Tanker 89 drops on the Still Fire, Aug. 27, 2022. Still image from CAL FIRE video.CAL FIRE posted a video online of one of their S-2T air tankers, T-89, dropping retardant on the Still Fire August 27 in Northern California. This is the first time we have been aware of video footage shot from an S-2T during a drop.
The audio is very loud in the video below.
Video from today’s Still Fire in Nevada County . Fire now 80% contained. Video from Cal Fire tanker 89. pic.twitter.com/x4FUJ14PmK
— CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit (@CALFIRENEU) August 28, 2022
We have posted videos shot from other tankers as they dropped, but they are most often filmed from the cockpit looking forward, such as from a Single Engine Air tanker and MAFFS. There are also videos shot from outside a C-130 and an RJ-85 looking to the rear as the drops were made.
The Still Fire, between Grass Valley and Auburn, burned 44 acres August 27, 2022 before the spread was stopped by firefighters on the ground and in the air.
Map showing the location of the Still Fire.
CAL FIRE S2Ts, including T-89, at McClellan AFB March 17, 2014. Photo by Bill Gabbert.Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Gaylene.
2 Comments
While crewing with vintage WWII aircraft I saw GoPro and ‘lipstick’ cameras mounted in many places on the aircraft: Without interfering with flight. Seeing THIS drop right next to the exposures/homes is awesome. Made me wonder if a camera could be mounted as far back on the fuselage as possible, to get a wider view. It would show the dropped retardant, but even more of what’s being dropped upon.
I hope sharing video like this motivates others to experiment.
With all the possibilities that GoPro offers, and I suspect their willingness to do some pro bono/advertising projects, maybe CalFire is putting on a new face. I’ve been hoping to see onboard S2T video for years. It seems it would make sense to outfit the entire CalFire Air Attack fleet with a few cameras each. Observational data collection as well as great videos for public consumption. Is it coincidence that T-89 was recently featured in Juan Brown’s excellent S2T video? Give me more!
A few years back I recall watching a CalFire OV-10 air attack video? LR
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