#piston peak air attack

[nan3017]

[lxnely-lullaby]

Planes F&R Out of Context : Featuring the PPPA

[mittch22]

If the PPAA team had a band, who would play what instrument? Who would play the strangest instrument and what would it be?

Do you think they'd play gigs at the lodge occasionally after Cad left?

[praxcrown5]

Geology and the World of Cars: Part 1

Ask and ye shall receive. We're gonna discuss geology, y'all!

Because there's a LOT to unpack, here, I'm gonna do it in parts, and I'll provide explanations as we go. I'll be tagging all of these posts with "WOCgeology."

One of the big things I want y'all to take away from this is that all rocks on Earth fall into one of three groups depending on how they form: Metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary.

Metamorphic rocks: Form when a rock is altered by high temperatures, and/or water, and/or high pressures without melting.

Igneous rocks: Form when rock is heated to the point of melting (becomes a liquid) and allowed to cool.

Sedimentary rocks: Form when a rock is broken down chemically or physically (weathered), and the pieces/ions move to a new place (erosion/transportation), stop moving (deposition), and solidify (cementation and/or compaction and/or crystallization--but at temperatures outside of those what would melt or metamorphose)

I'm gonna start with metamorphic because I could only find three examples: The mountains near Thomasville, GA (Cars 3), Gasket Geyser at Piston Peak National Park (Planes Fire and Rescue) and the Himalaya Mountains (Planes). There might be more, but I gotta do a re-watch of all media with my geology lenses on. If I find more, I'll add them to this post and reblog it. :)

The mountains around Thomasville were very clearly modeled after the Great Smokey Mountains, a sub-range within the broader Appalachian Mountain Range. Compare the image below of the GSM in North Carolina to the thumbnail at the top of this post.

Metamorphic rocks need high temperatures and pressures in order to form...and the geologic forces that create non-volcanic mountains are perfect for that.

These are the conditions that we're talking about:

This image above has a lot of stuff going on...but it's got some useful takeaways. First: Metamorphism occurs over a WIDE range of temperatures and pressures. Second: different T and P regimes create different types of metamorphic rock. Third: The parent rocks, themselves, have unique compositions that react to changing T and P in different ways, creating unique mineral assemblages ("facies"). Fourth: Metamorphism has limits. If rock gets too hot, it melts. If it's not hot enough or if the pressures aren't right, the parent rock won't change at all.

So...how do we change T and P?

The Earth's core is hotter than the surface. The rate at which the temperature increases with depth is called the "geothermal gradient." The deeper you go the hotter things get. Pressure, called "lithostatic pressure," also increases with depth. If molten rock or really hot water touches existing rock, the heat from either is enough to alter it (contact and hydrothermal metamorphism, respectively). Geysers, like Gasket Geyser in Piston Peak National Park, are places where hydrothermal metamorphism can occur. Fun fact: the hot water fueling geysers is generally heated by molten rock deep under ground...so it's not all that uncommon for hydrothermal and contact metamorphism to occur in the same area.

But...consider this satellite image of the Appalachian Mountains from space:

How did they get so squiggly when they're solid rock (and were solid even when they were being metamorphosed)?

The Earth's surface consists of large slabs of rock (called "plates") that are in constant motion. They are pushed and pulled by the rocks deeper down. At that depth, the rocks behave more like dense putty (tho not actually liquid) that moves up and down, heated by even hotter rock and metal deeper within the Earth. Wherever this "putty" goes the overlying rocks have no choice but to follow. The chemical composition of the plates varies from place to place, and depending on the type of rock and the way the plates interact along their boundaries, you can get everything from giant mountain ranges (like the Himalayas) to lush, volcanic islands (think Japan).

Nearly a billion years ago, various types of rocks began colliding with the eastern cost of ancient North America, resulting in a series of mountain building events that would go on to create a giant mountain range, stretching from modern Newfoundland in Canada to northern Georgia in the US. The rocks caught up in the middle of these events became warped and twisted forming metamorphic rock. They likely had a "coating" of sedimentary rock, however, once the mountain building processes stopped, water, ice, and gravity began to gnaw away at them, leaving behind their metamorphic skeletons.

You can think of the Himalayas as a newer version of the Appalachians. They're still growing as I write this, as rocks from the Indian Plate are smushed against rocks from the Eurasian Plate. Because the mountain range is so young, the "coating" of non-metamorphic rocks (sedimentary, in this case) is still present along some parts of the range, though they have been tilted and bent.

Real Himalayas

The Himalayas as depicted in "Planes."

The Planes movies landscapes are a LOT more stylized than what we see in the Cars movies. Even so, they definitely captured the look of the range, and there are even places where you can see some layered sedimentary rock (as seen from snow laying in lines along the layers), like you see in the real Himalayas!

