This satellite image only shows larger fires over a certain acreage that can show up from space. There are more fires than what you see in this image. 
You can see all of the fires up in Northern California. Most of them are recent starts by lightning with some crazy and unusual storms rolling through the area. Ours is the Mendocino Lightning Complex.
I'm with our Chief pilot Sam Nowden up in Mendocino County on what was called the June Lighting Complex, now the Mendocino Lightning Complex. Lots of fires here. Somewhere around one hundred or so in the area we are working. All tiny little starts started by lighting in June. For those not familiar with fire, the complex means there are multiple fires on the fire we are working. Within our fire are so many more fires. The reports say there are hundreds of fires in northern California, but that's just the bigger ones. On our complex alone there are countless fires I was told. The weather is cooler up here right now. Had been in the 90's but now it's in the 70's. Nice break from L.A. weather. It's beautiful up here as always. Lot's of wildlife. As we left the helibase yesterday the deer were coming out to graze on the field. Pretty cool.
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18 comments:
Spending all day out in the desert with Nazi's isn't so bad as long as those planes keep coming!
Turns out that Steve Hinton's wingman was his brother John.
Yesterday Tom Cruise had our aerial liaison on this film fly his (T.C's) P-51 Mustang over our set just for fun. We were going about our business and then all of a sudden a mint conditioned "Cadillac of the Skies" buzzed us at not more than 15' & over 300kia.
What a machine! The sight, the sound! It left us stunned, but smiling and I got pictures too!
Be careful you.
Desiree,
Hope you are having a good time in Booneville. And getting all those fires out.
You were mentioned on a helicopter blog this past Monday--one guy really likes your blog; the other guy really likes you: She's Hot
(See two of the three comments from June 23 are at the bottom of the page.)
In Greater Sacramento visibility has often dropped to about 2 miles or less on the ground, temps were around a hundred (dropped again a few days ago), and the phrase "air quality' is an oxymoron. Even the delta breezes fail to do much. Be safe, watch those lungs as well as your flying.
(Dang, camerapilot! Got room for a nurse on that set?).
jesse, that must have been cool to see! awsome!
richard, thanks for that. the last comment made me laugh. hahaha. i'm so glad i bought a computer for this fire season with wireless internet built in. i'm typing while riding in the vehicle to the fire this morning.
majroj, spoke to soon, internet not good while driving. i had typed a bunch of stuff, sent it, and it went away. dang! yep, it's smokey up here, bad.
richard, forgot to mention, that was sweet reading those comments from that link. thanks.
Good morning Dez!
Bad directors = Mucho money! Check out the time I sent this. The crew was up at 6am yesterday.
God bless incompetence otherwise we wouldn't make money!
That's kind of a harsh statement because there is no set way of doing what we do but this guy seemed to get hung up on certain shots.
We had an actor portraying Hitler pick up a phone over 20 times during this one scene. We started laughing partly from exhaustion and shear wonderment! We all stood shoulder to shoulder though and swallowed our ego's which is a good practice.
I'm sure you know how to handle those times. We all come across "Types" that want to reinvent the wheel,that is when the job starts and you put your best face forward and "carry on."
These are the little things that turns one's passion into a job. But then again this is why we make the extra chunk and see the groovey stuff.
You take care now. I'm sure they have you hopping and hauling "Ass & Trash." You are a trooper.
Dad flew Air America missions during the 60's & early 70's. I turned him onto your blog and his response was "She looks like a gal who can take care of herself in any situation." Not bad coming from a war dog.
Where can I send you some pics?
I'm dog meat now. I gotta go crumble.
What a great day it's been.
Always wishing you the same.
Chopprjock,
You and the many others like you over in Iraq and in other parts of the globe are a continuance of "The Greatest Generation".
We never take what you go through for granted. You are the best of us.
God bless you and keep you safe.
Hanging with friends and the hour got away from me. I have to be up at Big Bear early which is doubling the Ukraine where we our going to have our SS men slaughter a ravine full of people. I'm not looking forward to it even though it is not real.
Hope the smoke is leaving your throat alone.
Majroj, Corpman or Medic, we always need real people on the set.
Have seen things that have happened on the set and have found our "Nurse" totally lacking.
Check out all the major Studio listings for medical positions. You just might find yourself being chased by a P-51 someday. Good luck!
Desiree,
Have a great week, be safe, have a ball!!
Camerapilot,
Thanks for the sentiment, it is much appreciated! We do our best so that perhaps others may not have to come over here later. Ms Horton, your job sounds like a blast! I would love to have a professional discussion about the industry out there if you are willing (chopprflyr at gmail). Again, great blog!
Lyn
Desiree, my kids and I were on an Amtrak train riding up thru the bay area then over into the valley north of Sacramento on Thursday night. The amount of haze in the air and the smell of smoke was amazing. Will be interesting coming back down Sunday/Monday to see if the smoke has gotten any better.
Desiree,
I am so thankful I found your blog! I am currently working on my private pilot with the dream of flying a helicopter. I have always wanted to fly, but sports was more my forte. In College I studied broadcasting and have been in news ever since. In the last year I have started flying in SKY10 in San Diego as the photojournalist and have been hooked ever since.
As I read your entries and not your background I thought to myself, “she must have been in the military.” To find out you accomplished all this doing the same as I am, fly as I can afford it, ground school to cut costs, goes to show we can do anything!
Thank you for the boost of confidence! You are an inspiration to me!
Summer - KGTV
quick note to all the comments, thanks guys! chopperjock, when i get some time i will fill ya in on the biz, and summer, thank you so much. glad you can relate. it's for sure the same tough road sometimes for all of us. i'm still paying dues even now. hahaha. thanks everyone. :)
Desiree:
Where do you get the cool sat images of the fires? I'd love to be able to look at those as they are updated.
MarkH
mark, i've tried to actually get them from the nasa and noaa sights but can't find updated ones myself so i got them off news articles online and firefighter's blog. he had some recent ones up there. if you find a sight that has them daily that would be great! let me know! thanks.
Thanks for the note. Any chance you can share the firefighter's blog URL?
We seem stuck here. Maybe a sort of "comment eddy".
Madame hostess/ChopperChick, thanks for working so hard all day then taking time to post and write for us. I've a question to email to you.
Majroj
(PS:::sorry to crosschat..camerapilot, I'm afraid they don't hire people who don't live in LA/IATSE territory. I'm still learning about it though, and have field medical support experience...rdelight@comcast.net).
PPS:
I found a website but due to overloading they are requesting we sightseers (or "site-see-ers") not to send requests. Google "daily satellite photos" and see what YOU can find.
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