Misplaced Pages

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141-538: Four of the surviving aircraft were later converted for civilian use to firefighting water bombers . Two of the aircraft remained based at Sproat Lake just outside of Port Alberni , British Columbia , with one, the "Hawaii Mars", remaining in operation until 2016. On March 28, 2024, the British Columbia Aviation Museum announced it acquired the aeroplane from Coulson Aviation . It flew on its last flight to Victoria on August 11, 2024. On

282-414: A $ 1,000 CAD "Alberni Residents" tier, which required proof of address to purchase. The VIP Experience Packages included a base "Water Taxi" package. "This experience will consist of a detailed walk around the airplane and participation in the daily inspection with the maintenance team." The top tier was the "Pilot Recurrency" Package. "This is for our hardcore aviation enthusiasts who dream of getting behind

423-486: A 165 mph (266 km/h) in post-analysis.) Minimum recorded central pressures for Opal were registered at 900 millibars. Soon after peaking, the storm struck the island of Taiwan with winds of 165 mph (266 km/h). The storm weakened over land to 135 mph (217 km/h) after crossing the island and continued weakening into a 90 mph (140 km/h) typhoon as it made landfall in mainland China. The typhoon continued to weaken over land, weakening into

564-476: A 200 square mile oval-shaped eye. At that point, Louise turned westward towards the southern end of Japan. Operationally, Louise strengthened to winds of 90 mph (140 km/h), however, in best track, the storm had weakened to a tropical storm early on the 23rd. However, this remained its peak intensity. It restrengthened into a typhoon by the morning of July 24, crossing to the north of Chichi Jima and Iwo Jima before making landfall near Mount Zenjinomori on

705-604: A Bambi bucket. Airtankers or water bombers are fixed-wing aircraft fitted with tanks that can be filled on the ground at an air tanker base or, in the case of flying boats and amphibious aircraft , by skimming water from lakes, reservoirs, or large rivers without needing to land. Various aircraft have been used over the years for firefighting. In 1947, the United States Air Force and United States Forest Service experimented with military aircraft dropping water-filled bombs. The bombs were unsuccessful, and

846-661: A combined fleet of 23 aircraft. Borate salts used in the past to fight wildfires have been found to sterilize the soil and be toxic to animals so are now prohibited. Newer retardants use ammonium sulfate or ammonium polyphosphate with attapulgite clay thickener or diammonium phosphate with a guar gum derivative thickener. Fire retardants often contain wetting agents , preservatives and rust inhibitors and are colored red with ferric oxide or fugitive color to mark where they have been dropped. Brand names of fire retardants for aerial application include Fortress and Phos-Chek . Some water-dropping aircraft carry tanks of

987-621: A distance, and is scheduled for its official ribbon cutting ceremony on September 28, 2024. Data from Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Aerial firefighting Aerial firefighting , also known as waterbombing , is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires . The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters . Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as aerial firefighters, delivered to

1128-772: A formal statement, publicly announcing that Hawaii Mars would be donated to the British Columbia Aviation Museum, located at the Victoria International Airport in North Saanich, BC. Since this announcement, preparations have been underway onsite at the Sproat Lake Bomber Base in Port Alberni. On March 28, 2024, the province of British Columbia provided a $ 250,000 grant to "protect and preserve"

1269-418: A guar gum derivative to thicken the water and reduce runoff. Helicopters can hover over the fire and drop water or retardant. The S-64 Helitanker has microprocessor -controlled doors on its tank. The doors are controlled based on the area to be covered and wind conditions. Fixed-wing aircraft must make a pass and drop water or retardant like a bomber. Spotter (Air Tactical Group Supervisor) aircraft often orbit

1410-608: A hanging snorkel. Popular firefighting helicopters include variants of the Bell UH-1H Super Huey, Bell 204 , Bell 205 , Bell 212 , Boeing Vertol 107 , Boeing Vertol 234 , Sikorsky S-70 "Firehawk" and the Sikorsky S-64 Aircrane helitanker, which features a snorkel for filling from a natural or man-made water source while in hover. Currently the world's largest helicopter, the Mil Mi-26 , uses

1551-796: A historic attraction. The Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum and British Columbia Aviation Council initiated a joint effort to preserve the aircraft, one for display in Maryland and the other at the current location in Canada. On 13 April 2007, TimberWest announced the sale of both aircraft to Coulson Forest Products, a local forestry company in Port Alberni, British Columbia . The two surviving tankers are presently operated by Coulson Flying Tankers and are based and maintained at Sproat Lake near Port Alberni. On 25 October 2007,

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1692-406: A maximum payload of about 12,000 litres (3,200 US gal) of water, making "scoops" in suitable stretches of water in 14 seconds. Bombardier's Dash 8 Q Series aircraft are the basis of new, next-generation air tankers. Cascade Aerospace has converted two pre-owned Q400s to act as part-time water bomber and part-time transport aircraft for France's Sécurité Civile , while Neptune Aviation

1833-431: A minimal hurricane that afternoon. On the evening of July 9, the now-Tropical Storm Joan passed due east of Shanghai, China before turning to the northeast on the morning of July 10. With only sustained winds of 50 mph (80 km/h), the system struck the shore of South Korea on the afternoon of July 10. The storm continued weakening as it crossed the 38th parallel and entered North Korea , falling to

1974-483: A minimal tropical storm over land. After emerging from North Korea, the storm raced to the northeast before experiencing cold air and become extratropical on the morning of July 11. After becoming extratropical, the remains of Joan continued northeastward, curving along the coast of China. The system soon left China and entered the waters of the Soviet Union July ;12, soon making landfall on

2115-486: A new home or business. One of the pilots on the way to Oshkosh was well-known Kermit Weeks . In January 2022, the Hawaii Mars was the subject of multiple news articles when it was placed on sale by the company Platinum Fighter Sales for over $ 5 million. In June 2023, plans were being finalized for the transfer of the Hawaii Mars to the British Columbia Aviation Museum . On April 1, 2024, Coulson Aviation released

2256-536: A new tropical system formed in the South China Sea on the afternoon of July 10. The system strengthened while moving west, becoming Tropical Depression Forty-One the same day. The depression continued moving west at a rapid pace, passing Hainan Island and made landfall in southern North Vietnam on July 11. The depression dissipated over land late that evening. Damage and fatalities in Vietnam from

2397-576: A number of Convair 580 and Fokker F27 Friendship turboprop airliners to air tankers. The largest aerial firefighter ever used is a Boeing 747 aerial firefighter, known as the Global Supertanker , that can carry 19,600 US gallons (74,200 L) fed by a pressurized drop system. The Supertanker was deployed operationally for the first time in 2009, fighting a fire in Spain. The tanker made its first American operation on August 31, 2009, at

