When the wildfire season officially starts in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, little used Pocatello Regional Airport becomes Pocatello Airtanker Base.
Idaho Wildfires 2012:
Photo by AAron B. Hutchins, 2012.
This year (despite the hype by main-stream national news), and the past few years, Pocatello Airtanker Base hasn’t been as busy as it was between the years 2012 and 2017. We had a plethora of water bombers, various types of fixed wing and rotary wing, some even coming from Canada.
A couple of BAEs and an ancient Neptune, September 2012. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.
Pocatello Tanker Base 2012:
Photo by AAron B. Hutchins, 2012.
The area is still getting smoked-out by regional fires, but nothing like the amount of smoke during the 2012-2018 years. In 2018 the smoke from record setting California fires was bad enough that I taped furnace filters to my windows (I don’t have central air conditioning). So since about 2019, most of what you see on Pocatello Airtanker Base are a DC-10, a helicopter or two, and the always present Air Tractors.
On 23JUL2021, I just happened to be checking out the airport and caught the crew of a Mountain West Helicopters K-Max, waiting for a call to action, sitting near the tarmac in 90+ Fahrenheit temperatures.
Video from 2008, Mountainwest Helicopters K-Max using Bambi Bucket during Piute Mountain wildfire:
Lockheed Martin video showing a K-Max drone (remote control, no pilot) dropping water on a fire:
And I was lucky enough to just catch a glimpse of a DC-10 returning from a water-drop mission.
Kit builders should note the noticeable gap between the water tank and the fuselage.
Also notice that 10 Tanker has given their DC-10s a new livery.
2020 video of 10 Tanker #911 bombing a fire near homes in California:
2016 video of 10 Tanker training in New Mexico, note that the big water bombers are led-in by smaller FAC aircraft:
U.S. Wildfires 2021: Wyoming governor waves federal pandemic restrictions to ease aviation fuel shortage for water bombers
FOR FIRST TIME, IDAHO MOBILIZES MILITIA FOR FIRE DUTY!
Idaho Wildfires 2019:
U.S. Forest Service FAC (Forward Air Controller) taking off from Pocatello Airtanker Base. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.
MD-87 WATER BOMBER, NEW KING AIR F-A-C
Pocatello Airtanker Base 2017:
Photo by AAron B. Hutchins, August 2017.
SMOKE ’EM IF YOU GOT ’EM! THE FIRE BOMBERS ARE BACK!
U.S. Wildfires 2016: DC-10 POCATELLO AIRPORT
Pocatello Air Tanker Base, September 2012: MORE AIR TANKERS ARRIVE AT POCATELLO TANKER BASE. EVACUATIONS IN EFFECT!
MORE CANADIAN AIRCRAFT ARRIVE AT POCATELLO
CONAIR’s Convair, notice the retardant stains, from the day before, have been cleaned off. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.
Pocatello Air Tanker Base, August 2012:
MAFFS 5 gets airborne! Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.
MAFFS C-130s RETURN TO POCATELLO AIRPORT, IDAHO NATIONAL GUARD JOINS BATTLE!
12 July 2012:
Comin’ down! Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.
BUSY 30 MINUTES AT POCATELLO AIRPORT, AS A VARIETY OF FIRE FIGHTING AIRCRAFT FLY INTO ACTION