Support from the skies!

With eyes to the skies, Canberrans have seen an increase in the number of fire-fighting aircraft arriving into the Portable Air Base for Large Aerial Tankers located at Fairbairn, Canberra Airport. This air base supports our regional fire-fighting capacity, by allowing a local, central base for large aircraft on fire-bombing missions and reduces the time and distance they must travel to refuel and refill.

Over the weekend, No.36 Squadron from the Royal Australian Air Force, delivered two water tank containers with a combined 120,000 litre capacity. These tanks add to the filling station capability to further support Large Air Tankers. Canberra is expecting the arrival of DC-10 Large Aerial Tanker firefighting aircraft in the coming days. The DC-10 aircraft, which takes up to 36,000 litres per fill, is an important asset that will provide additional support to the firefighting crews on the ground.

This increased support capacity, combined with the central location, ensures the Fairbairn base a vital, strategic refuelling and refilling airbase able to support firefighting actions in coastal and rural NSW.

Portable Air Base for Large Aerial Tankers

Refuelling and refilling at the Portable Air Base for Large Aerial Tankers

Fairbairn Portable Air Base for Large Aerial Tankers

Images: via ACT Emergency Services Agency: Facebook