Who can identify this payload?

[workingonit]

Saw this today. Sorry the pic is not as good as I'd like to post.


83789

[THE BOOGER]

fogging machine for pest control?

PS: is that a Pilatus I didn't think there were any on the register any more?

[stallie]

Chemtrails….





:wasntme:

[workingonit]

Thanks Geoff.

Don't know much about aeroplanes particularly. Its marked VH-NTM with a 3 digit number. It's does not appear to on the CASA register - not sure if that's a legal requirement.

This one has been doing loops over the rural residential area all day, in close proximity, and flown very very low over the house about 6 or 7 times, pretty much just above tree level all the time.

Only after enlarging a photo did I see it was carrying something with what looked like spray nozzles.

No public notices that I could see in Saturdays paper, in case it was for mosquito spraying. If it was, then I wish they would say.

[workingonit]

Sorry, Pilatus? It was a single engine and seemed to have 5 blades. Am I going to be plagued with the equivalent of bird watchers wanting to see it? :)

[goingbush]

Its an Airtractor (fire bomber) - you can see the pod ( bomb doors) in this photo
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[THE BOOGER]

Pilatus pc 6 was used by Australian army

Pilatus PC-6 Porter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilatus_PC-6_Porter)

[workingonit]

I think you've nailed it as the tractor.

We had some grass fires on the west side of my suburban area. The pilot made a few dives in that direction, but most of the time the pilot was on the eastern side ie no where near any fire. Helicopters were water bombing so would you have an aeroplane doing low level like this ie visibility issues for the choppers. Can these planes be used to drop incendiaries to back burn, or drop useful water? Fair enough if he was doing something useful.

Out of curiosity would the craft be below radar?

Here it comes. Have got other better photos because it came lower for longer a couple of other times.

83825

83827

83829

83830

83832

[workingonit]

...actually I've just realised this one has difference ID under the wings to the other I also photographed - so there were 2!! Got to be related to the fire! Thanks for the help...and no visit from plane spotters then? (your welcome to, but bring LRover parts as gifts - cheers)

[goingbush]

No They only use choppers to drop pingpong balls (incendiaries) they have a special hopper for the purpose (so as not to have naked flames in the chopper) , too hard to aim the trajectory from a fixed wing

they will have transponders so being 'below radar' isn't a concern.

the air tractors hold useful water 3000 L (3 tonnes) but obviously take some time to land and refill, where as the big skycranes ( aka Elvis) hold 9000L

[Bushie]

VH-NTM

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/09/1006.jpg

The other 3 digits were probably a callsign used by the firies in NT.


Martyn

[Basil135]

You will find the planes are generally dropping retardant in the path of the fire to slow it.

3000l of straight water from a plane onto a fire isn't going to do much, but when mixed with retardant, it covers a reasonable area.

Choppers are used for precision drops, plus, given the fact they have a much quicker turn around than a fixed wing, are very effective in this role.

[workingonit]

Thanks Bushie for the CASA link, so financed by St George and owned by Aerotech here in Darwin.

Hard to believe it can carry 3 tonne of water given its apparent size. But obviously a useful amount.

[workingonit]

Oh, and my wife is comically impressed by how quickly I come back with information from this site :) Thanks guys.

[StephenF10]

NTM is in the CASA database as an AT-802 Air Tractor operated by Aerotech in Darwin. Apparently brand new - a 2014 model registered in June.

(Whoops - didn't see Bushie's reply above)

[telf]

They were doing the same thing near Shoal Bay Dump/Holmes Jungle last week. It was spectacular flying.

[strangy]

There are few fixed wing fitted with the incendiary machines.
There was a C206 used around Darwin and the NT for dry season burning duties.

[Fourgearsticks]

Thanks Bushie for the CASA link, so financed by St George and owned by Aerotech here in Darwin.

Hard to believe it can carry 3 tonne of water given its apparent size. But obviously a useful amount.



If you had a close look at one you would be surprised at the size, they weigh 3 tonne empty, carry a tonne of fuel and 3 tonne/3000 litres payload making them just over 7000KG take off weight.

[BigBlackDog]

The here numbers are fire agency call signs that they use on the job which alerts other aircraft to their purpose. They use that call sign for all communication during a job. They would be BOMBER xxx. That is for water bombing. Firebird for light rotary fire support, Helitack for medium rotary fire. The first number of the three depends on the state they are in, for NT it should be 8.
Yes I had to look that up to give the right answer:D

[HUE166]

The here numbers are fire agency call signs that they use on the job which alerts other aircraft to their purpose. They use that call sign for all communication during a job. They would be BOMBER xxx. That is for water bombing. Firebird for light rotary fire support, Helitack for medium rotary fire. The first number of the three depends on the state they are in, for NT it should be 8.
Yes I had to look that up to give the right answer:D

Fixed wing bombers are usually refered to as "Firebombers" whereas the rotaries dropping water are refered to as "Waterbombers".

The Fireboss is an Air Tractor on floats and, depending on the fire's proximity to decent water, will usually show the rotaries up.

We're all hoping for a decent fire season this year as last season was so quiet. I need a big one so that I can buy more Land Rover parts.:)

Sent from my GT-P5100 using AULRO mobile app

[HUE166]

Its an Airtractor (fire bomber) - you can see the pod ( bomb doors) in this photo
http://www.airtractor.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/aircraft_medium/planes/air-tractor-802f-3.jpg

Was that photo taken at Grafton Goingbush?

Sent from my GT-P5100 using AULRO mobile app

[JDNSW]

.......

We're all hoping for a decent fire season this year .......

Yes, but some people have different ideas of what constitutes "decent".

John

[HUE166]

Yes, but some people have different ideas of what constitutes "decent".

John

That's certainly understood. A quiet fire season is a good fire season in many respects.

[BigBlackDog]

Fixed wing bombers are usually refered to as "Firebombers" whereas the rotaries dropping water are refered to as "Waterbombers".

The Fireboss is an Air Tractor on floats and, depending on the fire's proximity to decent water, will usually show the rotaries up.

We're all hoping for a decent fire season this year as last season was so quiet. I need a big one so that I can buy more Land Rover parts.:)

Sent from my GT-P5100 using AULRO mobile app

I was referring to what their call signs are, you don't say "waterbomber 123" as a heli. It is firebird. Maybe you guys have a local procedure where people just go with whatever they like?

[HUE166]

I was referring to what their call signs are, you don't say "waterbomber 123" as a heli. It is firebird. Maybe you guys have a local procedure where people just go with whatever they like?

The procedures are now standard nationally as all states are now administered by the National Aerial Firefighting Centre. A helicopter dropping water is actually refered to as "Helitack 123"where as the "firebirds" are the lighter helicopters that are utilised as air attack, mapping, spotting, and incendiary platforms.