Last week, CAL FIRE announced that the second of our seven C-130H airtanker conversions was ready for action–adding to the largest civil aerial firefighting fleet in the world. 💪 The fleet is positioned across California to reach the most remote areas of the state in 20 minutes or less. Our C-130H air tankers are a powerful firefighting tool, delivering 4,000 gallons of fire retardant per flight. The five CAL FIRE airbases that will be home to C-130H’s are: Ramona, Paso Robles, Fresno, McClella

Fighting wildfires from the air takes precise coordination and expertise. Orchestrating this aerial ballet of tankers, helicopters, and intel aircraft are the Air Tactical Group Supervisors (ATGS). Trainees for this vital role learn the ropes at California Aerial Supervision Academy (CASA), which recently concluded. The two-week intensive training, sponsored by CAL FIRE and held jointly with the U.S. Forest Service, included a week of classroom learning, flight simulator sessions, and orientatio