Incredible video from the receiving end of a DC-10 Supertanker’s fire retardant drop

DC-10 Supertanker dropping fire retardant as seen from the fire point of view….

KUSI photojournalist Taylor Schuss filmed the DC10 Air Tanker (unofficially dubbed “Supertanker”) fighting the Cocos Fire in San Marcos, California, from the receiving end of a load of fire retardant on May 14.

Note the King Air flying as a pathfinder ahead of the DC-10 to point the drop zone for the tanker.

The DC-10 Air Tanker is a standard McDonnell Douglas DC-10 airliner that was converted to carry up to 12,000 US gallons (45,000 liters) of water or fire retardant in an exterior belly-mounted tank.

Two such kind of air tankers, operated by the 10 Tanker Air Carrier, are currently flying under callsign Tanker 910 and 911.

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About David Cenciotti

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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.