Super Scoopers return to Lake Tahoe Airport

Two Bombardier CL415 firefighting aircraft have returned to South Lake Tahoe for their third summer, using the airport as a base once again to fight fires across the nation.

In 2015 the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) got the aircraft on a five year contract to use at their disposal. They can be used around Lake Tahoe or sent to other states, depending on the need.

The aircraft are nicknamed "Super Scooper" because they can scoop up 1,600 gallons of water from a lake and drop it on the front lines of a fire. It takes just 20 seconds to pull enough water into the plane to fill up the two large tanks on board. It can be reloaded by skimming along a lake six feet deep, though it is preferred to be ten feet.

Each of the planes will hold two pilots, two mechanics and one flight manager. They cannot land above 10,000 ft but can pull out water from local lakes 8,000 ft in elevation and below. Besides Lake Tahoe the Super Scoopers can also pull water from Fallen Leaf Lake to fight fires.

Last year they left South Lake Tahoe to fight the fires across the midwest.