Video Discription |
#69bravo #chinook47
http://www.69bravo.com/
A GIANT CHINOOK CH-47… THE WORLD’S LARGEST FIREFIGHTING CHOPPER... GOES THROUGH MANUVERS OVER THE WORLD’S MOST ADVANCED HELITANKER REFILLING BASE…
RIGHT AT THE TOP OF TOPANGA CANYON.
THIS IS “69 BRAVO”
THE ONLY SOURCE OF THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF WATER BETWEEN ENCINO AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN…
34 ACRES TRANSFORMED INTO AN AUTOMATED WATER SUPPLY STATION FOR FIREFIGHTING HELICOPTERS… AND AN ANSWER TO PRAYER FOR THE 30-THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO LIVE BELOW IN the SANTA MONICA COMMUNITIES OF TOPANGA, MALIBU, CALABASASA, AND THE PALASADES, WHERE WILDFIRE IS INEVITABLE .
Firefighter CHIEF SMITH says, It’s a question of when.
from the middle of topanga canyon it could take an hour and a half for that fire to reach the coast.
WIND-DRIVEN FIRE RACING FOUR MILES IN AN HOUR AND A HALF…
LA COUNTY FIRE ASSISTANT CHIEF DREW SMITH SAYS WHEN YOU DO THE MATH YOU QUICKLY SEE IT’S A DEADLY EQUATION. BECAUSE,
WITH ONE ROAD IN AND ONE ROAD OUT, IT WOULD TAKE FOUR TIMES THAT LONG TO EVACUATE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THE FIRESTORM’S PATH.
SMALL.. THREE TO FIVE ACRES.
BIGGER THAN THAT AND SMITH SAYS THE CHANCES OF STOPPING IT ARE SLIM.
SO, ATTACKING IT FROM THE AIR WITHIN MINUTES IS THE BEST HOPE OF SAVING LIVES.
AT 69-BRAVO, LA COUNTY’S FIREHAWK HELICOPTERS CAN SUCK UP A THOUSAND GALLONS OF WATER, DROP IT ON A FIRE WITHIN A FIVE MILE RADIUS AND BE BACK RE-FILLING IN UNDER 5 MINUTES.
AN UNHEARD OF TURNAROUND TIME!
OH, AND THOSE FOUR HUGE TANKS… THEY CALL THEM “PUMPKINS”… IMMEDIATELY RE-FILL THEMSELVES!
A FULLY AUTOMATED SYSTEM.
(Pilot MEL CECCANTI says, There’s nothing like that in the world:11 and there’s nothing that even comes close to compare it to.
PILOT MEL CECCANTI SHOULD KNOW, HE FIGHTS FIRES ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
HE SAYS AN ELEVATION OF 24-HUNDRED FEET… MEANS 69-BRAVO IS HIGHTER THAN ANY POTENTIAL FIRE … TURNING HIS CHOPPER INTO A LIFE-SAVING DIVE-BOMBER.
Coming out of there fully loaded and going downhill, your airspeed is immediately doubled.. a lot less power coming downhill which means a lot less fuel burn which means we can stay on scene and fight the fire longer:4:33
ALL FOUR “PUMPKINS” ARE CONNECTED TO A 25-THOUSAND GALLON STORAGE TANK JUST UPHILL. ((Tank on b-roll file))
AS SOON AS A FIREHAWK SUCKS WATER FROM ANY ONE OF THEM, THE AUTOMATION PROGRAM
((Broll Tanks starting @6:08 touchscreen, tite of “main tank pumpkins))
INSIDE 69-BRAVO’S CONTROL CENTER, OPENS A VALVE AND GRAVITY FED WATER RUSHES TO TOP IT OFF.
WHEN THE SUPPLY TANK RUNS LOW,
A COUNTY WATER LINE KICKS IN TO REFILL IT.
AND BECAUSE THOSE “PUMPKINS” ARE SO BIG, EVEN THE BEHEMOTH CHINOOK’S THREE-THOUSAND GALLON THIRST CAN’T DRAIN THEM DRY.
EVEN THE SMALLEST DETAIL IS COVERED.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN HOVERING TO RE-FILL, HELICOPTER ROTORS KICK UP DEBRIS THAT CAN DAMAGE THE AIRCRAFT’S ENGINES… AND OBSCURE A PILOT’S VISION.
TO PREVENT THAT, AT CONVENTIONAL RE-FILL SITES,
FIREFIGHTERS WITH WATER TRUCKS ARE NEEDED TO SOAK THE GROUND.
BUT REMEMBER, 69 BRAVO IS DESIGNED TO RUN WITHOUT A HUMAN ON THE PROPERTY. SO...
SPRINKLERS!
ACTIVATED BY AN APP ON THE PILOT’S CELLPHONE.
CECCANTI adds,
the fact that I could be 20 minutes out, pull out my iPhone and turn on the sprinklers.. you take all the things we worry about as aviators out of the equation 3:12 // BUTT TO //3:20 I don’t need ground support equipment. I don’t need somebody on the ground with a radio. It’s a secure facility, It can be done at night, THAT’S a first in the world. There’s not that set up anywhere else, ANYWHERE. :
BY NOW, YOU MAY BE WONDERING, WHO DID ALL THIS?
THE LAND OWNER JUST SAYS HE’S A PRIVATE CITIZEN WHO’D LIKE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
WHAT MAY BE MORE AMAZING THAN WHAT HE’S CREATED, IS
THE FACT THAT L-A COUNTY SUPERVISOR SHEILA KEUL AND COUNTY FIRE CHIEF DARRYL OSBY IMMEDIATELY SAW 69-BRAVO’S VALUE.
AND THEY STRUCK AN UNBELIEVABLE DEAL FOR THE COUNTY TO BUY IT.
EVERYTHING— TURN KEY.
THE COUNTY IS MAKING SEVEN ANNUAL PAYMENTS TOTALING LESS THAN HALF THE PROPERTY’S MARKET VALUE… NOT JUST SAVING TAX PAYERS’ MONEY … BUT SAVING HOMES AND LIVES.
AND THE COUNTY HAS ALREADY MADE MORE THAN HALF THE PAYMENTS… NOW FULLY INVESTED…
KNOWING THAT IN 2024, 69 BRAVO WILL BECOME ONE OF L A COUNTY FIRE’S MOST VALUABLE ASSETS… SECOND, OF COURSE, TO ITS FIRE FIGHTERS
WHO ARE AS THANKFUL AS HOMEOWNERS… THAT THEY HAVE A 50-THOUSAND GALLON GUARDIAN ANGEL WATCHING OVER THEM.
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