Author Topic: A bad year for those who fly to fight fire  (Read 6457 times)

Offline BrianGMFS

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A bad year for those who fly to fight fire
« on: July 25, 2007, 01:27:39 PM »
I just heard that a Contract Bell 207 went down in Northern California on a fire and 2 Canadair CL-415's have crashed in Europe fighting fires....

Be careful out there Guys

Brian


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"Take my love, take my land. Take me where I cannot stand. Burn the land and boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me."

Offline G-man

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Life may not be the party we hoped for---but while we're here--we might as well dance..........

airtac

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Re: A bad year for those who fly to fight fire
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2007, 07:09:47 AM »
Aw Gee, too bad, sounds like he had a neat life------I hope he has blue skies and fair winds on his westward journey  |:)\ |:)\

Offline AirScorp

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Re: A bad year for those who fly to fight fire
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2007, 09:49:53 AM »
I just heard that a Contract Bell 207 went down in Northern California on a fire and 2 Canadair CL-415's have crashed in Europe fighting fires....

One of them was here in Greece..  :-\ http://news.ert.gr/en/c/7/26312.asp

This is a video circulating the media the past days. It was made by one of the two pilots that were killed in the crash and shows their line of work.
http://www.haf.gr/media/cl-415.wmv

 |:)\ |:)\ |:)\ |:)\ |:)\

Right now, another fire is raging right on our doorstep here
http://news.ert.gr/en/c/7/26347.asp
http://news.ert.gr/en/c/7/26353.asp
right next to where my mom's family lives..

Not feeling very funny these last days, sorry guys..
It's all Greek to me!

Offline Mike

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Re: A bad year for those who fly to fight fire
« Reply #4 on: July 27, 2007, 04:38:20 AM »
Aw Gee, too bad, sounds like he had a neat life------I hope he has blue skies and fair winds on his westward journey  |:)\ |:)\

You know guys, . . . Dennis was a friend of mine. I really looked up to this guy. He taught me a lot of stuff and I was lucky to know him and to work with him on fires and to hang out with him and his crew when he was flying the Moab ship. I believe he crashed 3 times before in his life, twice while flying in Vietnam. He flew Dust-Off back then and it's one of the main reasons while I respected him this much. He also was a naturpathic doctor and had a degree in irologie. This is a tough thing for me and kind of puts a shadow on my comic-con experience.

The thing that comforts me is that he really had almost no regrets. He lived a full live and died quickly doing what he loved the most. If I had my choice, I'd chose this over the long ordeal my mom had to go through.

How about we have a cold one in his name tonight?! 

 |:)\  |:)\  |:)\   |:)\  |:)\  |:)\   |:)\  |:)\  |:)\   |:)\  |:)\  |:)\   |:)\  |:)\  |:)\
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Offline G-man

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Re: A bad year for those who fly to fight fire
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2007, 05:38:05 AM »
Never knew Dennis, but I have known many that are no longer with us---unfortunately too many....once again I think this poem sums it all up:

Flight is freedom in its purest form,
To dance with the clouds which follow a storm;

To roll and glide, to wheel and spin,
To feel the joy that swells within;

To leave the earth with its troubles and fly,
And know the warmth of a clear spring sky;

Then back to earth at the end of a day,
Released from the tensions which melted away.

Should my end come while I am in flight,
Whether brightest day or darkest night;

Spare me your pity and shrug off the pain,
Secure in the knowledge that I'd do it again;

For each of us is created to die,
And within me I know, I was born to fly.



Just had a "Martoooni" in the name of Dennis........

Life may not be the party we hoped for---but while we're here--we might as well dance..........

Offline TheSoccerMom

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Re: A bad year for those who fly to fight fire
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2007, 05:48:46 AM »
Hear, hear.   |:)\

Dennis was obviously a fine pilot and a gentleman.  My condolences to his friends, family and crew.   

It has been a tough year already, yet it seems every year, somehow, has that hard side to it.  May we toast him, and all the others. 

With respect......

Don't make me come back there!!!!

Offline TheSoccerMom

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Re: A bad year for those who fly to fight fire
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2007, 03:43:35 AM »
It has been a tough summer for a lot of folks....  but on the brighter side, I must say that AT-802 is one helluva tough machine....  strong and tough!  It was strong enough to protect a good friend of all of ours, and take care of him last week when he went down. 

So, Thanks to a good aircraft.   

 |:)\
Don't make me come back there!!!!

Offline TheSoccerMom

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Re: A bad year for those who fly to fight fire
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2007, 03:09:17 AM »
A few weeks ago, another SEAT hit some trees (at least, one good-sized green one), and the pilot made it back to the airport.

I'm more and more impressed with that airframe...  the tree made a pretty big hole but that a/c got him back alright.

TIME FOR A COLD ONE AND REMEMBRANCE OF THE TOUGH SUMMER THAT TOOK SOME OF OUR FRIENDS.

In Respect and Memory.     |:)\ 
Don't make me come back there!!!!

airtac

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Re: A bad year for those who fly to fight fire
« Reply #9 on: October 01, 2007, 02:40:53 PM »
 ::drinking::  Fair skies  |:)\

Offline TheSoccerMom

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Re: A bad year for those who fly to fight fire
« Reply #10 on: October 03, 2007, 11:44:25 PM »
And today is the anniversary of T-99, in southern California.

I'll toast Carl and his copilot tonight....   |:)\

He was always fun to fly with.  Hat's off.....   |:)\
Don't make me come back there!!!!

Offline Frank N. O.

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Re: A bad year for those who fly to fight fire
« Reply #11 on: October 04, 2007, 08:26:05 AM »
My respect and gratidude to those risking their lives to save others |:)\

Frank
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."
— Leonardo da Vinci