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First Airtanker Drop (California) – August 12, 1955

This Day in History is a brief summary of a powerful learning opportunity and is not intended to second guess or be judgmental of decisions and actions. Put yourself in the following situation as if you do not know the outcome. What are the conditions? What are you thinking? What are YOU doing?

Summary:

The first operational airtanker was developed in Willows, by the Willows Flying Service, in 1955, at the request of the Fire Control Officer for the Mendocino National Forest (MNF). A Boeing Stearman 75 "Caydet" Agricultural Aircraft was modified with a 170-gallon tank at the Willows airport. This Aircraft, N75081, became the first registered free fall airtanker in the history of aviation. The first air drop was made on the Mendenhall Fire on August 12, 1955, on the MNF.

In 1956, seven agricultural aircraft were modified and formed the first operational airtanker squadron in the United States. Piloted by local aviators, this squadron operated out of the Willows Airport fighting wildfires throughout California. Initially, plain water was used as the fire suppressant. However, it was soon discovered that most of the water evaporated before reaching the fire. The practice was adopted of adding chemicals to the water to inhibit evaporation. Borate was one of the first chemicals used, hence the derivation of the term borate bomber.

In 1959, heavy airtankers, capable of carrying 2,000 gallons of fire retardant, were providing an effective tool in controlling wildfires. Today, the use of Single Engine Airtankers (SEATs) and Large Airtankers have become a staple for wildland fire suppression.

(Content used with permission from the Early Aviators website.

Discussion Points:

Historical black and white photo of the first airtanker – Mendocino 1955

Airtankers are a valuable asset in the control of wildland fires, but these aircraft can pose serious threats to the safety of air and ground personnel.

A gallon of water weighs 8.35 pounds and of retardant approximately 9 pounds. SEATs can drop up to 800 gallons and Type 1 airtankers up to 3,000 gallons.  Ground personnel can be injured by these drops.  

  • Refer to the Aviation section (blue) of the NWCG Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG), PMS 461 for Aerial Retardant Safety and Directing Retardant and Bucket Drops.
  • Discuss as a group how to avoid retardant and water drops.
  • Discuss what you will do if you cannot avoid drops.
  • It is not enough just to know where the aircraft are. An understanding of aircraft capabilities, effective use, and tactics will help crews keep clear of the drops.


This Lessons Learned is dedicated to the first Airtanker pilots: Vance Nolta, Floyd (Speed) Nolta, Harold Henderson, Dale Nolta, Ray Varney, Frank Prentice, L.H. McCurley, Warren Bullock; Fire Control Officer Joe Ely, and the first Air Attack Lee Sherwood.

A commemorative plaque to the “Birth of the Airtanker Program” can be found at the Willows Airport.

References:

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This Day in History

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NWCG Latest Announcements

Leadership Committee IAP Flyer Now Available

Date:  May 8, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Leadership Committee

The NWCG Leadership Committee promotes and enables leadership development across the wildland fire service. The committee provides education, training opportunities, and support for leadership innovation and best practices throughout the community.

A new IAP flyer is now available on the committee website, offering an overview of the products, curriculum, and learning opportunities the Leadership Committee develops. This resource is ideal for posting in your office, sharing with new employees, or distributing through your incident management teams to engage new voices in the leadership journey and reinforce a culture of self‑reflection, development, and growth.

References:

Leadership Committee 2026 IAP Flyer

Incident Operations Subcommittee Updates the Next Generation Position Task Book for FFT1

Date:  May 7, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Incident Operations Subcommittee

The NWCG Incident Operations Subcommittee (IOSC) has updated the NWCG Position Task Book for Firefighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) (FFT1), PMS 311‑14. The FFT1 Position Task Book transitioned to the Next Generation (Next Gen PTB) format in June 2025 through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. Since then, IOSC has received feedback from the wildland fire community regarding coding for one of the tasks. Task #13 has been updated to include the option of evaluation in a simulation.

See IOSC Memorandum 26‑01: Transition Plan for Implementation of Updates to the NWCG Position Task Book for Firefighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) (FFT1), PMS 311‑14 for more information.

References:

IOSC Memorandum 26-01: Transition Plan for Implementation of Updates to the NWCG Postion Task Book for Firefighter Type 1

NWCG Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss Position Page 

NEW! S-212, Intermediate Faller (Online) Course Available Now 

Date:  April 23, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Hazard Tree and Tree Felling Subcommittee

NWCG is pleased to announce that the new S‑212, Intermediate Faller (Online), course is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP). This second course in the series provides students with the knowledge and skills required to perform the duties of an Intermediate Faller (FAL2), as described in the FAL2 Incident Position Description. This course is intended for individuals seeking to advance from Basic Faller (FAL3) to FAL2.

S‑212, Intermediate Faller is a fully online, self‑paced training program consisting of 13 units. Learners will engage with interactive, scenario‑based content designed to progressively build foundational skills and knowledge essential for the FAL2 role.

Students must be qualified as a Basic Faller (FAL3) prior to enrolling in S‑212, Intermediate Faller course.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2027.

References:

S-212 Intermediate Faller (Online)

RMC Memo 26-01: Transition Plan for Implementing Updates to Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Qualifications

Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Page

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Chainsaw Operations, PMS 212

New Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249

Date:  April 17, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: National Coordination System Committee

A new publication from the National Coordination System Committee (NCSC) is now available. The NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249, will be used for aviation crews and dispatch to share flight information that is needed for resource tracking, and if needed, for emergency procedures.

For further details, please contact your NCSC representative. 

References:

NCSC Memo 26-01: Implementation of NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249

NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249