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:
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.
Pocatello Tanker Base 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!
MD-87 WATER BOMBER, NEW KING AIR F-A-C
Pocatello Airtanker Base 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
Pocatello Air Tanker Base, August 2012:
MAFFS C-130s RETURN TO POCATELLO AIRPORT, IDAHO NATIONAL GUARD JOINS BATTLE!
12 July 2012:
BUSY 30 MINUTES AT POCATELLO AIRPORT, AS A VARIETY OF FIRE FIGHTING AIRCRAFT FLY INTO ACTION