DC-10 Supertanker dropping fire retardant as seen from the fire point of view….
KUSI photojournalist Taylor Schuss filmed the DC10 Air Tanker (unofficially dubbed “Supertanker”) fighting the Cocos Fire in San Marcos, California, from the receiving end of a load of fire retardant on May 14.
Note the King Air flying as a pathfinder ahead of the DC-10 to point the drop zone for the tanker.
The DC-10 Air Tanker is a standard McDonnell Douglas DC-10 airliner that was converted to carry up to 12,000 US gallons (45,000 liters) of water or fire retardant in an exterior belly-mounted tank.
More from The Aviationist
The Incredible Armada of Aircraft Behind 1969’s Battle of Britain Film
On Sept. 15, 1969, cinema audiences were treated to a dramatic portrayal…
US Approves Possible Sale of Nine KC-46A Pegasus Tankers for Japan
The latest deal would take the number of KC-46As in Japan’s inventory…
U.S. State Department Approves $7.2B Sale Of F-35 Jets To Romania
The Foreign Military Sale’s approval comes after Romania announced the plan to…
Wooden Avengers, Target Kites, and Draftees: How America’s First New Deal Community Took the Fight to the Axis
Situated in the quiet hills of West Virginia, the small town of…
DARPA Awards BAE Systems $4 Million for Autonomous Beyond Visual Range Air Combat Program
Autonomy solutions for BVR combat will initially be developed and demonstrated on…
Two such kind of air tankers, operated by the 10 Tanker Air Carrier, are currently flying under callsign Tanker 910 and 911.
Related articles
