![]() ![]() There are specific requirements for becoming an aerial firefighter, including minimum flight hours and specific aircraft experience. What’s next: The steps you can take now to start your journey toward aerial firefighting The sacrifices are worth it if you have a mental toughness and passion for the fire mission at hand. Although it may sound like a cool job, it is far from easy. Our pilots don’t back down when the mission is daunting we push ourselves and our aircraft to safely achieve more, fly more efficiently and drop on target. Mental toughness: Aerial firefighters work tirelessly to help win the war against wildfires. Usually far from home and gone for months at a time, we’ve noticed the best aerial firefighting teams are full of friendly, sociable people who spend time together outside the mission. Sociability/Fit: Fighting fires can be a lonely job. When you’re on a team like the one at Dauntless, there’s a purposeful commitment to bringing in pilots with diverse and wide-ranging backgrounds, so everyone can learn from one another and bring different piloting experiences to the table. That means committing to continuous learning and improvement. Willingness to learn: When lives are on the line, you have to always be at your best. That means every person has a team-first attitude and understands there are no individual heroes in this profession. From the dispatchers to the ground crew to the planes overhead, every piece of a response team must be working in harmony. Team-first attitude: Wildfire suppression is impossible without teamwork. There are common traits that we find are almost always present in the best firefighting pilots: To succeed as an aerial firefighter, you need more than technical skill. Traits: Aerial firefighting takes more than technical piloting skill It also gives pilots important familiarity with weather fluctuations that come with flying diverse and cross-country routes. Military service people and their families know the sacrifice it takes to beat a powerful and relentless enemy.Ĭorporate or airline piloting can build away-from-home experience as well. Perhaps just as importantly, military service teaches you what it’s like to be away from home for extended periods of time, which is a tough reality for many wildland firefighters and their families. You know what it’s like to work as part of a team, communicating effectively and working together to ensure a successful and safe mission. A critical skill for every firefighter, military piloting teaches you how to be your best in high-intensity situations. Military service is common among aerial firefighters, although not a requirement. ![]() On top of that, the best ag pilots know what it’s like to jump in an airplane at the crack of dawn and be in it all day, performing multiple takeoffs and landings and maintaining a grueling pace without sacrificing diligence or safety. In general, experience with smaller stick and rudder or tailwheel planes without automation is critical, because there’s no automation or autopilot in aerial firefighting. The single-engine environment, low-level flying experience and varieties of terrain make it a must-have part of your background. Here are examples of how typical aerial firefighting backgrounds can help you become a better firefighter with an airplane:Īgricultural (ag) experience is paramount, and a requirement for every wheeled SEAT or Fire Boss pilot. As with most professions, the more diversity of experience you have, the more well-rounded of a professional you’ll be, bringing a whole host of skills to your team. Piloting backgrounds are diverse and span military, corporate and agricultural applications. ![]() It takes years to build up the technical skills and experience necessary to become an aerial firefighter. Experience: No pilot starts off in aerial firefighting Whether you’re a seasoned pilot looking for a transition, or a younger pilot working toward a career in aerial firefighting, here are the top things you’ll want to know, and develop, before trying to join a wildfire mission. While fighting wildfires from the air or the ground is deeply humbling and rewarding, it requires specific skills and a lot of sacrifice. They understand that fire is the mission and their expert piloting skills are part of what they need to help their team win the war against these threats. They know fire behavior and suppression tactics. A top-notch aerial firefighter isn’t a pilot – they’re a firefighter with an airplane. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |