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Aerial firefighting, also known aswaterbombing, is the use ofaircraft and other aerial resources tocombat wildfires. The types of aircraft used includefixed-wing aircraft andhelicopters.Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as aerial firefighters, delivered to the fire by parachute from a variety of fixed-wingaircraft, or rappelling fromhelicopters. Chemicals used to fight fires may include water, water enhancers such asfoams andgels, and specially formulated fire retardants such asPhos-Chek.[1]
The idea of fighting forest fires from the air dates back at least as far asFriedrich Karl von Koenig-Warthausen's observations on seeing a blaze when overflying theSanta Lucia Range, California, in 1929.[2]: 142
A wide variety of terminology has been used in the popular media for the aircraft (and methods) used in aerial firefighting. The termsairtanker orair tanker generally refer to fixed-wing aircraft based in the United States; "airtanker" is used in official documentation.[3] The term "waterbomber" is used in some Canadian government documents for the same class of vehicles,[4][5] though it sometimes has a connotation ofamphibians.[6]
Air attack is an industry term used for the actual application of aerial resources, both fixed-wing and rotorcraft, on a fire. Within the industry, though, "air attack" may also refer to the supervisor in the air (usually in a fixed-wing aircraft) who supervises the process of attacking the wildfire from the air, including fixed-wing airtankers, helicopters, and any other aviation resources assigned to the fire. The Air Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS), often called "air attack", is usually flying at an altitude above other resources assigned to the fire, often in a fixed-wing plane but occasionally (depending on assigned resources or the availability of qualified personnel) in a helicopter.
Depending on the size, location, and assessed potential of the wildfire, the "air attack" or ATGS person may be charged with initial attack (the first response of firefighting assets on fire suppression), or with extended attack, the ongoing response to and management of a major wildfire requiring additional resources including engines, ground crews, and other aviation personnel and aircraft needed to control the fire and establish control lines orfirelines ahead of the wildfire.[5]
A wide variety of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft are used for aerial firefighting. In 2003, it was reported that "TheU.S. Forest Service andBureau of Land Management own, lease, or contract for nearly 1,000 aircraft each fire season, with annual expenditures in excess of US$250 million in recent years".[7]
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Helicopters may be fitted with tanks (helitankers) or they may carry buckets. Some helitankers, such as the Erickson AirCrane, are also outfitted with a front-mounted foam cannon. Buckets are usually filled by submerging or dipping them in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or portable tanks. The most popular of the buckets is the flexibleBambi Bucket. Tanks can be filled on the ground (by water tenders or truck-mounted systems) or water can be siphoned from lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or a portable tank through a hanging snorkel. Popular firefighting helicopters include variants of the Bell UH-1H Super Huey,Bell 204,Bell 205,Bell 212,Boeing Vertol 107,Boeing Vertol 234,Sikorsky S-70 "Firehawk" and theSikorsky S-64 Aircrane helitanker, which features a snorkel for filling from a natural or man-made water source while in hover. Currently the world's largest helicopter, theMil Mi-26, uses a Bambi bucket.
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Airtankers orwater bombers are fixed-wing aircraft fitted with tanks that can be filled on the ground at an air tanker base or, in the case offlying boats andamphibious aircraft, by skimming water from lakes, reservoirs, or large rivers without needing to land.
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Various aircraft have been used over the years for firefighting. In 1947, theUnited States Air Force andUnited States Forest Service experimented with military aircraft dropping water-filled bombs. The bombs were unsuccessful, and the use of internal water tanks was adopted instead.[8]
TheMendocino Air Tanker Squad formed byJoseph Bolles Ely in 1956 was the first such unit in the United States to drop water and retardant on fires. Based at theWillows-Glenn County Airport it soon led the way for other agencies to form similar squads.
