Edwards Fire Department uses AFFT Museum-donated plane for aircraft fire training Published Aug. 5, 2015 By Patric Lovato 412th Test Wing Public Affairs EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Edwards Air Force Base Fire Department and the Air Force Flight Test Museum teamed up for a training exercise simulating an aircraft fire. Firefighters met at the storage yard for a two-day exercise beginning Aug. 3. The exercise involved an old United States Navy T-39 aircraft, which had been stricken from record. The firefighters utilized rescue saws and axes to create openings in the fuselage of the aircraft. The training also included the use of the penetrating boom attached to the top of a fire engine. After inserting the boom into the fuselage of the aircraft, it ejected water into the plane intending to put out any fires that might be present within. The power saws tore through the fuselage, leaving window-sized holes for emergency responders to access those who might be inside. Training on the aircraft provided a rare opportunity for the firemen, as their exercises rarely use an actual aircraft rather than a simulation or other mock-ups. According to Assistant Chief Matt Guggemos, "This is the first time in a long time we have been able to cut into a plane." The collaboration between the Air Force Flight Test Museum and the Edwards Fire Department provided a unique moment of opportunity to use the retired and written-off Naval Aircraft for emergency readiness training. "The museum reached out to us and we saw it as a great opportunity to get some hands-on training especially for some of our Airmen," says Guggemos. George Welsh, curator of the Air Force Flight Test Museum, said, "We view this as an opportunity to give back to the base, considering how much they help us out and the small amount of staff we have." The windshield of the T-39 Sabreliner will be used to restore another museum aircraft and then the plane is destined to be scrapped.