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When Fire Attacks, DC-10 Tankers Storm to the Rescue

Friday, October 08, 2021 at 06:08 PM ET

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A 10 Tanker aircraft drops some Phos-Chek, a fire retardant. Courtesy: 10 Tanker

Key Takeaways:

10 Tanker utilizes specially modified McDonnell Douglas DC-10 aircraft for large-scale aerial firefighting, pioneering the use of turbine-powered air tankers after older military-surplus aircraft were grounded in 2002.
These DC-10s are highly efficient, capable of carrying up to 9,400 gallons of fire retardant or water with advanced, customizable drop systems (gang, sequenced, or split drops), making them a cost-effective solution for fire suppression globally.
Aerial firefighting operations require meticulous coordination with ground forces and lead planes, quick mission turnarounds (averaging an hour flight time, 15-20 min reload), and specialized pilot training to ensure effective and safe drops in complex fire environments.

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“Here they come.”

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.