Though World War II- and Korean War-era bombers were for a long time the mainstay of the aerial firefighting fleet,[9] newer purpose-built tankers have since come online. The smallest are the Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs). These are agricultural sprayers that generally drop about 800 US gallons (3,000 L) of water or retardant. Examples include theAir Tractor AT-802, which can deliver around 800 gallons of water or fire retardant solution in each drop, and the SovietAntonov An-2 biplane. Both of these aircraft can be fitted with floats that scoop water from the surface of a body of water. Similar in configuration to the World War II–eraConsolidated PBY Catalina, theCanadair CL-215 and its derivative theCL-415 are designed and built specifically for firefighting. TheCroatian Air Force uses six CL-415s as well as six AT 802s for firefighting purposes.
Medium-sized modified aircraft include theGrumman S-2 Tracker (retrofitted with turboprop engines as the S-2T) as used by theCalifornia Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), as well as theConair Firecat version developed and used byConair Group Inc. of Canada, while theDouglas DC-4, theDouglas DC-7, theLockheed C-130 Hercules, theLockheed P-2 Neptune, and theLockheed P-3 Orion – and its commercial equivalent, theL-188 Electra – have been used as air tankers. Conair also converted a number ofConvair 580 andFokker F27 Friendship turboprop airliners to air tankers.[10][11]
The largest aerial firefighter ever used is aBoeing 747 aerial firefighter, known as theGlobal Supertanker, that can carry 19,600 US gallons (74,200 L) fed by a pressurized drop system. The Supertanker was deployed operationally for the first time in 2009, fighting a fire in Spain.[12] The tanker made its first American operation on August 31, 2009, at theOak Glen Fire.[13][14] It has since been replaced by aBoeing 747-400.[15] Another wide body jetliner that is currently being used as an air tanker is the modifiedMcDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 operated by the10 Tanker Air Carrier company as theDC-10 Air Tanker.[16] It can carry up to 12,000 US gallons (45,400 L) of fire fighting retardant.
The RussianMinistry of Emergency Situations operates convertible-to-cargoIlyushin Il-76 airtankers that have been operating with 11,000-US-gallon (41,600 L) tanking systems, and severalBeriev Be-200 jet poweredamphibian aircraft. The Be-200 can carry a maximum payload of about 12,000 litres (3,200 US gal) of water, making "scoops" in suitable stretches of water in 14 seconds.
Bombardier'sDash 8 Q Series aircraft are the basis of new, next-generation air tankers.Cascade Aerospace has converted two pre-owned Q400s to act as part-time water bomber and part-time transport aircraft for France'sSécurité Civile,[17] while Neptune Aviation is converting a pre-owned Q300 as a prototype to augment itsLockheed P-2 Neptune aircraft. The Sécurité Civile also operates twelve Canadair CL-415 and nineConair Turbo Firecat aircraft. Neptune Aviation also currently operates convertedBritish Aerospace 146 jetliners as air tankers.[18] The BAe 146 can carry up to 3,000 gallons of fire fighting retardant. Air Spray USA Ltd. of Chico, California has also converted the BAe 146 jetliner to the role of air tanker.[19] Another modern-era passenger aircraft that has now been converted for aerial firefighting missions in the U.S. is theMcDonnell Douglas MD-87 jetliner operated by Erickson Aero Tanker.[20][21] The MD-87 can carry up to 4,000 gallons of fire fighting retardant. Coulson Aviation unveiled aBoeing 737-300 firefighting conversion in May 2017. Six aircraft have been purchased fromSouthwest Airlines for the RADS system conversion which was planned to enter service in December 2017. The 737 aircraft is smaller than the C-130Q which allows for a wider range of airfields to be utilized. Britt Coulson further stated the aircraft will be able to retain the current seat and galley configuration for tanker operations.[22] On 22 November 2018, the 737 was used for the first time to fight a fire near Newcastle, Australia.[23]
In July 2022, Airbus tested the aerial firefighting capacity of theA400M using a roll-on/roll-off kit comprising a 20-tonne water tank and piping allowing the load to be expelled from the end of the cargo ramp.[24]
All links, citations and data sources are listed in the paragraph above. For accident and grounding citations, see paragraph below table.
