Photos of the SuperTanker the day it arrived in Santiago

747 SuperTanker

Above: Portable tanks storing water that will be pumped into the 747 Supertanker. 

These photos were taken today, January 25, 2016 the day the 747 SuperTanker arrived in Chile to assist firefighters on the ground who are battling the numerous wildfires in Chile.

The air tanker was expected to conduct its first mission Wednesday, dropping water on a fire about 200 miles south of Santiago. The crew planned to mix Pyrocool, a fire suppressant agent, into the water to enhance its effectiveness.

747 SuperTanker
747 SuperTanker at Santiago.
747 SuperTanker
Officials confer before the first mission after the 747 SuperTanker arrived in Chile.
Local firefighters fill some of the portable water tanks used to reload the 747 SuperTanker.
747 SuperTanker
Part of the hose “spaghetti” used to refill the 747 SuperTanker.
 747 SuperTanker
The 12 passenger seats in the 747 SuperTanker. Most if not all of these are usually empty when the aircraft is performing a mission over a wildfire.
747 SuperTanker
The Global SuperTanker crew brought an air compressor (left) which is used to fill the air tanks in the aircraft that provide the energy to pump the water or retardant out of the four nozzles. On the right are containers of Pyrocool which is designed to enhance the effectiveness of water to suppress a fire. The crew also brought a high-volume water pump in case it was needed to refill the aircraft with water or retardant.

All photos were taken by Bill Gabbert.

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One thought on “Photos of the SuperTanker the day it arrived in Santiago”

  1. Your photos are great! You need to get someone to take a photo of you!

    I am really enjoying reading about your Chile trip and look forward to keeping up with your mission throughout your stay there. Stay safe.

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