CAL FIRE's OV-10
CAL FIRE's OV-10s serve as aerial command centers, directing firefighting aircraft and relaying vital intel to crews on the ground.
CAL FIRE's OV-10 Tactical Aircraft
CAL FIRE's OV-10 aircraft serve as airborne command centers, where expert Air Attack Officers coordinate firefighting efforts from the sky—directing aerial resources, guiding retardant drops, and relaying critical insights to ground crews.
Mission
CAL FIRE uses the OV-10s as the primary command and control platform on wildland incidents. The air attack officer, a highly trained and experienced fire officer, coordinates with the incident commander on the ground, providing a unique aerial perspective on fire conditions, anticipated resource needs and potential threats to life and property. The Air Attack Officer is also responsible for the safe coordination of all aerial resources on an incident and where to make retardant and water drops based upon the Incident Commander’s control objectives. The OV-10 can be utilized as a lead plane, for Very Large Air Tankers (VLAT) when not assigned as a command and control platform.
Manufacturer
North American-Rockwell, Columbus, Ohio.Original Owner
United States Navy/Marines, 1968-1993. The OV-10 was used as a counterinsurgency aircraft and close air-support to military ground forces.Acquired by CAL FIRE
In 1993, CAL FIRE acquired 15 OV-10As from the Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) program. These have since been converted for use as air attack platforms replacing the original Cessna 0-2As that CAL FIRE had been using. The OV-10As are newer, larger, faster, provide a larger field of vision for the pilot and air attack officer and are more maneuverable than the older O-2As. In 2009, CAL FIRE also acquired three OV-10Ds, of which one has been converted and is in use.