They’re not including (not maliciously) but don’t forget the spotter helicopters directing traffic and bombers. Utterly amazing work staying in the air for as long as possible.
asheraddict on
I see a lot of people criticizing the government saying they aren’t spending any money on fighting fires but it seems their approach is to invest heavily in fighting fires from the air
SKSerpent on
There are currently 75 aircraft deployed for fire operations in Victoria according to what I’ve seen – a huge effort as well bringing in international expertise to keep our fleet running, particularly with Blackhawks being subject to special requirements for maintainence and operation, being ex-military aircraft.
msfinch87 on
Aerial firefighting is possibly the biggest development in firefighting. The difference it has made is enormous.
I have experienced the way they hover over a particular area and then wait to dump the water just before a fire can hit a house or livestock, protecting them in the most effective manner possible. They are also great for otherwise inaccessible areas.
They are also the best protection on the ground firefighters have. If members in trucks are at risk they will water bomb them. It has saved countless lives.
The skills of the pilots astound me.
One of the huge issues they had yesterday was that conditions meant they couldn’t use the aircraft much. Presuming they can today, we should see some significant improvements in a lot of the major fires. Unfortunately I believe they are still struggling to fly them in the conditions of the Walwa fire.
NoHovercraft3224 on
There’s a whole heap of spotter planes (most under BDOG call signs) as well. Plus a couple of planes that regularly fly back and forth over the fires mapping them to help with updating VicEmergency/firies etc.
OGTrainDriver on
They are real heroes 💯
wharblgarbl on
Jeez there’s some absolute units there! Chonks!
Jisp_36 on
Cheers for acknowledging them. 🍻
Legitimate_Fly_3247 on
Who’s stationed in Mansfield? They’d be having a day today.
Will0144 on
Absolute heroes, i live under a flight path to the Longwood area from Essendon airport and it’s been incredible being able to see some of these beasts like the Blackhawks and the Skycrane flying so low to the ground over my house
IceTitan420 on
🫡🫡🫡
Pitiful_Platform6439 on
why does the second one, the orange ‘Sikorsky’, say “Erikson’ on it?
yoghurt1287 on
Slightly off topic, but I was on Mount Tarrengower last night watching the fire at Mount Alexander and Harcourt burning clearly and saw many aircraft flying over, thinking they’re dropping water. So I checked the radar and most of them were commercial flights that seemed to be just getting close for a look?
bocky2 on
I see the yellow sky crane and the black/orange Blackhawk every day at Moorabbin Airport, they’re awesome in person.
If you want to see them, you can drive behind the Autobarn and look through the fence. The size of the sky crane especially is insane.
I work at Moorabbin airport and you won’t believe how big these things are in person and how much wash they produce when you’re near it. Incredible machines.
Two questions: why don’t we own some of those bigger choppers? Do they not make them anymore?
And how effective are they (all)? Like would we be screwed without them?
Okay that was four questions.
Snowmay- on
🫡
OverCaffeinated_ on
I’m amazed at how old some of these are.
Oracle82 on
Hats off to the crews keeping these craft airborne and operational in very tough conditions. Major winds, big heat updrafts, can’t be easy as they land, refuel, reload water tanks etc… then back at it.
Keeping our ground crews covered where they can.
Can’t be more thankful.
geelongguyaus on
I work at a LATs base refuelling the bombers and have gotten to know the crews over the years.
They’re absolute legends and top people.
The Birddog pilots are some of the best you’ll come across. The hours they put in to protect our land is insane. 9 hours flying yesterday with only breaks to refuel. Absolute machines ❤️
smokeeater150 on
The Saints are coming.
darling_moishe on
I’m in the west suburbs and fires are rapidly popping up all over the map in Wyndham the past hour. They must be exhausted
Several_Category on
Absolute legends, thanks for keeping us safe guys!
BluesBoyKing1925 on
Legends
drunkill on
The fact we don’t have a squadron of C130s fitted out for firefighting every summer by the RAAF is so fucking stupid.
We have the pilots, it gives them hours of training on actual civil service instead of doing laps of Townsville on training missions.
We were going to get a federal aerial firefighting service if Shorten had won the election, instead we got ‘I don’t hold a hose’ Morrison as PM instead and labor abandoned almost all their policies going forward.
willcritchlow23 on
Goodness me! I didn’t realize the age of those sky cranes. They actually look quite modern!
Gold_Afternoon_Fix on
Thank you to everyone out there doing their bit!
jimbobeatseverything on
Amazing.
I was watching one drop on the Ravenwood fire over Mount Alexander this evening. Any idea approx. how much water they drop with each load? I assume it is aircraft dependent, but I have no idea if it is 1000 litres or 10s of thousands of litres?
