Warbird Information Exchange

A few days ago, I was asked to start a thread concerning my collection of airtanker photo's. While this is by no means all of them, I figured these would be good for a start. Many of them have not see the light of day for over 40+ years. A majority of them are from my late fathers collection when he was flying out of Hemet-Ryan Air Attack Base. The rest are from my own collection that were taken during my working years. There are a few that I included that were in the collection, however, I am not sure where they came from. Knowing the pilots that Dad flew with, it could have been any one of them, so thanks to my extended family for thinking enough to preserve our heritage of aerial firefighting.

That being said, I have tried to provide some basic information regarding each image. Most of the images are from the early 60's up through the late 80's. I'll apologize right now for the quality of these. Like me, they are a bit worse for wear. I have attempted to clean them up as best I can, but I am in no way a photo guru. Enjoy!


Jim Stone, Tom Stein (Dad), Keith Sorrells, Marty Kosar and unknown, Oct 1969, Hemet Ca.


Hemet-Ryan as it looked in the very early 60's. This is looking West from the Hemet Valley Flying Service hanger.


Ramona AAB as it looked circa 1965.


Hemet Valley Flying Service lineup, Hemet Ca., 1965, Photo courtesy of the Steve Whitby Collection


Hemet Valley Flying Service lineup, Hemet Ca., 1965, Photo courtesy of the Steve Whitby Collection



Tanker 72 reloading at Hemet, Ca., May 1967


Tanker 96 and a 7 year old ramp rat. Hemet, Ca March 1967


Dad looking over the flightline, Hemet, Ca May 1970


HVFS lineup, May 1968


Resurfacing the reload pits, 1968


Tanker 97...there's that ramp rat again! Hemet, Ca December 1969


Dad looking over the flightline, Hemet, Ca May 1970


Working fire, Oct 1970, Hemet Ca


Something from the mid 60's, Hemet Ca.


Bad things happen when a tanker pilot forgets to shave!

....to be continued.

Starting the day with a full ramp. Hemet, Ca Oct 1970


Tanker 54 with new paint and a few parts missing. Hemet Ca, Spring 1968


Sis-Q Flying Service Tanker E49, Hemet Ca, Oct 1970


HVFS Tanker E83, Hemet Ca, Oct 1970


HVFS Tanker 84, Fresno Ca, mid 70's


HVFS Tanker 84 with 54's nose in the background. Fresno, Ca mid 70's


HVFS Tanker 54 at Burbank. Sept 1970


Sonora Flying Service, Columbia, CA . Date unknown, probably the early 60's


SLAFCO Tanker 53, Boise ID mid 80's


TBM Inc., SNJ, Location and date unknown

B-17 Tanker E61, Burbank Ca, Sept 1970


B-17 Tanker E61, Hemet Ca Sept 1970


B-17 Tanker E61, Chino Ca, Jun 1969


B-17 Tanker E61, Chino Ca, Jun 1969


B-17 Tanker E61, reloading at Chino Ca, Oct 1970


TBM Inc. Tanker E78, prop change at Chino Ca, Mar 1968


Central Air Service tanker 42, Boise ID, Jun 1977


Central Air Service tanker 42, Boise ID, Jun 1977 (B-25 and TBM fuselage's unknown)


TBM Inc., Tanker 68, Boise ID, date unknown

TBM Inc., Tanker 68, Boise ID, date unknown


B-17 Tanker E61, Boise, ID, Date unknown.


Aero Union Tanker 18 making a test drop (just a tad low I think), date and location unknown


TBM Inc. Tanker E78, prop change at Chino Ca, Mar 1968 (Dad let the ramp rat loose again)

I'll add some more later today, thanks for looking

Great stuff!!!!

Keep 'em coming, these are great "ramp rat" and all.
thanks for posting,
bill word

Great stuff! Thanks so much for sharing them with us. It must have been a thrill to grow up with "your own" squadron of Avengers.

WOW ! Your image collection captures a pre-warbird movement way of life that few outside the air tanker community can imagine today.

I'm going to say it again ..... WOW !

Thanks for sharing these with WIX

Great...keep em coming !!!

Great stuff! Thanx for posting, it's fun to see the old 'Poor Sailors Airline' 737's in the original scheme sitting in the back ground of a few of the pictures. A friend who I worked with @ BADWRENCH worked for SIS-Q and converted the F7F's to tankers, one of which is now in John Sessions' collection as 'Bad Kitty'

WOW!!! Quite the treasure trove of photos - thanks so much for sharing.

According to the everyone-should-own-a-copy, B-25 Mitchell in Civil Service by Scott Thompson (how'd I do Scott?), B-25 N2888G (44-86872) was restored in 1986 for static display at Robins AFB, GA.

Lt51506 wrote:
TBM Inc., SNJ, Location and date unknown

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/texanreg ... 12227.html

Note the 3-bladed counterweight prop on the SNJ.

These photos are all fantastic. Thanks for posting them!

Fantastic thread, thank you for sharing.

Wow!

Very, very cool!

My new favorite thread!

Thanks for sharing

Glad everyone is enjoying these! Here's some more.....


S-2A water drop, Hemet Ca, date unknown


Hawkins & Powers PB4Y-2, Tanker126, Rohnerville Ca Sept 1977


Hawkins & Powers PB4Y-2, Tanker126, Rohnerville Ca Sept 1977


Hawkins & Powers PB4Y-2, Tanker B24, Boise ID Aug 1972


T&G Aviation PB4Y-2 Tanker C30 Hemet Ca, Oct 1980. Photo from the Collection of Steve Whitby, Lake Hemet Municipal Water District.


Rosenbalm Aviation PB4Y-2, Tanker 84, Medford Ore August 1968


TBM Inc. F7F, Tanker 64, Hemet Ca, Sept 1970


TBM Inc. F7F, Tanker 64, Hemet Ca, Sept 1970


Reeder Flying Service, Tanker D28, Boise ID August 1974


Reeder Flying Service, Tanker D28, Boise ID August 1974


Reeder Flying Service, Tanker D26, Twin Falls ID, Nov 1972


Reeder Flying Service, Tanker D27, Twin Falls ID, Nov 1972


Reeder Flying Service, Tanker lineup, Twin Falls ID, Nov 1972


HVFS C-119 Tanker 82, Hemet Ca, Apr 1980


HVFS C-119 Tanker 86, Hemet Ca, Jul 1980


HVFS C-119 Tanker fleet working fire, Oct 1980. Photo from the Collection of Steve Whitby, Lake Hemet Municipal Water District.


HVFS C-119 Tankers working fire, Oct 1980. Photo from the Collection of Steve Whitby, Lake Hemet Municipal Water District.

More later