MOFFETT FIELD, Calif.--In order to get their certification to tackle burning airplanes, fire crews must complete an annual training program in which they go through realistic simulations of airplane emergencies involving actual fires.
This week, the NASA Ames Fire Department, along with "mutual aid" departments from nearby Palo Alto and Sunnyvale, went through the program, testing their skills on a mobile trainer called the Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) trainer.
Here, we see the roof of the trainer ablaze.
2 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
The plane
This is the trainer, sitting on the tarmac at Moffett Field, adjacent to NASA Ames Research Center. Not seen here are fire crews getting ready for their training.
3 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Ready to go
A crew member gets ready to battle the blaze inside and outside the trainer aircraft.
4 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Cooling down
Before the exercise begins, a fire truck blankets the airplane with water in order to cool it down.
5 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Fog of water
In these practice exercises, crews shower the fire with a "fog" of water, rather than a focused stream. This is because in real-life conditions, they'd be using a combination of water and a special foam that blankets the fire. Using a strong stream of water would break the film created by the foam, allowing the fire to break through. But by using a fog of water, they can attack the fire without breaking through that film.
6 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Pooled fuel on fire
A huge fire rises off the ground, where propane is sending up big bursts of flames to simulate jet fuel that would be pooled and burning on the tarmac outside a real burning airplane.
7 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Hosing down the plane
Crews work hard to hose down the fire inside and outside the airplane.
8 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Interior
A look inside the interior of the trainer, where mannequins represent passengers who would have to be rescued in an actual emergency.
9 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Tail engine
The training tasks crews with putting out fires in a number of places, including the tail engine, seen here covered in scorch marks.
10 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Left engine
This is the left wing engine, which would also be burning during the exercise.
11 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Wheel
Wheel brakes could be another source of fire in an emergency, so crews have to put out fires there too.
12 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Two jets
Two powerful jets of water are sprayed onto the fire from a truck parked alongside the airplane.
13 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Going on board
A member of the training team brings a mannequin on board the airplane.
14 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Piercer on crane
In order to practice putting an interior fire out when there is a high degree of pressure built up inside the plane, crews must maneuver a special truck-top crane arm with a piercing device toward the top of the plane. The idea is to break the surface at one small point and hit the fire with water or foam from the roof.
15 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Piercer going in
Here, the piercer starts to go in through the roof of the plane.
16 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Positioning the piercer
Here, a fireman works in the cabin of the truck to maneuver the piercer into place.
17 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Water
A spray of water seen coming from the tip of the piercer.
18 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Going in
The piercer begins to go in through the roof of the plane.
19 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Engaged
The piercer is fully engaged here, but it goes only a few inches below the roof in order to avoid hitting any passengers inside in the head.
20 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Water pouring out
After the piercer has put out the interior fire, water pours from the bottom of the plane.
21 of 21 Daniel Terdiman/CNET
Debrief
Joe Teixeira, who heads up the Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting trainer program, debriefs the fire crews after a round of exercises.
