When it comes to dealing with mighty fires, there are special aircraft which are used to aid with the extinguishing process. However, they run out of either water or fire retardant and must be filled back up. What’s the procedure for that?
At the belly of aerial firefighting air tankers, there is a relatively small door that opens in order to give access to hoses which are used for refilling a tank. However, different aircraft have different size tanks. An operator in charge then pushes a button resulting in a couple different lengths of hose which go on to descend. The stations water system is typically huge and consists of large tanks which are all linked by a series of powerful suction hoses.
These hoses are used for the process of siphoning any liquid out of the tank and into the aircraft. Typically, behind the previously mentioned door there are several electronic plugs which must be handled with care. This mainly serves for the purpose of monitoring water, retardant, or compressed air that is loaded on board. Usually, the stations supply system is configured on mornings before any activity is carried out.
Additionally, there are several specific locations around the world that use massive aircraft for dealing with fires. And, they simply use a hose to connect the compounds supply of either water or retardant to fill the crafts tank. The supply is either taken from a fire hydrant or a batch mixing plant. After the liquid is replaced, compressed air must also be utilized in the process.
As such, compressed air is used for the purpose of dispersing any liquid out of the full tank. However, there are some aircraft which also use gravity for this purpose. So, when a pilot is ready to spread liquid over a fire, there are several valves which open and allow the air to forcefully push the water or retardant through a series of four nozzles. And, those on board can actually dictate how much of the liquid that they want to release.
Due to the size of some aircraft, a single load supplies a few large drops. At times, the aircraft crew feel more comfortable when they have a compressor with them for a job. This makes refilling the tanks a faster more efficient process. However, due to the small door located in the cargo hold, sometimes the compressor may not always be able to fit.
Additionally, because of the complex nature of fighting a fire from above, industry experts always suggest that a large compressor be on board. And in the case where they don’t have one, it is best to purchase one immediately. At times during such a high-risk process, the aircraft might even need to be refueled. However, the entire ordeal depends on the distance of the fire or simply if they had to fly making racetrack patterns.
The refueling aspect in such a situation has been known to be the most time-consuming process ever. And it can even be further affected based on the availability of a truck for fueling. However, in some cases those that go on to refuel, they are connected to a tug in order to push them back before they can be up and out of the station again.
As we conclude, we have just looked at how aerial firefighting aircraft are refilled with water or fire retardant. We have also looked at some other aspects of this particular job that come into play during the process. And we have also looked at the use of either compressed air or gravity for pushing the substance out!