Helicopter Pivotal in Western Fires
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Helicopter Pivotal in Western Fires
RUCH, Ore. (AP)
Pilot Paul Mavrinac is modest as he surveys the pasture where his helicopter and 10 others have been based during daily air assaults on a wildfire in southern Oregon.
We don't put the fire out. The guys on the ground put the fire out. We just slow it down, said Mavrinac, who's been a chopper pilot for 25 years.
But to people on the ground, the pilots flying helicopters and water tanker airplanes are a pivotal piece of the battle.
Resident of Ruch, near a blaze that has burned more than 5,800 acres near the California state line, have thanked the pilots for flying in the hot, dry air by treating them to snow cones, ice cream bars and Popsicles.
Mavrinac, 47, flies a heavy-lift helicopter for Erickson Air Crane of Central Point, Ore., one of several companies supplying a variety of aircraft to the firefighting effort.
Mavrinac's big orange chopper, named Incredible Hulk, carries a 2,600-gallon water tank under its belly and a pump that sucks enough water through a hose dipped into a lake or river to fill the tank in 45 seconds. Without the detachable tank, the long-legged chopper looks like a praying mantis.
The Hulk costs $7,000 per hour to hire.
In a six-hour shift Thursday, Mavrinac dumped 62,000 gallons of water onto the flames.
All aircraft combined dumped 320,000 gallons of water on the fire that day, according to Jim Shumway, the Oregon Department of Forestry's air operations director for the fire.
By Friday, crews on the ground had been able to build lines around 40 percent of fire, much of which has burned in very steep, inaccessible terrain.
Having the aircraft is really critical, said Dennis Turco, a state Department of Forestry spokesman.
It's all a team effort, said Jeff Shelton, 42, a pilot for Snowy Butte Helicopters of Medford.
Copyright © 2001 The Associated Press
Have any Rotorheads experience of fire-fighting to share with the rest of us?
[ 21 August 2001: Message edited by: Heliport ]
Pilot Paul Mavrinac is modest as he surveys the pasture where his helicopter and 10 others have been based during daily air assaults on a wildfire in southern Oregon.
We don't put the fire out. The guys on the ground put the fire out. We just slow it down, said Mavrinac, who's been a chopper pilot for 25 years.
But to people on the ground, the pilots flying helicopters and water tanker airplanes are a pivotal piece of the battle.
Resident of Ruch, near a blaze that has burned more than 5,800 acres near the California state line, have thanked the pilots for flying in the hot, dry air by treating them to snow cones, ice cream bars and Popsicles.
Mavrinac, 47, flies a heavy-lift helicopter for Erickson Air Crane of Central Point, Ore., one of several companies supplying a variety of aircraft to the firefighting effort.
Mavrinac's big orange chopper, named Incredible Hulk, carries a 2,600-gallon water tank under its belly and a pump that sucks enough water through a hose dipped into a lake or river to fill the tank in 45 seconds. Without the detachable tank, the long-legged chopper looks like a praying mantis.
The Hulk costs $7,000 per hour to hire.
In a six-hour shift Thursday, Mavrinac dumped 62,000 gallons of water onto the flames.
All aircraft combined dumped 320,000 gallons of water on the fire that day, according to Jim Shumway, the Oregon Department of Forestry's air operations director for the fire.
By Friday, crews on the ground had been able to build lines around 40 percent of fire, much of which has burned in very steep, inaccessible terrain.
Having the aircraft is really critical, said Dennis Turco, a state Department of Forestry spokesman.
It's all a team effort, said Jeff Shelton, 42, a pilot for Snowy Butte Helicopters of Medford.
Copyright © 2001 The Associated Press
Have any Rotorheads experience of fire-fighting to share with the rest of us?
[ 21 August 2001: Message edited by: Heliport ]
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Yeah, just been up in New Brunswick in tandem with the TBMs - really professional crowd, and it's nice to do a job where you feel useful.
Phil
Phil
Gatvol
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A Funny one or two, if you dont mind. I was dropping water with a Bambi Bucket from a bell 205 on a fire in California. It was dry and We had been getting water from wherever We could. I took a load of water from some farmers Private pond and was told later that I had also airmailed some of his Pet Turtles on a hot spot.......Oh Well.
