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 2008 Calendar featuring my photographs of aerial tankers in flight and fighting fires.
A dozen photos of aerial tankers:
Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress N17W Tanker 04, Santa Barbara, September 12, 1979
Douglas DC-7C N5903 Tanker 35, Santa Barbara, November 28, 1980
Douglas C-54E Cargomaster N460WA Tanker 151, Santa Ynez Valley, July 30, 1990
Air Force Reserve Lockheed C-130E Hercules 62-1081, Reno Stead, September 15, 1991
California Air National Guard C-130E Tanker 6, NAWS Pt. Mugu, April 25, 1998
Douglas C-54E Cargomaster N8502G Tanker 65, Santa Barbara Airport, May 5, 2004
Evergreen S-64E Skycrane N6979R Tanker 707, Santa Ynez Valley, May 7, 2004
Siller Brothers Sikosky S-61N N15456, Santa Ynez Valley, May 7, 2004
McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-10 10 Tanker Air Carrier Tanker 910, Goleta, November 4, 2005
Evergreen International Boeing 747 Supertanker, San Bernardino, May 31, 2006
Grumman S-2T Tracker N439DF Tanker 74, Santa Barbara Airport, June 19, 2006
Lockheed P2V-5 N1386C Tanker 44, Santa Barbara, June 19, 2006
Put a copy of the Aerial Tankers: 2008 Calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $16.95.
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