Neptune Aviation BAe 146 Tanker 03 in the tanker loading area at Concepción, soon after her arrival in Chile (Neptune Aviation)
Neptune Aviation has sent one of its BAe 146 air tankers to help fight forest fires raging in Chile. N475NA/Tanker 03 (msn E2192) departed Neptune’s Missoula base on 1 February, reaching Santiago on 4 February and continuing on to Concepción. From Concepción, Tanker 16 has been used mainly for initial attack on fires thought to have been started by arsonists. “We’re hitting the fires when they’re still small,” Neptune Chief Executive Officer Ron Hooper told the Missoulian newspaper, “so we can get down low — 150 feet above the fuel. We get on the fires quickly, knock them down and let the ground forces finish the job. They’re spread thin now because of all of the fire activity.” The low drop height allows Neptune to drop water instead of retardant.
Recent news items on Neptune Aviation:
- More Neptune BAe 146 air tankers activated (2019-07-25)
- More Neptune BAe 146 air tankers back in action (2019-05-25)
- Neptune BAe 146 air tanker makes first drop of 2019 fire season (2019-03-09)
- Last Neptune tankers come home (2018-12-02)
- Neptune BAe 146 air tankers return home for Thanksgiving (2018-11-25)