Bill Bailey sent us the following info for sharing.
(Thanks, Bill!)

Airbus A400M Grizzly, November 2023, Airbus photo
Airbus A400M Grizzly, November 2023, Airbus photo

Airbus A400M Grizzly
A4M006
c/n 006

This A400M, then registered as F-WWMZ, was the one used in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.

“Filming of an action scene featuring Ethan Hunt … hanging on the outside of a flying Airbus A400M Atlas took place at RAF Wittering near Stamford. Tom Cruise performed the sequence, at times suspended on the aircraft over 5,000 feet (1,500 m) in the air, without the use of a stunt double. To pull off this stunt, the production team were given a limited period of only 48 hours. The plane took off and landed eight times before they had the perfect shot.” (Wikipedia)

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Airbus upgrades A400M firefighter prototype kit
December 2023
GETAFE, SPAIN — Airbus Defence and Space has conducted a new flight-test campaign of the A400M roll-on/roll-off firefighting prototype kit, dropping 20,000 litres of retardant (OVER 5,000 GALLONS) and creating high-concentration lines over 400 metres long on the ground.

Over a period of two weeks, the A400M carried out a ground- and flight-test campaign in southwestern and central Spain, including six drops, three of which using retardant and three using water.

“We have tested a new version of the kit, improving dropping efficiency and reducing discharge time by over 30 percent  compared with last year, while combined with rapid deployment and easy installation on the A400M aircraft,” said Jean-Brice Dumont, head of Military Air Systems at Airbus Defence and Space. “We continue to pioneer new solutions and capabilities for our A400M fleet, in this case protecting populations and natural environments from fires.”

An easy-to-install solution
This roll-on/roll-off kit does not require any modification to the aircraft and therefore is interchangeable to any aircraft in the A400M fleet. The water or retardant is stored in a tank in the cargo hold of the aircraft, and by using a mechanical lever, a door is opened to allow the liquid to flow out of the aircraft by gravity means through a discharge pipe. The current design of the prototype is capable of dropping 20,000 litres in a single discharge.

The tanks can be filled in less than ten minutes using standard high-pressure pumps on the ground. The A400M is characterised by its ability to take off and land on short and unpaved runways and a wide range of air bases and airfields.

During the campaign, the 43rd Firefighting Squadron of the Spanish Air Force has been involved as technical advisors,  assuring that this capability in the A400M has operational value for any potential operator.

In July 2022, Airbus tested a removable firefighting demonstrator kit on the A400M for the first time. The company concluded that the A400M firefighting kit offers additional capabilities not available on the market thanks to its high drop capacity, high maneuvrability with the latest safety standards, day and night operation, and the potential to convert any regular A400M in any fleet to a firefighting aircraft at very short notice.

Source: Airbus


GETAFE, SPAIN — Airbus Defence and Space has conducted a new flight-test campaign of the A400M roll-on/roll-off firefighting prototype kit, dropping 20,000 litres of retardant (OVER 5,000 GALLONS) and creating high-concentration lines over 400 metres long on the ground.

Over a period of two weeks, the A400M carried out a ground- and flight-test campaign in southwestern and central Spain, including six drops, three of which using retardant and three using water.

Tenerife man arrested for throwing stones at firefighting helicopter

An 80-year-old man was arrested for throwing stones at a helicopter that was fighting a wildfire. According to a Reuters report, the fire has been burning on the Spanish island of Tenerife for nearly a week.

The stones hit the blades of the helicopter, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing at a nearby football pitch, the mayor’s office of the town of Guimar on the Canary Islands said in a statement.

The rock-thrower is the owner of a reservoir from which the helicopter was retrieving water to drop on the fire, police said.

“We have one less helicopter because someone threw a stone and rendered it inoperative, due to the impact on the tail rotor,” said Rosa Davila, head of Tenerife’s local government.

The Canarian Weekly published helicopter video illustrating the fires’ intensity:

Fire on Tenerife island
Video from a helicopter pilot fighting the fire on Tenerife island

The Canary Islands government has requested the assistance of three seaplanes from mainland Spain, which were flying from Malaga to help fight the fires. Officials were concerned that this could become an emergency not seen on the island for more than 16 years, since the fires of 2007.

Local farmers have protested at the use of scarce water resources to fight the fire, but Davila said that all the water used would be replaced.

The fire, which started on August 15, has burned almost 15,000 hectares (about 37,000 acres) of woodland within the national park surrounding the Mount Teide volcano, Spain’s highest peak. Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes.

Editor’s note: Certain members of a California IMT may recall a hostile landowner on a fire in Montana a few years ago, who went ballistic when a helicopter was dripping from his pond. … Anyone know how they might plan to replace that water they are borrowing from farmers’ ponds?

Crash of Portuguese CL-215 air tanker kills pilot

The accident occurred in Spain on a wildfire that burned across the border

August 8, 2020 | 1 p.m. MDT

CL-215 crash map
Map showing the general area of the crash of a CL-215 (EC-HET). The icons represent heat detected by satellites at 8:10 a.m. MDT (US) August 8, 2020.

A Portuguese water-scooping air tanker crashed in Spain on August 8 while battling a wildfire that started near Lindoso, Portugal and burned across the international border. The pilot, Jorge Jardim, 65, was killed and the Spanish co-pilot was seriously injured.

Below are excerpts from an article at the Portugal Resident August 8, 2020:

The tragedy happened mid-morning as the plane was taking part in aerial attacks on a fire in the Peneda-Gerês national park at Lindoso, Ponte da Barca.

The downed plane had just finished a ‘scooping’ (collection of roughly 5000 litres of water) and was preparing to drop the load in an arc at the head of the fire.

By the time rescue workers got to the wreckage, both victims were in cardio-respiratory arrest. SAV (advanced life-support) technicians managed to ‘bring back’ the Spanish co-pilot, but were unable to resuscitate the 65-year-old pilot.

Eduardo Cabrita, minister for Interior Administration, issued a note of regret Monday afternoon, presenting his “heartfelt condolences” to the family, friends and colleagues of pilot Jorge Jardim who made up part of the special aerial fire combat force run by the Portuguese branch of the international company Babcock.

Mr Cabrita also wished for the full recovery of the co-pilot, saying “in this tragic moment I would like to send a word of solidarity to all those who give such selfless service to the country in the combat of fires”.

He also thanked Spanish authorities for their help in the difficult recovery operation.

The aircraft was a Canadair CL-215 (EC-HET) manufactured in 1975.

At the time of the accident, seven Portuguese and four Spanish aircraft were working on the fire.

The investigation will be conducted by Spanish authorities since it occurred on the Spanish side of the border.

Our sincere condolences go out to the family, friends, and co-workers of Mr. Jardim and hope for a full recovery of the co-pilot.

Bell 412 lands in water after tail rotor strike while refilling water bucket

The tail rotor of a Bell 412 struck a tree while it was attempting to refill its water bucket February 26, 2019 in the northwest part of Spain. The firefighting helicopter (EC-MAQ) operated by Babcock settled upright in a couple of feet of water in the Narcea River in Belmonte de Miranda, Asturias (map).

Photos show damage to the tail rotor. There were no reported injuries.

Scooping water under a bridge on the Esla River

The video shows a CL-215 or -415 air tanker scooping water under a bridge on the Esla River in northwest Spain.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Isaac.
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