CalFire's First C-130H Airtanker Flies!

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[@storm-aircorporation6540]

The C-130H is a workhorse. I flew the C-130H as a Flight Engineer for over 9 years. They are extremely versatile and perfect for flying low level with excellent response. Cal Fire is terrific organization and it's good to see they chose the C-130H, which will undoubtedly increase their capabilities that will save lives and property. Fly safe!

[@idanceforpennies281]

I struggle to think of a better drop tanker than the C-130. It's got everything you need, including good handling in low and slow. Also very tough.

[@airjordan1325]

What was being a flight engineer like? I've looked into being one before but I've never met one?

[@monogamousbonobo3923]

I've done airborne jumps out of the C-130 & C-141! The Hercules air frame is bad ass!

[@hotttt28]

Awesome

[@stevereightler4126]

Former C-130B loadmaster here. Love the Hercky bird.

[@DanTaron-l5o]

Great to see a Blancolirio student working for Cal Fire. I tell all my friends that have kids, the aviation industry is a great career for youngsters. C-130's will make a great contribution to the fire fighting effort.

[@danielpearson4972]

Aviation maintenance industry is a great way for education and better pay starting out than 4 years of very liberal college

[@karneasada6025]

​@@danielpearson4972Only go to that very liberal college if you want to learn how to engineer the aircraft and its systems in the first place.

[@lvtiguy226]

My eldest is a little less than a year away from completing his schooling to become an A&P. He is already getting interest from the airline he works for as a ramp agent. A much better choice for him, as he was not interested in college.

[@lizj5740]

Go, Jordan! So great to hear a follow-up on you. Cheers from Liz and Ginger (pic left) in Australia.

[@barbarajeffries]

Thanks, Juan. It's very cool seeing the converted C 130's in action. Even cooler is seeing Jordan doing what she loves. Her smile is wonderful, and I'm really happy I could be one of hundreds who donated to help her realize her dream.

[@archstanton9206]

Sierra Motor Sports has been part of the fabric of this community for over 50 years. It was a huge blow to the community when this criminal act was committed. I am thankful they will be able to rebuild and return. The C-130's are going to be a huge asset to CDF, and I am thankful they are starting to come on line.

[@xfirehurican]

Take it from an old Marine Corps C-130R driver. These babies will get the job done.

[@Doxymeister]

💯👍

[@PlataxJazz]

These pilots and support staff are my heroes. I'm happy to see the C-130H's coming online.

[@jamespurse5225]

Juan, I can feel the pain in your voice when talking about the motorcycle shop being destroyed

[@sanfranciscobay]

Insurance never covers the losses and their losses may be so damaging that they never recover.

[@Co-opSource]

Bummed about it too, it’s my local shop.

[@Slonge92]

Thanks, great news. As a native Californian it’s great to see the fleet grow. I live in the Hollywood Hills with family nearby, and about half of my family lives in Napa and the Sacramento area. With most of us living in areas that have a higher risk of fire it is reassuring to see the proper tools in place to help one of our most important resources, firefighters. Thanks again.

[@MaryK4242]

Grats Jordan!! Making it happen, living the life!!! Those C130's are amazing! Look how low they are. Wow, Very exciting! Thanks Juan!!

[@gutboy17]

Thank you for the report. The Cal Fire HC-130H aircraft can be converted back to a cargo mission by removing the upper tank hopper and replacing the modified floor boards over the lower tank structure in the lower fuselage. Cal Fire is working on supporting humanitarian efforts when not fight fires.

[@aerotube7291]

Congrats to the young lady and good on you guys for staying ontop of the equipment!

[@adavidf03]

Congratulations to Jordan and to Calfire. Beautiful new bird. Juan, did you once mention that you intended to fly for Calfire at one point?

[@blancolirio]

USFS...

[@adavidf03]

@@blancolirio They’d have been lucky to have you too.

[@JFirn86Q]

C-130 is such a mighty capable aircraft. Gem of a design.

[@johnfriend240]

Back in the day, these performance and aerodynamic changes would have crossed my Dad's desk. Although born in Glendale, CA, I grew up in Georgia when Lockheed transferred Dad to Marietta at the start of the C-130 program.

[@craigsowers8456]

Retired LM Aero C-130J Engineer that served on the Fuselage (Mids/Plugs) in both Italy and Greece; the latter is still in Production on the longest running Aircraft Program in the history of Powered Flight (1st flight out of Burbank in AUG 1954). Forwarded to contacts at HAI as Greece is very much in need of this type of platform IMHO... they only have CL's and lots of fires due to mostly being Conifers. Yamas y'all.

