Up Close Look at How Air Force Reserves Fight Wildfires

April 22, 2024

Reservist pilots and loadmasters assigned to the 302nd Airlift Wing drop potable water over Hayman Fire burn scar during their annual aerial wildland firefighting training and certification with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, May 13, 2021, Pike-San Isabel National Forest, Colorado. The 302 AW and 153rd Airlift Wing C-130 Hercules aircraft, equipped with the U.S. Forest Service’s Modular Airborne Fire System, began their weeklong training and certification out of Jeffco Airtanker Base, Colorado, where they conducted training drops with potable water at nearby Arapaho/Roosevelt and Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Bureau of Land Management lands. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Justin Norton)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — News5 got an up close look at how the Air Force Reserve helps fight wildfires. Friday, we were shown how equipment is installed into their tankers for water and retardant drops.

The 302nd operations group travels around the nation to help fight wildfires from the skies. They are preparing for the summer fire season by taking part in a week long training in California.

Read more on this story at KOAA.com

Ryan Mason

Ryan is an accomplished writer and aerial photographer that has worked in the aviation industry for over a decade before co-founding AerialFire Magazine. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Ryan is a former police officer that focuses his writing and photography efforts on para-public operations and agricultural aviation.

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