Do Planes drop water on fires?

Water is not usually dropped directly on flames because its effect is short-lived. Fire retardants are not typically used to extinguish the fire, but instead are used to contain the fire, or slow it down to allow ground crews to contain it.

What is the plane called that drops water on fires?

Water Scoopers are amphibious aircraft that skim the surface of a water body and scoop water into an onboard tank and then drop it on a fire. Aircraft types: Bombardier CL-415 and Air Tractor Fire Boss.

What is the fire retardant dropped from planes made of?

As stated previously, the Phos-Chek retardants consist primarily of ammonium phosphate or ammonium polyphosphate. These salts function as the active fire retardant component in the composition. .

What is the speed of a plane making a drop of fire retardant materials?

Using the pressurized system, the aircraft can deliver retardant to the scene of a fire while flying at a height of 400 to 800 ft, at approximately 140 kts, configured as if it were on approach for landing.

What kind of plane drops water on wildfires?

Myloup photo. The CL-415 is an amphibious water bomber purpose-built to land in bodies of water, scoop up a bellyful of H20, and drop it on wildfires. The planes scoop up a full load of 1,692 gallons of water in just 12 seconds, which has earned it the nickname “SuperScooper.”.

Why are airplanes dropping red water on fires?

One question I keep seeing, besides “remember Volcano ?”, is “why are the firefighting planes dropping red water?” Well, there is a reason. And that’s not just water. The simple answer is: that red liquid is a fire-retardant chemical that’s color dyed so that it’s easy to see from the ground and from the air.

How many gallons of water does a plane dump on a fire?

Seriously, check out Cal Fire’s plane brochure. The agency has everything from Cobra attack helicopters for watching and reporting on incidents to 747 jets for dumping up to 24,000 gallons of the fire-dousing cocktail you may be wondering about.

When did they start dropping water from planes?

The Forest Service has used planes for water drops since the 1930s, but it wasn’t until the mid-’50s that it began using a heavier slurry of water and additives to keep the water from evaporating in the heat or being blown away from the drop zone before it hit the ground.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a0_Dh21Bt8