Hello All: I suspect that the use of the Canadian Super Scooper's airplanes is a indication that we are low on operational aircraft needed to fight fires. Wondering if there are any new aircraft or planes for newer or better aircraft to replace the aging existing aircraft?
Setting at the Fox Field Airport in Lancaster Ca, watching the U.S.F.S. fire fighting aircraft taking off and landing is a real sight with watching the older aircraft, they should charge admission in the Restaurant there.
Listening to the Forest Service is hit and miss from my experience. I like listening to the Air Boss or Air Supervisor calling the shots, coordinating during a fire, from a observation airplane. This job calls for A person to think outside the box and way past your nose. Dealing with other pilots as to where to make a water drop, Helo's, Ground Crews. And Forest Management telling they needed equipment and personal needed for the next day and such.
All these activities DO NOT happen on the same frequency, but the Air Drops, Helo's, Ground Crew (Bulldozers) Chiefs, and Forest Service Management traffic are on different frequencies, and is quit a task to track all these frequencies down. When I was wanting to listen to all of it I used three Scanner radios, one to scan the FS channels, one scanning the aero band. and the third scanner on a single frequency listening to the Air Boss or Supervisor talking to all the other airplanes.
Writing down the frequencies and programming these "HOT" frequencies into a bank into the scanner radio, was a big help the next day as some frequencies where used and some had been changed. The new bank of frequencies was great indicator as to if the same or other frequencies where used.
I have experienced The U.S.F.S., LAFD, and others who support fighting the fire, sometimes use channels / frequencies not in a data base or list for fire fighting use. Its very impressive how well the different agencies get along with each other, well done...
Jay in the Mojave