The CH-47D Chinook, nicknamed “Nine Charlie Uniform,” parked at Fallbrook Airpark is equipped with a massive 3,000-gallon water tank and is capable of delivering up to 24,000 pounds of water or retardant in a single drop for fires in northern San Diego County or Southwestern Riverside County in minutes. A full crew is ready for quick response from June to October. Valley News/Brian Briggs photo
Julie Reeder and Brian BriggsOne of six new night-flying California Chinook firefighting helicopters was placed in Fallbrook a couple of weeks ago, just in time to be available for the Wolf Fire earlier this week. It was strategically placed to serve both northern San Diego County and southwestern Riverside County during peak wildfire season.The CH-47D Chinook, nicknamed “Nine Charlie Uniform,” is equipped with a massive 3,000-gallon water tank and is capable of delivering up to 24,000 pounds of water or retardant in a single drop. It’s a powerhouse of aerial firefighting, specifically outfitted and crewed for high-risk nighttime operations.For comparison, Cal Fire’s H-301 (Type 2 Huey) can drop 375 gallons. The Firehawk (Sikorsky Black Hawk variant) can drop 1,000 gall
