I keep seeing this video going around! Some of these water bombers are based in my hometown and I've had the chance to tour them and watch them practice, and they are absolutely as cool as they look here. So you, gentle reader, are going to get some PLANE FACTS. https://twitter.com/RexChapman/status/1297368867543683083

These are CL-415's, and they scoop up water by skimming the surface of a river or lake and then taking off again. What surprised me the most is that the water scoops are *incredibly small*. Like, the-size-of-your-hand small.

(the more you think about this though, the more it makes sense, given that water is outrageously heavy and hard in any context other than "kitchen sink")