on the first fire I mentioned, a big aircraft would have been impractical. The fire was relatively small and access was difficult - steep paddock leading up to the edge of forest, erosion gullies and old fences everywhere. We had about five trucks in.
For a big dump, it would have taken us at least three quarters of an hour to get clear and the same to get back. The little aircraft were bombing about 75 to 100 metres away which meant we didn’t have far to go to get clear and return, at least that’s my recollection. A big “nuclear “ retardant drop was probably out of place. The SEATs did just fine.
Not so the Myhree fire, which got started by two kids doing circle work in an old car in a grassy paddock.