Some very brave helicopter pilots made some water drops on the melting down nuclear reactors in Japan on Thursday. Two CH-47 helicopters operated by Japan’s Self-Defense Forces made four drops on Reactors three and four at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility in an attempt to cool down the out of control reactors.
The audio in this video is distorted, but the images are OK.
According to a report, lead plates were attached to the bottom of the helicopters and the pilots were wearing protective suits in order to minimize their exposure to radiation. They also dropped from a fairly high altitude and at speed, rather than a hover, to reduce their exposure. The pilots are being limited to 40 minutes of flight time each day.
The pilots may be risking their lives doing this. Of course dropping water on vegetation fires is routine for experienced pilots and may be an adrenalin rush, but flying a few hundred feet over a melting down nuclear reactor is a whole different level of risk.
During the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986, helicopters were used to drop 5,000 metric tons of bags containing sand, lead, and boric acid onto the burning reactor. One of the helicopters collided with a large construction crane killing the four-person crew.
One begins to wonder just how bad things may be at the power plants.
I’m sure the real story is not being let out at this point. A salute to the aircrews making the drops.
Prayer be with the families in japan