September 2016
Military surplus Hueys are a popular choice for aerial firefighting and several were on display at the California Capital Airshow. Departing after the show is an ex-Army (originally delivered 1969) UH-1H “Copter 404” that was acquired by the CAL FIRE in 1990, one of eleven in the fleet. This one was actually a EH-1X modified as a communications jamming aircraft with the US Army. Copter 404’s bucket weighs 140 pounds empty, and the Huey performs best when set up for 80 percent capacity (259 gallons) weighing about 2,165 pounds. There are nine Helitack bases located statewide. Nikon D7100 w/18-200 mm, processed with Aperture.