An Army National Guard UH-60 fills its Bambi bucket during a
firefighting mission on May 5 near Ellenville in the Catskill Mountains.
New York Army National Guard Photo
New York Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crews will be conducting water bucket training over Round Lake, Thursday, May 28. The training is expected to take place around 2 p.m.
The helicopter crews, which are based at the Albany International Airport in Latham, will use the buckets, known by the trademarked name of Bambi Buckets, to scoop up water from the lake and drop it. This allows them to practice the same techniques used to extinguish wildfires.
The collapsible buckets, which are hung underneath the helicopters, can dump 560 gallons of water on a fire each time they are used. Each spring Army National Guard helicopter crew members and maintenance personnel retrain on how to attach the buckets to Black Hawk helicopters and then practice picking up water and dumping it.
The training is necessary because a bucket full of water weights two tons and helicopter pilots need to practice flying with that additional weight hanging under their aircraft in order to fly safely in an emergency.
The New York Army National Guard employs helicopter firefighting equipment when local agencies request support through the New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.
New York Army National Guard UH-60 crews were deployed on May 5 to help control a forest fire near Ellenville, N.Y. in the Catskills.
