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Sixteen years after Kitty Hawk, aircraft were already being used in fire detection in the west. Prior to the advent of radios, a note attached to a parachute was used to get written fire location information to ground teams. This method proved unpredictable as the message usually landed away from the target area and often in a tree. Carrier pigeons were also tried to no avail. In the decades following the use of aircraft as fire spotters, the development of air tankers showed the versatility and ingenuity of humankind. Early pioneering attempts (circa 1950s) to drop fire retardant liquids on fires from aircraft included using single engine planes with wooden beer kegs in the back seat and then trying to dump the water-filled kegs on a fire, to carrying a water sluicing box with a garden hose attached to spray the fire. In approximately 1953, the first modern air tankers were developed and began testing in the western United States.
The Early Days
Our History
The Museum of Flight & Aerial Firefighting was created to preserve an often overlooked portion of aviation history: Aerial Firefighting. Most of the museum is dedicated to education related to the types of aircraft and retardant systems that have evolved over the years into the awesome aerial firefighting capabilities used today. Many types of aircraft and many different designs for fire retardant drop systems have been utilized to combat forest fires since the late 1920s. We hope to eventually display a wide representation of the aircraft and equipment used in aerial firefighting. The museum also has an interest in preserving and displaying other historical aircraft (in flyable condition) to include flight demonstrations.
For many years Hawkins & Powers Aviation, Inc. conducted firefighting operations from the South Big Horn County Airport in Greybull, Wyoming. Hawkins & Powers also repaired active Air Force aircraft under a civilian contract. The Museum of Flight & Aerial Firefighting was founded in 1987 and incorporated in 1992. When the museum began, Hawkins & Powers aircraft was still actively being used in firefighting operations throughout the western United States and Canada. Hawkins & Powers aircraft are among those showcased at the museum.
Two Hawkins & Powers planes went down while fighting fires in 2002. As a result, the Forest Service grounded some of their firefighting planes. Some were later re-certified, but Hawkins & Powers Aviation, Inc. did not continue firefighting, and circumstances forced the company to sell its assets through an auction.
There was concern at the time of the auction that the museum might cease to exist when the aircraft left. However, planes donated by the Forest Service and privately owned aircraft remain available for display.
The museum leases the land north of the Wyoming Department Of Transportation Rest Area from Big Horn County for the long-term site of the museum. The museum operates from the facility located behind the rest area.
Aerial Firefighting Patents
The Height of
Hawkins & Powers Aviation
Enjoy photos of some of the historic planes at
The Museum of Flight & Aerial Firefighting
The Early Days
Sixteen years after Kitty Hawk, aircraft were already being used in fire detection in the west. Prior to the advent of radios, a note attached to a parachute was used to get written fire location information to ground teams. This method proved unpredictable as the message usually landed away from the target area and often in a tree. Carrier pigeons were also tried to no avail. In the decades following the use of aircraft as fire spotters, the development of air tankers showed the versatility and ingenuity of humankind. Early pioneering attempts (circa 1950s) to drop fire retardant liquids on fires from aircraft included using single engine planes with wooden beer kegs in the back seat and then trying to dump the water-filled kegs on a fire, to carrying a water sluicing box with a garden hose attached to spray the fire. In approximately 1953, the first modern air tankers were developed and began testing in the western United States.
The Boneyard
The Boneyard is a group of older aircraft behind the Museum. There are detailed photos inside the museum describing the aircraft and their location in the boneyard. The museum also has large photographs of planes that are currently housed in The Boneyard. Several types of aircraft in The Boneyard are duplicates of what visitors are able to tour in the museum.
Unfortunately, The Boneyard itself is not open to the public for touring. There is a high fence (visible in photo above) and a runway between the Boneyard and the Museum, and the public is not allowed to cross for safety reasons. Additionally, the planes in The Boneyard are privately owned.
Below, is a slideshow of some of the aircraft currently in The Boneyard. Photos by Lisa Kunkle.
Photo Credit: Ruud Leeuw
Ruud Leeuw has visited the Greybull airport several times, both when Hawkins & Powers was still flying and after they went out of business. He has a lot of pictures of The Boneyard and has detailed explanations of them.
Most of these planes are not in The Boneyard anymore.
You can get more information by visiting his website here.
US Patent 1278170, p1
Filed 1918
US Patent 1278170, p2
Filed 1918
