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Show WT 73 .A- VV -- kj20O0T by SHERRIL ; . 5 5 v STEELE-CARLI- N i Mindens , ' Firebombers s ... , is ..., -t . " ;.y, i' v v- . x , V ' ... V ""' ' ;.' '." !". . . : : ' . V ' t; . " f: Heroic Vs - v;-- '. :j-. . - n '' ff i Jr' '' v :: V . ''' s' . .,. .' . '"-1- - . , r - . Graceful as a swan, the huge airplane swoops down on ridge of flaming pine trees. A stream of bright red material flows behind as the craft quickly drops its cargo, leveling out ahead of the flames before climbing back to safer air space above the fire. The firebomber; also called an air canker, is based for parr of the summer in Minden, Ncv., (pop. 2,836) just south of Canon City. The plane is built in 1944 by Douglas Aircraft. It flew during the Berlin Airlift a 4, in 1948 and belonged to the U.S. Navy until the 1970k Today, the craft is outfitted fcr firefighting, flying around the country during hot, dry summer weather; when wildfires arc common. Inside the DC4's belly; a huge phosphate, day; hopper" holds 2,000 gallons of a bright ted mixture of DC-4C5- and water: In 2001, droqghr conditions mode die western United Sates a rindetbosc, and the fiiebombets had one of their busiest seasons. During the season, die plane and ia crew wait fcr fire calk. In a macrer of minuers, they an be in die sky headir$ toward another blaze; When drey fiat arrive, retardant is dropped ahead of die flames in hopes of slowing the fire and knocking down its reach. Fuefighcers on the ground rhm move in m amxol it. Will Hollenbeck; fly because they The crew; captain Man Ziomek and love it. Ziomek owns the plane and has been piloting it fcr 15 years. Hnllmheck, a teacher during the winter az Embry-Bidd- le University in Prescoo, Ariz., has been flying the DC--4 since 1993 and lays it's his dream job. There ate more openings to be an NFL football player than there are to be a tanker pilot, another captain cold him. It's very hard (for people with families)," Hollenbeck says. We work six days a week, 12 to 14 hours a day, and theres do guarantee were going to be home at night. We keep two weeks worth of cloches on the airplane. Every morning when we leave the house, we leave like we're not going co be home far a mooch. co-pil- ADVERTISEMENT Eating Right For Your Irritable Colon you frequently sufler from abdominal Do certain fads make them worse? any of Iheae symptome sound familiar; you may have Marble Boitrl Syndrome (IBS). If you do, you're not alone. Although often H HilmiMUwtiMiH mlutlagiuuM tiy itnrtim, an eetfanated 15 to 20 percent of all Americans have IBS, a chronic, factional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract IBS sufferers have highly colons prone to Impute sensitive, contractions, resulting in abdominal cramps, gas, end biosting. 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Order this book right now! 1b aider your copy of fating Ar IBS by phone; i caltoi-tolHIW- I 1b mal In your ortfa send your name; address, zip code and check for S16J5 plus $2.95 for postage and handling to: Publishers Choice, Bon 4174, Dept. GG62-AHuntington Station, NY 1174S. (CA and NY residents please add applicable sales taxj i.McaMk.miMei 'mapihlfeaiirmftndnarinnaiitwniwnv',HnlWiBrlrrnnfMiiit.Tfrliemh for air tinkers, they tract pulling the closest aircraft. Since we've been in Minden, we've spent a mooth in Florida, a weekend in Okcgoo, and dose to a month in Bottle Mountain (NevadaX" Only 44 of these vintage aircraft still fly around the country as air tinkers. Because the fire season scans earlier on the East Coast, the men usnally fly there first, gradually moviqg westward as the season TreaoT up. Their contracts, imued by the U& Forest Service on a national basis, normally nm from April 1 to Octl, but if the fire season is especially bad, GontxBCB out be emended. No day is typical far plane and crew. Sometimes drey dean and polish the plane or wock on the engines and wait. But when a fire call comes, all are in action. There have been times I have crawled on this airplane at 9 oclock in the morning and not stepped offk until 7 odock that night," Hollenbeck says. But the gleam in his eye reveak the love far his job and the ancient plane he flies. The men and women who fly these vintage aircraft Mvecoundem firefighters and homes every season while placing their own lives on the line. During 2001 , two tanker pilots lost their lives in California, and the crew of a helicopter was lost fighting a fire in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Bwk. A truss between firemen and stunt pilots, the firebombers of Minden routineiy place themselves in the ditea path of danger and come away heroes. a fire in Montana that's calling SfefTj Stmk-Ctrl- in a mfnqmnt amtnbntmr tt American Profile. |