air tanker

air tanker (plural air tankers)

1. Aircraft used to deliver liquids (or powders) from the air, usually either fuel, fire-retardants, or water.
   • 1945, Sydney E. Veale, To-morrow's Airliners, Airways and Airports, page 254:

     In this, the airliner made contact with an air tanker and "topped up" its incompletely filled tanks with fuel enough for the contemplated journey.

   • 1989, Julian Jay Savarin, Trophy, page 157:

     Sometime later, they made a rendezvous with a Victor air tanker for a top-up of fuel and then resumed patrol while the tanker headed back.

   • 2002, Robert W. Klinoff, Introduction to Fire Protection, page 188:

     If the only air tanker available is 300 miles away, it can still be over your fire in a fairly short period of time.