Helicopter pilot Perri Hagen could be rushing to the scene of Napa County wildfires this summer in One Charlie Hotel to drop a load of flame-quenching water.
Missions in One Charlie Hotel — a former U.S. Army Boeing Chinook helicopter retrofitted to hold water — won’t be just a drop-and-done. The aircraft can fly to reservoirs, ponds, even streams, suck more water into its tank and keep on dropping.
One Charlie Hotel can suck up 2,500 gallons a minute through a hose and hold up to 2,800 gallons. It carries less water at the beginning of a mission and more later on as the fuel weight drops.
Read more on this story at the Napa Valley Register