One thing I will note, here, is that the Appalachian mountains stop well north of Thomasville, Georgia (Smokey's hometown). In Cars 3, the area around Thomasville is more reminiscent of what you'd see in Kentucky or North Carolina. One of the images below is a screencap from Cars 3, the other is an actual photo taken in Magoffin county, Kentucky; can you tell which is which?

It's clear that they definitely wanted this rural, hilly aesthetic, but official artwork from Cars 3 (the poster below is is hanging up in the Cotter Pin) puts Thomasville in GA and not in NC.

More to come in part 2. :D

Thank you for reading!

[rookie-lou]

Ranger and Crophopper

[ifyougiveuptoday]

if everyone on PPAA was legally allowed to kill people who would have axed cad spinner first: discuss

for bonus points you may defend your vote in the notes as elaborately as you please

[valkyrieres]

It's July 18th here so... Happy 10th anniversary of Planes Fire and Rescue! ✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧

Quick Blade doodle for the anniv :3

[blade-ranger-301]

Toni

(Character Reference sheet)

This is the first of many ref sheets that I've been working on all year. Hoping to get them all out consecutively over the next few months as I still have 3 more artworks + bios left to finish. This is for my very first OC that I made in 2015 when I was only just in the Cars/Planes fandom - making her 10 years old this summer.

Wow, how time flies....

Toni belongs to me © @blade-ranger-301

First Name: Toni

*Gains the surname of "Ranger" later on during marriage*

Nicknames: T

Species: Helicopter

Breed: Agustawestland AW109 SP GrandNew

Nationality: British

Sexuality: Straight/Hetero

Languages: English

Date of birth: May 2000/01

Age: 20s

Sex: Female

Fuselage Colours: Main body is a pearly-white shade, with extra trim of dark blue, followed by a stripe on her engine compartment, at a sloped angle, and on the tip of her tail fin. Her bottom tail fin under her tail boom, and her wheel compartments are also painted in dark blue.

Occupation: Admin/Secretary

Eye colour: Lime Green

Birthplace: North West England, United Kingdom

Mental Characteristics: sassy, confident, determined, kind, caring, loyal

Physical Traits: young, petite, attractive, slim, slender

Hobbies/Interests: Baking and making sweet treats, reading

Likes: lattes and milkshakes, baking, sunbathing, self-care, sunny weather, catching up with friends, nature, listening to music

Dislikes: Hot, humid weather, most insects, freezing weather, ice, wildfires, thunderstorms

Relationships

Mother: Lillian - AW109 S Grand

Father: Simon - AW109 E Power

Siblings: None

Romantic Partner: Blade (AW139 hybrid)

Children: TBC...

Dimensions

Length: 12.96 meters (42 ft 6 in)

Height: 3.40 meters (11 ft 2 in)

Rotor Diameter: 10.83 meters (35 ft 6 in)

(Those born with an accessible cabin)

Capacity: 5-7 passengers (depending on the individual sizes of passengers)

Engines: 2 x Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207C

Maximum Take-Off Weight: 3,175 kg (7,000 lb) for internal loads, and 3,200 kg (7,055 lb) with external loads

Performance

The AW109SP GrandNew is a subspecies of the AW109, and is a light, twin-engine helicopter.

The AW109SP GrandNew has the best characteristics within the AW109 species in terms of performance, speed, cabin space (if applicable), payload, low operating costs, and appearance.

AW109s can also have the latest generation of avionics and computer systems to help keep each individual aircraft safe, providing maximum safety and situational awareness. The AW109SP is no exception here.

The AW109SP, like other models of the AW109, are able to perform in multi-roles with exceptional performance. The majority of the 109 breed tend to find suitable jobs in corporate transport, emergency medical services (EMS), law enforcement, and even the military.

The AW109 may be small and dainty in size, but the SP GrandNew is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW206C engines, delivering excellent performance in a variety of conditions. Those who choose to work in the emergency services are even able to carry medical equipment despite their small size.

Other performance features:

Maximum Speed: 193 mph (168 knots)

Cruise speed: 177 mph (154 knots)

Maximum range: 464 nm

Service Ceiling: 16,200 ft

Rate of Climb: 1,930 ft/min

Hover IGE (In Ground Effect): 15,600 ft

Hover OGE (Out of Ground Effect): 10,000 ft

Onboard Systems:

Advanced avionics; such as, integrated flight management system, enhancing situational awareness, latest global navigation satellite system for all weather operations, Helicopter Terrain Avoidance Warning System (HTAWS), Synthetic Vision System: Highwav in the Sky (HITS), Enhanced Vision System (EVS), Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), and satellite navigation capabilities.

Backstory

Born somewhere between 2000 and 2001, Toni is the singular offspring of AW109 parents, following a lineage of purebred AW109s dating back a couple of hundred years.

