Hey everyone! A few days ago, I was flying to my parents property in Phoenix from KCHA. It’s the nearest airport to my college, and I was flying home for thanksgiving.
Anyway, we were taxiing to Runway 02 and I spotted two planes on private stands on the other side of the airport! One private 737 (I think? Like I said, it was on the other end of the airfield), and also an MD-87 Air Tanker! Personally I found the MD-80 Air Tanker to be the cooler plane out of the pair.
I googled the company, Erickson Aero Tanker, and it seems to be a member of a fleet of firefighting planes! I’m not sure why it would be in Chattanooga, since there haven’t been any fires in the area.
Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys the pics! I’ll be sure to post another pic if that air tanker is still there when I fly back on Sunday morning!
That first photo looks like it is of a Coulson B737 FireLiner. Here’ the link to the company, which operates some sweet aircraft! https://www.coulsonaviationusa.com
there’s a town quite close to me called madras, erickson has a base there and a museum so i get to go see that for the annual air show. last time i was there i saw an ex delta md80 getting converted into a tanker. they are pretty cool planes!
KCHA is an Aerial Fire Tanker Base (Coulson IIRC). Not uncommon to see them there during Fall Fire season (Oct - Dec). Wasn’t that long ago that Gatlinburg was all but completely destroyed by fire. I flew over the area a few days ago and there were definitely large fires active North and South of Chattanooga.
Quick update guys! I just landed back in Chattanooga, and the fire bombers are still there! I got a better look at the 737, and it does say Coulson across the side of it.
