How the 747 Supertanker was used in Israel

Tanker 944's flight

Above: Tanker 944’s flight over Israel November 27, 2016. 

After being deployed November 24 to assist firefighters in Israel, the 747 Supertanker returned to Colorado Springs November 30. While overseas it dropped on two fires during two sorties, discharging the full 19,200-gallon load each time.

The Israelis were extremely aggressive in attacking emerging fires, according to Chief Pilot Cliff Hale and Sr. VP Program Manager Bob Soelberg of Global Supertanker Services. Talking with them on a speakerphone Friday they said there were more than 40 air tankers in the country while they were there, including the 14 privately owned Single Engine Air Tankers the country has under contract.

At all times surveillance aircraft were airborne, able to quickly detect new fires and track any vehicles leaving the scene. About 39 people were arrested for arson during the recent fire bust.

At times the crew was on hot standby, with orders to be wheels-up within 15 minutes if necessary.

Frequently there were multiple air tankers loitering off the coast out over the Mediterranean ready to drop within minutes on new fires. In flight planning the Supertanker crew was told to take off with enough fuel for three hours of loitering. They also carried another three hours of fuel for working over a fire.

As you can see in the screengrab from FightRadar24, they were flying a racetrack pattern as they waited for an assignment. Other air tankers loitering at the same time were, of course, flying at a different altitude.

Tanker 944, a 747-400
Tanker 944, a 747-400, at Colorado Springs, May 4, 2016. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Supertanker Watch Party
Found on Instagram: “Supertanker Watch Party”.

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One thought on “How the 747 Supertanker was used in Israel”

  1. I thought Nor Cal and So Cal Centers were busy. Holding for three hours. After a missed approach I start getting impatient after three turns in the (holding) pattern. Next fire trip to Israel take the load with you from Colorado and establish contact and a time slot for dropping “Jerusalem Air Attack Tanker 744 Heavy 1000 nautical miles out”………………

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