Firefighting Tankers and Bombers

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Thanks guys, I think that's my favorite shot from the day. You can see Deen "Dino" Oehl's helmet there in the cockpit.  

[phantomphan1974]

Thats called dedication.....

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Some from air ops on the McKinley Fire today.

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Tanker 75 was down from Paso Robles overnight filling in for Tanker 72.

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More from my Cal Fire night shot series...

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Tanker 27 made a rare appearance over Hemet for the Fairview Fire today. It was nice to see 27 sporting a gorgeous glossy fresh paint job. Last season she was looking a bit nasty.

[sr-aeronut]

 <thumbup>Really nice stuff Nate!!

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Thanks MD! Now the bad news... about 15 shots after these were taken, my shutter froze. My camera is currently inoperative.

Did some reading and noticed others that have had this problem were using the camera in humid conditions or around moisture. I was taking shots of 301 and 305 hoverfilling when it happened, and we were getting light (really light) spray in the rotorwash. I don't see how or why it affected the camera though, I mean we're talking minute. I've seen way more moisture walking around with my camera on foggy days.

Anyway, now I have to figure out how I'm going to resolve this. In the meantime, I'm dead in the water...

[Midnight Mover]

Thanks MD! Now the bad news... about 15 shots after these were taken, my shutter froze. My camera is currently inoperative.

Did some reading and noticed others that have had this problem were using the camera in humid conditions or around moisture. I was taking shots of 301 and 305 hoverfilling when it happened, and we were getting light (really light) spray in the rotorwash. I don't see how or why it affected the camera though, I mean we're talking minute. I've seen way more moisture walking around with my camera on foggy days.

Anyway, now I have to figure out how I'm going to resolve this. In the meantime, I'm dead in the water...

Thats bad.  

[sr-aeronut]

Back in the days of film a camera would last longer becuase you could not afford unlimited rolls of film to develop. Today it's almost shoot as much as you want and cameras break. Time to get another as back up so you have an extra on hand. While one is getting fixed you can still shoot.  Good luck.

[kick Z tail out]

Thats bad. 

Sure is

Back in the days of film a camera would last longer becuase you could not afford unlimited rolls of film to develop. Today it's almost shoot as much as you want and cameras break. Time to get another as back up so you have an extra on hand. While one is getting fixed you can still shoot.  Good luck.

Exaaaaaaaaaactly... I was telling my mother in law about it, she shoots with a Canon film SLR. She was amazed that I had a problem and I told her that even though she's had her camera for 15 years and shoots like crazy with it (she brings it to dinners at restaraunts for God's sake) - I've probably still got 50 times as many shots on mine. I'm now regretting all those flippant shots I'd crank off. I'd shoot stuff that I knew was never going to be good for God knows why.  Well, I know why... because I never had to worry about paying to develop them. *face palm*

I was thinking about it the day it broke and I probably have something like 80,000 or 90,000 shots on the thing. If that guess is even close to being right, the shutter unit was a trooper. Good call on the two body thing, I was just thinking that this morning. The bad thing is I don't know that I could afford a new body at the moment, but I NEED one. I was checking out Nikon USA refurbished models at Adorama. May do that, and then send this one in for repair a few months later, then have the two bodies.

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Thanks Skip for all the insights.   I did look at Craigslist last night... the only thing that scares me is if someone has a camera they know is getting ready to take a dive and I end up buying it I think I'd cry.  

Owning this D40x has made me into a Nikonian for life. I just love this dang thing. My first DSLR and I've learned a lot and had a blast using it.

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Ranch Fire in Cactus Valley yesterday. Finally got the new Cal Fire paint scheme being worn by Tanker 70 and 71 out of Ramona. I still don't know what I think about it... but I did want shots of it.

[Phil Myers]

From Ramona last Saturday...

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From Ramona last Saturday...

Good deal Phil, did you call ahead or just flag someone down? Great shots of T-70.