[@TheMafiaBlessing]

Shoutout Johnstown PA

[@ericvadekro8334]

Respect for the aerial firefighters and the maintenance crews

[@morganbaynham9225]

Cal Fire air tankers saved my house July 26, 2024; Grange Fire. It was a little luck but mostly the fire fighters.Thank You Cal Fire and the AVFire Dept.

[@lawrencedavidson6195]

In what year?

[@jkull173]

The simulation is glitching, cal fire “will save your house” here in a few weeks.

[@michaelmoorrees3585]

Good thing. Otherwise it would have destroyed a perfectly good time machine. Those things ain't cheap !

[@RetLt116]

I think he meant July

[@lawrencedavidson6195]

@@RetLt116 Or 2014..

[@johnslaughter5475]

I love seeing the 130s in the air. They are truly an iconic plane. They are legendary.

[@DerredmaxTRIAX]

I just want to thank all of our air tanker and firer fighter folks. you saved our little town...Trout Creek fire near Sumpter Or...

[@indylovelace]

Thanks for the update on Jordan. So glad she’s maximizing her impact for California on the skills and training she has acquired.

[@JeffreyBue_imtxsmoke]

It still amazes me that the Herc is still relevant today as she was when she was introduced back in the 1950s.

[@MetsterAnn]

I live near McClellan and these beautiful planes fly over my backyard. I saw the C-130 today. But I see a lot of Aussie Fire planes as well. Heros these pilots are! (And mechanics too!)

[@sharontorgerson2556]

Nothin' like a a flybye of a plane you had a hand in. Yay for Jordan. I worked in Lockheed Plant 10 when the L-1011s were eing rolled out around 1980 and watched the planes do their delivery flybys.

[@scottgellerman8554]

The tanks are not permanently mounted Juan. only the lower portion of the system including the doors, below the floor of the aircraft. The tank itself has wheels that attaches to it and you can simply roll them on or off, although it takes a fair amount of time to bolt them in and seal them up.

[@kenbrown2808]

the could make a double duty variant with slightly smaller tanks. drop a retardant line on the first pass, and eXtreme landscapers on the second pass.

[@curtisl3595]

I installed some of the flight deck instruments and electrical equipment on the first 2 commercial version of the C-130J. Lockheed named them the LM-100J. An engineer on the program said they were trying to get a contract from USFS for firefighting. As far as I know that never happened and only a handful of the LM-100's have been built. The J model has beefier wings and more powerful and efficient powerplant and props. It would be great to have a fleet of them to help with these massive fires.

[@lloydprunier4415]

Back in 1966 C-130s took our US Army company and all of our equipment from Ft Lee Virginia to Camrahn Bay Vietnam. Never forget that trip and like the B-52s and A-10 Warthogs they are proven and still working today!

[@graysono]

How darn awesome for her! The RNZAF has had C-130H since 1965 - they were the first to get the H out of US Services - and are still in service! Their first C-130J arrived yesterday. Awesome machine!

[@user-xm4xt1vc7d]

Great news about the C130s! I'm not too far from Little Rock Air Force base, so I see C130s every day. And a big THANK YOU for the update on Jordan and her career. Congratulations Jordan!

[@petercole2339]

Amazing that they are able to rebuild them to that high of a standard! Shout out to all those mechanics getting it done!!

[@MADHIKER777]

A whole other world of flying! California property owners are lucky to have them.

[@ben-n-stephflyingcircus8281]

Took our Bonanza to KGOO this past weekend to get our daughter moved into her new home in Grass Valley. Beautiful country, friendly folks. Looking forward to coming back.

[@bill2066]

CalFire has an Air force that many other counties would Love to Have. Boys and their Toys.

[@daveinseattle]

A huge thanks to Jordan and the entire crew of the C-130H - Thank you for all you do keeping our families safe! Grateful for you Juan. You have given so much to all of us

[@androiddave1276]

Great explanation Juan, water for testing due it's abundance and cost effectiveness but in live fire scenarios the small droplets dispersed by air flow around and under the aircraft mean it doesn't penetrate the heat plume rising from the fire and reach the ground with it's cooling and quenching properties. It simply converts to steam and evaporates in the rising plume. The use of retardants solves this with chemistry to be effective upon reaching the ground even though it passed through the same heat plume. Fun Fact: This same droplet conversion to steam while passing down through the rising heat plume is also a real challenge in sprinkler protected buildings with high heat release contents and rack storage. Even a roof height of 25 feet can render sprinkler discharge ineffective before reaching the floor which is why those types of storage, warehouse, and industrial protection system designs rely on much higher flow rates (gallons discharged by sprinklers) and larger droplet, less misty looking sprays and rather some hard punching near stream like discharges. Always great work and explanations - keep it up.

