(B25flyer) wrote in message ...
Several months ago there was a discussion here about fire suppression tankers.
I mentioned that a certain airline was looking into the modification of 747s.
Some people expressed the feeling that it would never happen.

Take a look at www.evergreenaviation.com Look at the Supertanker icon and
click. It happened!

They were performing the testing back in March and April at Pinal
Airpark, between Phoenix and Tucson. It was kind of strange seeing
747s flying around at GA altitudes.

I wouldn't say it's a done deal yet. While the 747 has a huge
capacity for tankage, it's yet to be seen whether or not it can
operate in the mountainous environments that the current firebombers
do. Current firebombing techniques require precision and
manueverablitity at low altitudes (AGL) in tricky terrain.

Overall, it looks like a neat idea, though. Perhaps the thinking is
that the vast amount of retardant that the 747 can deliver might
offset the drawbacks in maneuverability.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)