| Make and model | Country of origin | Category | Water/retardant capacity, US gallons (litres) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Tractor AT-802F | United States | Light | 807 US gal (3,050 L) | |
| Air Tractor AT-1002 | United States | Medium | 1,000 US gal (3,800 L) | |
| AN-32P Firekiller | Ukraine | Medium | 2,113 US gal (8,000 L) | |
| AVIC AG600 Kunlong | China | Medium | 3,170 US gal (12,000 L) | In development |
| BAe 146 | United Kingdom | Medium | 3,000 US gal (11,000 L) | |
| Beriev Be-200 | Russia | Medium | 3,173 US gal (12,010 L) | |
| Boeing 737-300 | United States | Medium | 4,000 US gal (15,000 L) | |
| Boeing747 Supertanker | United States | Heavy | 19,600 US gal (74,000 L) | No longer in service |
| Bombardier Dash 8 Q400-MR | Canada | Medium | 2,600 US gal (9,800 L) | |
| Canadair CL-215 | Canada | Medium | 1,300 US gal (4,900 L) | |
| Canadair CL-415 | Canada | Medium | 1,621 US gal (6,140 L) | |
| Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer | United States | Medium | 2,000 US gal (7,600 L) | No longer in service |
| De Havilland Canada DHC-515 | Canada | Medium | 1,850 US gal (7,000 L) | |
| Douglas B-26 | United States | Medium | No longer in service | |
| Douglas DC-4 | United States | Medium | No longer in service | |
| Douglas DC-6 | United States | Medium | 2,800 US gal (11,000 L) | |
| Douglas DC-7 | United States | Medium | 3,000 US gal (11,000 L) | No longer in service |
| Embraer C-390 Millennium | Brazil | Medium | 3,200 US gal (12,000 L) | |
| Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar | United States | Medium | No longer in service | |
| Grumman S-2 Tracker | United States | Medium | 1,200 US gal (4,500 L) | |
| Ilyushin Il-76 | Russia | Heavy | 13,000 US gal (49,000 L) | Largest active waterbomber aircraft |
| Lockheed C-130 Hercules | United States | Medium | 3,000 US gal (11,000 L) | |
| Lockheed L-188 Electra | United States | Medium | 3,000 US gal (11,000 L) | |
| Lockheed P-2 Neptune | United States | Medium | 3,000 US gal (11,000 L) | |
| Martin Mars | United States | Medium | 7,200 US gal (27,000 L) | No longer in service |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 | United States | Heavy | 12,000 US gal (45,000 L) | |
| McDonnell DouglasMD-87 | United States | Medium | 4,000 US gal (15,000 L) | |
| North American B-25 | United States | Medium | No longer in service | |
| P-2V Neptune | United States | Medium | 2,362 US gal (8,940 L) | No longer in service |
| P-3 Orion | United States | Medium | 3,000 US gal (11,000 L) | No longer in service |
| PBY Catalina | United States | Medium | 1,000 US gal (3,800 L) or 1,500 US gal (5,700 L) for the Super model | No longer in service |
| PZL-Mielec M-18 Dromader | Poland | Light | 570 US gal (2,200 L) | |
| ShinMaywa US-2 | Japan | Medium | 3,595 US gal (13,610 L)[25] |
Category legend: Light: under 1,000 US gallons (3,800 L), Medium: under 10,000 US gallons (38,000 L), Heavy: Greater than 10,000 US gallons (38,000 L)
Other former military aircraft utilized as firefighting air tankers in the U.S. in the past included theB-17 and thePB4Y-2, a version of theB-24.
The Lead Plane function directs the activities of the airtankers by both verbal target descriptions and by physically leading the airtankers on the drop run. The leadplane is typically referred to as a "Bird Dog" in Canada or "Supervision" aircraft in Australia. TheO-2 Skymaster, Cessna 310 andOV-10 Bronco have been used as spotter and lead plane platforms. TheOntario Ministry of Natural Resources has also used theCessna 337. TheBeechcraft Baron was long used as a leadplane or air attack ship, but most were retired in 2003; more common now is theBeechcraft King Air and theTwin Commander 690. A Cessna Citation 500 jet owned by Air Spray (1967) LTd. was used by the British Columbia Ministry of Forests beginning in 1995 and used for two fire seasons to lead the very fast Electra L188 air tanker to the fires. This was the first time a jet aircraft was used as a lead plane or "bird dog". The Department of Parks and Wildlife in Western Australia operates a fleet of nineAmerican Champion Scouts 8GCBC during the summer months as spotter aircraft and Air Attack platforms. The Provinces of Alberta and British Columbia and the Yukon Territories contract to supply Twin Commander 690 as bird dog aircraft for their air tanker fleets. Air Spray owns 9 Twin Commander 690 for use as bird dog aircraft.
