Pilots Say The Converted 747 Has Been An Effective Weapon

After sitting on the sidelines for much of the season, the Global Supertanker, a Boeing 747 converted into a firefighting aircraft, has been seeing service in California since September, fighting a number of large wildfires that have broken out in the state.

In the recent round of fires in Napa Valley, the tanker has been operating out of McClellan Air Park, one of 12 using the airport as a base of operations for refueling and taking on fire retardant. Cal Fire Battalion Chief Dusty Martin told television station KTXL that the big airplane has been used "pretty extensively" over the past several days.

The Global Supertanker can hold nearly 20,000 gallons of fire retardant and carry it up to 4,000 miles, according to the company.

Pilots are giving the airplane favorable reviews. Pilot Marcus Valdez said the 747 has "been getting the job done."

The company reports that the plane was flown to Victorville, CA Sunday morning for some maintenance. "We will rejoin our CalFire team at McClellan as soon as possible," the company said in a message posted to Facebook.

(Image from Facebook)

FMI: Original Report