Sneak Peek: Meet the new crew in 'Planes: Fire & Rescue'

Blade Ranger:

Blade Ranger (voice of Ed Harris), a veteran fire-and-rescue helicopter, heads up the Piston Peak Air Attack team. 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.

"When Ed Harris talks, you listen," says Barron "He commands the room."

Cabbie:

An ex-military transport plane, Cabbie (voice of Dale Dye) used to drop airborne utility vehicles behind enemy lines in Korea. Now he drops smoke jumpers.

"Dale Dye brings some authenticity to the part," says Gannaway.

Dipper:

Outgoing and spirited super scooper Dipper (voice of Julie Bowen) is skilled at skimming lakes, scooping up more than 1,600 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.

"I was so excited," says Gannaway of bring Modern Family's Bowen to her first voice role. "I finally found someone who talks faster than me."

Dusty Crophopper:

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).

"Dusty truly enters a life-and-death world," says Gannaway.

The Secretary of the Interior:

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.

"We wanted to make sure the Secretary of the Interior was a down-to-earth character," says producer Ferrell Barron. "He's competent, smart and likable."

 

Harvey & Winnie:

Harvey (voice of Jerry Stiller) and 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.

"We needed a couple who had been married for over 50 years who already had that natural chemistry," says Gannaway of hiring Stiller and Meara. "They were the first people I went to."

Nick "Loop'n" Lopez:

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. "They wanted me in there," says Estrada. "They wanted to capture the spirit of CHiPs."

The Smokejumpers:

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.

"These are the boots...or treads-on-the-ground team," says Gannaway. "And they bring some humor."

Windlifter:

Windlifter (voice of Wes Studi) is a heavy-lift helicopter that 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.

"We wanted a strong, silent character," says director Bobs Gannaway. "So when he speaks you know it's impactful."

 

Source: USA Today