S2 TANKER QUESTION

[JOHN MILLER]

Driving north on I-5 Tuesday I noticed a S2 parked in the grass (I think) at the WEED CA. airport.It looks to be in good shape, anyone have any info on it? no pics, sorry.
JOHN

[seaknight15]

Retired ca forestry bird, old school, still with 1820's. Tanker 94

Pappy

[JOHN MILLER]

Thanks pappy, I do recall seeing the 94 now that you mentioned it.

[StudeDave]

no pics, sorry. JOHN

Last Year it looked a bit like this~



This Summer it's in a slightly different location, but still close to the fence at the
north-bound rest area North of Weed.

[SIDSIKO]

Saw CDF TS-2A Tracker N404DF at Weed airport on the 28th of June this year. Now tied down and on display there, can be easily seen from either rest area on the 5. Its been at the field since 2005.

[wendovertom]

oooohhh!! I wonder what its status is?! I think these would make a great warbird plane repainted in 60s/70s CAG colors

Tom P.

[Lt51506]

This airframe was flown up there, with initial hopes of becoming part of an aerial firefighting museum. I was approached about the aircraft years ago and it's status - if any. After playing phone tag with the FBO, the Chamber of Commerce and Cal Fire, here is what I was able to find out.

The State of California still owns the plane. The Museum and memorial's funding has all but died, fizzling out early on in the venture. While someone up there is in fact soliciting donations, none are really coming in. I don't think it will take much to get her airworthy again and ferry it out of there, as the current airport foks want it gone. Cal Fire is worried about the plane being so close to the Rest Area for fear of vandals and taggers. There is a fence there but I don't think that will stop the vandals if they wanted to do something to it. They could not give me any kind of a time line on what will happen.

Now, this info was good as of July 2009, things may have changed since then.

Anyway, there's my 2 cents.
Tom