[@whoever6458]

Oorah! Right on, Jordan! Thanks from all the fighters on the ground!

[@speedbird8326]

Was a captain on the C-130H for the Royal Australian Air Force. Remarkable aircraft. Loved it.

[@gracelandone]

The C-130 conversion makes a handsome aircraft. All who have worked on them deserve Atta Girls and Atta Guys. And thanks for the info on the role of the S2-T’s. We groundlubbers usually have only a minimal appreciation for how intricate and strategic this type of firefighting really is. Also nice to hear the entirety of your channel theme tune occasionally.

[@darrylr.4983]

2700 hours as a C-130 pilot including low level runs in formation. I would have loved to fly fire suppression missions! Unfortunately I'm too old now 😥

[@johningram9081]

Yes father time caught up with me also

[@robertkotula5389]

What unit?

[@darrylr.4983]

@@robertkotula5389 40th TAS at Pope AFB and then the 310th MAS at Howard AFB.

[@frankgulla2335]

Thank you, Juan for the detailed a impassioned presentation about the new C-130s and Cal Fire.

[@scotthutchins6035]

Outstanding job and congratulations to the young lady who is working on the aircraft.

[@bc-guy852]

Hat's off to all - including you Juan. What a great episode!

[@kendrapratt2098]

Your excitement and pride couldn’t be contained in this video!

[@lionel66cajppppp0]

I flew out to germany on one of these in 1981 as part of operation lionheart as a teenager Amazing experiance They opened up the back as well on the way

[@williambarry8015]

RIP Juan's local motorcycle shop.

[@me734]

We'll always love the C130's as they continue to be leatherman-swiss-army-tools of the skies

[@phillipzx3754]

@ 1:30 is how to properly water the lawn. It's a little spendy, but it gets the job done. 😀

[@mooorecowbell4222]

The Park Fire arsonist ignites a fire below high tension wires and insures the spread... UnBeLiEvAbLe 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@Don.Challenger]

Juan, from a couple of comments here saying the CalFire C-130s can have the upper portion of the tank system removed and reused for cargo, perhaps look into sourcing or creating video showing that process - that would be very interesting to see and maybe even be monetized when shown. Very good for our mechanic and the great team she is an essential part. That arson incident also shows that resources devoted to homelessness, mental heath and drug dependency (and enforcement, justice and corrections) also could use some rethinking and an efficiency overhaul just like CalFire and DWR have gone through (it seems so far successfully) over the last years.

[@elosogonzalez8739]

California residents should be proud their tax dollars are finally going to something that ACTUALLY HELPS THE STATE! Congratulations Jordan!😊 Looks like the homeless woman will have a home and three square meals for awhile.

[@jochenheiden]

I watched this aircraft operating the Record Fire on Sunday near San Jacinto. He was flying with a Coulson C-130. Really cool to see them.

[@Mountain-Man-3000]

C-130 is a legend. Right up there with SR-71, Concorde, or 747.

[@mikemissel7785]

The Firehawk is a flying fire engine and CalFire has added them along with different agencies around the state.

[@EffequalsMA]

The 130H massive power and good maneuverability will really help.

[@louanderson1264]

Great update- CalFire has needed dedicated C-130s for a long time and it's great to see them flying. I think California has finally learned it's lesson to hit fires hard and fast by not holding off on sending the air assets. You may know better but it seems to me that 20+ years ago they didn't send air tankers until things were starting to get out of control because aircraft are expensive to operate. But, in the long run they save money by keeping small fires small. Thank you for such a great channel.

[@scottbohannon5860]

I am happy to see the C-130 come online with CalFire! Thanks for the update! We don’t have to worry about wildfires here in the Midwest but I always follow the fires out west and it seems that CalFire has an excellent new tool to use to combat these fires!

[@joeblow5037]

Can never go wrong with the Hercules. Did a couple Beaufort - Yuma trips in a parachute seat. Don't forget to bring your ear protection 🙂

[@timbober1]

I geek out every time I see an air national guard C-130 fly over my neighborhood.

