Ryan Air Attack Base (RAAB)
Facility
The CAL FIRE Riverside Unit operates a joint Air Attack/Helitack base at the Hemet Ryan Airport.
RAAB is statistically one of the most active air attack bases in the nation. The fleet consists of:
- One OV-10 Bronco - Air Attack 310
- Two S2-T's - Tankers 72 and 73
- One UH-1H "Super Huey" helicopter - Copter 301
Operations
The Air Tactical Group Supervisor coordinates with airtanker and helicopter personnel to manage critical areas of the fire for crew deployment, and retardant and water drops.
The retardant used to slow or retard the spread of a fire is a slurry mix consisting of a chemical salt compound, water, clay or gum as a thickening agent. At nine pounds per gallon an S-2T can carry 10,800 pounds of this mixture For more information on Air Operations, click the links at the right.