Steve R. wrote:
"cavelamb himself" wrote in message
...

Steve R. wrote:

"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
groups.com...


On Oct 23, 1:12 pm, Gunner Asch wrote:


On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 08:11:52 -0700, "Stuart & Kathryn Fields"

wrote:


I'm in amazement "authorities said. Hundreds of homes were lost in the
same
communityfours years ago." It seems like there is some flaw in our
education system.
Stu Fields

yet the same group that controls the educational system demands we
rebuild New Orleans at taxpayer expense......







"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
.. .

"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
ooglegroups.com...


Quite a fire we have burning here....

TMT

I have a bit less sympathy for people that build in wilderness areas,
flood plains or below sea level and then are surprised when Mother
Nature
intrudes.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

So Gunner...when is Bush scheduled for his photo op?

You know...like in New Orleans?

TMT


Never mind, help is on the way. British Columbia is sending the giant
Martin Mars water bombers. I have seen them working when they fought some
fires near where I live. Back in the 1960s I used to park a Cessna 150
under the starboard wing of one, with several other light aircraft. The
Mars were being converted to water bombers at that time.


Steve R.




Steve?
The Mars in NOT an amphibian, is it?
So just how deep were you parking that 150?


Yes, they are amphibians, at least I thinks so. They had wheels at the time.
Dollies would be no problem though, as one end of the main runway is just
across the road from a beach. There has been a ramp to haul out sea planes
since WW2. The airport here is on a peninsula, There were 4 Martin Mars to
start with. One pranged, and another became a parts plane. Two are still
flying. They are based at Sprout Lake in central Vancouver Island. The water
tanks can hold 7,200 US gallons of fire retardant, or just water. They can
skim the surface of a water body to refill, literally on the fly!
Fascinating to watch!



Steve R.




The Mars has no landing gear. They are strictly a seaplane. They have
mistakenly been called a float plane by the local media but that's not
the case either. A floatplane is an aircraft fuselage with external
floats, such as the Beavers, etc. that are used extensively in Alaska.

Jim Chandler