Earlier in October, the South Carolina Forestry Commission held a Media & VIP Field Day demonstration to show off the newest tools in its wildland firefighting arsenal. Twin Air Tractor 802A Fire Boss amphibious scooper planes, provided by Dauntless Air, drew water from Lake Marion, then dropped their payloads directly on a live – but controlled – wildfire at Manchester State Forest.
The agency recently finalized a contract with Dauntless Air, a Minnesota-based aviation company, to provide up to 75 days a year of firefighting support in the form of two single-engine air tankers (SEATs) for the next five years.
The Fire Boss aircraft can stay airborne for 3+ hours at a time and scoop up to 800 gallons of water from lakes and rivers as close to the fire as possible. They are capable of dropping water or a combination of water and fire-retardant gel, depending on fuel types and conditions on the ground.
