A drone hit the wing of a Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper plane fighting the LA fires. Cal Fire only has one other Quebec 1 aircraft in its arsenal.

Summary

A drone collision grounded one of two Super Scooper planes battling Los Angeles wildfires, leaving a critical resource unavailable.

The collision damaged the aircraft’s wing, forcing its grounding, and temporarily paused other firefighting flights, creating significant delays.

The FAA emphasized the dangers of flying drones near wildfires, noting it’s a federal crime with penalties up to $75,000 and prison time.

Over 36,000 acres have burned, with officials warning that delays in air support allow wildfires to spread rapidly, endangering lives and property.

  • HellsBelle@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    7·
    22 hours ago

    Bird dogs are small prop planes that monitor forest fires and help to liason between the tower and other fire fighting units (like helis and water bombers).

    They’re used a lot in remote regions where there are no control towers.

    Each drop is carefully choreographed. A plane known as a bird dog arrives first to monitor the fire and draft a plan of attack.

    Highly trained firefighters working as air attack officers sit beside the bird dog pilot and co-ordinate other aircraft on the mission, directing each drop to ensure the retardant hits the best spot.

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-airtanker-pilot-wildfire-season-1.7219664