How Pilots Are Using Fire Retardant To Stop LA Fires
LOADING ERROR LOADING As the devastating Los Angeles fires stretch into their second week, a small army of firefighters has descended on the area, along with eight C-130 aircraft activated by U.S. Northern Command. Hoke’s C-130 — a model nicknamed “Hercules” for its impressive strength and size — has been equipped with a Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS. The flight engineer takes care of the plane’s fuel systems, electrical systems, “all that stuff,” Hoke said. The lead plane’s crew say things like “good start, but it drifted this way so next time drop it 50 yards to the left,” Hoke said. “It’s a team effort with that lead airplane to put it in the right spot.” In addition to the hazards of flying low over variable terrain, the fire poses its own dangers.
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