CAL FIRE’s Tanker 119 spotted at McClellan

T-119 McClellan 5-5-2020
T-119, an HC-130H, was seen at McClellan May 5, 2020. Photo by John Vogel.

One of CAL FIRE’s seven HC-130H air tankers, T-119, was spotted by John Vogel at Sacramento McClellan Airport on May 5. This is the first report we have seen about the aircraft since it was in storage in Tucson at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, often called The Boneyard, in September, 2018.

The U.S. Forest Service received the seven aircraft from the Coast Guard in 2013, but regifted them to CAL FIRE in 2018 after losing interest. Approximately three were painted in USFS livery, T-116, T-118, and T-119. Before the transfer from the Coast Guard was finalized, they were all going to receive internal retardant tanks and various levels of maintenance, work to be overseen by the U.S. Air Force at a cost of up to $130 million; that work is still going on. Most of them were to be fitted with new center wing boxes. After many delays, in December, 2019 the Air Force awarded a contract to Coulson Aviation to install the tanks.

CAL FIRE has been showing off one of them, T-118, which has been repainted with their livery.

Catching up on aircraft photos

JFSP smoke research plan

(Updated October 4, 2018)

We are catching up on some photos sent in by our readers. The image above is by Austin Catlin — an Avro RJ85 working on a fire in Eastern Idaho.

Sky Aviation helicopter
Sky Aviation on the Willow Fire near Madras, Oregon. Photo by Tom Brown.
Coulson helicopter
A Coulson helicopter on the Willow Fire near Madras, Oregon. Photo by Tom Brown.

Below are shots of DC-10s at Sacramento McClellan Airport by Sergio Mara.

DC-10 air tanker Sacramento McClellan Airport DC-10 air tanker Sacramento McClellan Airport DC-10 air tanker Sacramento McClellan Airport DC-10 air tanker Sacramento McClellan Airport

Thanks guys!

Photos of air tankers at McClellan


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Above: Air Tankers 102 (MD-87) and 134 (C-130)

Don Hosford took these photos of firefighting aircraft at Sacramento McClellan Airport August 31, 2018.

air tankers sacramento mcclellan airport
Air Tankers 23 (P-3) and 944 (747)
air tankers sacramento mcclellan airport
Air Tanker 914, a DC-10
air tankers sacramento mcclellan airport
Air Tanker 118, an HC-130H

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Aircraft at McClellan, March 26

OV-10 Bronco MCC

Above: Air Attack 140, an OV-10 Bronco, at MCC March 26, 2018. Photo by Sergio Maraschin.

Sergio Maraschin, always on the alert for firefighting aircraft, took these photos March 26 at Sacramento McClellan Airport.

S-2T MCC
Air Tanker 85, an S-2T, at MCC, March 26, 2018. Photo by Sergio Maraschin.
T-23 MCC
Air Tanker 23 being worked on outside the AirStrike hangar at MCC, March 26, 2018. Photo by Sergio Maraschin.