2538-815: A parallel with the Kamchatka Peninsula the next day. On the morning of August 13, the system entered the Aleutian Islands, passing west of Semisopochnoi Island and the Rat Islands before entering the Bering Sea . The extratropical remains disappeared on August 14 in the middle of the sea, just south of the Arctic Circle. The impact of Typhoon Opal was most devastating in Taiwan, where originally 87 deaths were reported on

2679-411: A polar trough just northwest of the island of Ponape . on the afternoon of July 28. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center began following the wave for the next day, as it headed westward, north of Truk . Slowly curving northeast from the island, the wave soon was upgraded to a tropical depression with winds of 30 mph (48 km/h) with no eye structure on July 30. The depression strengthened on

2820-576: A polar trough northeast of the island of Koror. This fracture caused the wave to begin developing during the early morning hours. The system rapidly intensified and became the fourth tropical depression of the season on the same afternoon. Rapid intensification occurred and within six hours, the depression became Tropical Storm Iris on May 26 just east of the Philippines. The eye of Iris began to define itself, as operationally winds reached 75 mph (121 km/h) on May 27, which would classify

2961-405: A shrinking eye. The next morning, Typhoon Opal strengthened into the second super typhoon of the season, boasting sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h). During the day on August 5, Opal continued strengthening, peaking with winds of 165 mph (266 km/h) just east of Taiwan. (Operationally, Opal was classified as a 170 mph (270 km/h) typhoon, but this was downgraded to

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3102-604: A static exhibit. The aircraft was repainted to its original U.S. Navy colors and was to have been delivered to the museum in November 2012. After many delays, the trade deal of transferring the aircraft to the museum was put on hold by the Navy in June 2016, pending the outcome of the 2016 US Presidential election . On 10 May 2013, the B.C. provincial government announced that the Hawaii Mars would no longer be placed on contract after

3243-405: A tropical depression over the day, crossing the eastern island of the Philippines. Tropical Depression Hope left the island and began to strengthen back into a minimal tropical storm by May 18. However, the storm interacted with land once more and weakened back into a tropical depression on May 18. After leaving the Philippines for the final time, the depression began to develop, becoming

3384-478: A tropical storm and was given the name Marge. Marge peaked at a 45 mph (72 km/h), 1002 mbar weak tropical storm on July 28. Marge dissipated on the morning of July 29 near Guam and Saipan. No damage or fatalities were reported, as Marge never made landfall. The system that would become Typhoon Nora developed on the morning of July 26 in the open waters of the Pacific Ocean east of Manila as

3525-528: A tropical storm for the third time since May 16 and developing a small eye. As Tropical Storm Hope turned further northeast, the eye expanded and the storm was soon declared a typhoon by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center late evening on May 19. The next day, Hope continued to strengthen and develop, and while just south of Okinawa on May 20, peaked at 90 mph (140 km/h) sustained winds. (Operationally, Typhoon Hope

3666-476: A tropical storm on the morning of August 6. Opal persisted as a tropical storm on August 6, weakening into a tropical depression the next morning. During the afternoon of August 7, with influences from land, the storm became extratropical. The extratropical remains of Opal crossed eastern mainland China, entering the East China Sea in the late evening. Early in the morning of August 8,

3807-455: A tropical storm with winds of 60 mph (97 km/h). The storm rapidly intensified as it bent northward, gaining typhoon strength in less than twelve hours, and making a direct hit with the island of Saipan on the morning of August 14. Continuing to gain strength, Typhoon Ruth crossed northward past Saipan, becoming a Category 5 typhoon with winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) on the afternoon of August 15. The typhoon soon turned towards

3948-437: A tropical storm, the third of the season off the coast of the Philippines with winds of 45 mph (72 km/h). The storm, named Hope, continued northwestward, peaking first at 60 mph (97 km/h) before striking several islands over the Philippines. While over land, Tropical Storm Hope weakened to a minimal tropical storm on May 17 and into a tropical depression with no circulation later that day. The storm remained

4089-414: A tropical wave from the westerlies. That morning, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center began issuing advisories on a tropical depression (designated Tropical Depression 46) with 25 mph (40 km/h) winds. After remaining practically stationary for three straight days off the coast of the Philippines, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Nora on the morning of July 29. The storm progressed to

4230-477: A typhoon by the next day. The storm reached a peak sustained windspeed of 90 mph (140 km/h) just to the southeast of the island of Okinawa. The minimum pressure for the storm was registered at 985 millibars (29.1 inHg). After passing Okinawa on July 9, the forward speed in Typhoon Joan increased and the storm began to weaken. The storm boasted an unorganized, elliptical eye as it soon fell to

4371-589: A weakening tropical storm, crossing the northern end of the Japanese mainland near Goshogawara as a tropical depression on August 27. After re-entering waters, the storm lost tropical characteristics and became extratropical near Mount Apoi . The extratropical remains of Thelma wandered the open waters of the Pacific Ocean for several days, proceeding northeast through the water and into the Aleutian Islands, crossing over Little Sitkin Island . The system crossed into

Martin JRM Mars - Misplaced Pages Continue

4512-537: A year later, on 12 October 1962 while parked onshore at the Victoria airport, the Caroline Mars was damaged beyond repair by Typhoon Freda when she was blown 200 metres/yards, breaking her back. The Hawaii Mars and Philippine Mars had their conversion into water bombers advanced and entered service in 1963. They appeared at local airshows, demonstrating their water-dropping ability. Flying Tankers Inc. flew

4653-423: Is converting a pre-owned Q300 as a prototype to augment its Lockheed P-2 Neptune aircraft. The Sécurité Civile also operates twelve Canadair CL-415 and nine Conair Turbo Firecat aircraft. Neptune Aviation also currently operates converted British Aerospace 146 jetliners as air tankers. The BAe 146 can carry up to 3,000 gallons of fire fighting retardant. Air Spray USA Ltd. of Chico, California has also converted

4794-515: Is due to be flown there later in the year. It entered the Sproat Lake water for powered testing November 04, 2024. The Glenn L. Martin Company scaled up their PBM Mariner patrol bomber design to produce the prototype XPB2M-1 Mars. The XPB2M-1 was announced on 8 November 1941. Delayed by an engine fire during ground runs, the aircraft first flew on 23 June 1942. After flight tests with

4935-666: The Cessna 337 . The Beechcraft Baron was long used as a leadplane or air attack ship, but most were retired in 2003; more common now is the Beechcraft King Air and the Twin Commander 690 . A Cessna Citation 500 jet owned by Air Spray (1967) LTd. was used by the British Columbia Ministry of Forests beginning in 1995 and used for two fire seasons to lead the very fast Electra L188 air tanker to

