WATCH: The Biggest Airplane In Wyoming’s Firefighting Arsenal

Yesterday a listener to Wyoming's morning radio talk show sent me a note asking why so many airplanes were taking off and landing at the local airport.

She was confused about why their flight patterns were so different from what she normally sees.

I explained to her that there are a lot of firefighting airplanes going in and out.

They are all different shapes and sizes, depending on the mission.

Let's look at the biggest one out there.

This sucker is a BEAST!

It's a converted passenger plane.

Very Large Airtanker
These air tankers, also referred to as VLATs, can deliver thousands of gallons of fire retardant at one time.

Because of their size, they are less manoeuvrable than smaller air tankers. VLATs drop fire retardant at least 250 feet above the top of the vegetation.

The DC-10, which can be used to support wildland firefighters on the ground, can deliver up to 9,400 gallons of fire retardant at one time.

The U.S. Forest Service is responsible for managing the VLAT contracts.

You might think that this big plane can't manoeuvre very well.

You'll be shocked when you watch the next video.

A spotter plane flies in front of the big jet, looking for the best place to drop.

The pilot and co-pilot need that little plane's help, visually.

The spotter plane lets out a puff of smoke telling the big jet when to release.

Behind the pilot sites the flight engineer. He can't see what's going on, he's busy monitoring the engines.

His finger is on the realize button for the fire retardant.

You won't believe your eyes when you watch the video below.

Those are the big boys.

What about the midsized planes?

These suckers are still big and they can attack a fire over and over again, much faster than the super-large planes.

Providing there is a source of water nearby.

Fire erupts in the Laramie Mountain Range of Wyoming.

It's in an area that is almost impossible to get to on land.

Most of this fire will be fought from the air.

A fleet of planes comes to Casper, Wyoming to join the battle.

The gallery below will blow your mind.

But first, watch this short video of these badass planes scooping water from the Glendo Reservoir in Wyoming.

So what about the smallest plane in the fleet?

This little guy looks for those little fires that are just getting started.

The big fire sends out floating sparks that can spread a couple of miles from the source.

Here is the plane that looks for those little start-ups and deals with them.

Much of the fire fighting in Wyoming has been done by air, due to how hard it can be to reach some of the areas on fire.

Both the planes and the pilots are as badass as badass can be.

Let's have a look at the tiny, mighty "Air Tractor." A plane that was originally designed for crop dusting but has been adapted for firefighting.

This plane has been around for many decades and is as rugged as it comes.

The U.S. Air Force has recently ordered these planes for low attack and surveillance.

The Air Tractor can drop up to 800 gallons of water on spots that have just erupted, as the fire tries to grow. It can quickly return to a lake to fill up and then swing back to the fire.

Also known as the Fire Boss 802 aerial firefighting platform.

Watch the video, below, to see how this amazing machine works.

When refilling the water tanks on a lake they can do it in about 15 seconds.

That's a quick turnaround to get back to the fire.

The pilot can set a computer controller to decide how much to drop at one time.

He can drop a little bit at a time or drop it all at once.

If he wants to drop it all at once he can do it in about 1.5 seconds.

Airplane geeks can visit the Fire Boss website to read the specs of this plane.

Not all of these planes are configured to pick up water from a lake. Some, like the ones stationed at Casper, Wyoming, must return to reload. But they are also picking up fire retardants, not just water.

While we are at it, let's not forget how incredible those pilots must be to operate this machine in all conditions.

As I mentioned, the U.S. Air Force is now using this plane as for close support, attack, and surveillance.

The Air Tractor L3Harris OA-1K Sky Warden (company designation AT-802U) is an American fixed-wing, single-engine light attack/armed reconnaissance aircraft built by Air Tractor and L3Harris for the Armed Overwatch program of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM). It was developed from the Air Tractor AT-802, an American aircraft often used for agricultural purposes. (WIKIPEDIA).

A lot can be done with this proven airframe. From fighting bugs over a cornfield to fighting fires, and fighting wars.

Keep checking back with us as we explore other badass firefighting machines being used in Wyoming.

The Casper/Natrona County International Airport is enjoying its upgraded firefighting planes.

Nobody likes a summer fire, but it does keep the airport busy with interesting water bombers coming and going.

The airport has been posting photos and videos of these fantastic planes on its Facebook page.

For several years the two firefighting planes would arrive for fire season and park in a temporary area on the east corner of the airport.

They would run a long hose from a fire hydrant to a holding tank to refill the planes for another fire run.

Yes, the big boys have found a new home in central Wyoming.

While stationed in Casper, these serious firefighting machines have a long range and can fight across several states.

Before the new facilities she built at the fire season's end, they would pack up and go home.

Now, for some of these planes, Casper is home.

They have a permanent base at the airport, and they no longer need to run a long hose to a fire hydrant.

After six years of planning, designing, and construction, the Airport grounds are now the home base for a new BLM Single Engine Air Tankers (SEAT) and Large Air Tankers (LAT) Base.

HOLD ON- what is a SEAT and LAT base?

It's a base that loads firefighting aircraft with anything they need, from water to chemicals, to fight fires. That's the most simple, nontechnical explanation there is.

Below is the new cover photo for the Casper/Natrona County Airport.

The facility was constructed in Collaboration with BLM, Wyoming State Forestry Division, and U.S. Forest Service.

It is the only base in the country jointly built by the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service.

Below is an exciting video of a firefighting plane from Casper in action.

Casper is also the exclusive home to two SEAT planes, contracted by the Wyoming State Forestry Division.

The modernized base now has the ability to load two planes (SEAT and/or LAT) at the same time with a maximum daily output of 80,000–90,000 gallons of mixed retardant compared to the previous 15,000-gallon output.

Future plans include the construction of a new heli-base adjacent to the SEAT/LAT base for the State Forestry Division.