30 Comments
They’re not including (not maliciously) but don’t forget the spotter helicopters directing traffic and bombers. Utterly amazing work staying in the air for as long as possible.
I see a lot of people criticizing the government saying they aren’t spending any money on fighting fires but it seems their approach is to invest heavily in fighting fires from the air
There are currently 75 aircraft deployed for fire operations in Victoria according to what I’ve seen – a huge effort as well bringing in international expertise to keep our fleet running, particularly with Blackhawks being subject to special requirements for maintainence and operation, being ex-military aircraft.
Aerial firefighting is possibly the biggest development in firefighting. The difference it has made is enormous.
I have experienced the way they hover over a particular area and then wait to dump the water just before a fire can hit a house or livestock, protecting them in the most effective manner possible. They are also great for otherwise inaccessible areas.
They are also the best protection on the ground firefighters have. If members in trucks are at risk they will water bomb them. It has saved countless lives.
The skills of the pilots astound me.
One of the huge issues they had yesterday was that conditions meant they couldn’t use the aircraft much. Presuming they can today, we should see some significant improvements in a lot of the major fires. Unfortunately I believe they are still struggling to fly them in the conditions of the Walwa fire.
There’s a whole heap of spotter planes (most under BDOG call signs) as well. Plus a couple of planes that regularly fly back and forth over the fires mapping them to help with updating VicEmergency/firies etc.
They are real heroes 💯
Jeez there’s some absolute units there! Chonks!
Cheers for acknowledging them. 🍻
Who’s stationed in Mansfield? They’d be having a day today.
Absolute heroes, i live under a flight path to the Longwood area from Essendon airport and it’s been incredible being able to see some of these beasts like the Blackhawks and the Skycrane flying so low to the ground over my house
🫡🫡🫡
why does the second one, the orange ‘Sikorsky’, say “Erikson’ on it?
Slightly off topic, but I was on Mount Tarrengower last night watching the fire at Mount Alexander and Harcourt burning clearly and saw many aircraft flying over, thinking they’re dropping water. So I checked the radar and most of them were commercial flights that seemed to be just getting close for a look?
I see the yellow sky crane and the black/orange Blackhawk every day at Moorabbin Airport, they’re awesome in person.
If you want to see them, you can drive behind the Autobarn and look through the fence. The size of the sky crane especially is insane.
https://preview.redd.it/45n1n7ra2gcg1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d22f1800248722564ffe1057a2bffe56d095126
I work at Moorabbin airport and you won’t believe how big these things are in person and how much wash they produce when you’re near it. Incredible machines.
https://preview.redd.it/23skh390egcg1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=75f5da65e4f282f162547432e99d1ca34652b6a7
This was “Elvis” (N179AC) back in 2002 in Sydney on New Year’s Day.
There were fires ripping up the Lane Cove National Park valley and this dam was the nearest ware source.
This moron decided to get way too close. Wood chips flying everywhere. Everyone yelling at him to move. I was right back at fence using the zoom lens!
https://preview.redd.it/ud855hoxegcg1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9df89f1532a68d6c9873201e75ebb91c0d75763f
Amazing people.
Two questions: why don’t we own some of those bigger choppers? Do they not make them anymore?
And how effective are they (all)? Like would we be screwed without them?
Okay that was four questions.
🫡
I’m amazed at how old some of these are.
Hats off to the crews keeping these craft airborne and operational in very tough conditions. Major winds, big heat updrafts, can’t be easy as they land, refuel, reload water tanks etc… then back at it.
Keeping our ground crews covered where they can.
Can’t be more thankful.
I work at a LATs base refuelling the bombers and have gotten to know the crews over the years.
They’re absolute legends and top people.
The Birddog pilots are some of the best you’ll come across. The hours they put in to protect our land is insane. 9 hours flying yesterday with only breaks to refuel. Absolute machines ❤️
The Saints are coming.
I’m in the west suburbs and fires are rapidly popping up all over the map in Wyndham the past hour. They must be exhausted
Absolute legends, thanks for keeping us safe guys!
Legends
The fact we don’t have a squadron of C130s fitted out for firefighting every summer by the RAAF is so fucking stupid.
We have the pilots, it gives them hours of training on actual civil service instead of doing laps of Townsville on training missions.
We were going to get a federal aerial firefighting service if Shorten had won the election, instead we got ‘I don’t hold a hose’ Morrison as PM instead and labor abandoned almost all their policies going forward.
Goodness me! I didn’t realize the age of those sky cranes. They actually look quite modern!
Thank you to everyone out there doing their bit!
Amazing.
I was watching one drop on the Ravenwood fire over Mount Alexander this evening. Any idea approx. how much water they drop with each load? I assume it is aircraft dependent, but I have no idea if it is 1000 litres or 10s of thousands of litres?