5076-527: The Hawaii Mars ("Redtail") arrived at Lake Elsinore in southern California , on a private contract, to assist with firefighting efforts at the California wildfires of October 2007 . Meanwhile, the Philippine Mars had been undergoing "extensive maintenance and renovation" and was expected to be ready to fly again by 2010. As of 13 August 2009, the Hawaii Mars was in service fighting

5217-471: The Hawaii Mars embarked on what would be its final flight before retiring to the British Columbia Aviation Museum in North Saanich BC. The aircraft was piloted by Peter Killin (captain) and Rick Matthews (first officer). Because of safety concerns for the departure and flight sequences, very limited details were made available to the public leading to the fight. Hawaii Mars departed Sproat Lake for

5358-547: The La Brea Fire east of Santa Maria in Southern California. The aircraft can carry 7,200 US gal (27,000 L; 6,000 imp gal) of water and each deployment can cover an area of up to 4 acres (1.6 hectares). The aircraft can also carry up to 600 US gal (2,300 L; 500 imp gal) of foam concentrate for gelling the load drop. They are mainly used to fight fires along

5499-534: The Marshall Mars was lost near Hawaii when an engine fire consumed the airplane after her crew had evacuated. The remaining "Big Four" flew record amounts of Naval cargo on the San Francisco - Honolulu route efficiently until 1956, when they were beached at NAS Alameda . In 1959, the remaining Mars aircraft were to be sold for scrap, but a Canadian company, Forest Industries Flying Tankers (FIFT) ,

5640-798: The Oak Glen Fire . It has since been replaced by a Boeing 747-400 . Another wide body jetliner that is currently being used as an air tanker is the modified McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 operated by the 10 Tanker Air Carrier company as the DC-10 Air Tanker . It can carry up to 12,000 US gallons (45,400 L) of fire fighting retardant. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations operates convertible-to-cargo Ilyushin Il-76 airtankers that have been operating with 11,000-US-gallon (41,600 L) tanking systems, and several Beriev Be-200 jet powered amphibian aircraft . The Be-200 can carry

5781-532: The Santa Lucia Range , California, in 1929. A wide variety of terminology has been used in the popular media for the aircraft (and methods) used in aerial firefighting. The terms airtanker or air tanker generally refer to fixed-wing aircraft based in the United States; "airtanker" is used in official documentation. The term " waterbomber " is used in some Canadian government documents for

Martin JRM Mars - Misplaced Pages Continue

5922-623: The University of Santo Tomas and the shutting down of the Manila airport . The backlash from Patsy destroyed over 6,400 acres (26 km ) of rice, and damaged roads through Thailand. Patsy made landfall four times, three as a tropical system. A surge from the westerlies and a cut-off low formed a new low-pressure system in the waters of the Pacific Ocean just north of Truk on August 11. The system proceeded northwest for two-days, passing northeast of Guam, where it strengthened on August 13 into

6063-427: The 1962 season formed on May 21 in the open South China Sea , east of the Philippines. The systems strengthened into a tropical depression moved to the southeast toward southwestern South Vietnam. However, the depression returned to its northern progression on May 22 and dissipated on the same day without threatening land. A tropical wave, the 22nd of the 1962 season, forming on May 26 met

6204-512: The 2013 season, due to not having been used to fight any B.C. fires for two years and the operation of newer and more versatile aircraft by the Coulson group including a Lockheed C-130 Hercules converted to firefighting use. Although Coulson has stated that the Hawaii Mars has been under numerous recent upgrades to make it safer and more reliable, no buyers have come forward to purchase the aircraft. Coulson also cautioned against any plans to open

6345-880: The B747 Supertanker. Other former military aircraft utilized as firefighting air tankers in the U.S. in the past included the B-17 and the PB4Y-2 , a version of the B-24 . The Lead Plane function directs the activities of the airtankers by both verbal target descriptions and by physically leading the airtankers on the drop run. The leadplane is typically referred to as a "Bird Dog" in Canada or "Supervision" aircraft in Australia. The O-2 Skymaster , Cessna 310 and OV-10 Bronco have been used as spotter and lead plane platforms. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has also used

6486-623: The BAe 146 jetliner to the role of air tanker. Another modern-era passenger aircraft that has now been converted for aerial firefighting missions in the U.S. is the McDonnell Douglas MD-87 jetliner operated by Erickson Aero Tanker. The MD-87 can carry up to 4,000 gallons of fire fighting retardant. Coulson Aviation unveiled a Boeing 737-300 firefighting conversion in May 2017. Six aircraft have been purchased from Southwest Airlines for

6627-491: The British Columbia Aviation Museum. On August 21, 2024, Hawaii Mars was transported from the Patricia Bay Coast Guard Station to her parking spot at British Columbia Aviation Museum by crews at Nickel Bros, a company known for moving large structures without requiring disassembly. The move was completed successfully at approximately 9:15pm local time. At present, the aircraft is viewable from

6768-724: The Central Pacific under the Joint Hurricane Warning Center's (now The Central Pacific Hurricane Center ) jurisdiction and were included in the JTWC archives. Both depressions stayed out to sea and had no effects on land. The Central Pacific also got Nora, Opal, Ruth, Gilda, Emma and Thelma, the remnants of Nadine and the ending of Karen near the end of the season. Six typhoons entered the Bering Sea: Nora, Opal, Ruth, Thelma, Amy and Emma. Four of

6909-485: The Central Pacific. All tropical depressions are assigned a number. Most systems reaching tropical storm strength were assigned a name; all typhoons were named. Timeline of tropical activity in the 1962 Pacific typhoon season Ninety tropical waves formed in the 1962 season. Only 78 of these became major easterly waves. 38 of these waves became tropical depressions, 30 became storms and 23 become typhoons. This record of 24 typhoons beat 1952 record which had 21. This record

7050-609: The Chinese state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China as they got ready to launch their forthcoming AVIC AG600 airplane. Subsequently, in July 2015, the airplane was put back in service after public outcry, being awarded a 30-day contract from the BC Government to help with a particularly bad fire season. In 2016, the Hawaii Mars made its first appearance at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in hopes of being sold or leased to

7191-475: The Erickson AirCrane, are also outfitted with a front-mounted foam cannon. Buckets are usually filled by submerging or dipping them in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or portable tanks. The most popular of the buckets is the flexible Bambi Bucket . Tanks can be filled on the ground (by water tenders or truck-mounted systems) or water can be siphoned from lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or a portable tank through

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7332-493: The Joint Typhoon Warning Center had Kate peaking at sustained winds of 100 mph (160 km/h), making it a Category 2 cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, however this was demoted in post-analysis.) As Kate approached Taiwan, the storm weakened, making landfall on the afternoon of July 22 near Taitung City with sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). The storm crossed

