Sonoma County’s airport has never had a visitor quite like “Jerry.”
One might think of the Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane as a helicopter on steroids, with a massive 72-foot rotor span and payload capacity of 20,000 pounds dwarfing most other choppers.
Configured as a helitanker, the Skycrane employs a long tube, or snorkel, to suck up to 1,600 gallons of water in less than 45 seconds. The payload can then be deposited over flames to fight fire with pinpoint accuracy.
With California’s wildfire season heating up, Cal Fire contracted with Oregon-based Erickson Inc. to station a helitanker at the Sonoma Air Attack Base for ready availability responding to blazes. The Skycrane is named after Jerry Winn, longtime logging manager for Sikorsky.
It’s the first time such an impressive machine as been stationed at the air base, according to Cal Fire Cpt. Nate Glaeser.