When world-famous air racer Dusty Crophopper (voice of Dane Cook) returns to hometown Propwash Junction after another victorious racing season, the former crop duster revels in his new career success until a fateful training run changes his course with a career-ending injury. Forced to shift gears, Dusty decides to train with the Aerial Fire Fighters at Piston Peak Air Attack Base as a Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT). The heroic, often life-threatening efforts involved are admirable—but seemingly impossible to master—particularly if you’re a crop duster-turned-racer with an injury that can’t be ignored.
Blade Ranger (voice of Ed Harris), a veteran fire-and-rescue helicopter, heads up the Piston Peak Air Attack team. Haunted by a storied past, he’s a tough and demanding air boss with a wry sense of humor, and he’s not exactly enthusiastic about his new trainee Dusty. But Blade is a pro and does everything he can to bring the new SEAT up to speed.
Outgoing and spirited super scooper Dipper (voice of Julie Bowen) is skilled at skimming lakes, scooping up more than 1600 gallons of water and dousing angry fires. A former cargo hauler from Alaska, Dipper is an avid air racing fan with a major crush on headline racer Dusty, so she’s head-over-wheels with excitement when the new SEAT shows up at Piston Peak.
Windlifter (voice of Wes Studi) is a heavy-lift helicopter who can hoist dozens of trees or a huge tank of fire retardant. The American Indian’s wisdom is vast—he’s chock full of fire folklore, and his connection to nature allows him to sense fires before they’re even spotted. The former lumberjack became a firefighter to help others, and no mission is too big for Windlifter.
A jolly old ex-military transport plane, Cabbie (voice of Dale Dye) used to drop airborne utility vehicles behind enemy lines in Korea. Now he drops smokejumpers at Piston Peak—it’s a lot like combat, but nobody’s shootin’ at him. With a payload of 10,000 pounds and a maximum takeoff weight of 74,000 pounds—Cabbie can carry the smokejumpers up to 2,000 miles away.
The Smokejumpers are a fearless team of grounded firefighters, led by the strong and sassy Dynamite (voice of Regina King)—so named because you don’t wanna set her off. Pinecone (voice of Corri English), equipped with a rake tool to clear brush and debris, is an easygoing southern soul. Avalanche (voice of Bryan Callen) earned his name after triggering a massive slide, but the bulldozer—who coincidently lacks an “inside voice”—claims he was nowhere near that snow bank. Tough and over-eager Blackout (voice of Danny Pardo) once accidentally sawed down an electrical line, cutting power to the lodge for weeks and sending shockwaves through his short-term memory—at least he thinks so. Drip (voice of Matt Jones), an outgoing dude who’s always leaking oil, uses a skid-steer claw to clear fallen trees and brush.
The Secretary of the Interior (voice of Fred Willard) has many responsibilities, but none is more important than overseeing the National Parks. This rugged outdoorsman loves being in nature; he spends most of his time away from his office in Washington, visiting the National Forests and Parks and helping to spread his message of conservation.
Harvey (voice of Jerry Stiller) & Winnie (voice of Anne Meara) met many moons ago when Harvey was the manager of an RV tire store and Winnie was his showroom model. The loving couple travel to Piston Peak Park, where they celebrated their honeymoon 50 years ago.
By 1978, Nick “Loop’n” Lopez (voice of Erik Estrada) was America’s favorite helicopter cop, featured on TV’s CHoPs, a show about two California Helicopter Patrol choppers. Nick, the troublemaking macho young officer, got the nickname “Loop’n” from his signature inside loop, which no other helicopter could perform.
PHASE TWO DESCRIPTIONS
Park superintendent Cad Spinner (voice of John Michael Higgins) is a luxury Sport Utility Vehicle who’s better suited for a country club than the country. Self-centered and passionate about profits, Cad diverts a big chunk of the firefighters’ budget to his lodge restoration project. Though completely turned off by dirt, Cad’s not opposed to playing dirty to get his way.
Maru (voice of Curtis Armstrong) is the mechanic tug at the Piston Peak Air Attack base. Friendly with a sarcastic sense of humor, he’s been around a long time and has the cluttered hangar to prove it. With no budget for new parts, Maru’s many shelves of old parts and machinery come in quite handy. The repurposing pro’s motto? “It’s better than new!”
A loyal and trustworthy tour bus at Piston Peak for 72 years, Ol’ Jammer (voice of Barry Corbin) knows every trail, stream, rock and tree. This strong and seasoned bus with a gentle soul is eager to share his vast knowledge of the park’s history with the multitude of admiring daily visitors.
Feisty old Mayday (voice of Hal Holbrook) has been Propwash Junction’s fire and rescue truck for … ever. He’s always rarin’ to go, but he’s lost a little speed over the years. Plus, his hoses are leaky and he can’t see much without his glasses. Propwash Junction is growing fast thanks to resident-turn-big-time-racer Dusty, so Mayday might be in over his headlights.
Ryker (voice of Kevin Richardson), a 17-year veteran of the Transportation Management Safety Team (TMST), not only lives by the book when it comes to airport accident investigations, he wrote the book. Nothing slips by this air safety investigator, so don’t even try.
Pulaski (voice of Patrick Warburton) is Piston Peak’s structural engine, responsible for protecting the buildings and bridges in the park. With a 2000-gallon tank, he can pump water at 1000 gallons per minute, but protecting the renovated Grand Fusel Lodge—considered the largest log structure in the world—may prove impossible, even for Pulaski.
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Disclosure: I received this information from Disney to share. No other compensation was received for this post.
