LR25,
I wish I could tell you what happened to T-123. I don't know much of the detail, but only that it broke up and apparently had an onboard explosion (to be expected with a breakup, but probably not the cause).
When T-130 exploded, the cause was immediately apparent and known. T-123 is another matter entirely. It was a good, strong airplane, and the 4Y was the only airplane NOT to have suffered in-flight structural failures of breaks, to date. No longer.
I was involved in a four-engine failure in that airplane, as well as an on-board explosion, and other moments of interest. It was a great airpane, and always brought me back (admittedly sometimes with a little coaxing).
If flying tankers is what you still want to do, then by all means pursue it. Bear in mind, as always, that what has happened so far is part of a normal season. The tanker community is small, so losses form an unusually high percentage (I believe it's sitting somewhere in the 7 percent range right now). This is especially worth considering, bearing in mind that so few hours are flown annually. Nothing negative, but strongly consider the ramifications before getting on board. If you decide to do it, you'll have some great experiences, I'm sure.
We were reactivated today; I got three drops on a fire this afternoon, and managed to paint a helittack crew red. I don't know what the rest of the fleet is doing.
Good luck!
