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Signal Hill in Cape Town is ablaze & the Working on Fire guys were in the air fighting HORRENDOUS winds, let alone fighting the fire. I heard the pilots commenting on windspeeds of 60knots !!! This at the Molteno Reservoir, where they were hovering to fill up the Bambi Buckets.

Big praise to the pilots flying today

Were you out there today AllanRoy ?


Kamov Design Bureau KA-32A (ZS-RRI)


Bell Helicopter Textron UH-1H (ZS-HLA) "Chopper Lima"




UH-1H (ZS_HBV) "Chopper Bravo"


This UH-1B (ZU-RXX) helicopter underwent a modernisation program & is now designated the SW204HP.





Cheers

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Brent Best

Great pics, especially the last one. I've never actually seen what the bottom of the bucket looks like.

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A plan is simply a basis for change.

Very nice photo's, I see the German School in the photo's, when I resided in Cape Town on Klookf Nek Road my residence looked straight out at Lions Head and Signal Hill.

My cousin Alan Roy is in London at the moment, enjoying the "warmth" of a British winter. A warm day here is +3.

Always nice to take aviation pics, however sad to see the mountain burn

Ahhh .. gone to have a white Christmas has he .. lucky bugger

Cape Town sends you folks freezing your gonads off, a hearty & sweltering 27° regards

Cheers

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Brent Best

I keep missing the fires! There was a big one in Stellenbosch a couple of days ago that I missed because I was studying
Could see the smoke from the Signal Hill one from Stellenbosch.
Great photos, Kremlin, especially the bucket one. It sure is something being beneath a heli that's holding a tonne of water

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[Sardine]
My Photos: http://www.airplane-pictures.net/member ... .php?p=882
Blog: http://the-flying-fish.blogspot.com/, UPDATED on 13 August 2013

Being under the Bambi, led to some profuse camera covering as the fine spray was quite lethal ... can't even imagine what 3 tons of water must be like ..

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Brent Best

Wow those are nice pictures. .wish so they had sound to them..we don't have that many Hueys here..love that sound of that chopper...I sure do miss going to the Newlands fire base..always go there..when I am in Cape Town..but in winter theres not much action there..

_________________
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
But today is a gift.
That's why it's called the present.
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Adrian Munro
http://www.weddingduo.co.za
https://www.facebook.com/Airfirephotography/

That makes two of us loving that sound ... I can identify it's a Huey flying, long before I've seen him .. They're a bit light in the pants compared to the Mi-8's or the Kamov, but they sound boootiful

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Brent Best

YES ,are a bit light..but love the sound..the Vietnamiese must of heard those hueys also from miles away in the Vietnam war..

_________________
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
But today is a gift.
That's why it's called the present.
____________________________
Adrian Munro
http://www.weddingduo.co.za
https://www.facebook.com/Airfirephotography/

I take it you have seen "Apocalypse Now", when the Hueys come over the horizon to the music "Ride of the Valkyries" ...

Ride of the Valkyries - from Apocalypse Now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx7XNb3Q9Ek

Cheers

_________________
Brent Best

There was a fire on Tygerberg Hills today & Working on Fire had some aircraft on scene. By the time the mrs & myself arrived the fire had run over the ridge & was burning on the back of the hill .. not much photo opportunities then ...

We were on our way home, when we spotted driving through the streets, a WOF tanker carrying "Flammable Liquid - JetA1". This could only mean a refuel stop for the choppers, so we followed the bowser till he parked up in a field. Here's some of the photo's


Bombing on the back of the hill.


"Bomber6" ZS-OXP, A PZL-Mielec Dromader M18A, water bombing.


The earlier burn, on the western side of the hill, showing how close the fire had come to the residential area.


"Bomber7" ZS-OPJ, the second PZL-Mielec Dromader M18A, these guys would water-bomb & then return to Stellenbosch to fill up again.


The two Hueys waiting for the Dromader to complete his run.


About to set down in the field that we had followed the JetA1 bowser into.


Landing in the field to refuel.


First to refuel was ZU-RXX.

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Brent Best

Still small patches of smoke & flames in the background.


"Fill her up .."


Our "follow me" vehicle


Lifting off again with full tanks.


Logo on the nose of the second Huey to refuel, ZS-HGC.


ZS-HGC being refueled.


The pilot Fred, in the second Huey, about to lift off after filling up.


Airborne into the sunset.

Cheers

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Brent Best

I really enjoy being fed a steady diet of good quality images

_________________
A plan is simply a basis for change.

wow nice pictures.love the last one with the sunset..really awesome

_________________
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
But today is a gift.
That's why it's called the present.
____________________________
Adrian Munro
http://www.weddingduo.co.za
https://www.facebook.com/Airfirephotography/

Thanks guys

Always sad to see the mountains burn, but great to hear the sound from two Huey's

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Brent Best