighting planes are usually classified by the capacity of retardant they carry and their application. Not all planes get directly involved in the dugout. Some are tactical, supplementing others. Let’s examine the different types of firefighting planes in use today. 1. The Single Engine Airtanker (SEAT) 2. Large Airtankers (LATs) 3.

Jan 28, 2025 · According to Evergreen, the multi-role 747 Supertanker is the largest fire fighting aircraft available and could save the US government at least 100 million USD in fire suppresion and rehabilitation costs each year.

1 day ago · Cal Fire crews retrofitted the huge plane — whose 133-foot wingspan is a little larger than that of a modern Boeing 737 — to carry 4,000 gallons of fire retardant, more than triple the ...

Sep 4, 2024 · Air tankers are fixed-wing aircraft designed to drop fire retardant over a wildfire. These aircraft are typically converted cargo planes, such as the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 or the Lockheed C-130Q, that can carry up to 15,000 gallons of retardant.

2 days ago · Cal Fire, California’s lead state firefighting agency, on Thursday April 24, 2025 unveiled a new C-130 tanker plane, shown here in April at McClellan Airtanker Base near Sacramento, that it ...

4 days ago · Leonardo Unveils C-27J Next-Generation “Fire Fighter; New-Generation Aircraft In Development For Aerial Firefighting Mission; BLM Wyoming bolsters aerial firefighting capabilities with new Casper Airtanker Base; Retrofitted C-130 …