7473-503: The Koreas, with estimates of only $ 500,000 (1962 USD ($ 3.68 million in 2011 USD)). This damage total was estimated from damage to crops in the country and to the communications infrastructure. A tropical system formed on July 7 north of the island of Koror. The system strengthened into a tropical depression the next day when the first advisory was released. The depression continuously changed directions, once on the 8th to

7614-539: The Kuril Islands before dissipating during the day on July 29. Louise killed fifteen people and doing $ 7.5 million (1962 USD) ($ 56.1 million (2011 USD)) in damage to crops, homes and bridges in Japan. A tropical wave formed in the open Pacific Ocean waters on July 25 and strengthened into Tropical Depression Forty-Seven on July 28 in an area of ocean north of Truk . The depression strengthened into

7755-600: The Navy scaled back their order, buying only the five aircraft which were then on the production line. Though the original Hawaii Mars was lost in an accident on the Chesapeake Bay a few weeks after it first flew, the other five Mars were completed, and the last delivered in 1947. Named the Marianas Mars , Philippine Mars , Marshall Mars , Caroline Mars , and a second Hawaii Mars , the five production Mars aircraft entered service ferrying cargo to Hawaii and

7896-473: The Pacific Islands on 23 January 1944. The last production airplane (the Caroline Mars ) was designated JRM-2, powered by 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-4360 engines, and featured a higher maximum weight and other improvements. On 4 March 1949, the Caroline Mars set a new world passenger load record by carrying 269 people from San Diego to San Francisco, CA . On 5 April 1950,

8037-403: The Pacific Ocean on August 23. The remains turned northward towards the Aleutian Islands, before dying south of the islands on August 25, just north of the 50th degree latitude A fractured portion of a surge from the westerlies became a tropical wave on August 20, just to the northeast of Saipan at the 150th meridian. The wave proceeded northwest, gaining strength and became a tropical storm on

8178-476: The Philippines were five deaths reported and no estimated damage to crops on the islands. Another easterly wave formed off to the northeast of the Philippines on the afternoon of July 6 after reaching a polar trough. The system quickly organized itself, strengthening into a tropical storm on the morning of July 7. Named Joan, the storm curved to the northwest through the Pacific, rapidly intensfying into

8319-417: The Philippines, entering the South China Sea west of Manila the next morning. After crossing back into the open waters of the South China Sea, Patsy strengthened into a typhoon as it proceeded northwest, reaching a peak wind speed of 75 mph (121 km/h) with a minimum pressure of 990 mbar on the morning of August 9. Patsy retained typhoon status throughout the day, making landfall on Hainan near

8460-605: The RADS system conversion which was planned to enter service in December 2017. The 737 aircraft is smaller than the C-130Q which allows for a wider range of airfields to be utilized. Britt Coulson further stated the aircraft will be able to retain the current seat and galley configuration for tanker operations. On 22 November 2018, the 737 was used for the first time to fight a fire near Newcastle, Australia. In July 2022, Airbus tested

8601-1021: The S-2T) as used by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), as well as the Conair Firecat version developed and used by Conair Group Inc. of Canada, while the Douglas DC-4 , the Douglas DC-7 , the Lockheed C-130 Hercules , the Lockheed P-2 Neptune , and the Lockheed P-3 Orion – and its commercial equivalent, the L-188 Electra – have been used as air tankers. Conair also converted

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8742-532: The Sea. The system was last tracked south of the Bering Strait and just north of the Arctic Circle on August 6. Across the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaido, heavy rains from the storm triggered widespread flooding that killed 15 people and left 14 others missing. $ 1 million (1962 USD) was recorded to homes, crops, railroads and highways along the areas affected by Nora. An easterly wave met with

8883-551: The United States, most of these aircraft are privately owned and contracted to government agencies, and the National Guard and the U.S. Marines also maintain fleets of firefighting aircraft. On May 10, 2004, The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that they were cancelling contracts with operators of 33 heavy airtankers. They cited liability concerns and an inability to safely manage

9024-400: The XPB2M between 1942 and 1943, she was passed on to the Navy. The original patrol bomber concept was considered obsolete by this time, and the Mars was converted into a transport aircraft designated the XPB2M-1R . The Navy was satisfied with the performance and ordered 20 of the modified JRM-1 Mars . The first, named Hawaii Mars , was delivered in June 1945, but with the end of World War II

9165-566: The aerial firefighting capacity of the A400M using a roll-on/roll-off kit comprising a 20-tonne water tank and piping allowing the load to be expelled from the end of the cargo ramp. All links, citations and data sources are listed in the paragraph above. For accident and grounding citations, see paragraph below table. Category legend: Light: under 1,000 US gallons (3,800 L), Medium: under 10,000 US gallons (38,000 L), Heavy: under 20,000 US gallons (76,000 L), Super heavy: over 20,000 US gallons (76,000 L) – currently only used for

9306-490: The aerial firefighting fleet, newer purpose-built tankers have since come online. The smallest are the Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs). These are agricultural sprayers that generally drop about 800 US gallons (3,000 L) of water or retardant. Examples include the Air Tractor AT-802 , which can deliver around 800 gallons of water or fire retardant solution in each drop, and the Soviet Antonov An-2 biplane. Both of these aircraft can be fitted with floats that scoop water from

9447-493: The afternoon of August 18, Sarah continued northward as a typhoon, striking islands to the east of Taiwan and west of Okinawa. Experiencing cold air in the East China Sea, Sarah weakened slowly, weakening into a tropical storm on the afternoon of August 19. Bending northeast that day, the storm made landfall in the mainland of Japan near the city of Hioki on August 21 with wind speeds of 60 mph (97 km/h). The system gradually weakened as it crossed over Japan, experiencing

9588-460: The afternoon, the storm made a curve to the southwest from its track and looped back northward. By the morning of July 21, the storm began a northeastern turn towards Taiwan. The typhoon continued to intensify, maintaining typhoon status during the day and reaching a peak sustained winds of 90 mph (140 km/h) on the morning of July 22. Central pressures were recorded at a minimum of 970 millibars at peak as well. (Operationally,

9729-404: The afternoon, with winds reaching 50 mph (80 km/h) by nightfall. By the next morning, Opal was upgraded into a typhoon, the eighth of the 1962 season. The typhoon, now northwest of the island of Ulithi , continued turning to the northwest, beginning to slow as the system continued strengthening. By nightfall, the system had an eye forming, wide as 5 miles (8.0 km). By nightfall,

9870-446: The aircraft as a tourist attraction, citing the 2013 closure of the Flying Tankers Bomber Base Museum from poor attendance. In May 2015, the Hawaii Mars received a small contract to be used briefly for training Chinese pilots. This was done using the Martin Mars to evaluate against civil certification regulations by the International Test Pilots School on how to handle such a large amphibious aircraft. The pilots would be involved with

