Last Large Piston Engine Air Tanker Still Flying

[Larry Kraus]

Tanker 60 is ex-Eastern Airlines DC-7B N838D owned and operated by Aero Air (Erickson Aero Tanker). This airplane is on the final year of a multi year contract with the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and based in Medford. T60 went on duty on July 19th and has flown on several fires.

3C9E28C3-0593-4832-8F1B-BFC0BBB713ED by tanker622001, on Flickr

I posted these pictures on another thread, but they may have been missed.

1B398BF6-5CC4-4650-BDB4-DDF52D30ECD9 by tanker622001, on Flickr

5EB19F50-A753-44E8-B119-A182500D3C52 by tanker622001, on Flickr

These two pictures aren’t the best quality. They were taken from Medford Channel 12 TV website.

This was on July 19th on a fire near Dead Indian Road near Medford

331D97CE-5B34-43A0-9960-CEC8FC7FBC95 by tanker622001, on Flickr

This was initial attack on the Worthington Fire near Eagle Point in the Medford area on July 30th

966A18C7-9CC7-4642-95EB-04787EF16AB6 by tanker622001, on Flickr

Last edited by Larry Kraus on Fri Aug 07, 2020 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[martin_sam_2000]

Not entirely correct. There are a large number of CL-215’s still flying around the world.

Still pretty cool to see a DC-7 working for a living!!

Sean

[Larry Kraus]

I suppose that I should change the title to “The Last Large Piston Engine Air Tanker Still Flying”

[Chris Brame]

Any guess as to whether its contract may be renewed? If not, does Aero Air have plans for its future preservation (museum donation)?

[Larry Kraus]

I don’t think that anyone has a good grasp as to a contract renewal at this time. As the last large piston engine tanker just getting fuel and oil can be a problem. Can you imagine telling line service at your local F.BO. That you need 2000 gallons of 100LL (much rather have 115/145) and 50 gallons of 120W oil? How about several times a day? So, logistics are becoming a major issue.

As to a museum, Erickson’s Air Museum in Madras will get one of their 3 DC-7s . Tanker 62 N401US and Tanker 66 N6353C are both ex-United Airlines airplanes. Both T62 and T66 now have the same paint scheme as T60. Here they are in better days.

F44F3A0D-4771-405C-B85B-1491659098B2 by tanker622001, on Flickr

F53EE840-8F21-4B64-B9A6-83B529DD8BC0 by tanker622001, on Flickr

[Mick G]

State of Kansas has a S-2 Tracker which they acquired last year and was put into service this season.

[Hooligan2]

One less CL-215 now as very sadly a Spanish example crashed while fire fighting today. At least one of the crew has died. A dangerous occupation for brave people.

[Michel Lemieux]

Thank you Larry!

Through out the years I have always enjoyed your stories and pictures.

Beyond the men, adventures, tragedies, planes and memories....from an outsider perspective, I mostly enjoy the paint schemes adopted by various services using old warbirds and prop liners.

Truly unique.

Cheers

[martin_sam_2000]

One less CL-215 now as very sadly a Spanish example crashed while fire fighting today. At least one of the crew has died. A dangerous occupation for brave people.

ouch..Looks like the left engine is feathered. Bad place to be if they lost the engine.

https://www.airlive.net/wp-content/uplo ... AGqum.jpeg

Sean

[Mike]

Also the last airworthy DC-7s anywhere on the planet.

[exhaustgases]

Some high up official has major hate for piston engine planes? I see a huge lack of trying to put out the wild fires, as they spend more time lighting more fire.
Elimination of all the old fire bombers was a huge mistake.

[JohnB]

Some high up official has major hate for piston engine planes?

Blame the U.S. Forest Service...they set the rules over the years that banned TBMs (I believe in the basis of their single engines...only to allow turbine AG aircraft), Older warbirds, and basically anything too old.
Some of that is the result of the caught on video crashes (after wing failures) of a civil C-130 and PB4Y. If you're too young to remember those, I'm sure the videos are on YouTube.

In short, Forest Service managers are civil servants and they have to be seen doing something in the wake of well publicized crashes.
After (IIRC) Two B-25 crashes in one day back in the early '60s, they banned B-25s from fire fighting...except in Alaska. I would think an unsafe aircraft would be unsafe up there as well...but that's an example of their CYA mentality.
So, they ban things that may still be viable...but have a bad public or governmental reputation.

[Firebird]

Some high up official has major hate for piston engine planes?

Blame the U.S. Forest Service...they set the rules over the years that banned TBMs (I believe in the basis of their single engines...only to allow turbine AG aircraft), Older warbirds, and basically anything too old.
Some of that is the result of the caught on video crashes (after wing failures) of a civil C-130 and PB4Y. If you're too young to remember those, I'm sure the videos are on YouTube.

In short, Forest Service managers are civil servants and they have to be seen doing something in the wake of well publicized crashes.
After (IIRC) Two B-25 crashes in one day back in the early '60s, they banned B-25s from fire fighting...except in Alaska. I would think an unsafe aircraft would be unsafe up there as well...but that's an example of their CYA mentality.
So, they ban things that may still be viable...but have a bad public or governmental reputation.

The incompetence and stupidity of Govt officials (be it elected or employees) knows no bounds......its the same the world over.