She inherited her beauty and looks from her mother, Lillian, a white S Grand model with a dark blue and silver stripe along her flanks. Her main occupation involved admin work in an office block.

Toni also inherited the striking lime green eyes and unbridled determination from her father, Simon, a black and white E Power model, who flew for a passenger transportation company.

Being an only daughter and a daddy's girl growing up, Toni was the apple of her father's eye. She also ran the risk of being brought up spoilt rotten; however, her parents brought her up with discipline and appropriate morals in equal measure, whilst still treating her as the prized gem she was.

Toni grew up in northern England, in a quiet, peaceful, quintessential English town. A small town with next to no crime, with a population of around 1000-2000, and where everyone knows everyone.

As a little girl, Toni would spend most of her time outside in the garden of her childhood home, despite being treated as the little princess she was. Becoming a real-life princess and never working a day in her life was the dream job of this little girl.

She was a daddy's girl, often curiously spending time with him around the house as his "little assistant", as he'd affectionately call her. As much as she equally loved her mother, Toni idolised her father - getting him to help her with things like fixing a toy or helping her with homework, wanting to help him in the garden, or eagerly awaiting to hear all the tales of where he'd flown that day whilst transporting small passengers.

Toni had always been a popular girl, even in school. As she continued to age and grow, she developed beautiful looks, a nice figure, and a kind soul. As a child and teenager, Toni was always found in a girl group and was always invited to sleepovers and parties. Everyone wanted to be her friend, and she had very few jealous enemies, which her closest friends normally dealt with.

At 16, Toni left high school with adequate grades that could get her into most jobs of her choosing; however, Toni had no idea how to start her career path. She had no desire or dream job, thus sending Toni into a chaotic spiral of 'job hopping'.

Applying for jobs is hard enough; getting accepted is just wishful thinking. Toni's very first job was at a little cafe for small planes and helicopters, which was the equivalent of Carbucks, in her local town. She held the position of a barista/waitress for 2 years before she became bored and craved for something else to excite her life.

After that came two more admin jobs that required her to work in an office, like her mother. She learned relatively quickly, and seemed suited to both jobs, but never actually fully content and settled in them..

After some time, she was starting to dislike the typical, draining 9 - 5 jobs. She started to develop a "can't be bothered anymore" attitude whilst trying not to allow that attitude to affect her quality of work. She finally left both admin jobs, one after the other, after spending just shy of a year in each. Toni tended to stay social and meet up with friends when she felt like it, but her mess of a career path meant that she still hadn't gotten a boyfriend yet when others around her at this point had.

At 20 years old, Toni joined another job that paid less but gave her more freedom. It was a remote job where she could work from home on a computer, doing simple tasks such as allocating customers into booking slots, allocating customer enquiries over to the correct areas, etc. She liked this job the best and spent around 3 years there. From here, Toni changed jobs once more and has since stayed in that job for the foreseeable future...

After leaving high school, Toni formed a close friendship with 3 other female classmates: Millie, Claire and Katie. Their friendship continued after school, where the girls would celebrate each other's 18th birthdays, their first alcoholic drinks, exploring different local towns together, meeting up for shopping trips, nights out drinking and dancing, etc.

One year in July, right in the midst of a summer heatwave, when the girls were in their early 20s, they booked a holiday trip to stay at the newly renovated Grand Fuselage hotel in the world-renowned Piston Peak National Park in northwest England, UK. It was the girls' first official holiday together as they were of an age where they could look after themselves without their parents worrying over them too much.

The girls booked two hotel rooms, two aircraft in each room, to save money. Much to their parents' dismay, the prices of the rooms were extortionate. Two days into their stay, the four girls decided to venture out into the wilderness. Heading over to the eastern side of V6 Valley, the group landed in an opening in the woods and began to follow a trail that led along a sloped ridge, revealing views of Anchor Lake in the far distance. Unbeknownst to them, a spot fire was growing bigger and out of control below them. It eventually reached the clearing they started from miles back, gradually cutting them off. It was only a while later that the girls realised what was happening and noticed the telltale whisps of smoke starting to filter through the trees. Realising the danger they were now in, and that the clearing back down the path had been cut off, the group began to make haste down the path, spotting a clearing up ahead.

By this point, Toni was at the back of the group so that she could keep track of everyone and ensure that no one fell behind. Just before reaching the clearing, a dead pine tree fell, narrowly missing Toni, who luckily spotted it and halted. She was now cut off from the group, now in even more danger. The other three decided to continue to the clearing and took off to get a radio signal and call the PPAA team for help.

Minutes later, the fire had spread further up the ridge towards Toni's location. She was too small to push against the large tree in desperation. Luckily, the PPAA arrived a few minutes after the friends made the call. It was in this moment that Toni and Blade Ranger, a fire and rescue helicopter, laid eyes on each other for the first time, thus paving the way for their love story that we know of today.

