# Firefighting Cobras? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefighting-cobras/355896 "2006-05-08T15:34:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefighting-cobras/355896/1 "2006-05-08T15:34:33Z")
I saw some footage on CNN, of an AH-1 Cobra in fire department livery. Since I have a habit of surfing the web while the TV is on, I didn’t catch where this was. Florida? Why use a Cobra? It was not carrying any visible firefighting gear, so I assume it’s a spotter. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to use a JetRanger or MD-500? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefighting-cobras/355896/2 "2006-05-08T15:37:16Z")
Snakes in Flames? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefighting-cobras/355896/3 "2006-05-08T16:03:51Z")
A lot of municipalities were granted surplus military vehicles starting in the 90s. It might be they tricked out a free chopper to fight fires. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefighting-cobras/355896/4 "2006-05-08T16:06:20Z")
Damn. I thought this thread was going to be about the old episode of \*Emergency \* with the spitting cobra … . ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefighting-cobras/355896/5 "2006-05-08T19:57:48Z")
[QUOTE=Pochacco] Damn. I thought this thread was going to be about the old episode of \*Emergency \* with the spitting cobra … . [/QUOTE] I can do you one better! I thought it was going to be abourt cobras being genetiucally modifed to spit fire retardent foam! ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefighting-cobras/355896/6 "2006-05-08T20:59:44Z")
Firefighting Cobras? [QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] I saw some footage on CNN, of an AH-1 Cobra in fire department livery. Since I have a habit of surfing the web while the TV is on, I didn’t catch where this was. Florida?Why use a Cobra? It was not carrying any visible firefighting gear, so I assume it’s a spotter. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to use a JetRanger or MD-500? [/QUOTE] .So much for lucid OP Titles/questions. Someone once said “pigs is pigs” therfore “Cobras is Cobras less it’s a Copter.” Ain’t confusion wonderful? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefighting-cobras/355896/7 "2006-05-09T01:28:45Z")
Can it tote one of those huge dipper buckets, from a cable under the chopper? Perhaps a de-weaponized military gunship would have a superior lift/mass ratio, over a transport. ---
**Author:** ![Race\_Bannon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Race\_Bannon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Race_Bannon)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefighting-cobras/355896/8 "2006-05-09T22:10:23Z")
[Here’s an article](http://www.aviationtoday.com/cgi/rw/show_mag.cgi?pub=rw&mon=0305&file=biggerfaster.htm) that covers these Cobras. They’re cheap surplus, and used for command & control, not for spraying. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefighting-cobras/355896/9 "2006-05-09T22:40:00Z")
Thanks, **Race**. I’ve only skimmed the article. I’ll read it later. Cobras were banned from public sale several years ago (for rather stupid reasons, IMO; but that’s not for this forum). If you want one, you have to get one that’s already on the civil registry. Now AFAIK, aircraft registered to anyone but the military have N-numbers; i.e., civil registry. I wonder if that means that these helicopters may eventually end up in private hands?