Amazing video: Spanish Air Force 43rd Group

Vimeo ^ | Sept 1, 2012 | Hidros (video poster)

[Carriage Hill]

A friend, who's a US commercial airlines pilot, sent this video to me, and it's just amazing. The skill of a water take-off, water-dump on fires, a water landing and re-filling, and taking-off again, probably dozens and hundreds of times, is absolutely amazing. Looks like 3+ -aircraft involved.

The photography/video is beautifully done.

This is the Spanish AF, though I've not see any USAF videos of this, but a few films of private firms dumping a reddish fire retardant on the western fires this past summer.

I can't even begin to imagine the skill this takes. Anyway, enjoy it and the music...

http://vimeo.com/48642618

[Carriage Hill]

Link:

http://vimeo.com/48642618

[AnalogReigns]

Wonder what kind of planes those are? Larger float-planes like that are rather rare these days. Looks a bit like the Grumman Goose, but I don’t know.

Perhaps actually a Spain-built plane?

[Tugo]

Excellent video.. Thanks.

[Tainan]

I think this might be in the Canary Islands. Its Spanish territory and looks a lot like this.

[petercooper]

bttt

[StainlessDuane]

It’s a Canadiar CL-215. Spain has been flying them for a while.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadair_CL-215

[DFG]

This is a Canadair CL-215.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadair_CL-215

http://www.airliners.net/aircraft-data/stats.main?id=119

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:4316MAT5.jpg

http://www.aviastar.org/air/canada/canadair_cl-215.php

[Carriage Hill]

Bombardier CL-415 SuperScooper...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_415

[Carriage Hill]

It’s a Canadair CL-215, as 2 other posters have stated. my error. I can’t tell an F-15 from an F-18. Duh.

[mosaicwolf]

Interesting how they use the rudders to help dispense the water from one side to the other.

[raybbr]

Actually a pretty crappy video. Shows disjointed scenes, feet pushing pedals, hands pulling on the wheel, etc.

I think I only saw 3 examples of them actually putting out a fire. This is more like a commercial than a video demonstrating what they do.

Just my opinion...

[stuartcr]

Thanks, that was pretty impressive.

[montomike]

They had a couple of them scooping water in Big Arm Bay on Flathead Lake in Western Montana a month or so ago while fighting a fire between Polson and Hot Springs.

Impressive planes, they hit the water, jack up the throttle, and then when full, climb and turn and head to the fire.

We were in a boat about 100 yds away. Me without my camera. I never go anywhere without my camera except when I miss the best shots of my life!

[Carriage Hill]

I’d like to have seen more footage of fire fighting, but that’s all there was.

(;^{O)

[Carriage Hill]

Me too. I have it duct-taped to my hand now. :)

[fella]

With all the wildfires we have every year you would think our Air Force or Navy would have a couple of squadrons of these firefighter style aircraft.

[Carriage Hill]

Didn’t 0bummer just kill the funding for a couple of dozen of these planes because of some EPA-related BS crap?

http://www.gazette.com/articles/obama-140889-edge-rages.html

[MissMagnolia]

The Ice Pilots NWT show on the History channel has had some fascinating episodes on the ‘scooper’ fire-fighting planes. They had planes in Canada that they sold to Turkey and had to make a trans-Atlantic crossing to deliver them, plus they had to train the Turkish pilots. There are 3 episodes concerning the planes:

S01-E05 40/40/40
S01-E09 Transatlantic Crossing
S01-E11 The Crash (students training on one plane crash it)

I really got into watching Ice Pilots, especially the episodes with these planes.

[Carriage Hill]

I missed that; I’ll have another look. Thanks for the catch on that point.