It was Blade who was the first one on the scene and the one who made the first drop. His line of retardant was the most crucial, soaking the trees alongside Toni to protect her from the nearby fire. Windlifter's and Dipper's drops quickly extinguished the fire, whilst the Smokejumpers air dropped down into Toni's location, cutting the tree into manageable chunks to clear a path for the grateful AW109. Blade got her to follow him and the rest of the team back to their base, where the rest of her friends were waiting.

Upon landing at the base, the AW109 finally had the chance to take a good look at her firefighter hero, and it was in this moment that she fell in love. Hard.

After all, who doesn't love a handsome man in uniform?

This moment was the start of an obsessive crush for Toni. After leaving her last admin job some time ago, she went back to the Air Attack team and enquired about a potential job there, offering her assistance as a token of appreciation. Blade, being the cold-hearted, grumpy boss that he was, declined at first, but after some convincing from his mechanic, Maru, he offered her a half-formal interview. Afterwards, it was Maru who coaxed Blade into hiring her as his personal assistant/secretary, after spotting how much Toni seemed to like the chief.

From this moment on, Toni was trying to subtly catch Blade's attention whilst Maru was trying to play cupid between the two Agustawestlands. Even the other members of the team agreed that this little ray of sunshine was the perfect match for their stormy boss. After all, they were both Agustawestlands, both single, young, and of similar ages.

Toni soon got to meet the obnoxious Park Superintendent, Cad Spinner, and quickly learned why the rest of the team hated him so much. She could tell from everyone's low wages, lack of Internet, and poor working conditions, that there was something bigger going on - and it didn't take long for the rest of the team to quickly fill her in that they were all controlled by the Superintendent. Their wages, pensions, working conditions, firefighting budget, and even the water allowance were controlled by him. The guy even had the nerve to drive up to their base once or twice a month to gloat about it. Toni noticed how much Cad would give Blade a hard time, observing how closed-up and defensive the AW139 became every time the SI was within close distance. A couple of times, even Toni decided to give this guy a piece of her mind, but she was smart enough not to get herself fired. Her favourite thing was to try and subtly manipulate the Superintendent.

One time, she told him in a "not so subtle" way that if he didn't increase their wages or firefighting budget soon, the team wouldn't be able to afford to make retardant and couldn't possibly protect his precious lodge, and he could end up losing it in a fire. As much as the arrogant SI despised losing against a woman, it did the trick. And as much as the Chief was angry at Toni for talking out of turn without his say-so, he was pretty damn impressed.

Unfortunately, as time went on, Toni's efforts to catch Blade's attention were going unnoticed. She tried to keep things subtle at first. Things like attempting to make awkward eye contact, preferring to stand next to him whenever the whole team met up on the apron, even trying to say hello and strike up a conversation. Blade was not the least bit interested in interacting with her. Maru had to pull her aside one day and explain why their boss behaved the way he did.

Before becoming chief of PPAA and continuing into his early days as chief, Blade had faced many traumas. From family problems, a toxic boss, to facing betrayal by two best friends on separate occasions. These experiences crippled Blade’s mental health, thus sending him down a dark path of self-sabotage, depression, isolation and loneliness. Feeling saddened and outraged for the undue damage that Blade had to endure, Toni took onboard Maru's assistance to help gain Blade’s trust and hopefully win him over at the same time.

It wasn't easy for Toni as it was for Blade. Every day was just another day of rejection, but having the stubbornness and determination that could easily rival a huge commercial airliner, she wasn't the kind of helicopter to give up easily. She spent days, weeks, and months proving herself as a member of the team that Blade could trust. Just being there, quietly, subtly, still maintaining professionalism. Just being the stable rock whenever Blade needed it. In time, Blade began to notice Toni as another member of the team he could count on. At least this time, she was getting noticed. Now that Toni could get his trust on a professional level, she then tried to gain his trust more personally...

Slowly but surely, with Maru's help, she began to gradually gain Blade’s trust. Blade began to talk to her more and more, until he came to a point where his mind was in a war, and he pulled back again. Half of him wanted to trust her, but the other half of him was still haunted by his betrayal trauma.

Fast forward some time, and the rest of the team knew by now that Toni had strong feelings for Blade, and they silently rooted for her. Even sometimes putting in a good word for Blade for her.

Finally, after much consideration and a lot of convincing from Maru, Blade decided that he couldn't ignore his feelings for her anymore. He had seen the way she laughed, the way her pure smile would make her face light up, the way she could brighten up the room the moment she rolled in, the way she could calmly and quietly handle things behind the scenes or help motivate the crew to stay together despite their chief's emotional absence. Blade gradually began to develop feelings for her, no matter how many times he tried to deny or run from them.

