Tag Archives: fire bomber

DC-7s Retired To The Sun

Erickson currently flies a bunch of MD-87s are firefighting jets.  However, these are a relatively recent addition to the service and they have replaced Douglas DC-7s.  The DC-7s were still in service when I first made a visit to Madras in 2015 but they have now been retired.  However, three of the airframes are stored on the ramp at Madras and we took a look around to see how they were fairing.

They looked in great condition.  The dry atmosphere at Madras is good for storing aircraft.  Some engines have been removed but the three jets are in the most recent paint finish and parked in a line.  They make for an interesting subject.  I have no idea how far from airworthy they are should anyone want to get any of them flying again (aside from the engines that have been removed) but they look like they have been taken care of.  I would have loved to have seen one airborne but sadly, that time has passed.