What can this 747 do? Well, it can drop about 20,000 gallons of retardant or water.

Check out the video below to see it in action. If you want to see the good parts and not have to listen to the Fox11 anchors talking their normal nonsense, then just skip to 3:30 and 10:00.

Also, here’s an article to debate over from the LA Times, “Air tanker drops in wildfires often just for show.” What do you think?

Now my interest is peaking and my research into where exactly where the filming locations for these movies are located has been turned on…

Star Trek: First Contact – Charlton Flats area was used for filming.
Star Trek: Insurrection – San Gabriel Damn.
Duel- Most of the filming took place on the 14 just north of the ANF. Although, Soledad Canyon Road which borders the ANF was used.

Researching this, I found other places that were interesting (Hollywood Escapes):

Short Circuit – The first turnout up the ANF.
Switzer Falls – “Located on this site many years ago was a rustic resort called “Switzer-land” (get it?) that, according to historian John Robinson, hosted celebrities such as Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Shirley Temple, and Mary Pickford.”
Gun Crazy; Now, Voyager; Shattered; Delirious – Mt. Wilson Road. This is the road that starts at Red Box and takes you up to the towers of Mt. Wilson.
K-PAX, Armageddon, Deep Impact – Mt. Wilson Observatory.
North by Northwest, The Young Lions, Paulie, The Animal – Charlton Flat.
The Vanishing – Newcomb’s Ranch Inn Cafe. The one with Keifer Sutherland. This movie had me scared.
Dante’s Peak – Buckhorn Campground.

I also wanted to throw Vasquez Rocks in this posts just because it has been in so many tv and movie adventures. Just check out the fight scene below. Gorn moves at such a slow pace that it’s just as good as a picture.