After much consideration from Blade's side, the two of them began to date, taking things slow at first for Blade's sake. After all, she spent so much time getting Blade to trust her, she couldn't afford to blow things now. At least now, Blade was willing to look at her and even speak to her. That alone was a bonus. After some time, Blade finally trusted Toni enough to reveal his background and traumas, what happened to him and why he was the way he was. That was the biggest breakthrough that Toni was hoping for. Finally, knowing the full story of why the AW139 was so cold and closed off.

Day by day, week by week, month by month, Toni continued to support him during their early days of dating. Promising him that she could provide the bare minimum with ease. Things like honesty, care, attention, affection, understanding and patience. Things that the chief had no idea how to handle or react to, but thoroughly deserved. Little by little, the cold-hearted AW139 began to lower his walls and drop his guard for her, which in turn, brought them even closer. Slowly but surely, she helped him with all his troubles: teaching him not to hide when facing bad days, better coping strategies if he relapsed, helping him put on a healthy weight, better sleep, curbing his drinking, managing his aggression more healthily, preventing him from isolating or staving himself when the bad days did come around, teaching him when to pull away from work to rest and recuperate, gradually pulling him out of survival mode, and all the other gruelling bits in between.

As time went on, Toni was the one who taught Blade how not to just survive life, but how to actually live it too. And in turn, she slowly taught him how to love, too.

Fast forward, and Blade completely changed as a person. Their relationship was more and more serious. It was blooming, from a quivering flame into an all-out bonfire. By now, Toni had moved into Blade’s cabin hangar on the base. The pair had begun to show more forms of affection. Not just hugs and cuddles and the odd contact, but Blade at least allowed kisses now, too. Their forms of affection continued to grow, at whatever pace Blade was most comfortable with, until the two Agustas could no longer hold back and finally started sleeping with each other - opening up a whole new door of their relationship as we know it now.

As their relationship continued growing, so did their sex life. Nowadays, they're an incredibly passionate couple, completely and utterly addicted to each other like a drug. We can't blame them. Toni's paintwork can outdo the beauty of a pearl, and she has the figure of a goddess. And as for Blade? Who could not resist a hot firefighter with a handsome face and a good, strong body to go with it? And for Toni, there's something about seeing her boyfriend returning home from a day's hard work around a gruelling wildfire; all hot and bothered, covered in black soot and dripping in sweat that really turns her feral.

They're both intimate often, to the point where even the crew knew what the Agusta couple was up to, and Maru would often drop an innuendo or two around them, much to Blade's dismay.

Fast forward some time later, a set of new challenges lay ahead for the Agusta couple. By now, Blade had grown so confident and comfortable with her that he proposed to get engaged to her. Toni was absolutely over the moon with this surprise, but there was an issue already. As much as Blade wanted to buy her a suitable engagement ring, the Superintendent of the National Park, Cad Spinner, was making life more difficult by the month with money troubles. Blade couldn't afford to get her a ring, but promised her that he would try and save up enough money to get her a wedding ring instead, however long it takes.

One day, during the annual fire season, Blade offered to train a SEAT plane as a favour for an old acquaintance from the US. Soon enough, the team met an orange crop duster, the world racing champion, Dusty Crophopper. Toni knew who he was from the countless news channels broadcasting his success, but neither she nor Blade expected him to be the SEAT that was coming all the way from the US. Their greeting wasn't one of the nicest that Toni had ever experienced. Whilst joining Blade for a leisurely patrol, which led to her spectating the team's air attack abilities, the world-famous crop duster flew in between the Agusta couple, inches from taking Toni out by the tail. She then had to calm her enraged partner, obviously worried for her safety after a close call.

Throughout the month, Toni felt like she was a spectator, taking a back seat as she watched her partner invest more of his time elsewhere. He had to train the crop duster for an acquaintance, which also meant having some extra help during a very hot summer. As much as she normally loves watching her fiancè handle business, she did hate the extra workload her partner was putting on himself.

Toni helped where she could, doing her usual tasks of filling out and completing fire and rescue emergency reports, which only Blade can sign off and send out. Dusty wasn't making the situation easy. As well as the money problems, Blade also had to deal with the crop duster's low performance and poor excuses, which were beginning to turn into a daily occurrence.

It all came to a head one day when a heatwave caused two wildfires to emerge in different locations of V6 Valley. Prompting the team to split up. Toni went with Dusty and Blade, acting as an extra pair of eyes and a voice of reason for her fiancè.

