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Just had this photo sent to me by my uncle, by way of my dad. He flies for Con Air, fighting forest fires. He started out as a bird-dog, flying the way into fires for the DC-6, and then graduated up to the 6. Then, he went on to fly Westjet for a while, but got tired of just flying a bus all year long, and is now back doing what he enjoyed most. Flying small planes at low altitude over giant pillars of fire.   I'll try to get a few more details on the photo, as well as what he's flying, if you guys want.
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May 19, 2010 05:48
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| # ¿ May 8, 2024 06:03 |
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MrChips posted:That looks like an Air Tractor AT-802 Fire Boss to me. Kind of a unique water bomber - it's a converted agricultural aircraft that operates much in the same way as a Canadair CL-215/415 water bomber, only on a smaller scale; the aircraft will skim along the surface of a body of water, scooping water into the tank via inlets on the floats. I imagine since the AT-802 is a rather small aircraft, it affords a lot of flexibility as to what bodies of water you can use - rivers probably wouldn't be out of the question with that aircraft. Ah, yes, that's what it is he flies. It seemed like a silly name for an airplane at the time, but it makes sense, now that you mention it as a repurposed agricultural plane. He's had to make an emergency landing on a highway in Alberta once, when he ran out of fuel (gauge problem or ?), but seems to love flying the things. My grandpa was a bush pilot and used to fly (mainly) a Beaver, and would talk about how they used to use that for forest fire fighting, skimming off lakes and rivers. Somehow the stories seemed less scary than his ones about doing short landings on glaciers, or other silly places that hunters or geologists wanted to be put down. As for the conair bbqs, I can ask, but I imagine that with the mentality of the pilots being what it is, that they'd be fairly entertaining.
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May 20, 2010 18:42
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.jpg) 
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Sep 18, 2010 06:20
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Nyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIvv1PAmesM&feature=bf_play&playnext=1&list=QL&index=1
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Feb 27, 2011 07:24
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I don't specifically know why, but contra-rotating props always make me think of some futuristic cartoon. Also, I love the Victor - it's just so amazingly fugly (functionally ugly).
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Feb 28, 2011 21:41
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BonzoESC posted:A pretty good article on the aerodynamics of turning an airplane: http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbound/langew/turn.htm Thanks for that. It's certainly one of those things that just gets completely taken for granted - I know I did, anyhow.
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Apr 26, 2011 01:11
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Linked from that video you posted. Ace Combat 11, with less drama and more planes! http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=HEe3xfWfkG8&vq=hd720 
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May 22, 2011 06:27
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Guess I hosed up posting my link previously - this is apparently from an IMAX film, which would have been good fun to watch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3HQ-E7_YTA&feature=related
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May 22, 2011 18:23
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Post hot Burt Rutan designs and yap about mutton chops: 
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Nov 9, 2011 07:38
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Holy poo poo, I just finished reading this thread beginning to end. Now I'm strangely intrigued by the idea of an aircrew procedural movie, I still think that the RCAF should be spending its F35 money on something less useless for Canada, like Arctic patrolling polar-bear shaped UAVs, I realize that not all Boeing jets are 737s (Westjet  ), and I've visited my local Air Museum and drooled over a CF-104.Serious question: Is it irreparably late in life at age 32 to get into commercial aviation, going from not even a PPL? My uncle flies for Conair - in an air tractor, but having previously flown their DC-6 and a smaller bird-dog. He also flew for Westjet for a year or four but went back to Conair, because fighting forest fires for six months a year is way more fun than flying a bus for a full year, apparently. Also, my grandfather spent most of his adult life as a bush pilot flying Beavers on floats (started Wilderness Airlines out of Bella Coola way back in the day). Flying is sort of in the family, but I don't know if I'm too late to the game or not.
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Sep 4, 2013 01:36
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That's kind of what I was afraid of. Ah well. At least I now have a greater appreciation of all types of aviation. AND LTA! I really wish Neb either had an epub/ebook version of all his sperg posts, or even a dead tree version - it's easily been my favourite part of the whole thread.
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Sep 4, 2013 02:28
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He started out in BC, but the last couple of years he's been based out of Lac La Biche. I went up there in June and toured the air base with him, even hopping into the seat of his Air Tractor after a prolonged bout of body origami. Goddamn those things are cramped. I put on his flight helmet and the pic he took of me has me grinning like a retard. Still seems like a cool as gently caress job, but I guess the labour market is pretty small. He's in his early fifties and a fairly tall blond haired guy with a german last name. edit: He also had to land his plane on the Yellowhead Hwy after a mechanical problem (or was shorted fuel, can't recall). Simkin fucked around with this message at 03:04 on Sep 4, 2013 |
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Sep 4, 2013 03:02
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This was the livery I grew up with  But this one actually makes the new paint scheme look pretty decent. Maybe I'm just drawn to shiny things.  CP Air used to at least be a bit colourful.   Also, I am apparently genetically coded to stare at any and all Beavers, regardless of livery or configuration (provided it's on floats or skis). 
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Sep 10, 2013 23:57
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Is it something for zeroing guns on an A-10 or something like that? It seems kind of similar to the bore-sighting boards we use to get the 25mm gun aligned on our LAV IIIs. Except, you know, on the ground, and not standing upright.
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Mar 29, 2014 02:58
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F-111s are prettier than F-14s. There, I said it.         Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 
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Dec 20, 2014 09:15
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| # ¿ May 8, 2024 06:03 |
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This didn't get enough love. I can just imagine this being the hero of some alt-history Canadian Red Dawn novel. It would be flown by a rogue with a striking similarity (and played by in the obviously a smash hit in canada movie) to Keanu Reeves, and his crew chief would be Red Green. Also, I think that would look awfully nice on the wall and would be a barometer for the quality of my guests.
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Jan 10, 2015 03:39
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