10011-434: The cargo bay with retractable pick-up scoops to allow uploading of water while the aircraft was taxiing. The scoops allowed 27 tonnes (27 long tons; 30 short tons) of water to be taken on board in 22 seconds. Later some of the hull fuel tanks were replaced with water tanks. The Marianas Mars crashed near Northwest Bay, British Columbia, on 23 June 1961 during firefighting operations; all four crew members were lost. Just over

10152-427: The city of Dianbai Liaogang, China . The dissipating remnants of Patsy continued east through the gulf during the day of August 11, crossing back into mainland China and died over land on August 12. Patsy's heavy rain and flooding caused 29 casualties with more than 200 missing. Damage totaled out to $ 2.5 million (1962 USD) ($ 18.7 million (2011 USD)), including major infrastructural damage at

10293-424: The city of Wenchang as a tropical storm with winds of 70 mph (110 km/h). Weakening as it crossed over China, the storm crossed along the southwestern shores of a nearby peninsula. Crossing through a gulf of the South China Sea, Patsy weakened to a 50 mph (80 km/h) tropical storm before the Joint Typhoon Warning Center ceased following the system on the morning of August 11, as it made landfall near

10434-550: The closing segments of the final flight to Patricia Bay in North Saanich. The arrival of Hawaii Mars at Patricia Bay was live streamed on YouTube. On August 14, 2024, Hawaii Mars was carefully maneuvered past breakwaters at the Patricia Bay Coast Guard station. In the following days, the aircraft was carefully jacked onto a custom-built 360-degree swivelling trailer by Nickel Brothers, in preparation for an overnight move onto airport land to her parking spot at

10575-698: The coast of British Columbia and sometimes in the interior. As of July 29, 2010, the Martin Mars was being used to fight the Mason Lake/Bonaparte Lake fire north of Kamloops. On 23 August 2012, the Coulson Group announced that the Philippine Mars , due to its lack of use for five years, would be retired and flown to the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola , Florida to become

10716-419: The coasts of Japan, slowly weakening over the next several days. On the morning of August 18, Typhoon Ruth made a turn to the northeast and crossed to the east of Tokyo . Proceeding away from the coast of Japan, Ruth continued to weaken, becoming a Category 1 typhoon on the afternoon of August 20, bending northeast into the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. Ruth was one of three active systems on August 21 at

10857-409: The controls of a 100,000 lb (45 t), 10,000 hp (7,500 kW) behemoth." The VIP Experience Program sold out in 3 days. On August 1, 2024, Hawaii Mars took flight for the first time since 2016, making further preparation for the ferry flight to Patricia Bay on August 11, 2024. The aircraft flew for a short period after experiencing a technical issue shortly after departure that required

10998-494: The day as it began a transition into an extratropical cyclone. On the morning of April 24, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center ceased following the storm as it had become extratropical with winds of 60 mph (97 km/h). The extratropical remnants of Georgia continued northward east of the coast of Japan. On April 26, the extratropical remnants passed to the southeast of the Kamchatka Peninsula . During

11139-461: The day, the system curved once again, turning westward before another curve to the south. During the day on April 27, the system returned to its northeastern pattern before dissipating on April 29, southeast of the peninsula. In its wake, the predecessor system to Typhoon Georgia left 9.85 in (250 mm) in rainfall over Yap Island , where no damage was recorded. Reported damages caused by Typhoon Georgia were limited. The only report

11280-405: The depression are unavailable. Another surge from the easterlies, combined with the forty-fourth tropical wave of the season, began to develop off the east coast of Luzon in the Philippines on the morning of July 18. At the time, the tropical wave had winds of 15 mph (24 km/h) on its surface. The wave rapidly intensified during the morning and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center upped

11421-439: The east. An eye began to form during the afternoon, it got to be 50 miles (80 km) wide. The developing cyclone was declared a typhoon on the afternoon with winds of 85 mph (137 km/h). By the morning of April 18, Georgia had curved again, now to the north, gaining strength and developing an elliptical eye. Through the afternoon of April 18, Georgia continued to strengthen, reaching Category 2 status during

11562-574: The eastern coast for several days. After May 24, the system begins to leave the Japanese coast in favor of the open Pacific Ocean but made a dart to the north towards the Kuril Islands on May 26. The remains turned once again to the northeast, paralleling the Kamchatka Peninsula for the next day. The storm turned offshore again on May 27 and disappeared near the Aleutian Islands on May 28. The 21st tropical wave of

11703-673: The effects of cold air and land. On August 22, Sarah rapidly weakened into a tropical depression before re-entering the East China Sea near the city of Kami . Running along the northern coast of Japan, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center stopped tracking the depression near the Noto Peninsula , as it became extratropical on the afternoon of August 22. The extratropical remnants of Sarah crossed the Noto Peninsula and over mainland Japan once again, proceeding northeast through

11844-433: The end of the day, the eye was beginning to come apart. During the morning of April 22, surface winds were reported at only 90 mph (140 km/h) and sustained winds soon followed. The cold waters continued to take its toll on the system, becoming a minimal Category 1 typhoon by the evening with no well-defined eye. On the morning of April 23, Georgia weakened into a tropical storm and slowly weakened during

11985-496: The end of the day. During the morning of May 28, Iris began to suffer from its lack of upper-level divergence and as a result was demoted into a tropical depression. The weakening system persisted two more days off the coast and dissipated on the morning of May 30. The dissipating remains of the Iris persisted for another day off the Philippines, dissipating southeast of Taiwan on May 31. Reported impact from Iris in

12126-449: The end of the day. The next morning, Typhoon Georgia reached its peak sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) just west of the island of Guam . The lowest minimum pressure recorded at that point was 930 millibars. The typhoon retained its strength for most of April 20, but in the late afternoon, the system began to weaken as it entered colder waters. Georgia curved to the northeast and slowly weakened during April 21, by

12267-596: The evening of Wednesday, August 21, 2024, just after 9:00 pm, the "Hawaii Mars" was on a 360-degree rotating trailer as it crept across the active taxiways of Victoria Airport towards the British Columbia Aviation Museum. It will become part of a permanent display there, taking the museum's "Crown Jewel" title. On April 25, 2024, it was announced that "Philippine Mars" will be acquired by the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona to be put on permanent display there. It

12408-503: The final time slightly behind schedule at around 3:40pm local time. The aircaft made low passes of the Sproat Lake Bomber Base, Port Alberni Harbour Quay, and the city, before embarking on its journey around multiple communities "with a flight path from Port Alberni to Campbell River, Powell River, then back to Comox and down the coast to Victoria." Hawaii Mars was accompanied by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds during