Toni has no cabin, no movable door, and isn't able to carry a hoist or any firefighting equipment. She still doesn't consider herself useless and still tries to find solutions to a problem, one of the many reasons Blade fell in love with her. Still, on this particular day, she felt nothing but helplessness. She could do nothing but watch her partner quietly, stressing about how to fight both fires effectively at the same time, watching him form mental plans of action in his head, which she normally loves about him. She then proceeded to watch that plan of attack instantly fall apart when the SEAT made an incorrect drop, which led to him being swept away down a river. She watched as Blade had gotten his hoist caught in a tree and couldn't escape, no matter how much he pulled. She witnessed the panic written across his face when he'd normally be calm, collected and unnerved. She then witnessed her partner, after weeks of stress, reach the end of his tether and finally snap, arguing angrily with Dusty as the wildfire drew near, before taking shelter in an abandoned mineshaft entrance. She stood there helplessly as Blade rolled in front to protect her from the approaching flames, shielding her body with his, taking on the brunt of the intense heat and willingly getting himself injured. And throughout all that, all Toni could do was cry as she witnessed it all unfolding right in front of her very eyes.

Normally, Blade's collected and calm demeanour also kept her calm, and gave her the strength and courage to find solutions in moments of difficulty. However, this time...She was useless. This was the first time she was completely powerless and helpless as everything started crumbling around her. She was beside herself: like she was having an out-of-body experience and couldn't move.

After the fire had passed, despite being powerless to help, she knew she could trust Blade to look after her. He body-slammed the debris at the entrance, helping the three of them escape the mine. She and Dusty took off with only minimal damage to their engines; however, she started to observe Blade taking off last. He only got to a few hundred feet before she heard his engines grumbling and whining and was sent into a spin. There was nothing Toni could do to save him. All she could do was witness the love of her life spinning through the air, screaming his name in fear, catching a glimpse of pure fear in his eyes, before crashing into the blackened earth.

By the time help arrived, Toni had landed, making heartbreaking cries into his lifeless body. What followed was a complete shutdown for Toni. Some parts, her brain probably wouldn't be able to recall anymore.

On the way back to the base, she had grown quiet and unresponsive. She sobbed into Dipper's side when Maru announced the severity of her partner's injuries. What followed was a side of Toni no one had ever seen before. She barely spoke, barely ate, cried for Blade constantly, and stopped taking care of herself in general. She stayed by her injured partner the whole time as Maru fixed him. Days had blurred into one.

Upon transporting Blade back home, Dusty came to apologise for his actions in causing Blade's crash. As for the AW109, all these traumatic events had simply caused her to snap at Dusty, a side neither he nor anyone else on the team had ever seen before, and then she stormed off. Given what happened on the day, no one could blame her for her outburst, however eye-opening it was.

Their closest friends, 4 Superhornets (Steve, Daniel, Daisy and Emily), visited the base to comfort Toni, which the extrovert in her was grateful for, but then she had to witness yet another heartbreaking sight; a complete shift in Daniel's normally cheerful demeanour as he lay down and snuggled into a comatosed Blade.

Once the friends left, Toni had grown tired of holding herself together and allowed herself to break down alone. Unlike her fiancè, Toni isn't the sort of person who has a talent for holding her emotions in - rather than experiencing and displaying whatever emotion she's feeling at any given point. The outgoing extrovert inside her doesn't cope well with tying her emotions down and holding them in, so the crying helped her to unleash her emotions in that moment; however, for the first time in forever, she did feel truly alone in this moment. Her perfect little world was crumbling all around her, and that left her feeling...vulnerable.

A few days had passed in a blur, and unbeknownst to Toni and the rest of the team, the fire from the mines was still spreading in a quiet area of the park. Telegraph wires and signal infrastructure had been disabled and burned in the process, causing the team weird, sporadic glitches in the system, intermittent signals, and no new reports or emergencies had come through since. It was only when the wind changed again and started blowing the fire back on itself towards the park's Fusel Lodge did witnesses finally started putting in reports or making calls straight to the base. It was only by chance that Patch still used an old mobile and caught the emergency calls. By this point, thick smoke had covered the park and spread towards nearby towns and cities. V6 Valley was quickly being taken over by a slow-motion tsunami of fire, fuelled by the new change in wind speed and direction. Blade had still not woken up, and the rest of the team left to fight the fire under his second-in-command, Windlifter. Toni still stayed hidden away in hers and Blade's hangar as the team left. It was only shortly after that did Blade finally awakened, dizzy and confused about his whereabouts and what had happened.

After having an hour or two to eat something and recuperate, Blade realised what had happened around him and promptly left the hangar, despite Toni's desperate pleas to stay put. She bravely followed Blade out of the base to help the team, despite the terrifying hellscape around her.

What followed was a series of events - passing in what could only be described as a traumatic blur - of Blade holding up the edge of a burning bridge to save an RV couple, Dusty crashing, and witnessing Blade frantically darting around with an old bambi bucket from the base to try and protect their plane friends' homes from being demolished by fire, and more, all the way up until the blaze finally burnt itself out in the early hours of the next morning.

