Aerial Firefighting 08
Aerial Firefighting 08 : Equipment: Airtankers: The "Super Scoopers" are not common in the United States where only 2 operate seasonally in southern California. Los Angeles County leases two CL-415s from the Province of Quebec during the fall when the Santa Ana winds are at their worst. 6 American owned CL-215s operate for various State and Federal agencies. Critics of scoopers in the US claim that there is not enough suitable water in fire prone states. CL-215s have been employed with success in North Carolina, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Washington, Alaska, Northern Idaho, and Montana. French "S?curit? Civile" owns 12 Canadair CL-415, 9 Conair Turbo-Firecat and 2 Dash 8. Most pilots are retired navy aviator, less often regular air force pilots or even ex members of acrobatic teams like "La Patrouille de France". It is a high-risk job that requires very skilled pilots. Croatian Air Force uses six CL-415 planes, as well as the six AT 802s for (mainly) firefighting purposes. Another amphibian is the Russian Beriev Be-200. It can carry a maximum payload of about 3,170 US gallons (12,000 l) of water, making "scoops" in suitable stretches of water in 14 seconds. It was successfully used to fight fires in the southern European countries such as Greece and Portugal. Also in Asian countries like Israel
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