Forest Fire Aircraft Drill

April 6, 2003

Sunday April 6th the Vincent Fire Company hosted a drill with stations 172 and 331 at the Red Lion Airport located on Red Lion Rd. in Southampton.  This drill was taught by the Forest Fire Service and dealt with the re-filling the Forest Fire airplane with water using our tankers in the need that there be a forest fire and the planes need to be re-filled.  During this evolution the plane would come in for a landing,  a crew of firefighters would send one person under the plane from behind to close the hatch to release the water after which one would climb up the wing and re-fill the tank.  A great learning experience for all.  Thanks to Fire Warden Chris Irick for all his help.

*Notice the propeller spinning in the pictures.  These were "hot" runs.

 Captain M. Bicking crawls under the plane as  Firefighter C. Spencer looks on.

Firefighter C. Spencer on the wing of the plane filling the tank.

Firefighters J.Charyk, T.D'Amico, and Lt. Ed Snow filling the plane on their evolution.

The plane taking off.

The plane dropping off a load in a nearby tree line.