Earlier this year the crews that fly the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) air tankers based in California and Wyoming conducted their annual training to be sure they are prepared to drop fire retardant on wildfires if all of the privately operated air tankers are committed. This week the Air Force Reserve unit at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs did the same, dropping water on the Base and in the Pike National Forest. In addition to the two C-130 MAFFS units in Colorado, three other bases in the United States have two aircraft each that are designated as MAFFS-deployable, stationed in California, Wyoming, and South Carolina.
Two C-130 MAFFS aircraft follow a lead plane during training for the WYOMING Air National Guard at Camp Guernsey, April 20, 2012. Photo by Master Sgt. Paul MannCrews prepare to load the new MAFFS II unit into a C-130 at Cheyenne, Wyoming.Crews load the replacement paratroop door through which the retardant will pass when it exits the C-130 in 2011 before deployment to assist with wildfires in Texas.Crews install the replacement door for the MAFFS II in 2011 before deployment to assist with wildfires in Texas. Photo by Master Sgt. Paul Mann.
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