[@stringpicker5468]

Wonderful aircraft, but let's remember the dangers. Coulson lost a C 130 in Australia fighting fires. Best wishes from Australia to the Calfire crews aerial or ground.

[@whiskytango17]

We hang glide out at a hang gliding site in Coloma. I have a video of this C-130 with that N number flying about 500 feet below my friend. It scared the crap out of him!

[@michaelhoffmann2891]

16 tons of water/retardant in a few seconds. It just blows my mind the stresses and w&b changes that must impose on the airframe!

[@Visaliaipa]

I absolutely love the C-130. Back in the early 90’s when I was a young g paratrooper, it was one of the best and most fun aircraft to jump from. Standing in that door and feeling the breeze right before the green light was cathartic.

[@SonnyJim25]

So excellent. It's nice to have something current in California that we can be proud of.

[@mike95826]

A great new species addition to the California state bird.

[@jharbo1]

Big Guppies to the rescue! What a beautiful airplane, Cpt. Browne. Congrats to CalFire for getting them in service for y'all. Thanks for another strong and factual report, and thank you for the beautiful footage. We who are so inclined pray for safety over the men and women of CalFire and, of course, you, sir.

[@freibert]

Firefighters are brave guys! - my deep respect for them all around the globe, may they always return home safely //

[@dgsantafedave1]

I drive 99 near Vina everyday and you can see the effects of the Park fire! I hope we get a normal rainy season this year so all that debris doesn't come rushing down into the Sacramento river! Great pics as always Juan and I think they should have a CalFire type blue angel team with all those beautiful birds they got on there air force!

[@MessOfThings]

They could do a water drop during the air show for fleet week

[@dgsantafedave1]

@@MessOfThings That would be awesome!

[@BigBulgogi]

This is exciting. I love the re-use of older (but still useable) aircraft in groundbreaking ways- and I love the fact that the engineer is still utilized onboard- it keeps a proud heritage alive for a bit longer.

[@bhami]

Good point about the limited effectiveness of water drops. That close-up shot of the water drop looked like only slightly more than I'd get if I walked under one of those sidewalk misters that some outdoor restaurants have.

[@oveidasinclair982]

My dad worked and flew on those C-130's when they were Coast Guard planes, he flew as a flight engineer, those 1700 series H-models were great planes.

[@davidw2959]

Can the 130's load and go from the Grass Valley Base? Well you just answered my question in the video. I liked the old days when the S2's were still using the radial engines, because they were just getting them synced up right over my house.. A great sound.

[@regionalflyer]

Man, just skimming through videos and saw a C130 doing a drop and it being your channel. I initially thought the worst before I had a chance to read the caption 😂

[@therealajnelson]

Such beautiful birds. Love to see the C-130s in flight.

[@williambarry8015]

I live in fire country and it's amazing how fast the CAL FIRE air force arrives.

[@samhill3496]

Dangerous job. Hope for the best. Hot and dry all over the country. Appreciate all the efforts of many. Good report Juan

[@DavEScott-or8ex]

As a former A model maintainer,, last w 3 blades, I salute you

[@maxcleveland3446]

Spied the Herc barreling east over KAUN yesterday afternoon. Good to hear that we are improving the tool kit. Any CL - 415s in the future? Bravo Zulu to Jordan!

[@Private-GtngxNMBKvYzXyPq]

Congratulations to Jordan. Wishing safety and success to Calfire. Great montage at the end perfectly matched to the Aram Bedrosian soundtrack. Keep up the great work!

[@rrich8371]

What a great story Juan... and a great video. I am hoping that aircraft will see a long, long firefighting career... and above all keeping its crew safe. (Well done Jordan)

[@NOELTM]

Bravo Jordan, great to see how well you are progressing.🙂

[@stephenkirby1455]

I have been a Blancolirio subscriber since the early days of the Oroville spillway failure. You are still doing a great job of empowering the people with facts, and engaging content. Bravo, Stephen Kirby

[@scottwilhelme9880]

If anyone is interested in learning more about firefighting in the Sierras I recommend tuning in to "The Lookout". Zeke Lunder from Chico does a fantastic job of mapping fires and explaining firefighting tactics and the effects of fire on the landscape. He also has a lot of clear headed analysis about the use and misuse of fire retardant.

[@missouriskies]

Thank goodness. At first glance of the thumbnail, I thought that this was an accident report.

[@eartha911]

I love these birds! Perfect for these increasing situations. So wonderful to see that Jordan is offering her magnificent skills for getting the job done!

