Today, featuring Tanker 22, a P3 Orion
Continue readingPhotos of air tankers at JEFFCO airport used on the Chatridge 2 Fire near Denver
The fire burned 461 acres south of Denver June 29, 2020
Continue readingChatridge 2 Fire burns over 400 acres south of Denver
In Douglas County
Continue readingUntil Saturday a P-3 air tanker had not dropped on a fire since 2011
Air Tanker 23 owned by Airstrike Firefighters dropped on the Red Bank Fire
Continue readingPhotos of some of the first F7F-3 air tankers
(Originally published at 4:17 p.m. MDT June 20, 2019)
Today we have another couple of photos from the Flight Test Museum at Edwards Air Force Base — an F7F-3 (N7625C) registered to Fred Arnberg Inc out of Yreka, California. In these photos there is a small “2” on the tail and also on the nose wheel cover.
A photo at Goodall.com.au shows an F7F-3 registered to Fred Arnberg with the same N number but with different livery and a large “22” on the tail. That website says Arnberg operated the first F7F-3 Grumman Tigercats as air tankers for several seasons in the early 1960s. This particular aircraft was purchased February 27, 1962 and by September 24, 1962 had hit trees and crashed near Callahan, California.
F7F-3, N7625C, registered to Fred Arnberg Inc out of Yreka, California.In the photo below you can see painted on the underside of the right-side wing.
F7F-3, N7625C, registered to Fred Arnberg Inc out of Yreka, California.And here is one more F7F-3 known as Tanker 22. It is N7238C operated by Cal-Nat Airways out of Grass Valley, California. Other owners were Dick Gordon of Santa Rosa, California and Sis-Q Flying Service of Montague, California.
F7F-3 air tanker (N7238C) operated in the 1960s by Cal-Nat Airways and other companies.(UPDATED at 10 a.m. MDT June 20, 2019)
Bill Bailey sent us an email and the photo below:
N7635C had AERO on the top of the left wing and bottom of the right wing and it has AD on top of the right wing and under the left. There were 2 AERO AD F7F-3s, N7625C , which you posted and N7626C which was later owned by Cal-Nat, still painted all Red and marked as Tanker E-42.
I found the attached photo some years ago and don’t remember who took it.
By the way, that first photo solved a question among modelers that has raged for years ….. was AERO AD painted on top of the wings.
F7F-3, N7626C, operated by Cal-Nat Airways, Grass Valley, California. Purchased around 1960 from Aero Ads Inc. skywriter. Sold to Sis Q Flying Service in 1969. (according to goodall.com.au). Photo by William T. Larkins at Oakland, CA., date unknown.Thanks go out to Bill B.
(UPDATED at 4:46 p.m. MDT June 20, 2019)
JD Davis sent us additional photos of the F7F-3. Thanks JD!
F7F-3, N7626, Tanker 42. By JD Davis, who said tanker pilot Ed Real took it to the ‘California 1000’ Air Race at Mojave Nov, 1971 — Qualified it but didn’t race it.A P3 Orion air tanker will be forward deployed to Colorado next month
It will be available on a call when needed contract with the state of Colorado
Continue readingBuffalo purchases a P3
Breaking news from the Aerial Firefighting conference. Buffalo Airways just purchased Tanker 22, one of the P3s formerly owned by Aero Union. They intend to use it as an air tanker. This was confirmed by Joe McBryan of Buffalo, who was pleased to say the P3 will live on.
They purchased it from Blue Aerospace/United Aeronautical Corporation.
You might recognize Mr. McBryan from the Ice Pilots reality show on the History Channel.