McMinnville, Ore. USA — Evergreen International Aviation’s Boeing 747 Supertanker fire fighting aircraft has responded to a request from the Israeli government and deployed the Supertanker to Israel as part of the international humanitarian relief effort to deal with the ongoing mega fires in that country. The Evergreen Supertanker was mobilized within 24 hours and departed its home base near Tucson, Ariz., late Friday afternoon and arrived in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
The Evergreen Supertanker is the largest aerial fire-fighting aircraft in the world and can carry nearly 20,000 gallons of water, retardant or other fire agents. It also has the highest dash speed of any fire fighting aircraft, allowing it to deploy half way around the world within a day. The aircraft is a converted B747-100 cargo aircraft, which also allows the crew to take all of its support equipment inside the aircraft when deploying.
The Supertanker will be part of a large, international contingent of aircraft and equipment being supplied from countries such as Greece, Italy, Turkey and possibly Russia. The aircraft will be based in Tel Aviv and operate under the control of the Israeli government. The fires have been raging since Thursday and dozens have died and numerous structures have been destroyed.
Evergreen, which was founded in 1960 by Delford M. Smith and based in McMinnville, Oregon, has a proud 50-year history of humanitarian support and fire fighting operations working with the US and many other governments around the world. Evergreen currently has multiple business segments and offices located around the world.
About Evergreen International Aviation:
Evergreen International Aviation, Inc. is a portfolio of five diverse aviation companies headquartered in McMinnville, Ore. With international operating authority and a network of global offices and affiliates, Evergreen consists of an international cargo airline that owns and operates a fleet of Boeing 747s; an unlimited aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility; a full-service helicopter company; an aircraft ground handling company; and an aircraft sales and leasing company. In addition to these endeavors, Evergreen owns and operates Evergreen Agricultural Enterprises and is headquartered next to the not-for-profit Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, home of the “Spruce Goose.”
For more information about Evergreen, please visit www.evergreenaviation.com
