The spirit of the Barnstormers of the 1920’s and the chutzpah of jet pilots like we see romanticized in movies like “Top Gun” are part of the ingredients that make up the firefighting pilots of today. A heroic attitude and nerves of steel are also an essential part of those who risk their lives to fight major fires throughout the world. It is thought that there are only 100 pilots in the United States that qualify as a Fire Pilot.
Organizations like Air Tanker dot Org offer Fire Pilots resources and support, and have created a group of pilots the call Fire Pirates. Pilots of helicopters large and small, single engine planes and large jet aircraft heed the call when fire season beckons.
More Aerial Acrobatics
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University is one of a number of organizations offering training for Fire Pilots, helping them attain the skill they need to survive a fire season.
“HELP WANTED: Single-engine firefighting pilots. Must be willing to fly one-seat aircraft low enough to high-five the ground crew, make circus-ride turns over mountain ridges, buzz smoky mountainsides, drop fire retardant in swirling winds, work long days followed by hours of tedium, then consider it all as routine as driving a Honda on I-15. Will need a fighter pilot’s nerves, plus hundreds of hours of flying experience and ground school.”
There is plenty of seasonal work for these skilled risk takers.
Edited/Published by: SB
