An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Oct. 29, 2007

C-130 Firefighters Face Special Challenges

By 1st Lt. Jody Ritchie USAF Special to American Forces Press Service

CHANNEL ISLANDS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ca. - Military crews in the planes dropping fire retardant on wildfires in southern California face hazards and challenges unique to their humanitarian mission.

Heavy smoke hangs in the air as the Poomacha Fire in northern San Diego County, Calif., continues to burn on Oct. 26, 2007. Military crews on six specially equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft are supporting firefighting efforts by strategically releasing fire retardant in the area. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Roy A. Santana, USAF (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

First is the low altitude at which they fly, and the sudden, violent updrafts and downdrafts caused by the heat of the fire. Another factor is sudden changes in aircraft behavior when more than 20,000 pounds of fire retardant slurry are released from the plane. Then there's the smoke that reduces visibility as the crew maneuvers in airspace shared by other aircraft. The crews have a fully engaging experience every time they fly.

With those challenges in mind, crews train to ensure they can handle the hazards of flying the C-130 Hercules aircraft equipped with the U.S. Forest Service's Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems, or MAFFS.

"Not everybody can do this. You have to prove you can handle it," said Maj. Wiley D. Walno II, a pilot with the Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing based in Cheyenne, Wyo.

When the first fire started in southern California this month, the news had the attention of reserve component airmen across the country. It wasn't long before members of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard joined forces to assist the firefighters battling the blazes on the ground. The Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing in Colorado, the Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing in Wyoming and the 145th Airlift Wing in North Carolina responded quickly.

"I enjoy this job. If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing it," said Walno, who has been flying MAFFS missions for 13 years.

"We've got people that wait for years to get an opportunity to get certified for this mission," said Lt. Col. Dave Condit, the Air Force Reserve Command MAFFS program coordinator and a 302nd Airlift Wing pilot based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. "We only take the most experienced aircrew members, and we go through a lot of training and preparation for this."

The training ensures Defense Department assets are ready to use the equipment when called upon by civil authorities.

The complexity of the air traffic associated with nearby Los Angeles International Airport makes the current activation a little different from others, Walno said.

"It's real busy up there with all the LAX traffic," he noted, "but our traffic alert and collision avoidance system keeps us away from other aircraft."

That system communicates with traffic alert and collision avoidance systems on other aircraft, and it's required on jets carrying more than 30 passengers. Pilots flying aircraft that get too close to one another are warned by the system to steer the aircraft away from each other.

As the aircraft get close to their retardant drop location, they must change their communication channels so they can talk to the incident commander assigned to the fire, who coordinates all the ground and air assets to provide the most effective fire fighting possible.

"Logistically, there are a lot of pieces that fit together," Walno said. "It's amazing."

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group prepare dummies for a simulated casualty evacuation at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, July 17, 2025. The 108th Medical Company engaged in a weeklong field medical exercise to validate their readiness and elevate their medical and basic Soldier skills. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Christopher Booker)
Pennsylvania Guard Medics Simulate Chaos in Exercise
By Capt. Christopher Booker, | July 18, 2025
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - Soldiers assigned to the Pennsylvania National Guard's 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group, are engaged in a comprehensive two-week field medical exercise here.The...

Nevada Air National Guard's 152nd Maintenance Group and 152nd Logistics Readiness Squadron personnel load Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) equipment onto MAFFS #8, aircraft #554 at the Nevada Air National Guard Base on July 12, 2025. U.S. Northern Command activated two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) Aircraft, one from the 152nd Airlift Wing out of Reno, Nevada, and one from the 146th Airlift Wing out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in California. Two C-130 aircraft equipped with MAFFS and their associated personnel will support firefighting efforts in the Western United States. The 152nd Airlift Wing’s “High Rollers” and 146th Airlift Wing's “Hollywood Guard” report on July 14, 2025, and will be initially based out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Base in California and are anticipated to be in place through August 14, 2025.
Nevada Air Guard Wing Assists in Firefighting Efforts
By Senior Master Sgt. Paula Macomber, | July 18, 2025
RENO, Nev. – U.S. Northern Command has activated two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System Aircraft, one from the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing out of Reno, Nevada, and one from the 146th Airlift Wing out of...

Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, 30th Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the CNGB, join Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, the adjutant general of Texas, for an aerial assessment of flood-affected areas in Central Texas and to visit Guardsmen on duty supporting civil authorities with response efforts, Kerrville, Texas, July 15, 2025. To date, National Guard search and rescue operations, led by the Texas National Guard, have resulted in the rescue of more than 525 Texans. Hundreds of Guardsmen remain on mission to continue working with interagency partners in search and rescue and recovery operations.
Nordhaus, Raines see Heroism, Partnerships in Central Texas
By Master Sgt. Zach Sheely, | July 18, 2025
KERRVILLE, Texas – Early on July 4, almost 30 inches of rain fell within hours across Central Texas’s Hill Country, surging the Guadalupe River and triggering catastrophic flash flooding.Within hours, Texas National Guard...