Mesa Gateway airtanker base hosting wildfire season prep academy

Residents of the Queen Valley area will notice an increase in air traffic Feb. 25-March 15 every day except Sundays due to the annual National Aerial Supervision Training Academy at Phoenix Interagency Fire Center.

The academy at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport brings wildfire aviation personnel from the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, multiple states and government contractors to train together ahead of the wildfire season. Participants range from seasoned and new trainees in the aerial firefighting industry, according to a release from the U.S. Forest Service.

The academy is in its 10th year and has proven to be the best method to train aerial firefighting specialists in new skills, receive industry updates, learn about best practices and for pilots to hone their flying skills, it states.

There will be additional interaction for participants with C-130 aircraft coming from the Nevada Air National Guard (152nd Airlift Wing) and the California Air National Guard (146th Airlift Wing) that are a part of Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems.

Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems are portable fire-retardant delivery systems that can be inserted into military C-130 aircraft without major structural modifications to convert them into airtankers when needed. There are currently eight ready for operational use.

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