CamTom12 wrote:I’ve been raised (military aviation) that fire extinguishers are for people and fire trucks are for aircraft.

We were submerged one time and had a fire in lower level auxiliary machine room 2 . No fire trucks nearby, Our nearest help was an unfriendly nation. First guy on scene first passed the word then hit the fire with two pretty big Ansuls. Ansul is best for fuel and oil. The whole event took about 30 seconds. If my plane catches fire I just want to get out as I pass title to the insurance company.

qmdv wrote:

CamTom12 wrote:I’ve been raised (military aviation) that fire extinguishers are for people and fire trucks are for aircraft.

We were submerged one time and had a fire in lower level auxiliary machine room 2 . No fire trucks nearby, Our nearest help was an unfriendly nation. First guy on scene first passed the word then hit the fire with two pretty big Ansuls. Ansul is best for fuel and oil. The whole event took about 30 seconds. If my plane catches fire I just want to get out as I pass title to the insurance company.

That’s a heck of a story!

But you lost me at “submerged”

We used to practice with the...don’t recall what it was called...mask and a hose connecting into the low pressure air system with quick connect fittings. Start at the bow compartment and moved aft all the way to shaft alley....with your eyes closed...

A buddy and I joined the navy back in the 70’s... during firefighter training at the 32nd street Naval base in San Diego. We were using a combination and a cellar nozzle... when it was Wayne and my turn, side by side with two 1-1/2” lines.. instructor got pissed because we put the diesel fire out....in a 12’ diameter live stock tank....what do you call it...metal kids pool. How did you do that? We both chuckled and told him we were both from the same fire department and had a bit of experience putting fires out...I still miss charging into a structure fire...fun times...

I’m not a 34 year veteran fire fighter...but I do have some good stories wherein we used nothing but a dry chem extinguisher... I’ve never used Halon.. hope if I ever need it in the cockpit...that I remember to close the heat vent on the firewall first before displacing the O2 at the base of the fire....wonder how many cubic feet of halon is in one of those little bottles?


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m_moyle wrote:We used to practice with the...don’t recall what it was called...

I’ve never used Halon.. hope if I ever need it in the cockpit...that I remember to close the heat vent on the firewall first before displacing the O2 at the base of the fire....wonder how many cubic feet of halon is in one of those little bottles?

There's a good idea here...

If someone(s) at my (or your) airport has a metal pan, some wadded news paper, about a cup of 100LL, some matches or a lighter, and an old (the do get old enough to replace from time to time) Halon fire extinguisher let the airport management in on the fun, and practice putting out a gas fire or two. Just be well away from anything else combustable. Doing the same with an out dated dry chem extinguisher would be good too. There are very good reasons why dry powder extingushers aren't used in cockpits. for that matter, the local fire dept might even come supervise. If there's an ARFF nearby that's be another resource to supervice or do a short talk.

niente qui

hotrod180 wrote:

Cary wrote:.. all of the airplanes had 5 lb. extinguishers mounted on the seat frame of the pilot seat, behind the pilot's calves. .....

Great location in a 4 seat Cessna.
I made a flat aluminum plate that's very securely tie-wrapped to the seat frame,
the extinquisher bracket bolts to that.
Some plush front seats have an extended skirt,
the extinquisher bracket can bolt through that to a doubler under the skirt.

The mounting plate has a 1/2" flange along the top (facing aft) to stiffen it.

dogpilot wrote: ... So if I get to vote, I vote for more than one extinguisher....

Great suggestion. "Two is ONE, one is NONE". The last time I did the mandatory 135 fire training we used (tried to,anyhow) a 5# halon extinguisher. It wouldn't work. The CIAW only required checking the weight of the extingusher, and (if equipped) that the needle on the little gauge was in the green. [CHECK] Again, the thing wouldn't work.

... many of you may have noticed it is chilly up at 18,000'. So after a while I decided to light off the heater, a Janitrol type device. My instructor, Randy, goes; "hold on speed racer, why are deliberately starting a fire in the cockpit?" Put up with the cold.

Good advice.