12549-434: The fire at a higher altitude to coordinate the efforts of the smoke jumper, helicopter, media, and retardant-dropping aircraft, while lead planes fly low-level ahead of the airtankers to mark the trajectory for the drop, and ensure overall safety for both ground-based and aerial firefighters. Water is not usually dropped directly on flames because its effect is short-lived. Fire retardants are not typically used to extinguish

12690-419: The fire by parachute from a variety of fixed-wing aircraft , or rappelling from helicopters . Chemicals used to fight fires may include water, water enhancers such as foams and gels , and specially formulated fire retardants such as Phos-Chek . The idea of fighting forest fires from the air dates back at least as far as Friedrich Karl von Koenig-Warthausen 's observations on seeing a blaze when overflying

12831-595: The fire, but instead are used to contain the fire, or slow it down to allow ground crews to contain it. Because of this, retardants are usually dropped in front of or around a moving fire, rather than directly on it, creating a firebreak . Aerial firefighting is most effectively used in conjunction with ground-based efforts, as aircraft are only one weapon in the firefighting arsenal. However, there have been cases of aircraft extinguishing fires long before ground crews were able to reach them. Some firefighting aircraft can refill their tanks in mid-flight, by flying down to skim

12972-526: The fire. The Air Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS), often called "air attack", is usually flying at an altitude above other resources assigned to the fire, often in a fixed-wing plane but occasionally (depending on assigned resources or the availability of qualified personnel) in a helicopter. Depending on the size, location, and assessed potential of the wildfire, the "air attack" or ATGS person may be charged with initial attack (the first response of firefighting assets on fire suppression), or with extended attack,

13113-700: The fires. This was the first time a jet aircraft was used as a lead plane or "bird dog". The Department of Parks and Wildlife in Western Australia operates a fleet of nine American Champion Scouts 8GCBC during the summer months as spotter aircraft and Air Attack platforms. The Provinces of Alberta and British Columbia and the Yukon Territories contract to supply Twin Commander 690 as bird dog aircraft for their air tanker fleets. Air Spray owns 9 Twin Commander 690 for use as bird dog aircraft. In

13254-458: The fleet after the wing failure and resulting crash of a C-130 A Hercules in California and a PB4Y-2 in Colorado during the summer of 2002. Both aged aircraft broke up in flight due to catastrophic fatigue cracks at the wing roots. After subsequent third-party examination and extensive testing of all USFS contracted heavy airtankers, three companies were awarded contracts and now maintain

13395-444: The form of crop, transportation, and structural damage. A surge from the westerlies entered the easterlies on the afternoon of August 5, east of the island of Yap . The forming system proceeded west, crossing over the island directly later that evening. Continuing to gain strength, the system became a tropical depression west of Yap on the morning of August 6 (designed Tropical Depression 51). The depression continued west through

13536-557: The in-flight shutdown and feathering of the number-four engine. After repairs, the aircraft performed multiple other test flights coinciding with its "VIP Experience" program. On August 10, 2024, Hawaii Mars was flown around the Beaufort Range and Comox Glacier accompanied by a Short Skyvan photo ship. On board were photographers tasked with capturing Hawaii Mars prior to her retirement for various magazines and news media outlets including Skies Magazine. On August 11, 2024,

13677-517: The island of Ostrov Sakhalin . After crossing the island, the system entered the Sea of Okhotsk , where it turned northward towards mainland Siberia . During the day of July 14, the system made landfall near the city of Magadan and crossed the Arctic Circle . Tracking of the system ceased just north of Magadan on the morning of July 15. Reported damage from Typhoon Joan was minimal in

13818-637: The island of Iwo Jima. On the evening of August 22, south of Iwo Jima, the storm intensified into a typhoon, boasting winds of 90 mph (140 km/h). Bending northwest and avoiding a direct hit with Iwo Jima, Thelma continued to rapidly strengthen, reaching an original peak of 125 mph (201 km/h) just west of the island on August 23. Making a bend towards the north, Thelma began weakening once again, reaching winds as low as 105 mph (169 km/h) west of Chichi Jima. Thelma began strengthening again on August 24, operationally reaching peak winds of 140 mph (230 km/h). However, in reanalysis,

13959-401: The island over the afternoon, weakening into a tropical storm by the afternoon. After emerging from Taiwan, Tropical Storm Kate turned to the northwest and made landfall once again near Wenzhou on July 23 with sustained winds of 60 mph (97 km/h). The interaction with land cause quick dissipation of the storm over mainland China, and the warning center ceased following the storm on

14100-684: The island, 966 injured and five people missing. The 170 mph (270 km/h) strong winds took a freighter off its anchors and swamping it, along with a number of fishing boats. Although winds of 110 mph (180 km/h) were felt in Taipei , no fatalities were reported because of ample warning, causing residents to evacuate. In Taipei, Opal caused streets to flood, uprooted trees and tore down telephone lines. 38 injuries were also reported, with 35 houses destroyed. 180 were also damaged in Taipei. Elsewhere, Opal caused two deaths in

14241-462: The island, with 20 people missing and over 1400 injured. Some 5,000 people were homeless in Yilan City . Nearly 1,500 homes were destroyed as a result of Opal, along with 4,700 others damaged due to the high winds. Huge waves kicked up by Opel also sent a storm surge into the city, sweeping away homes. However, by August 8, this number was demoted to only 12 deaths on

14382-623: The islands of Japan, centered on the island of Southern Hokkaido . Nine people there were also injured and one person was reported missing. After Typhoon Opal passed through South Korea , seven fishermen were killed along the coast of the Yellow Sea . 72 more people were missing. Five ships were also sunk in the Yellow Sea, twelve more were reported missing. The estimated damage total came out to about $ 25 million. (1962 USD; $ 184 million (2011 USD)) These totals came in

14523-413: The morning of August 15, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center began following the storm, which had winds of 70 mph (110 km/h). Slowly gaining strength, the storm, now named Sarah, became a typhoon on that afternoon. Sarah soon started making a loop on August 16 and August 17, peaking at winds of 85 mph (140 mp/h) and an internal pressure of 978 millibars. Soon crossing its former track on

14664-403: The morning of August 21. Named Thelma, the storm rapidly intensified north of Saipan, reaching winds of 70 mph (110 km/h). Operationally, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center found winds of 75 mp/h (120 km/h) and originally declared it a typhoon on the afternoon of August 21. The storm quickly weakened back to winds of 50 mph (80 km/h) before strengthening as Thelma neared

14805-511: The morning of February 6, Fran weakened into a tropical depression and the final advisory was released six hours after. A surge from an outdraft in the Southern Hemisphere entered the western Pacific on the afternoon of April 13. This surge began to come together near the island of Woleai and progressed northwestward through the Pacific. After crossing over Woleai, the system neared the island of Yap and began forming into

