Temporary Tower at McClellan

[Scanman6]

Due to the fire ops and the increase in traffic. there is a controller in the tower at KMCC. Freq is 126.225. Tower will be operating until 2200 local.

06/006 - SVC TEMPO TWR LC 126.225 GC 121.75 1700-0500 DLY. WIE UNTIL 06 JUL 05:00 2008. CREATED: 28 JUN 20:53 2008

 

[scannerboy02]

Varied aircraft provide key support to firefighters

REDDING, Calif. - An unprecedented number of aircraft from across the country-civilian and military- have taken to the skies the past week to support firefighters battling the more than 1,400 wildfires in northern California.
Firefighting aircraft are as varied as the many tasks they perform to support the firefighting efforts on the ground.
More than 60 helicopters are currently working fires in northern California, ranging from small, light helicopters to large, heavy helicopters. Firefighters use helicopters for a wide variety of support tasks, including precise water and retardant drops on specific problem areas, aerial reconnaissance and transporting firefighters, gear and supplies to areas otherwise difficult to reach.
Fixed-wing air tankers typically drop fire retardant or water mixed with gel or foam. These aircraft are typically used to aid firefighters in building containment lines around an active fire. By June 30, the approximately 20 air tankers working in California had dropped more than 940,000 gallons of retardant on fires in northern California.
A Martin Mars Water Bomber from Canada arrived Saturday at Shasta Lake in northern California. It's the largest water-scooping aircraft in the world and is one of only two in existence. After making a scooping run, the aircraft can mix a gel or foam into its 7,200-gallons of water, which makes the water more efficient in suppressing fire.
Small, single-engine air tankers (SEATs) are similar to crop dusters and are well-suited to help firefighters keep a smaller fire in check. Heavy air tankers are often called in to larger fires or blazes threatening homes or other structures.
Fixed-wing aircraft also deliver smoke jumpers - firefighters who parachute into remote fires. The 40 Redding-based smokejumpers, plus 100 additional jumpers from Montana, Idaho and Washington, have all been deployed to the northern California wildfires.
If more than one aircraft is working a fire, an "air attack" control plane is also typically in the sky, guiding the aircraft to specific areas, providing air traffic control to the multiple aircraft, and often serving the critical function as the incident commander's eyes in the sky.
U.S. Northern Command in cooperation with Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard are providing aircraft support to the National Interagency Firefighting Center. Assets include Modular Airborne firefighting systems -capable C-130 H3s, staging out of McClellan Airpark, Calif. - three from the 302nd Airlift Wing out of Colorado, three from the 145th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard, and two from the 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard.
With the Wyoming and North Carolina Airmen on the ground, they will prepare their aircraft to join with other C-130s working a combined effort with the 302nd Air Expeditionary Group to fight the fires. The 302nd AEG is coordinating the employment of the ANG and Reserve aircraft during the wildfire deployment to ensure the necessary support is provided to NIFC and the state of California.
Also, 8 type 1 helicopters are being provided by the U.S. Marine Corps . 4 CH-46 heavy-lift helicopters and 2 CH-53 Super Stallions, and 1 SH-60, equipped with BAMBI buckets, are assisting firefighting efforts in southern California from the Naval Air Station in Lemoore, Calif.

In addition fourteen National Guard helicopters have been assisting firefighters in northern California. Eleven are water-drooping helicopters and three are light reconnaissance.
A media center has been established and media representatives are encouraged to contact the JIC. A website has been established at http://www.piersystems.com/go/site/1782/. Members of the public are urged to continue to contact the local information centers for specific area updates.
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[Scanman6]

Heavy flight ops at McClellan

07/005 - SVC TEMP TWR 126.22 1700-0500 DLY. WIE UNTIL UFN. CREATED: 06 JUL 14:51 2008

Things sure are busy over at KMCC. Controllers are really workiing. Looks like they'll be staying awhile. I thought they'd be there past 7/6. I got to see a Guard C130 banking for landing as I was comming home from a trip to Lovelock NV. Pretty hard to see with the smoke and thier paint scheme.

 

[sac-emt]

McClellen Activity

I currently live on the outskirts of the flight line for McClellan and have monitored the traffic. Very busy I should say.

Though, I have seen plenty of activity out of Mather just as consistantly as well.

Just an FYI.

 

[swylie]

Camino Interagency Command Center is Dispatch

The Camino Interagency Command Center is the Dispatch Center for McClellan, you can here the dispatches on AEU local net 151.1900.

 

[Scanman6]

Cool Video Re Tower & MAFFS

Some cool vids on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M38ZspEL4LE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REq1HvXpw5Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siqnwSPlrLY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dXVaneopxQ

You can go to my Youtube page and see these all together if it makes it easier for you.

I was hoping someone would do a peice on the McClellan Tower. Hats off to all who are making it happen in this firefighting effort.