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Can-Am and Fire Fighter Aircraft

T

thrinsag

New member
Hello Baja ron. Of course the Can-Am is not a fire fighter unit (probably could be used in some instances such as running to McDonalds for the crew's lunches, etc.) but I just noticed your avatar. That is an old Navy Lockheed P2V-7 Submarine Chaser and Sea and Air Rescue unit. The Airforce called it an SP2H. I flew on one back in the early 60's when it also had two additional jet engines and two fuel tip tanks. This was the forerunner of the Orion but also has much of a history as a storm chaser some years before that. You wouldn't believe the weapons and armaments we carried on the bird unless you also had some experience with it. Now it is stripped of the jets, the nose bubble, the belly Radome, and the bomb bay was converted to carry fire repellent. Sorry if this shouldn't have been posted here, but my memories overpowered my restraint. :thumbup::spyder:Otherwise, I apologize.
 
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thrinsag said:
Hello Baja ron. Of course the Can-Am is not a fire fighter unit (probably could be used in some instances such as running to McDonalds for the crew's lunches, etc.) but I just noticed your avatar. That is an old Navy Lockheed P2V-7 Submarine Chaser and Sea and Air Rescue unit. The Airforce called it an SP2H. I flew on one back in the early 60's when it also had two additional jet engines and two fuel tip tanks. This was the forerunner of the Orion but also has much of a history as a storm chaser some years before that. You wouldn't believe the weapons and armaments we carried on the bird unless you also had some experience with it. Now it is stripped of the jets, the nose bubble, the belly Radome, and the bomb bay was converted to carry fire repellent. Sorry if this shouldn't have been posted here, but my memories overpowered my restraint. :thumbup::spyder:Otherwise, I apologize.
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I'm sure this thread will get moved.

Most of the current firefighting aircraft are quite old and have a great history behind them, which all but a few have the privilege of knowing. When I started in the fire service we were using TBM's and PBY's WW2 military aircraft). Some of these are still in service in some places.

TBM-dropping-1972.jpg


Pby%20Fire.jpg



Standing on the fire line below where these guys are working can be pretty interesting. But of all the aircraft this is the one that scared me the most. From what I hear it scared the pilot and crew more than it did us!

8170021821_63289ea29b.jpg
 
It is interesting to watch on TV. I do not think, I have the ????? to do it. Thanks to all who do.
What is # 137, looks kind of like a C-82 or C 119 ? Other nations ??
Just being nosey
Oldmanzues
 
Oldmanzues said:
It is interesting to watch on TV. I do not think, I have the ????? to do it. Thanks to all who do.
What is # 137, looks kind of like a C-82 or C 119 ? Other nations ??
Just being nosey
Oldmanzues
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Good work! C119-J (the 'J' for the Jet engine pasted on top). The jet engine made a lot of noise and made it sound like you were going somewhere. But I think it was something like strapping a briggs and stratton engine to a bus, it just made noise!
 
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I'm seeing some great pictures of some really great planes... flown and operated by some really, really great men! :2thumbs:
 
All pics are awesome. Hats off to you BajaRon in your fire fighting capacity. You guys are real heroes. I was a structural/hydraulics mech in the Navy but never had to do anything during a flight in my 4 years of Navy service. I apologize again for starting this if it is in the wrong forum and the wrong substance for a valid thread. I just became a little melancholy after seeing that old P2V-7 Neptune. Being a newbie doesn't forgive, but maybe it does explain.
 
Not to cause hard feelings but C119s were equipped with jet pods prior to the J model. Some G's had a J34 GE engine added on USAF Boxcars. A C119K had two J85 engines, one under each wing, it was a test aircraft. The prop engines were Wright 4360 radials. I flew on C119s in Viet Nam. Miserable airplane. The C119G was also modified as the gunship "Shadow" and later the C119K as the gunship "Stinger"

Sorry.
 
bruiser said:
Not to cause hard feelings but C119s were equipped with jet pods prior to the J model. Some G's had a J34 GE engine added on USAF Boxcars. A C119K had two J85 engines, one under each wing, it was a test aircraft. The prop engines were Wright 4360 radials. I flew on C119s in Viet Nam. Miserable airplane. The C119G was also modified as the gunship "Shadow" and later the C119K as the gunship "Stinger"

Sorry.
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Not sure why there would be any hard feelings. I am only familiar with the C119-J because that is the one that was always trying to fall out of the sky on top of us poor, helpless, slow moving ground pounders! :yikes:

We heard about other versions but you just can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear! Everyone was glad when they went away.

Then there are the rotary wing aircraft...

The official name for this is the Sky Crane. We just called it 'The Beast!'

Sikorsky-Skycrane.jpg
 
Believe me, every time I got off one of those things I was happy as all get out. They were loud, shaky, vibrating etc. etc. When they were loaded with cargo you prayed that you had enough runway and power to get off the ground and that "Charlie" wasn't sitting off the runway waiting for an easy target.

When I was stationed in New Mexico, the air service I worked part time for brought in two C119s just before I rotated out. I sure was glad that I was leaving.
 
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bruiser said:
Believe me, every time I got off one of those things I was happy as all get out. They were loud, shaky, vibrating etc. etc. When they were loaded with cargo you prayed that you had enough runway and power to get off the ground and that "Charlie" wasn't sitting off the runway waiting for an easy target.

When I was stationed in New Mexico, the air service I worked part time for brought in two C119s just before I rotated out. I sure was glad that I was leaving.
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It does prove that a brick can fly... barely!
 
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