A scooper is a specialized waterbomber designed with hull-mounted probes that draw water directly into internal tanks while planing across a body of water at high speed. This allows the aircraft to reload near a wildfire without returning to an airfield. Crews can pick up thousands of gallons in seconds and drop it on the fire line repeatedly.
Heard on the job
We've two scoopers working the lake, so keep the airspace clear below three thousand.
Insider tip
The Canadair CL-415 is the most famous aircraft in this category, often referred to by crews simply as a superscooper.
Also heard as
- skimmer
- superscooper