The next few days were grim. Dusty was brought back to the base for repairs to help save his life. Everyone was completely exhausted and spent the next few days resting in their hangars until the air quality significantly improved. Maru medically grounded Blade until he got better. The nicest thing was that Toni was given the time, quietness and peace to take care of her fiancè and nurse him back to health, and he slept off the physical and mental stresses for around 3 days.

As time passed, Blade started to mentally and physically heal with Toni's help, Dusty followed suit, and then came the onslaught of news journalists, press releases, and TV crews that demanded answers for one of the UK's biggest blazes. It later turned out that they had all gone to the Grand Fusel Lodge first, and the SI had been badmouthing the team to them. Toni was determined to feed the press with some correct and useful information to go on, mostly handling it by herself, hoping they'd leave them alone. She did it whilst trying to protect Blade and keep him away from the cameras, whilst he concentrated on healing. Sometimes it worked...sometimes not. There were times when even Blade needed to step in and speak to them. He was chief after all. It started to get so bad to the point where herself and Blade mentally couldn't give any more. On a couple of occasions, their FA18 friends, Steve and Daniel, were passing through and spotted the groups of press hounding the Agusta pair. Feeling sorry for them, they diverted the press away from them, boasting about how amazing the team was, there were no casualties, and talking at length about how incredible the Chief was at his job, despite the horrible working conditions they had to endure. The FA18s, with the help of their Navy colleagues, even put in a complaint against Cad to the governing Forestry authority, determined to help their friends and get rid of the awful Superintendent. Even Toni's friends and family spread the news about the Air Attack team's amazing efforts, whilst badmouthing the Superintendent at the same time. All this attention worked, and Cad was promptly removed from the park for investigation purposes.

But the nightmare for Blade and Toni didn’t end there.

For the next couple of months, the team had to attend hearings. Blade had to battle it out against Cad in court, with Toni and the rest of the team supporting him the whole way through. The two FA-18s supported them, even persuading their Navy squadron to get behind it all. Another friend, a Concorde billionaire who lived locally to the area, offered to cover the legal costs without so much as a favour back. Eventually, the Piston Peak Air Attack team won the court case and were heavily compensated. Even the Superintendent had to pay the team thousands for damages.

For Toni, it felt like this nightmare may finally be over. For once, she and Blade were now rolling in cash. They put it directly to the base to undergo intense infrastructure updates, new builds and renovations. Each member of the team got a big bonus. And finally, Blade kept his promise to Toni and got them a wedding ring, proposing to her on the spot one peaceful evening.

Throughout this entire time, Toni never doubted him. Not even for a moment. She always knew that one day he'd finally get her a ring to marry her with. Even if it was the cheapest one he could get.

A couple of months later, Blade and Toni officially got married at the Grand Fusel Lodge, which was now under the command of Ranger Jammer, who had also become the park's new SI. The Agustawestland pair jetted off abroad on their honeymoon to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, with their Concorde friend treating them to first class and covering their flight tickets.

In the future, both Toni and Blade go on to be amazing parents of multiple children....

[cosmos-1803]

Idk want to post rn since I missed the Planes F&R anniversary, so I decided to just show some random pictures I have of Blade Ranger I have in my gallery

[spottylightning]

I know this has already been said, but Piston Peak definitely looks to be in Oregon, specifically the southeast region. I always considered it to be in a similar area to Yosemite National Park, but I suppose this is canon considering a very similar map is shown in the movie.

[nan3017]

2019-2025

[the-shipping-maniac]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHIFE!!!!

28/11/2024

[strip-weathers]

You’re never alone

It’s been two months since Blade came to Piston Peak Air Attack. He trained hardly and even helped with putting out some fires. But the rest of the team didn’t know much about him because he was so quiet all the time and sometimes gives only one word answers.

Today’s fire was bigger than usual and all fire fighters were in bad mood and exhausted. Maru just finished examining one of the Smokejumpers when he saw Blade going to his hangar, looking exhausted and sad.

‘’I wonder what’s bothering him.’’ He sighed.

‘’Give him some time. He’ll start talking.’’ Said a voice behind him.

Maru turned around and saw chief helicopter of the team Ray.

‘’I’m sure he’s gonna talk in some days. He’s still new, don’t forget.’’ Ray said

‘’You’re right.’’ Maru nodded.

- - -

‘’I’m..sorry…Blade..’’

‘’No! Stay with me Nick.’’

‘’Nick please..!’’

‘’NICK!’’

Blade screamed when he woke up, not knowing what is going on. He looked at the clock. 23:50. He sighed.

‘’No. Not again. Please…’’ he whispered to himself.

He decided to go out to get some fresh air and so he did. He was about to go on the cliffside when he noticed the light coming from Mary’s shop.

Maybe I’m not the only one who can’t stay asleep. He thought.

- - -

Mary hummed to himself when out of nowhere… CRACK!

