A DC-10 reloads at Castle Airport

Bill Gabbert28. August 201428. August 2014Fixed wingCalifornia, Castle Airport, DC-10, T-911

Tanker 910 at Castle Airport — Tanker 910 at Castle Airport.

Yesterday we wrote about the DC-10 air tankers and how they frequently work out of Castle Airport, a former U.S. Air Force bomber base near Merced, California. Today we have some photos from the base contributed by Stanley Bercovitz who is serving as a ramp manager and public information officer at the base.

Tanker 910, a DC-10 — Tanker 910, a DC-10, reloads with retardant at Castle Airport.

Tanker 911, a DC-10, at Castle Airport — Once the tanker is stopped and the chocks are set the parking tender waves in the retardant loaders. The side of the tank has three ports and at least two are always used to fill the tank at Castle. After loading has started a mechanic will climb a ladder and monitor the level of retardant, eventually giving a signal to stop loading.

Tanker 911, a DC-10, at Castle Airport — A mechanic talks to the flight crew through a wired headset, watching each engine as it starts. Once all three are running, he puts the headset into a compartment inside the nose gear and gives a thumbs-up to the pilot and the parking tender.

Retardant mixing operation at Castle Airport.

Tanker 911, a DC-10, at Castle Airport — The flight crews prepares to receive a meal via a bucket on a rope.

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