Aviation-Guide - Flipbook - Page 2
History
W
ith a fleet consisting of more than 60 fixed and rotary wing aircraft, CAL FIRE
boasts the largest civil aerial firefighting fleet worldwide. Strategically
positioned across California, CAL FIRE’s aircraft can be found at 14 air
tanker bases, 10 CAL FIRE helitack bases, and one CAL FIRE/San Diego County Sheriff
helitack base. In as little as 20 minutes, these aircraft can reach even the most remote
State Responsibility Area (SRA) fires. The CAL FIRE Aviation Management Unit is located
at Sacramento McClellan Airport and operates with support from contractors DynCorp/
Amentum and Logistics Specialties Incorporated (LSI).
Airtanker Program
Aircraft were first proposed for fighting California’s wildland fires in 1931, and again in
the late 1940s after World War II. CAL FIRE used several small airtankers on a Call-WhenNeeded basis between 1954-1957, and in 1958, the Department contracted with private
aviation companies for airtanker services. The air program expanded until the early 1970s,
when CAL FIRE owned and operated 14 turboprop air tactical aircraft and seven multiengine retardant/water dropping aircraft. Early aircraft included SOCATA TBMs, Grumman
F7Fs, Consolidated PBYs, and a Boeing B-17.
By the late 1970s, CAL FIRE made the Grumman S-2 its primary airtanker. In 1987, the
Department began upgrading to turbine-driven engines and, by 2005, all airtankers had
been converted to the Grumman S-2T model. In 2006, CAL FIRE placed the first “ Very Large
Air Tanker” on contact, a converted McDonnell Douglas DC-10, further enhancing initial and
extended attack capabilities.
In July 2018, California obtained approval for the acquisition of seven C-130H aircraft
for CAL FIRE to further improve firefighting capabilities. The 2019 National Defense
Authorization Act allowed for the transfer of the planes from the United States Coast
Guard to California, following modifications by the United States Air Force, including
the replacement of center wing boxes and outer wings, general programmed depot level
maintenance, painting, and retardant dispersal system installation. Once complete, the
United States Coast Guard can transfer ownership to CAL FIRE. The first transferred C-130Hs
will be response-ready in the near future, following extensive wing-box modifications, RDS
contracting/installation by the United States Air Force, and pilot training and certification.
Air Tactical Aircraft
In 1974, CAL FIRE acquired 20 Cessna O-2 aircraft from the US Air Force, previously used
during the Vietnam War, for use as an Air Attack platform to direct airtankers, helicopters,
and provide incident updates to ground resources.
In 1993 the Department replaced the aging O-2 platform with 16 North American OV-10A
aircraft, which were obtained from the Department of Defense. The OV-10s were equipped
with turbine-powered twin engines and served as the next-generation Air Attack platform.
The current fleet consists of 15 “A” models and one “D” model.
To support fleet maintenance and surge capacity, CAL FIRE recently acquired four additional
OV-10 Air Tactical Aircraft from NASA. These aircraft will undergo extensive refurbishment
before entering service in the coming years.
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