I was wandering around YHD International the other day. Couldn't help but notice the moss is growing on the north side of the CL415s. As one fire patrol pilot put it...."Its a good year to be a tree.." Yup, sure is.

Well, can't speak much for back home.. but, we were hopping in NorCal for much of June and July.

It's quieted down for now.

Doc wrote:I was wandering around YHD International the other day. Couldn't help but notice the moss is growing on the north side of the CL415s. As one fire patrol pilot put it...."Its a good year to be a tree.." Yup, sure is.

Can I use that quote?

Been in YVO since May and haven't seen a single fire so far this season, and not looking likely to for the rest of the season either. Pretty much the same for the rest of the province. I keep busy by chasing birds and spiders away from the 310. The regular tanker crews and most of the tankers have all gone home to Quebec City, so it's just us contract guys left out here manning the store.

Oh well, 25 days to go in the contract.

Cheers!

Dammit Wannab Didn't I teach you anything!!



I saw a wicked deal on these road flares down at Cambodian Tire the other day,

. wrote:Dammit Wannab Didn't I teach you anything!!


I saw a wicked deal on these road flares down at Cambodian Tire the other day,

You indeed taught me well, Obi-... Turns out those things don't burn so good under water!

Napalm anyone?



If anyone is keeping score, here are some stats for Quebec as of today.

Fires this year
138

Hectares burned this year
126.00


Five-year average at same date
648

Hectares burned
137,130.20


Great year to be a tree indeed!

I spotted one near Banff this afternoon working its way up a canyon on the east slope. How many did you find today?

I've only found four fires so far in SE BC this year. I thought it was kind of hilarious how quick the tankers, choppers, and IA crews hit a 20x20m rank 1 I found with four spots smoldering on the top of a hill in the middle of nowhere.


But there's been some wicked electrical storms and pretty hot weather this week; it's not over yet.

.

Things are getting busier in Ontario the last couple of days. Lots of sunshine and thousands of lightning strikes should help get the moss off the tankers!!

Flybabe wrote:Well, can't speak much for back home.. but, we were hopping in NorCal for much of June and July.

It's quieted down for now.

We have been down at Lake Shasta for a while now and like you said June and July were busy but the last while quiet. Which tanker group are you with?

fougner wrote:.., the fire that you found on Monday, was it near Barrier lake east of Canmore?

ya that was the one I wasn't really paying attention just near "Opale" going into YYC, And I don't think I was the first to spot it but thought I would rub it in to WannabATP that I find fires and I aint even trying. In 2004 I found 36 all on my own in the Yukon, but the entire territory was buring so it really wasn't that hard.

. wrote:...but thought I would rub it in to WannabATP that I find fires and I aint even trying.

Damn, mission accomplished.

Oh well, at least I got to log some multi-PIC today....and tomorrow too! Wow, 2 days in a row.

Still no fires though. But the weather is looking like it might dry up a bit over the next week and a half or so. If you got any more of those Cambodian candles, feel free to drop them anywhere in north western Quebec (make sure you light them first!).

I ran out and their not paying me enough to buy more.

Cheers anywayz!

SeptRepair wrote: Which tanker group are you with?

T-42, P2V

If you're still here, missed the drops on Miller today. We were either before or after, saw 1 drop from about 15 miles.

I am scheduled to rotate in next Tuesday. I was watching you guys come into Redding a few times while i was working on our birddog a couple weeks back. I love the JATO!!! On side note, it rained like a mofo here today on the island, so i dont see our machine coming home anytime soon.

Especially since you guys reneged on the BCFS contract. At least we won’t have to worry about that thing interfering with another fire in BC again.

SeptRepair wrote: I love the JATO!!!

There's really nothing like it. LOL - it's pretty cool in flight too. Lose a recip and start 2 jets.

We're all but done in Northern Manitoba... places where 100mm of rain are forecast over the next few days..

bigredone wrote:Especially since you guys reneged on the BCFS contract. At least we won’t have to worry about that thing interfering with another fire in BC again.

What The What? Why Not I love seeing those things around here in the summers?

I think there are some sour grapes by bigredong. Once again the fire season in BC has been a dismal one. California had some serious fires and wanted some expert help down south to compliment the professionals already down their. Fortunatly BCFS released the tanker from contract to allow it to help our neighbours down south. It was under the understanding that if any thing serious happend in BC, the tanker would be recalled immediately. No serious fires developed and no return was needed. No money was loss by the Province. They didnt pay for us to sit around. As for the comment "interfering with a fire in BC".....hmmm how does one respond to such a juvenile statement? The people of Northern California have loved the work done so far to date. We hear nothing but positive comments from all people in USFS and other operators about the impact our aircraft can have on certain types of fires. Even George Dubya himself came by to check out our machine. I think we have had an impact far greater than anyone could have imagined. I am sure we are far from being considered interfering. Now go away bigredong and let the adults here continue to have a discussion.

Flybabe wrote:

SeptRepair wrote: I love the JATO!!!

There's really nothing like it. LOL - it's pretty cool in flight too. Lose a recip and start 2 jets.

I thought when your in the thick of things you guys had the jets at idle in case one of the recips drops its guts. Either way, you guys still fly some pretty cool shit.

"interfering with a fire in BC".....hmmm how does one respond to such a juvenile statement?

Obviously this poster meant that the Mars would put out the fire ( as in interfer with )
like in Kelowna where the wonderful fire suppression experts under the BC Forest gurus allowed the fires to destroy hundreds of homes.

In other words bigredone does not want you interfering with their fires by putting them out.

If that is indeed what he meant i appologise. I completely took it the wrong way as if we were interfering with progress in putting out a fire. The intiial statement of accusing our company of renegin on a contract to me set the tone of his later sentence. I guess only he knows what he meant.

I guess only he knows what he meant.

Yeh, but it sure sounded like he/she was being sarcastic........

.......If he/she is working under the BC Forest system for fire supression he/she could feel defensive given all the @#$! ups that bunch have had over the years.

I was not being at all sarcastic. In fact I couldn’t be more serious about the lack of efficiency a Martin Mars has around a fire…aside from a publicity stunt. As far as public opinion being fact, I doubt even any of you will buy that. If you want to talk about the 2003 season then the fact that one 415 from Quebec put more L/hr on the Kelowna fire will “extinguish” any argument. To the point of a slow fire season, as is usual BCFS has actioned far more fires than any other agency this year. It has been slower than usual but a 50+ target day here and there has kept the season rolling along nicely. As for Cat Driver…or is that Cab Driver…you continue to show that what little you may have know about aerial fire fighting is at best out dated and most likely second hand hearsay.

SeptRepair wrote: I thought when your in the thick of things you guys had the jets at idle in case one of the recips drops its guts. Either way, you guys still fly some pretty cool shit.

We have them at idle before drops, yes. Cruise flight, they're off. They burn way too much fuel to be kept running for any length of time unless required

Was up at Shasta tonight, hard to see the big bird but she's out there