USA 1990s FIRE BOMBERS Part 1
A selection of my photographs of fire attack air tankers seen on USA visits during the 1990s
As the decade began, a number of US fire bomber operators were introducing Lockheed C-130A Hercules and P-3A Orions from
military surplus disposals, to comply with the US Forest Service
preference for turbine powered air tankers.
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Hawkins & Powers Aviation at Greybull, Wyoming acquired twelve C-130As and began modified the first three as tankers
in partnership with Hemet Valley Air Service in California. Here's N131HP "Tanker 131" at Greybull in October 1992.
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Hawkins & Powers Aviation C-130A N133HP at Hemet-Ryan Field, California in November 1990 during tanker conversion
It was to become Tanker #133 but the stunning civilian paint scheme was only partly applied.
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Hemet Valley Flying Service pioneered the civilian C-130A air tankers in 1988 and leased several to the French Government
Securite Civile. N135FF "Tanker 82" was seen at Hemet CA November 1990, just returned home from France.
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Aero Firefighting Service Co N138FF "Tanker 88"at Hemet CA in March 1995 was operated in conjunction with HVFS.
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Hemet Valley Flying Service C-130A N131FF at Hemet CA November 1990 as "Tanker 81" in its former USAF camouflage.
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HVFS also operated N132FF "Tanker 83" in its former USAF paintwork. Seen at Hemet CA in March 1995
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TBM Inc C-130A N473TM "Tanker 63" on a foggy morning at home base Tulare-Sequoia Field, California in October 1992.
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Butler Aircraft Co C-130A N531BA "Tanker 67"was at its home base Redmond, Oregon in October 1992.
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Aero Union Corp at Chico in northern California introduced their highly modified Lockheed P-3A Orion tankers which they
named "Aerostars". One of the first was N925AU "Tanker 25" seen at Chico in October 1992.
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P-3A N921AU "Tanker 21"at Chico in October 1992 was put into service still in basic US Navy paintwork.
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Aero Union Corporation at Chico CA also rebuilt a fleet of ex former US Navy SP-2H Neptunes as "Firestar" tankers.
N718AU "Tanker 18" was at Chico in November 1990.
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Aero Union SP-2H Firestar N716AU "Tanker 16"seen at Chico CA in October 1992.
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Black Hills Aviation at Alamogordo, New Mexico operated a fleet of Neptune tankers with the MAD tail boom removed.
SP-2E N96264 "Tanker 12" at Alamogordo November 1992, back home after deployments during the 1992 fire season.
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Black Hills Aviation SP-2H N4235T "Tanker 09"at Alamogordo NM in November 1992.
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Black Hills Aviation SP-2H N4235N "Tanker 10" was based at the Wenatchee WA attack base in October 1991.
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Hawkins and Powers Aviation SP-2H N139HP "Tanker 139" at home base Greybull Wyoming in October 1992.
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Hawkins & Powers Aviation SP-2H N140HP "Tanker 140" with tail boom removed, Greybull October 1992.
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Hawkins & Powers Aviation Boeing KC-97L N1365N "Tanker 84" at Greybull in October 1992.
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N1365N's previous US Air Force markings were visible from its days at USAF KC-97L 52-2698.
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Hawkins & Powers Aviation continued to operate their five Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateers throughout the 1990s.
Former US Coast Guard PB4Y-2G N7620C "Tanker 123"at Greybull in October 1992 shows where the rear SAR
observation blisters had been removed during conversion to tankers during the 1960s.
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Hawkins & Powers Aviation had retired their fleet of former RCAF Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcars.
N8093 "Tanker 140" seen retired at Greybull in October 1991 was one of the last kept in service for a variety of tasks.
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At Hemet California, Hemet Valley Flying Service had also retired their four earlier model C-119C Flying Boxcars.
N13743 "Tanker 81" was out to grass in November 1990.
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C-119C N13744 "Tanker 86" retired at Hemet in November 1990 with a cheeky Taylorcraft parked under its wing for shade.
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