Tanker crash

[8sm]

Avbug,

Your one of a kind, take care of yourself friend.

Praying for your safe return.......Aloha for now 8sm

 

[enigma]

okay I will remove mention of what Mr Rez said in the previous messages.

http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail9.cfm?Id=22,18673

Do us a favor and make some notation when you remove/edit part of a post. It gets a little confusing when a following post refers to something that you never knew was there.
Thanks

 

[aero99]

Good luck avbug, fair skies and a safe return.....

 

[cjh]

Avbug,

Just wanted to add my .02. Best of luck, and post when you can. All will want to know that you're OK.

cj

 

[414Flyer]

There are pictures now of the crash. Really sickening, definitely makes you pause to reflect on it.

http://news4colorado.com/topstories/StoryFolder/story_943487843_html

One of the pilots had his wife at the tanker base, awaiting his return. Can you imagine what it would have to be like, to tell her her husband just died. Craig Lebares (T-130) widow, Laurie, posts on the air tanker message board.

Currently, there are no death benefits for air tanker pilots, since it is all contractor work. In the California state assembly, there is a bill to give death benefits to air tanker crews who are die fighting fires in CA. I hope it passes

 

[ILLINI]

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of all those involved.

Take care of yourself avbug.



The comment on the last slide (on the link posted above) says that this crash led to the grounding of firefighting planes nationwide. Does anyone know if they are still grounded and the specifics of this? Just curious.

 

[414Flyer]

I believe all tankers are grounded, although I do not think helicopters are.

I am not doing any air attack or recon right now (back to doing 414 ambulance flights), so i am not completely sure what is going on.

 

[Dash Jockey]

Best of luck avbug, fly safe

 

[bobbysamd]

Same here. Fly safe. I don't want to be reading about you.

 

[avbug]

As of cutoff time last night, fixed wing tankers were still grounded, but not helicopters. We spent the day sitting under the wing waiting, with no word.

Grounding all the tankers over this is ridiculous, but it's the same logic that says when the chicken coop burns down, we should dehorn all the cows. No sense at all.

The news article linked above wasn't entirely accurate; more firefighters than that have been killed this season. Several SEATS (single engine air tankers) have crashed this season; several this week. (Of interest to me this year, since I'm flying one).

On a slightly different note, last night a gentleman showed up at the airport in a brightly polished Cessna 140. He put up a tent under the wing and was going to spend the night at the airport. We got a Level 5 Tstm blowing through that really put out some wind and rain, and he was soaked, along with all his stuff.

I spent some time talking with him; he's on his way to Oshkosh. He restored the airplane on his own, put himself through A&P school, did the airplane while he was there. Was a mech for United, and got furloughed. Fulfilling a dream and all that. Great stories, and he's doing just what I'd like to do.

I invited him back to the hanger here where it would be a bit more dry, and we talked about his trip, life, flying. It's great to meet people who still remember what flying is all about, and who still take pleasure in what they do.

You should have seen the polish on that airplane. There's nothing better than polished aluminum. Fly safe, everybody.