Two of the World s Largest Firefighting Helicopters Come to SoCal – NBC Bay Area nbcbayarea.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nbcbayarea.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
June 4, 2021
A helicopter carries water in the direction of an advancing wildfire Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Lakeport, Calif. Evacuation orders remained in effect Tuesday for the town of Lakeport, the county seat, along with some smaller communities and a section of the Mendocino National Forest. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Cal Fire is basing a newly retrofitted firefighting helicopter at the Napa County Airport. The former U.S. Army Boeing Chinook can hold up to 28-hundred-gallons of water. Its tank can be refilled in just over a minute and potentially attack a wildfire about every three-minutes if a water source is nearby. Cal Fire says it decided to base the helicopter in Napa for quick local response in the wake of last year’s devastating Glass and Hennessey fires. The chopper known as One Charlie Hotel is privately-owned but is considered a statewide resource.
By Dominic Perry2021-05-13T17:10:00+01:00
The UK is to become the first international customer for the upgraded Block II version of the Boeing Chinook helicopter, with the Royal Air Force (RAF) to take 14 examples in the MH-47G special forces guise.
Deliveries of the tandem-rotor helicopters under the £1.4 billion ($2 billion) deal are to begin in 2026, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) says.
Source: Crown Copyright
Chinooks have been in RAF service for 40 years
However, the acquisition will also see the RAF cut its Chinook fleet from 60 at present down to 51.
In its recent Command Paper
Defence in a competitive age, the MoD said that the RAF was “retiring its oldest CH-47 Chinook helicopters”, with the nine oldest examples to depart.
Indian Air Force inducts Boeing Chinook helicopters
The Indian Air Force has been on high alert to assist the civil administration in the fight against COVID. Aircrews of all fleets of the Air Force have been augmented to ensure round-the-clock operations.
Although the Indian Air Force is already airlifting oxygen and other medical equipment in different parts of the country, big and media aircraft have been pressed into service to accelerate operations across the country.
Air Chief Marshal, RKS Bhadauria on Wednesday called on Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to brief him about the preparedness of his force in the fight against COVID.