‘’Uh! Why these cans just can’t stay on one place!?’’ Maru yelled but not as loud to wake others.

He was picking up the cans when he suddenly noticed Blade watching him.

‘’Shoot! You’re gonna give me heart attack.’’

‘’I’m sorry..’’

‘’Nah, it’s alrighty.’’ Maru said, offering him a gentle smile. ‘’Come and sit. Seems like ya can’t sleep.’’

‘’Well..I was sleeping..but..’’ he stopped, not sure if he should talk about it.

‘’But?’’ Maru asked.

‘’I-It doesn’t matter. I’ll better get going. I don’t want to bother.’’

Blade was about to leave when Maru. And into his way, closing his shop’s doors.

‘’You’re gonna tell me what’s wrong. Now I finally got the chance. You need to tell me what’s wrong.’’ Maru said calmly but strictly. ‘’Plus I’m y’all’s doctor here. Both physically and psychically.

Blade just sighed, tired to argue. ‘’Alright..’’

‘’Great! So what’s bothering you? What’s on your mind?’’

‘’I don’t know if I should talk about it..’’

‘’Come on. Take it easy and slowly tell me what’s wrong.’’

‘’Okay..’’ Blade took a deep breath. ‘’So before I came here I was a TV star..but I’m sure you know that..’’

‘’Yeah. I do.’’

‘’Mhm. One day on one set, Nick was doing his routine and did a stunt that gone wrong and..he crashed..I was the first one who came to him..but..but..’’

Maru stayed quiet, letting him finish.

‘’I didn’t know what to do..how to help..and he..was gone..gone..’’ he started shaking and breathing quickly.

‘’I’ll never see him again…my best friend..’’ he teared up, laying on the floor, sobbing loudly and closing his eyes tightly.

Maru rushed over to him, surprised that he finally showed some feeling. The negative ones unfortunately.

‘’He’s gone..! GONE..!’’

Maru came to him, putting his forklift arms on his nose, rubbing them against his nose. ‘’Shh..’’ Maru whispered. ‘’I’m here.’’

Blade quickly nuzzled him without caring that someone could see them.

- - -

They stayed quiet for some minutes until Maru got an idea.

‘’Hey..what about putting Nick’s photo on the wall? To honor him.. Do you have his photos..?’’

‘’Mhm. I do.’’

‘’Okay. So go and bring it here.’’ Maru said as he petted Blade’s nose.

Without a word, Blade left and went to his hangar.

- - -

It didn’t take him long to come back, holding Nick’s photos in his mouth.

Maru looked over to him, smiling gently. ‘’Look! I found perfect place for him. In the right lower corner.’’ He took the photo and looked at it. ‘’Whoa, even with signature.’’

‘’Yeah..I did the same to him..’’ Blade smiled a little.

Maru smiled and hung up the photo. ‘’To honor great actor, brother and best friend..Nick Loopin’ Lopez..’’

Blade nodded a little. ‘’Thank you Maru..it means a lot.’’

‘’Heh..anytime Bladey..uh..if I may call you that.’’ Maru smiled innocently.

‘’Sure. But just you, for now.’’ Blade answered, smiling a little.

‘’Alrighty.’’ Maru petted his side and went to his work.

‘’Um..Maru?’’

‘’Yeah?’’

‘’Can I stay here with you..?’’

Maru turned to him. ‘’Heh sure. Just lay somewhere you won’t be in my way.’’

‘’Copy that’’

- - -

Few moments later when Maru finished his work, he turned around to check on Blade and smiled. Blade finally fell asleep and looked relaxed for the first time.

‘’You’re never alone Blade, you’ve got the whole team.’’ He whispered, rubbing his forklift arm against Blade’s nose.

End!

So I wanted to write about Blade telling Maru about Nick and I think it turned out good.

Let me know what you guys think of it!

[flying-machine07]

Dusty couldn't sleep so Cabbie told him stories

[bootleg-cal-weathers]

i’d like to point out that Dusty is probably on the PPAA wall of fame, cause yk, he crashes and ya need to crash to get on it

[valkyrieres]

I made a Google Drive folder for Blade's pictures from every single Planes F&R books I could get my hands on

Here's the link:

They were mostly taken badly tho lmao 😭 (bad croppings, bad lightings, etc), but I'll still share them to save y'all's money from buying 7 different books to find all of the art bsjdbjsbsjjs (I'm cursing whoever decided to give different Blade illustrations for each books)

Sources:

- Disney Planes 2 graphic book

- Disney Movie Collection Book: Planes Fire & Rescue

- Disney Planes 2: The Essential Guide

- Planes Fire & Rescue: The Movie Storybook

- Planes Fire & Rescue: Brave Firefighters

- Planes Fire & Rescue: Rescue Buddies: Blade Ranger

- LeapFrog's LeapReader Interactive Book: Planes Fire & Rescue