[@mannypuerta5086]

10 years on the Herc (E’s and G’s). Still have a soft spot for it. If I were younger…

[@Sshooter444]

We lost the air races, but there's a heck of an air show over Loyalton. Must have been 10-12 birds in the air at once on Monday.

[@MWTGoldenGun]

Good report! I was a mechanic on the C-130H engines. Its a great plane and I'm glad to see it used for such a noble mission.

[@whoever6458]

Oh I saw that tanker when it was working the fire in Riverside. We only had the helicopters dropping on the fires I was on back in the day. While that did make a different to drop the water that they did, especially in Southern California, we get out worst fires when the humidity is so low that very little water actually reaches the ground. The first time I saw a drop, it was just enough to let our water tanker past a bit of higher flames so we could resupply the engines at the foot of the fire. The helicopters definitely got lower too. Of course, the fire itself also evaporates more water into the air as it burns too so retardant is essential. It's pretty damn slippery if you want through it but it works well. Water only works to deprive the fire of the heat side of the fire triangle, which isn't your best bet when it's already as hot as a suburb of hell when a lot of our fires take off. Love that they converted a C130 and I hope they make many of them because that's a huge capacity. The DC10 tankers are pretty awesome too.

[@whoever6458]

I will note that I was a Riverside County firefighter when I was younger before I went back to school for medicine. I loved it but it turns out I have a weakness when it comes to heat-related illnesses and wasn't going to risk my brothers (I was the only sister).

[@pdxyadayada]

Yay Juan! You’re the best..high quality vlogs with good attitude!

[@dougcarlisle7557]

Great airframe for firefighting. Four engines and outstanding performance

[@PaulScott_]

Juan, you are showing your age going Ole School wanting to start your engines before you taxi - get with the program - it is 2024 baby! LOL 🤣🤣 Thanks for sharing your aviation passion with us!

[@michaelflaxcombsr9095]

THANK YOU FOR SUCH A GREAT REPORT! FROM START TO FINISH. THATS A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION. I CAN APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO!

[@Ztbmrc1]

Nice plane that C-130. Cool to see the main gear retracting from so close! And Cal Fire does a great job!

[@Chris-Nico]

Fantastic. I’ve been saying for years that the C130 would make a great air tanker.. this video proves it. Congrats to Jordan in her A&P career! We need more of you! Thanks, Juan for the great detail on how these fires are fought from the air.

[@elizabethbottroff1218]

As an outside observer, that plane has an uncomfortable, "body language," after it has made most of its drop. On the runway one, you can see the pilot fighting to keep a level flight as the weight is coming off of it. The lift kept wanting to carry it up. That pushover approaching that ridgeline did not look like a well controlled move. My guess is that they are relying on the skills and experience of the pilots as they create the training manual on this thing. The real world applications of the theoretical knowledge will need to be fine tuned. That plane and crews will be on constant turnaround cycles, operating in dangerous conditions and terrain, with crew fatigue interfering with safe practices. The sooner that they can learn her mannerisms and idiosyncrasies, the sooner that they can build in some muscle memory. They will also be able to collect and disseminate the data to improve upon simulator sessions. She's beautiful! Congratulations to your sponsored A&P. She's on a team making history.

[@daltonsband]

A fantastic eye andspot-on. it was used in a pinch with maffs but now as a permanent duty it will need to go through some tweaking and training to get it stable and predictable. In other words we have some work to do.

[@danielbarton9291]

Positive waves !!!!!!! Thank you Juan!!!!!!

[@dominicdahlheimer6861]

Such a awful loss for your local motorcycle shop! Fortunately no loss of life and the fire-starter was apprehended! Congratulations to Jordan Smith and her career choice! And thanks to you Juan for supporting / bringing her to our attention! The C130 of CalFire is a sharp looking aircraft! I am curious about its history / total time as it enters CalFire service?

[@Dartman6]

Great report, Juan! Very informative. I'd like to officially request a report on the 10 Tanker DC-10 tanker aircraft. The stuff the pilots do with those huge aircraft is just amazing!

[@williamralph5442]

if you remember Glenda in the 90's movie, she would be proud to fly the C 130. great video, thanks Juan

[@18robsmith]

The three in a row shot shows just how big the C130 is compared to the S2T

[@e7ats]

Awesome description and commentary of how these fire fighting tools are used. Hats off to all involved in designing, maintaining, and flying these wonderful tools of fire fighting.