@ San Mateo, CA
September 2019
Military surplus Hueys are a popular choice for aerial firefighting and CAL FIRE Hueys are kept busy during wildfire season. CAL FIRE brought one to the 2019 San Mateo County Disaster Preparedness Fair for the public to see up close. This is an ex-Army (originally delivered 1969) UH-1H “Copter 106” that was acquired by the CAL FIRE in 1981, one of eleven in the fleet spread among nine Helitack bases located statewide. The Bambi Bucket weighs 140 pounds empty, and the Huey performs best when set up for 80 percent capacity (259 gallons) weighing about 2,165 pounds. This one was actually a EH-1H modified as a communications jamming aircraft with the US Army. Nikon D500 w/18-200mm.
