OWB sent us a link to the video of a rare sight – from a C-130 cockpit as the California National Guard drop their fire fighting stuff on a fire;
Lt. Col. Bryan Allen of the 146th Airlift Wing based in Ventura County mounted a GoPro camera on the cockpit window to record multiple retardant drops over the blaze.
A modular airborne firefighting system (MAFFS) is carried in the cargo bay of the C-130 and drops 3,000 gallons of retardant in a matter of seconds.
I wonder if that annoying landing gear/terrain lady was around back in the day when we would do NOE before a jump…
That was pretty cool stuff, and proof that the C-130 is still one of the best damn aircraft ever built.
I’m told the Air Force calls her the Bitching Betty.
Nice video == “pilot pr0n”
So I always wondered why they a so jumpy tho …
There are several good videos of the C-130 cockpit view on YouTube. Look out front for the lead aircraft and where he marks the drop point.
Go to YouTube, enter: Rim Fire forest fire in the search option.
That annoying lady is called Bitchin’ Betty in the F-16 world. I don’t know if she has the same name in Herky world.
Best mission I was ever part of with the 302d Airlift Wing at Peterson.
Cool! We got to watch a retardant drop and Cal Air Guard got their “bitching betty” problem fixed. I call that killing two birds with one stone. Life is good…