Behind The Scenes

Most all aerial wild fire fighting resources are airworthy each day because of maintainers who work "Behind The Scenes" so each aircraft can return to the fight the following day.  Most contractors have a crew of maintainers who accompany each aircraft from base-to-base.  You almost never see these people and they almost never get any credit.  They labor in obscurity and their pride comes mostly in knowing "their" aircraft is safe to operate the following day.  

Billings Flying Service CH-47 Chinook pilot Earl Watters put together an outstanding video of the maintainers who accompany "1AJ" which is currently operating from Asheville, North Carolina.  

We really, REALLY appreciate Earl's awesome recognition of his support crew.  Below is the full video from which we produced the screen clip collage above.  Thanks, Earl, "YA DUN GOOD!"

(Video used with permission.)

If you'd like to see and follow Earl's other most excellent videos visit his Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/earl.watters

Billings Flying Service CH-47

 Billings Flying Service (BFS) in Billings, Montana, has carved out a righteous niche in the World of Aerial Wild Fire Fighting.  BFS is arguably THE most advanced and equipped company flying former military CH-47 Chinook helicopters. Design work on the workhorse CH-47 began in the 1950's and it entered service in 1962.  A cavalcade of upgrades and variants kept the CH-47 current and relevant even into today's military battle scene.

As older CH-47's get surplused out by the military, various private contractors have converted them for wild land fire fighting duty.  BFS has perhaps the best "full spectrum" approach to operating the venerable CH-47's.  The expertise of BFS is too lengthy to describe here so we encourage our readers to do a deep dive in the BFS website.  

In this article, we'd like to do a very brief discussion of the BFS internal tanking system for the CH-47.  It was a major feat of aeronautical engineering to retrofit a CH-47 with a 2,500 gallon internal tank while keeping the helicopter stable and very much airworthy.

Other wild land aerial fire fighting contractors have simply strapped on a biggie Bambi Bucket and called it good.  BFS created a custome internal tanking system that offers a much more secure performance at low altitudes as well as a precision drop rate unique to the type.

You can learn a WHOLE LOT more about it by watching this most excellent BFS video:
https://vimeo.com/292223253

We grabbed a few screen clips from the above linked video.  Comments are below each clip.

This diagram shows how the internal tank sits pretty much at the CH-47 center of gravity.  Its position allows the helicopter to remain nimble and responsive to flight crew inputs.

Rigorous testing and engineering of the release system was conducted in order to design the best possible way to distribute the CH-47's load of water.

The attached siphon system can refill the 2,500 internal tank in less than a minute.  It's an engineering marvel! The screen clip below shows how the internal tank appears when loaded and secured into the CH-47.  Clip courtesy of BFS: https://billingsflyingservice.com/flight-services/aerial-firefighting/ 

KMAX

Flettner Fl 282 "Kolibri" was an early ancestor of helicopters with intermeshing rotors.

The K-MAX is easily my favorite Type 1 fire fighting helicopter.  Yes, all the old Cold War horse T1's from yesteryear have their ancient ambiance and aviation lore but the K-MAX is on the leading edge of everything I love about powered flight in a fire fight.

Don't let the diminutive K-MAX form factor and frame fool you.  This bird ROX!  It can lift MORE than its own weight in cargo.  No kidding.  The stats on this aircraft are amazing.

But did you know that what makes the K-MAX  even more amazing actually dates back to Nazi Germany in World War II?  Yes, it's true and it's an amazing story.  The two designers of the physics of this air craft were married to Jewish wives.  Their efforts to design this now timeless concept were so important to the Nazi Regime that the infamous Heinrich Himmler had to intervene to provide protection for the designer's wives!  It's a truly timeless and incredible story linked elsewhere in this post.

Here's a whole lotta links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaman_K-MAX

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermeshing_rotors

The link below tell the story of Himmler helping to protect the wives.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Flettner

Here is a photo of the K-MAX on The Cliff Creek Fire.  It's such an awesome air craft.

Here's a great video of The K-MAX in action from the pilot's POV.

https://youtu.be/NrRwvZCy-do

Here's the Company Line on The K-MAX:

http://www.kaman.com/aerosystems/solutions/air-vehicles-mro/k-max

There are lots of aftermarket "mods" for the K-MAX.  This one is awesome!

http://www.sei-ind.com/products/kmax-bambi-bucket

Their Bambi Bucket is compatible with two essentials of wild land fire fighting:  the pumpkin and the heliwell.

With its large capacity and rigid sides, the Heliwell is a portable water tank that can be easily deployed in the field in less than two hours using three people.  Available in two sizes, the largest model holds enough water to fully fill a 2,600 USG Bambi Bucket.

When taken apart, the Heliwell's 8-10 aluminum panels can be easily transported by a standard size pick-up truck or slung from a helicopter.  Once set-up, the Heliwell can be used as a helicopter dip tank or a fire retardant mixing tank.

About the Pumpkin Tank

This rugged, lightweight, multi-purpose tank shines in every arena.  Whether it’s used for ground fire-fighting, for aerial operations or as a reservoir/relay tank, the self-supporting Pumpkin Tank gets the job done.

Designed for compatibility with the Bambi Bucket, the Pumpkin Tank is the standard in helicopter bucketing operations.  Built with the knowledge of what works in the field, the water in this tank is deep enough for full Bambi Bucket dips every time.  The Pumpkin Tank can also be used as a portable water reservoir for fire departments and forest fire control agencies.

When access to natural water supply is limited, the Pumpkin Tank can step in – whatever the application.

Features:
Extra large diameter open top for easy helicopter bucket filling
Unique flotation collar design, no inflation required
Self-supporting, with a closed-cell foam collar that resists any 'sinking'
Compact and simple to use, no frame or parts to assemble
Rugged industrial fabric that is mold and mildew resistant
Multi-point tie down system for protection from rotor wash
Easy discharge through a standard 3" NPT outlet
Models/sizes available to suit all helicopter buckets
Portability and compact size allows the tank to be used in remote areas
Frameless construction provides minimal time for setup by one or two people
Flotation collar hugs the surface of the water ensuring no overflow

Type 2-IA Crew List

As of 9:12 AM (MDT) July 19, the Great Basin Crew Status listed nine Type 2-Initial Attack (IA) crews  assigned to the Cliff Creek Fire.  Some crews are on the fire line while others are in mobilization mode or en route. We are attempting to find additional information about each of the crews.  Here is the source for the crew list:

 http://gacc.nifc.gov/gbcc/logistics/gb_crew_status/public/crews.php

T2-IA crews assigned:

Anaconda Interagency #1

Central Idaho #1

Payette Regulars

Red River Fire Chasers

Slide Mountain

SRV #10

SRV #12

SRV #3

MNICS Crew #1 (MOD #5)

Here's an excellent short description of the difference between a Type 1 and Type 2 crew.

http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/people/handcrews/about_handcrews.html