Judy Wahlberg Krish photo of the Chinook lowering to draw water up through its nozzle on Burntside. #FossLakeFire pic.twitter.com/NGOTd6nZAJ
— Ely Echo (@elyecho) May 23, 2016
Judging from the photo above and another that we first used at Wildfire Today (duplicated below), it appears that a Chinook helicopter with an internal water tank is being used on the Foss Lake Fire in northeast Minnesota. This may be a first.
In the photo above you can see the draft hose coming out of the side of the helicopter as the ship descends over the lake. And below, the water appears to be exiting the helicopter from the center of the belly.
We have written a couple of times about the development of an internal tank for the Chinook, here and here.
Scenes from the Foss Lake wildfire from photographer Hailey Worth. Photo taken on Burntside Lake. #chinook pic.twitter.com/q5GT40ajv9
— Ely Echo (@elyecho) May 20, 2016
Thanks.
I see another OD green Chinook sitting at the Billings airport minus the rotors.
Columbia Helicopters: https://www.facebook.com/darin.suter/posts/10206108454892032
Billings Flying Service?
One of their Chinooks was sitting at the local avionics shop late last week.