August 7, 2020 | 7:01 p.m. MDT
Air Tanker 168, an RJ85, at Boise, Idaho August 6, 2020. Screenshot from AIRAILIMAGES video.Fred Johnson of let us know about this AIRAILIMAGES video he shot of air tankers landing and taking off at Boise August 6. He said they were probably working on a wildfire in eastern Oregon.
You will see two BAe-146s, Tankers 03 and 41, and an RJ85, Tanker 163.
August 6, 2020 | 7:50 p.m. PDT
Tanker 60, a DC-7B, arriving at Redmond, OR August 3, 2020. Photo by Cooper Palubeski.Cooper Palubeski sent us photos he took August 3 of firefighting aircraft at Redmond, Oregon. Thanks Cooper!
The tankers were reloading retardant while battling the Fir Mountain Fire south of Hood River, Oregon. Tankers 101 and 163 were dispatched from Redmond, Oregon just after 11:00 a.m. and made four load and returns at the airport.
They got more help around 12:30 p.m. when Tanker 60 arrived from Medford, making several runs on the Fir Mountain Fire before returning to Medford that night.
Tanker 163, an RJ85 (N366AC), at Redmond, OR August 3, 2020 landing after its first sortie that day. Photo by Cooper Palubeski.
Tanker 101, an MD-87 (N291EA), taking off with its second load of retardant at Redmond, OR August 3, 2020. Photo by Cooper Palubeski.
Tanker 101, an MD-87 (N291EA), taking off with its second load of retardant at Redmond, OR August 3, 2020. Photo by Cooper Palubeski.
A U.S. Forest Service Lead Plane, Beechcraft Super King Air B200GT (N24HD), at Redmond, OR August 3, 2020. Photo by Cooper Palubeski, who said the aircraft was over the Fir Mountain Fire for nearly 4.5 hours.
Tanker 163, an RJ85 (N366AC), at Redmond, OR August 3, 2020. It was taking off for the first time that day from Redmond. Photo by Cooper Palubeski.
Air Tanker 96 at Medford, Oregon June 17, 2019. Tim Crippin.Tim Crippin sent us these photos he took at Medford, Oregon June 17, 2019 of air tankers working the Lumgrey Fire on the Klamath National Forest in Northern California.
Thanks Tim!
Air Tanker 160 at Medford, Oregon June 17, 2019. Tim Crippin.
Air Tanker 94 at Medford, Oregon June 17, 2019. Tim Crippin.
Air Tankers 94 and 95 at Medford, Oregon June 17, 2019. Tim Crippin.
Air Tanker 163 at Medford, Oregon June 17, 2019. Tim Crippin.During the coming bushfire season they will have access to six large air tankers and scores of SEATs and helicopters
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An MD-87 and an RJ85 were at Rapid City for the Legion Lake Fire in the Black Hills
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Above: Jerry Messinger sent us this photo taken June 24 of Air Tankers 02, 03, and 163 (left to right) at Libby Tanker Base, Sierra Vista, AZ — two BAe-146’s and one RJ85.
Thanks Jerry!
The Bonita Fire continues to burn in the Carson National Forest.
Continue readingAbove: a 47-second video showing the aircraft at the Redmond Tanker Base on June 13, 2016.
Clouds were hovering just above the ridges bordering the valley around the Redmond, Oregon airport when I was there on Monday, June 13. There was a chance of rain across the entire Pacific Northwest and there were no orders for the four large air tankers staged at the Redmond Air Tanker Base.
Eric Graff, who has been the base manager for the last 12 years, said they had been busy in recent days sending tankers to fires in Oregon and northern California. They had pumped 165,000 gallons of fire retardant into tankers so far this fire season.
Base Manager Eric Graff (left) and timekeeper Cynthia Buehner at the Redmond Air Tanker Base.Working with Mr. Graff on Monday was Cynthia Buehner, in her third season as timekeeper for the base, and summer seasonal, Marissa Kraweczak, whose previous experience before this year was on the Zigzag Hotshots.
Also at the base was the normal contingent of pilots and mechanics for the four tankers that were on the ramp — three Aeroflite RJ85s, and one Neptune Aviation P2V. One lead plane was also on scene.
Aeroflite’s Pilatus PC12 (right) and a lead plane (left) at Redmond, Oregon. Photo by Bill Gabbert.I asked Mr. Graff if dispatchers proactively tried to group aircraft from the same company together at a tanker base, and he said no, it was not intentional. Aeroflite recognized that they had three of their tankers and crews at Redmond and called a meeting, with executives flying in on the company’s Pilatus PC12. The state of Colorado recently purchased two PC12s to use as intelligence gathering and communications platforms, calling them “multi-mission aircraft”.
Other fire-related operations at the Redmond Airport include the Redmond Smokejumpers, the Northwest Fire Training Center, the Redmond Hotshots, and the Regional Air Group which supplies pilots for the jumpers and lead planes.
Tanker 163 at Redmond, June 13, 2016. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Tanker 44 at Redmond, June 13, 2016. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Tanker 162 at Redmond, June 13, 2016. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Tanker 161 at Redmond, June 13, 2016. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Tanker 44, in the foreground, and Tanker 161 at Redmond, June 13, 2016. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Above: Tanker 163 departing from Medford, Oregon.
We have been honored recently with a wealth of information and photos from Medford, Oregon. Tim Crippin took these between June 7th and 9th of air tankers departing from the air tanker base for the Pony Fire in Northern California.
Tanker 162 departing from Medford.
Tanker 85 departing from Medford.
Above: Tanker 162 at Medford, Oregon. Photo by Kristin Biechler.
Kristin Biechler sent us these photos of air tankers at Medford, Oregon. She said Tankers 62, 162, and 163 have busy there for the last few days.
T-62 at Medford, OR. Photo by Kristin Biechler.
T-163 at Medford, OR. Photo by Kristin Biechler.