In the United States, most of these aircraft are privately owned and contracted to government agencies, and theNational Guard and theU.S. Marines also maintain fleets of firefighting aircraft. On May 10, 2004, TheU.S. Forest Service (USFS) and theBureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that they were cancelling contracts with operators of 33 heavy airtankers. They cited liability concerns and an inability to safely manage the fleet after the wing failure and resultingcrash of aC-130A Hercules inCalifornia and aPB4Y-2 inColorado during the summer of 2002. Both aged aircraft broke up in flight due to catastrophicfatigue cracks at the wing roots. After subsequent third-party examination and extensive testing of all USFS contracted heavy airtankers, three companies were awarded contracts and now maintain a combined fleet of 23 aircraft.
Borate salts used in the past to fight wildfires have been found to sterilize the soil and betoxic to animals so are now prohibited.[26] Newer retardants useammonium sulfate orammonium polyphosphate withattapulgiteclay thickener ordiammonium phosphate with aguar gum derivative thickener. Fire retardants often containwetting agents,preservatives andrust inhibitors and are colored red withferric oxide orfugitive color to mark where they have been dropped. Brand names of fire retardants for aerial application include Fortress andPhos-Chek.
Some water-dropping aircraft carry tanks of a guar gum derivative to thicken the water and reduce runoff.
Helicopters can hover over the fire and drop water or retardant. The S-64 Helitanker hasmicroprocessor-controlled doors on its tank. The doors are controlled based on the area to be covered and wind conditions. Fixed-wing aircraft must make a pass and drop water or retardant like a bomber. Spotter (Air Tactical Group Supervisor) aircraft often orbit the fire at a higher altitude to coordinate the efforts of the smoke jumper, helicopter, media, and retardant-dropping aircraft, while lead planes fly low-level ahead of the airtankers to mark thetrajectory for the drop, and ensure overall safety for both ground-based and aerial firefighters.
Water is not usually dropped directly on flames because its effect is short-lived. Fire retardants are not typically used to extinguish the fire, but instead are used to contain the fire, or slow it down to allow ground crews to contain it. Because of this, retardants are usually dropped in front of or around a moving fire, rather than directly on it, creating afirebreak.
Aerial firefighting is most effectively used in conjunction with ground-based efforts, as aircraft are only one weapon in the firefighting arsenal. However, there have been cases of aircraft extinguishing fires long before ground crews were able to reach them.[27]
Some firefighting aircraft can refill their tanks in mid-flight, by flying down to skim the surface of large bodies of water. One example is theBombardier CL-415. This is particularly useful in rural areas where flying back to an airbase for refills may take too much time. In 2002 an Ontario CL-415 crew was able to refill 100 times within a 4-hour mission, delivering 162,000 US gallons (613,240 L) or 1,350,000 pounds (612 t) of water on a fire nearDryden, Ontario[28] (June 1, 2002 Dryden fire # 10 Tanker #271 civil ident C-GOGE).
The popular media also frequently use the termswater bomber,fire bomber orborate bomber. Helicopters often are used to drop retardant or water on a wildfire, whether they're functioning as helitankers (a heavy helicopter outfitted with a belly tank for dropping water or retardant on a fire), or medium- or light-weight helicopters equipped with buckets for smaller drops on fires). Some helicopters are used on fires for cargo (helitack) delivering supplies to firefighters, usually with netted cargo slung under a helicopter, and other helicopters are certified for and used for personnel transport -- ferrying wildland firefighters to remote locations where ground transport is either difficult or impossible.
