Police and Fire Helicopters

[sr-aeronut]

Nice shots Nate!

[kick Z tail out]

Thanks MD!   I've been having a blast, it's early in the season around here to have anything more than a half day fire. Day 3 is starting right now... all the Aircranes just went over my house heading back to the fire.

Got one of my favorite angles, perched atop a cliff face above the action.

[kick Z tail out]

You ever get dumped on by that dirty water the Skycranes like to suck up? Like getting a wet sandblast. 

No, thank God. And I never want to... The Phoschek was slimey but I'd take that anyday over Hepatitus water.  That sucks that you've had to experience it!

[kick Z tail out]

A shot from Day One when the sky was black with smoke and it was still raining lightning bolts from the sky. With the 3 fires RAGING and the lightning still striking all around us at a rapid rate, it looked just like the apocalypse.  

I should also mention in this first shot it was driving rain, microburst out of the thunderstorm. Yet look at the flames, they're just laughing it off.

Also, a few of my usual night shots of some of the assigned helicopters. We've actually got 3 Aircranes and 6 Huey variants on this.

[blazer]

Copter 15 at the West Fire in Tehachapi.

[phantomphan1974]

Copter 15 at the West Fire in Tehachapi.

Thats not LA County is it or mutual aid?

[blazer]

Mutual aid.

[kick Z tail out]

I like the Tehachapi shot Bernie.


From Oak Glen last night:

[rammsteinmatt]

From a small brush fire in Apple Valley along the Mojave River today, pretty boring shots due to generally being unprepared.  This is my first proper shooting with my new 200-400 f/4 VR, LAX and motocross this weekend to put it through its paces.  Incidentally, my first post here  

Shot at 1/125 @400mm (and F/14 ), and gusts to 15mph on that beastly lens.  A daunting task to say the least....

[gdedwards]

Mercy Air evacuation of injured from the California 200 race.

[robin990]

Interesting shots......excellent regional response from multiple Air-medical units. The middle photo is a UH-72A from Ft Irwin AAAD Air Medical unit.

Did you happen to get Upland Fire/Reach EC-135 ?

[gdedwards]

This is this only other helo that I got a photo of.
Yes, amazing response and excellent coordination. One unit was always orbiting while one unit was on the ground.

[blazer]

From the Oak Incident yesterday uphere in Santa Clarita LACOFD Copter 15 and LACOFD leased Helitanker 743.

[Code20photog]

Copter 15 at the West Fire in Tehachapi.

I take back nearly everything I've said behind your back.  Simply one of my favorite photos I've ever seen from you. Great framing, just goes to show you that you don't always need to crop tight.

[kick Z tail out]

Minto Fire south of Sage. The UH-1H is Cal Fire 301. The 407 is Keenwild Helitack H-535 (USFS).