California ANG
 

https://www.instagram.com/unclesamsnation/

unclesamsnation

Don't know if you guys have seen this going around, but California National Guard aviators let their big brass ones hang out on this one.

Two aircrews, a Blackhawk and a Chinook Flew at night with NODs through high winds with burning embers, heavy smoke and difficult terrain to rescue over 200 people completely cut off and trapped by fire with it closing in on them last night. They made multiple trips to get everyone out. CalFire waived them off and warned them do not go because the conditions were too dangerous. They said **** that and went anyway.

Second pic is view from the chinook cockpit on the ground while loading first group of people.

Our hats are off to the pilots and crew. I hope they are able to get you guys wheelbarrows big enough for your cajones.


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....283ca18f4.jpeg



https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....3ef0e539c.jpeg


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....b066473d0.jpeg

Brilliant people!

The flip side of the coin: my sister in the US was telling me earlier on that one of the California fires was set by some asswipes using explosives during a "gender reveal party". WTF?

Hats off indeed!

When the going gets tough
The tough get going

Well done to the girls and boys of the Cal ANG. The pictures look like scenes from a Hollywood feature.

Unfortunately your sister is correct.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/08/us/el...rnd/index.html

Brillant. Work btw ANG is Air National Guard, not Army National Guard ARNG in this case ..

btw reminds me of a an army Ch-47A in Vietnam that evacuated 100 or so villagers ??

cheers

Correct - and they could be liable for the entire cost of the firefighting operations.
Neighbors saw them trying to put it out with small waters of drinking water instead of calling 911 immediately !

Nice to see the Vietnam War era S-64 Skycrane doing a good job as a fire fighting machine

This is also being discussed on the Rotorheads forum.

I didn’t know until recently that in addition to rebuilding them that Erickson also manufactures new ones. Quite the operation.

It is California so they had a firework for each gender and set them off, 69 genders later the fire started.

But I do think you are being hard on those people, they have had to go to their Safe Space because someone dared talk about being responsible for their actions.

As Greta would say "How dare you, How dare you", don't you know this is California, home of Swimming Pools, Movie Stars, F***tards.

While incredibly dumb, at least that one was an accident - it's being reported that around a third of the fires burning in Washington state are believed to be arson. The death of a one year old child in one fire is being investigated as homicide (the child's parents are both hospitalized in critical condition) :ugh:

WC, Erikson are in the process of taking over the type certificates from Bell for the model 214ST and B/B1, so we can expect to see some new builds I guess. As you say, Quite the operation.

.https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/...e-certificates

More:

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....4d65b9b145.png
The word "Hero" gets overused in today's society, but these guys and gals have definitely earned it :ok:

West Coast/RAFEng thanks - and I thought the idiots with BBQs on our local common during the dry spell were stupid: "but barbecues can be fun..."

Absolutely! :D

What also isn’t mentioned is that the California fire departments left these people, or at least weren’t able to get to them. They were written off. Much like in Portland, the state was unable to deal with a situation and didn’t call them Feds, national guard or larger and more capable entity due to politics. Thankfully the military stepped up and did what they do. Thankfully in Portland, state law enforcement were able to be deputized by federal law enforcement and override local orders to arrest looters, murderers, arsonists and vandals. They were arrested by federal agents and are being charged federally.

The event occurred in a National Forest, making it the responsibility of the Federal government, not state or local fire departments. When the way in is also the way out and it’s blocked by fire, options are limited.