Firefighting planes demonstrated in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Two examples of the newest tools in the fire fighting toolbox stopped by Lake Tahoe Airport on Tuesday to show how they can help in the Sierra, just as they do across the country.

Dauntless Air out of Appleton, Minnesota brought two Air Tractor AT-802F Fire Boss planes to town at the request of the United States Forest Service (USFS) and put on a demonstration for South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue, CalFire and the USFS from both Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe National Forest.

The AT-802 planes each holds 800 gallons of water. While on board a fire retardant can be injected into the tanks. Water can be scooped out of lakes or be loaded while on the ground. When fully loaded they weigh 16,000 pounds. Due to their size they can be in the air for 3.5 to 4 hours and cover about 600 miles before needing to return to an airport for fuel.

"Tahoe is perfect for them," said Jamie Sargent, Business Development Advisor for Dauntless Air. He said a plane can use its floats, land on water, and scoop the 800 gallons in 15 seconds, then be at a fire in moments. When loading the planes on the ground it takes three minutes.

After South Lake Tahoe, Sargent and the team went to Chester, California where the lakefront terrain is much like South Lake Tahoe. A group of about 30 watched the demonstration where the planes did three-minute circuits. "We had really positive reviews there," said Sargent.

Over the past two summers, the Super Scoopers made the airport on the South Shore their home for a few weeks, as they were at other airports around the country as well. These planes were on contract to USFS, much as the two AT-802Fs would be should a deal be made. The Super Scoopers are bigger and hold 1600 gallons of water but come at a $30 million price tag and don't have the maneuverability the AT-802Fs have.

The aerial firefighting planes, valued at $3M each, come at a cost of $4500 per day plus hourly fees. For that cost a full support crew with vehicles will also come with the planes. They can be assigned to an area for a short term, or weeks or months.

Dauntless Air has a current fleet of 13 of these planes. Some are under contract with the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and states across the country.

"We are thrilled about these types of aircraft," said Mark Gibbs, the airport manager. "They can get in and out with more precision [than the Super Scooper], a much better fit."

"We would be thrilled to host them," added Gibbs. "Extra revenue for our business partners, the airport and closer fire assets."