T-85 – Wildfire Today

Photos of PBY-6A airtankers from the 1960s and 1970s

Tanker 85, N6453C, BuNo 64041, a PBY-6A at Lancaster, California in August 1975. Courtesy of the Flight Test Museum at Edwards Air Force Base.

This photo of a PBY-6A taken at Lancaster, California in August 1975 was sent to us by the Flight Test Museum at Edwards Air Force Base. The PBY-5A and 6A were some of the first amphibious water-scooping airtankers.

I have learned that when writing about tankers from the old days, check with JD Davis since he is a great source for high quality photos and is also generous about sharing them. The five photos below, all PBY-6As, were taken by Mr. Davis, and I am very grateful that he is letting us use them.

The aircraft above (and the next three photos below) have the same FAA registration number, N6453C, but it was variously known by different Airtanker numbers.

Tanker 85, PBY-6A, N6453C, Photo by JD Davis at Ontario in September 1975.

Tanker 54, PBY-6A, N6453C, Photo by JD Davis at Chino in 1969.

Tanker 84, PBY-6A, N6456C, Photo by JD Davis at Ontario in November 1975

Tanker 83, PBY-6A, N6458C, Photo by JD Davis at Hemet in May 1971

If you have seen the movie Always you remember the PBY-5A in the opening scene:

Currently a CAL FIRE S2-T is using the T-85 number:

S-2T MCC — Airtanker 85, an S-2T, at MCC on March 26, 2018. Photo by Sergio Maraschin.

Photos of the current Tanker 83 and Tanker 54.

Aircraft at McClellan, March 26

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.

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

AA-140 OV-10 P3 S2T Sacramento McClellan Airport T-23 T-85

Photos of air tankers departing from Medford

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.