MISSOULA, MT – Neptune Aviation’s legendary propeller-driven firefighting tankers are headed for new homes.
The Missoula-based company opted to retire the classic “P2V” tankers at the end of the 2017 fire season, now that it has a full fleet of “next gen”, jet-powered tankers to take their place. The tankers had been the backbone of the company’s firefighting force for more than two decades, flying thousands of missions across the country.
Last year, Neptune donated Tanker 10 for a permanent display at the entrance to Missoula International Airport.
Now, after considering options for the remaining P2Vs, Neptune has announced the planes will be headed to several museums later this year.
Tanker 07 will be going to the Estrella Warbirds Museum in Pasa Robles, California with Tanker 05 going to the Glendive Airport in eastern Montana for display. Tanker 06 will be placed in Klamath Falls, Oregon when there’s an airbase and memorial to a tanker that crashed while fighting a local fire. Tanker 45 will be sent to the Yankee Air Museum in Belleville, Michigan and Tanker 43 will go to the San Diego Air and Space Museum.