14946-442: The morning of July 26 as a 70 mph (110 hm/h) tropical storm. The storm began weakening over land, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center ceased releasing advisories and aircraft on Louise, which had degenerated into a tropical depression near Osaka, Japan . The dissipating system continued to the northeast, crossing over Tokyo and re-entering the open Pacific Ocean waters on July 28. The system continued northeast towards

15087-513: The morning of July 31. While at peak strength, Nora crossed west of the island of Okinawa, Japan . During the afternoon of August 1, Nora weakened in strength as it proceeded east of Shanghai, China. By the morning of August 2, Nora had weakened into a tropical storm, making an eastern turn towards the Koreas. On the afternoon of August 2, Nora made landfall near Incheon, South Korea with winds of 40 mph (64 km/h). Nora sped up while crossing over South Korea and into North Korea, crossing into

15228-427: The morning of July 24. The remains of Kate continued on for a short distance, crossing through China over the next day and into Mongolia before dissipating on July 25. The damage left behind from Typhoon Kate were extensive as the storm killed 110 residents and caused $ 25 million (1962 USD ($ 184 million in 2011 USD)) in damages to crops, homes and infrastructure. A tropical system formed far to

15369-418: The morning of July 31 to 35 mph (56 km/h) winds and persisted throughout the day at that strength. The depression continued its northwestern curve, speeding up and weakening once again to 30 mph (48 km/h) on the morning of August 1. After passing Woleai , the depression strengthened once again and became Tropical Storm Opal the same afternoon. The storm continued intensifying during

15510-403: The morning of May 22, Hope's sustained winds fell below tropical storm stage and the system became a tropical depression. By the afternoon, Hope was declared extratropical and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center ceased following the system. The extratropical remnants of Typhoon Hope continued northeastward towards the coast of Japan on May 23. The system turned just offshore and paralleled

15651-402: The morning. Rapid strengthening and development continued through the afternoon, with minimum pressures of 952 millibars on the surface reported. Entering the morning of April 19, Georgia began forming a well-defined eye, having already strengthened into a Category 3 cyclone. Intensification continued throughout the day with sustained winds reaching 145 mph (233 km/h) by

15792-466: The northeast and away from Indonesia. The strength remained unchanged during the day and before long reached its peak winds speeds of 50 mph (80 km/h). Continuing northward away from the coast of the Philippines, Fran remained at peak winds until the evening of February 4. During the morning hours of February 5, Fran dropped down to 45 mph (72 km/h) tropical storm and continued northward, weakening to 40 mph (64 km/h). On

15933-446: The northeast of Saipan in the early morning hours of July 19. The storm quickly strengthened northward through the open Pacific waters, and on the afternoon of July 20, was classified as a 50 mph (80 km/h) tropical storm named Louise. Louise continued moving to the north at about 10–11 mph. By the late evening on July 21, Louise had grown into a Category 1 typhoon, boasting winds of 75 mph (121 km/h) and

16074-402: The northwest and past near Iwo Jima as a 185 mph (298 km/h) typhoon on the evening of August 16. Boasting a minimum pressure of 915 millibars, Typhoon Ruth held its peak strength of 185 mph (298 km/h) for twelve hours before weakening off the coast of Chichi Jima as a 160 mph (260 km/h), minimal Category 5 typhoon. Continuing northwest, the storm approached

16215-486: The northwest through the open waters, rapidly strengthening, and by the end of the day on July 29, Nora had strengthened to a 55 mph (89 km/h). Operationally, Nora became a typhoon with winds of 75 mph (121 km/h), however, the best track for Nora has been updated for the change to have occurred six hours later in the waters east of Taiwan. Continuing northwest past Taiwan, Nora continued strengthening, peaking at max winds of 85 mph (137 km/h) on

16356-402: The northwest, again the next day to the southwest and the final one on the 10th to the northwest again. The tropical depression continued to the northwest, but degenerated into a remnant low on the morning of July 12. The remnants continued moving away, dissipating on July 15. The depression never made landfall, so no damage or fatalities were reported. As Typhoon Joan was weakening,

16497-683: The ongoing response to and management of a major wildfire requiring additional resources including engines, ground crews, and other aviation personnel and aircraft needed to control the fire and establish control lines or firelines ahead of the wildfire. A wide variety of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft are used for aerial firefighting. In 2003, it was reported that "The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management own, lease, or contract for nearly 1,000 aircraft each fire season, with annual expenditures in excess of US$ 250 million in recent years". Helicopters may be fitted with tanks (helitankers) or they may carry buckets. Some helitankers, such as

16638-400: The open waters of the Pacific Ocean, reaching tropical storm strength on the afternoon of August 6, northwest of Koror. Now a tropical storm named Patsy, the cyclone continued east towards the Philippines, gaining strength in the open waters. The storm reached winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) before making landfall near Borongan on the evening of August 7. Patsy criss-crossed the islands of

16779-484: The open waters, soon making landfall once again on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. Just east of Hokkaido, ran over cold air in the open Pacific waters, becoming extratropical on August 4. The remnants of Nora proceeded northeast and north past the Kamchatka Peninsula, crossing into the Bering Sea near Semisopochnoi Island on August 5. The remnants made a northwestern turn towards Russia before turning north through

16920-569: The plane that had been instrumental in protecting the forests of the West Coast. On April 25, 2024, Coulson Aviation released a formal statement, publicly announcing that Philippine Mars would be donated to the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona. Coulson Aviation plans to have both remaining Martin JRM Mars aircraft delivered to their museums by the end of 2024. This development

17061-495: The same class of vehicles, though it sometimes has a connotation of amphibians . Air attack is an industry term used for the actual application of aerial resources, both fixed-wing and rotorcraft, on a fire. Within the industry, though, "air attack" may also refer to the supervisor in the air (usually in a fixed-wing aircraft) who supervises the process of attacking the wildfire from the air, including fixed-wing airtankers, helicopters, and any other aviation resources assigned to

17202-515: The same time with Typhoon Thelma and Typhoon Sarah. After crossing the 155th meridian on August 22, Ruth weakened into a tropical storm as it experienced the effects of cold air. On the evening of August 22, the storm was deemed extratropical. The extratropical remains of Tropical Storm Ruth continued east through the open waters of the Pacific Ocean, bending northeast just east of the International Date Line. Now proceeding north,

17343-402: The second tropical depression of the 1962 season. On the afternoon of April 16, the system was declared a tropical depression. The depression made a curve to the south during the north and early on April 17 reconnaissance aircraft found surface winds of 65 mph (105 km/h). The storm was upgraded to a tropical storm on April 17 as the system continued curving, turning to

