Ankh,
Could be, but if you're racing down a runway wouldn't you like to be sure any stray pieces of hot metal ahead of you were foamed? Nasty things to pick up in one's tyres.
Admittedly, when I saw the clip, first thing I thought of was uh oh, hope he doesn't blind himself with foam and run into the aircraft!
Edited with a bow to Piltdown's post below: if not foam, perhaps water with a fire retarding additive. Either way, with all the sparks and possibility of hot metal on the tarmac, the fire truck drivers would presumably, and sensibly, be playing things safe by hosing ahead.
Last edited by broadreach; 16th Sep 2009 at 23:52.