Airborne Firefighting series (youtube)

Bridger got the WA state DNR contract out of Deer Park, where I was in 2023. They have Kodiak 100's for Air Attack and the young pilot I met said it was a good segway to tankers. Neptune out of MSO also has an Air Attack contigent with AC690's (turbo commanders). I knew one of their older pilots who was America West and then aged out of American in the right seat. Felt he still needed to keep working part time. In any case, they have RJ85 tankers, CL415's, and are starting an A319 conversion program. We'll see how that goes. I tried to get into the tanker biz after I retired. Applied at Erickson several times and didn't get any interested even though I have a friend there. I think, in general, they would rather hire younger folks who will stick around a while. Retired airline guys are gonna be one and done quite often.
 
DE727UPS said:
Bridger got the WA state DNR contract out of Deer Park, where I was in 2023. They have Kodiak 100's for Air Attack and the young pilot I met said it was a good segway to tankers. Neptune out of MSO also has an Air Attack contigent with AC690's (turbo commanders). I knew one of their older pilots who was America West and then aged out of American in the right seat. Felt he still needed to keep working part time. In any case, they have RJ85 tankers, CL415's, and are starting an A319 conversion program. We'll see how that goes. I tried to get into the tanker biz after I retired. Applied at Erickson several times and didn't get any interested even though I have a friend there. I think, in general, they would rather hire younger folks who will stick around a while. Retired airline guys are gonna be one and done quite often.
Click to expand...
You might be thinking of AeroFlight out of GEG, they have 4qty 415's and the RJ's
Neptune has the BAE146's

Deer park,....ugh
 
Roger Roger said:
For a couple years there the 2 135 shops I worked for up here formed a pipeline for Bridger Aviation. Got a couple friends there that are now on the scooper (CL415)
Click to expand...
Yeah! I know one of 'em (JW, the awesomest), and met another when they were parking their sailboat in the slip beside us at our marina, oddly.

I mean, it was odd that we met them like that—their docking was relatively normal.
 
killbilly said:
Oh....oh dear. I have always wanted to fly one of those....
Click to expand...
I specifically want to fly the OV-10 for CalFire, and hopefully bid a tanker slot somday. I've been pounding the pavement, but I'm afraid I don't have the pathway to get there without just mass-applying to FCT or air attack operators. I haven't been able to do much with my connections.

Frustratingly, someone who I knew when I finished my private in 1996 was willing to recommend me once I got my commercial, but I ran out of money and had to go into tech instead. I also had a Collings Foundation pilot say the same thing to me after they "snuck" me in—as a private-pilot airport rat who loved round engines—for one of their sunset flights.

Now I ain't young or pretty, got too much airline stank for the real flying jobs and I'm too much of a trash animal for a "real" airline job.

That said, I have so much respect for what they do—it's good flying, and a good mission, not just making money for Zee Shareholders.
 
🦈💜 said:
I specifically want to fly the OV-10 for CalFire, and hopefully bid a tanker slot somday. I've been pounding the pavement, but I'm afraid I don't have the pathway to get there without just mass-applying to FCT or air attack operators. I haven't been able to do much with my connections.
Click to expand...

Oh, and for those reading casually who are unfamiliar with the industry, I'm not trying to imply that fed contract tanker or air attack operators are just "try it and see" entry-level jobs. These are professionals, often with a solid flying background, out there working their butts off for the entire season.

Personally, my issue is just that I have a fam at this point, and I can't be on the road for nine months at a time, not that it's somehow "beneath me."

I do hear that there are some operators who are doing a block on / block off schedule now, though ...
 
The only cringe thing I saw, is literal cringe at the thought of how many chemicals are being splashed on that dude for the retardant bath celebration. Just switch to water!
 
🦈💜 said:
Yeah! I know one of 'em (JW, the awesomest), and met another when they were parking their sailboat in the slip beside us at our marina, oddly.

I mean, it was odd that we met them like that—their docking was relatively normal.
Click to expand...
JW is good people. Would like to hang out with her and fam more often but life is too busy 😕
 
When I worked at the prop shop an enormous amount of our customer base was firefighter airplane stuff, everything from S-2s to C-130s and P-3s, we built the first certified test bench for OV-10 governors outside of Cherry Point. I built so many prop controls for Cal-Fire and Aero Union and other providers that I used to joke that my Jack Russels hair was probably airborne somewhere in the world at any given time (it was a joke, my dog shed a lot). I'd moved on and years later I heard Aero Union went kaput and I was sad. Apparently Aero Union had been up to some criminal shenanigans that violated their USFS contracts and they were almost put completely out of business. But apparently after starting out with one B-25 and fighting fires from the air for five decades they'd developed some systems that are still in use today. I'll always remember the red and white P-3s.
 
mightynimbus said:
You might be thinking of AeroFlight out of GEG, they have 4qty 415's and the RJ's
Neptune has the BAE146's
Click to expand...

Kingairer said:
The only cringe thing I saw, is literal cringe at the thought of how many chemicals are being splashed on that dude for the retardant bath celebration. Just switch to water!
Click to expand...
I think if you saw it all first hand, you would reinforce some of your thoughts, and mitigate others
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top