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• May 21, 2008 4:33 pm US/Mountain
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  Colorado National Guard Practices Water Drops

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Colorado National Guard Practices Water Drops

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) ― The Colorado National Guard started getting ready for this year's wildfire season by practicing water drops Tuesday.

Helicopter pilots practiced flying both Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters over Chatfield Reservoir where they scooped up buckets of water. After dipping into the water, they flew over the shoreline for drops.

Those involved say that type of training can be tricky.

"When you're flying in smoke with fires that cause thermal updrafts, it's very challenging for the pilots to get the aircraft in their safely and help the firefighters who are on the ground and really in harms way," said Curtis Hathcock with the Colorado National Guard.

Guard pilots undergo the training every year so they're prepared for wildfire season.

(© MMVIII CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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