17484-557: The six were super typhoons. Three typhoons just missed entering the Bering Sea: Typhoons Hope, Sarah and Gilda. Also, Typhoons Georgia, Hope, Joan, Nora, Opal, Ruth, Thelma, Wanda, Amy, Emma, Gilda, Jean and Karen all lasted for at least one week with Opal lasting for eighteen straight days from a wave to the day the JMA ceased advisories. The second tropical wave of the season formed on the morning of February 2 off

17625-467: The southeastern coast of the Philippines . The storm quickly intensified into a tropical depression and soon into the first tropical storm of the 1962 season. The intensifying tropical cyclone went through the latter half of February 2 as a 45 mph (72 km/h) tropical storm, progressing southwest towards Indonesia . However, on the early morning of February 3, the storm curved to

17766-474: The storm struck North Korea near the capital city of Pyongyang . After crossing the country, the system reappeared in the sea before crossing. On the morning of August 9, the system made landfall on the Hokkaido region of Japan, near the town of Rumoi . After crossing the island, the storm entered the Sea of Okhotsk on August 10. During the afternoon, the system crossed the Kuril Islands and began

17907-688: The surface of a body of water. Similar in configuration to the World War II–era Consolidated PBY Catalina , the Canadair CL-215 and its derivative the CL-415 are designed and built specifically for firefighting. The Croatian Air Force uses six CL-415s as well as six AT 802s for firefighting purposes. Medium-sized modified aircraft include the Grumman S-2 Tracker ( retrofitted with turboprop engines as

18048-647: The surface of large bodies of water. One example is the Bombardier CL-415 . This is particularly useful in rural areas where flying back to an airbase for refills may take too much time. In 2002 an Ontario CL-415 crew was able to refill 100 times within a 4-hour mission, delivering 162,000 US gallons (613,240 L) or 1,350,000 pounds (612 t) of water on a fire near Dryden, Ontario (June 1, 2002 Dryden fire # 10 Tanker #271 civil ident C-GOGE). 1962 Pacific typhoon season#Typhoon Freda The 1962 Pacific typhoon season had no official bounds; there

18189-475: The system a typhoon. However, in post-analysis, Iris was never able to strengthen into a typhoon, peaking at winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) off the Philippine coast. A minimum central pressure was read of 990 millibars within the storm. Iris paralleled the shore for several hours, beginning a rapid weakening process, falling to a minimal tropical storm with winds of only 40 mph (64 km/h) by

18330-550: The system crossed Semisopochnoi Island and entered the Bering Sea. The storm turned northeast again, crossed the Date Line before merging into a system in the sea, just south of the Arctic Circle. The tropical wave that would develop into Typhoon Sarah formed southeast of the coast of Iwo Jima on the evening of August 8. The wave proceeded southwest across the open waters of the Pacific Ocean for several days, slowly gaining strength on August 14–15 south of Okinawa, Japan. On

18471-467: The system to a tropical depression the same afternoon. The next morning the system was upgraded to a tropical storm and received the name Kate. The new storm had a small, open eyewall which expanded during the day as the storm slowly intensified through and by the late morning of July 20, the storm became a typhoon with winds of 75 mph (121 km/h). That morning, the eye had only a 12-mile (19 km) diameter and had similar surface winds. During

18612-445: The system was dropped to winds of 135 mph (217 km/h). Crossing north, the storm approached the coast of Japan on August 25. Winds began to diminish as the storm was influenced by land, making landfall near Owase as a 105 mph (169 km/h) typhoon. The storm rapidly weakened as it crossed north across Japan, crossing into waters near Komatsu on August 26. Experiencing the effects of cold air, Thelma bent northeast as

18753-483: The system was up to winds of 90 mph (140 km/h) and passing far east of the Philippines. Opal continued the northwest progression, strengthening throughout the day of August 3 and forming a wider eye. By the end of the day, the storm was now a Category 3 typhoon with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h). Strengthening continued overnight as the typhoon passed to the east of Luzon, strengthening close to super typhoon status by nightfall on August 4 with

18894-487: The use of internal water tanks was adopted instead. The Mendocino Air Tanker Squad formed by Joseph Bolles Ely in 1956 was the first such unit in the United States to drop water and retardant on fires. Based at the Willows-Glenn County Airport it soon led the way for other agencies to form similar squads. Though World War II- and Korean War-era bombers were for a long time the mainstay of

19035-505: The water bombers to hot spots around the province when a need developed, such as in August 2003, when a large forest fire threatened the outskirts of Kelowna, British Columbia . On 10 November 2006, TimberWest Forest Ltd. announced they were looking for buyers of the Mars. A condition of sale was that the purchaser would have to donate one plane back to Port Alberni when they were retired, as

19176-406: Was a ship and its cargo in the Pacific suffered $ 28,000 in damages (1962 USD). A surge from the easterlies came in contact with a polar trough on May 13, creating an easterly wave which began developing in the afternoon near the island of Koror . The wave progressed northwestward away from the island and continued developing over the next few days. On May 16, the wave was upgraded to

19317-483: Was activity in every month but January, March, and June, but most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November and this conventionally delimits the season. The majority of the Pacific typhoons in 1962 formed in the Pacific Ocean north of the equator and west of the International Date Line with two exceptions: Tropical Depressions Fifty and Sixty-three formed in

19458-472: Was beaten in the 1964 season with 26 typhoons. Six super typhoons formed in 1962 which were Georgia, Emma, Ruth, Opal, Amy and Karen. Even with the high activity, only about half the cyclones in 1962 made landfall. There were also seventeen suspect cyclones discovered by the JTWC in post-season reports. Three were reported to reach typhoon intensity, three at tropical storm status and two needed tropical depression warnings. Two depressions, 50 and 63, formed in

19599-416: Was declared a 100 mph (160 km/h), Category 2 typhoon, but this was demoted in post-analysis. ) An internal pressure of 980 millibars was recorded within a 30 miles (48 km) wide eye. Hope began to encounter cold air near Okinawa, Japan, weakening rapidly from a typhoon to a tropical storm on May 21. Hope's eye fell apart and started to begin transition to its extratropical stage. On

19740-452: Was foreshadowed by Coulson's donation of Hawaii Mars to the British Columbia Aviation Museum, announced just weeks before. On June 4, 2024, Coulson Aviation announced that they would offer two tiers of "VIP Experience Packages" to paying customers wishing "to get up close and personal with their Martin Mars water bombers." These packages were described in $ 5,000 and $ 15,000 USD tiers. After realizing local demand and popularity, Coulson added

19881-455: Was formed and bid for the four aircraft and a large spares inventory. The company represented a consortium of British Columbia forest companies, and the bid was accepted and the sale completed in December 1959. The four aircraft were flown to Fairey Aviation at Victoria, British Columbia, for conversion into water bombers . The conversion involved the installation of a 27,000 L; 7,200 US gal (6,000 imp gal) plywood tank in

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