Another time I land on a ridge line to offload a fire crew. It was dusty but not much active fire at the time. We had the doors pinned back so they could exit quickly. After about 20 seconds of holding in power on this one skid ridge, I felt some real heat up my neck. I was able to realize that the rotor wash had kicked up some humongous flames and they were now going through my rotor disk. We were outta there.....ha ha
Those were the good times, there were others.....
Another time I land on a ridge line to offload a fire crew. It was dusty but not much active fire at the time. We had the doors pinned back so they could exit quickly. After about 20 seconds of holding in power on this one skid ridge, I felt some real heat up my neck. I was able to realize that the rotor wash had kicked up some humongous flames and they were now going through my rotor disk. We were outta there.....ha ha
Those were the good times, there were others.....
Used a Gazelle to put out grassfires on firing ranges in Canada, a few years ago, by hovering along the edge and blowing them out.
Ac needed a good wash afterwards though.
Ac needed a good wash afterwards though.
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I have heard stories of the Kaman huskies being used to contain fires at airfields during Vietnam. Apparently they would hover over the flames and prevent them from spreading. Can anyone confirm this? Also was this the reason they were deployed and what else did they do besides fire control? Thanks alot.
Gatvol
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Actually I believe they were used to move smoke and flame so that the Rescue guys could get close to the Aircraft. There are still a few around, some are being used for Long line.
Try going to the Kaman site and fire a question at them. www.kaman.com
Try going to the Kaman site and fire a question at them. www.kaman.com
A VFR B412 pilot I once knew went inadvertent IMC in low cloud/smoke whilst going from the water to the fire. He climbed up through it IMC, with some strange attitudes being seen on the AH/AI. Eventually opened up the belly tank to help his climb rate. Fire control officers below were in high spirits because they thought it had started raining!!
I was doing clean up in a B212 with long line and ground crew were pointing to my target, a burning log. No matter how many times I asked on the radio and waved out the window, the pointer would not move more than 6 ft from the log across slope. After several minutes I eventually let the full bucket go, washed the log and the pointer down slope. Approaching for the next drops, as soon as I had reported the target in sight, there was a flash of yellow in the forest as the pointer made like Carl Lewis in truly frenzied attempts to get away from the logs!!
Always a good giggle when the opposition drops the water into the fire whilst still enclosed in the bucket!! (And tears when you do it yourself...)
Captain Sousa: Did you find the turtles acted like fire retardant, or were they of little effect?
I was doing clean up in a B212 with long line and ground crew were pointing to my target, a burning log. No matter how many times I asked on the radio and waved out the window, the pointer would not move more than 6 ft from the log across slope. After several minutes I eventually let the full bucket go, washed the log and the pointer down slope. Approaching for the next drops, as soon as I had reported the target in sight, there was a flash of yellow in the forest as the pointer made like Carl Lewis in truly frenzied attempts to get away from the logs!!
Always a good giggle when the opposition drops the water into the fire whilst still enclosed in the bucket!! (And tears when you do it yourself...)
Captain Sousa: Did you find the turtles acted like fire retardant, or were they of little effect?
Gatvol
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As to the Turtles, Im not certain, knowing a lot of ground crews, that they didnt enjoy a good meal.
Not that I wish to date my career, but I do recall the first time I was the recipient of Fire retardant from a B-17. I was working AS ground crew. Years later as a Helicopter Pilot, I was in pulling a crew from a hot spot in a B205 and it was necessary for a C-130 to bomb me again to keep things cool. Seems I have spent a career getting dumped on........
Not that I wish to date my career, but I do recall the first time I was the recipient of Fire retardant from a B-17. I was working AS ground crew. Years later as a Helicopter Pilot, I was in pulling a crew from a hot spot in a B205 and it was necessary for a C-130 to bomb me again to keep things cool. Seems I have spent a career getting dumped on........
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NSW bushfires in Oz in '94 flying Sea King low (150') under the smoke to drop the new ground crews at the head of the valley, round one bend Jet Ranger coming the other way out!! He went down and I went up IMC in a valley at 150' climbing?? not fun but got in the second try!
The reason we all envy the many ground crews is that we are not around to share the free crispy critters found in the burnt area........and we all love a good BBQ.
Glad you are still with us Mr Peacock
Glad you are still with us Mr Peacock
