I was impressed by this video clip of a Portuguese helicopter pilot on fire-fighting duty two days ago. He was tackling a brush fire on a hillside, and spotted a swimming-pool no more than a few yards away. Instead of going back to a dam or the sea to get more water, he shuttled back and forth to the swimming-pool and filled his bucket there, probably saving several minutes flying time each way. The camera operator got a very close view of proceedings.
I have only one question. Who pays the water bill to refill the pool?
Peter
Don't know about brush fires in public space, but in the US an insurance company would do it for houses. Some years back a friend who was a captain in a rural volunteer FD was responding to a house fire in a very rural area - no hydrants, and only 500 gallons of water in each of the two trucks responding - and cresting the hill noticed a neighbor had a swimming pool. He ordered the pumper to drive across the yard and through the pool fence, pump from the pool and lay hose to the other truck positioned at the house on fire. That trick provided enough water to save most of the house, and that homeowner's insurance company quite gratefully paid for the fence, the ruts in the lawn, the water used and repainting the front of the fire truck.
ReplyDeleteWow super cool gutsy flying, look how close the blade tip to the edge of the building . Thank man made my day.
ReplyDeleteThat is some amazing flying skill! Not easy at all to balance the change of weight and keep everything from swinging around!
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