Knave I saw a C87/B24 dropping on these fires on CNN a few nights ago.
The risks these guys take make 'Always' look a little tame. The above mentioned C87 was dropping in a curving steep bank, in the vicinity of 45 to 60 degrees and a few hundred feet 'AGL' from the mountainside..
Imagine the stresses that puts on the spar!!
Rolling 'G' combined with legal MTOW increases over normal, bad turbulence, negative stresses caused by dumping several tonnes of retardant, reduced vis, etc etc...repeatedly every day while on task!
And on aircraft that are up to 50 years old!!!
A mate does this every year in Canada, flying converted Trackers. He has had to cope with an engine failure virtually every year...and if the emerg dump or prop feather button doesn't work as advertised you are dead...even when they do you can face a winding trip back to base along valleys in smoke because the aircraft is incapable of climbing out...sound like they get paid enough?
It doesn't to me and he gets about CAN$100K for a season.
My deepest respects to crews that do this for a living and my deepest condolences to those they have left behind.
Chuck.
