http://hppr.org en http://hppr.org/post/firefighting-planes-battle-wildfires-and-old-age As wildfires continue to burn in the West, the U.S. Forest Service is going to battle this summer with fewer air tankers. The number of planes that drop retardant on fires has shrunk significantly over the past 12 years.<p>In Boise, Idaho, the shortage of air tankers has led to some unexpected repurposing of aircraft.<p>"This particular aircraft was used as Air Force One at one point," explains pilot Lyle Ehalt, standing next to his shiny white-and-green tanker at the Boise Airport.<p>Ehalt, who flew the air tanker over a nearby grass fire, says the plane used to carry President Gerald Ford. Sun, 01 Jul 2012 11:55:00 +0000 Scott Graf 2999 at http://hppr.org Firefighting Planes Battle Wildfires And Old Age