They also tend to fly some of the oldest. creakiest and decrepit types of aircraft subjected to incredibly high g-forces and stresses. you have to drop the water really low, otherwise you just create a cloud of useless steam at 300ft - some planes skim the surface of a lake and load up water, where a unseen log or canoe spells disaster.
Makes me wonder everytime I hear of one of these crashes , if it wouldnt be better to just let the damn fire burn ( of course, if MY home was in the 'line of fire') then I would probably have a different suggestion!)
Spoken like someone who's never fought a fire from the air in his life.
Oldest airplanes? Several years ago the Dromader I flew was nearly new, turbine and GPS equipped, with a new fire gate, current inspections, etc. Creakiest? Decrepid? Is this what you've read somewhere?
High G-loads? Clearly this isn't you speaking from experience, because it's simply not true. Your "useless steam" comment is fanciful, and sounds like you watched the movie "always" one too many times.
The only SEATs that are picking up water are the AT-802 Fire Boss, and the converted Beavers that use a float drop system. Otherwise, it's wheels and retardant in the US, and water and foam most other places. Unseen Canoes? Are these invisible canoes, or simply agressive parent canoes that are protecting their young? Have you ever landed on the water? Surely doesn't sound like it.
In the tanker industry, we don't decide to let the fire burn, or put it out. We act as a tool on behalf of the incident commander who makes decisions as to the tactics and methods he or she wishes to use in addressing the fire. We then apply our own judgement, and act professionally to apply the water or retardant in the most appropriate manner, according to the requests from either an air attack platform, a leadplane, or ground troops. We're not there to put out the fire in most cases, but to control it, modify it's behavior, or provide backup and safe zones to ground troops who do the actual firefighting.
It's not an emergency. It's our job.