Air Tankers over Santa Barbara County
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Fifteen years ago, a plume of dense smoke erupted over the Santa Ynez Mountains on the afternoon of July 30, 1990. Several large air tankers fought the fire in the Santa Ynez Valley from the Goleta Tanker Station.
Lockheed P-3A Orion, N927AU Tanker 27 on approach to land on Runway 25 at the Santa Barbara Airport.
Douglas C-54D, N9015Q Tanker 152 and Douglas C-54E, N460WA Tanker 151 climb out of the smoke-filled Santa Ynez Valley after dropping their loads of retardent.
Douglas C-54E, N460WA Tanker 151 climbs out of the smoke-filled Santa Ynez Valley.
Douglas C-54E, N460WA Tanker 151 passes in front of Big Pine Mountain.
Douglas C-54E, N460WA Tanker 151 climbs toward San Marcos Pass as Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune, N701AU Tanker 01 prepares to descend to the fire in the Valley.
Douglas C-54E, N460WA Tanker 151 descends toward the Santa Barbara Airport to pick up another load of retardent. The marine layer shrouds the foothills of Santa Cruz Island on the other side of the Santa Barbara Channel.
Douglas C-54E, N460WA Tanker 151 flies by smoking fires.
Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune, N701AU Tanker 01 climbs out of the Santa Ynez Valley.
Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune, N701AU Tanker 01 climbs toward San Marcos Pass.
The belly of Lockheed P-3A Orion, N927AU Tanker 27 is sreaked with red fire retardent from previous drops.
Douglas C-54D, N62342 Tanker 13 climbs out of the Santa Ynez Valley as Lockheed P-3A Orion, N927AU Tanker 27 prepares to descend to the fire in the Valley.
Douglas C-54D, N62342 Tanker 13 climbs toward San Marcos Pass.
Air Attack leads Lockheed P-3A Orion, N927AU Tanker 27 on its run in to the fire.
Lockheed P-3A Orion, N927AU Tanker 27 catches the last rays of the setting sun as it drops retardent in the path of the fire.
Aerial tankers
You can buy a 2011 calendar featuring my photographs of Day Fire Tankers at Santa Barbara.
Aerial tankers fought the Day Fire from the Santa Barbara Air Attack Station for ten days, from Monday, September 18 to Wednesday September 27. Three Lockheed P-2 Neptunes and four Lockheed P-3 Orions visited the Air Attack Station during the fire. This calendar includes a dozen photos of those tankers:
Neptune Aviation Lockheed SP-2H Neptune, N4235T Tanker 09
Neptune Aviation Lockheed P2V-5F Neptune, N96264 Tanker 12
Neptune Aviation Lockheed P2V-5 Neptune, N1386C Tanker 44
Aero Union Lockheed P-3A-25 Orion, N920AU Tanker 20
Aero Union Lockheed P-3A-45 Orion, N921AU Tanker 21
Aero Union Lockheed P-3A-45 Orion, N922AU Tanker 22
Aero Union Lockheed P-3A-40 Orion, N925AU Tanker 25
Put a copy of the Day Fire Tankers at Santa Barbara: 2011 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $16.95.
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