Paving the way on the Sierra National Forest
Helicopter takes off from the nicely paved Trimmer Heliport, in route to a wildfire water drop on the Sierra National Forest. (USDA Forest Service photo by Bert Valdez)
Don’t be fooled into thinking fixing asphalt is quick and easy. While we may take the ground we travel upon for granted,…
#GreatAmericanOutdoorsAct, #DisasterReliefSupplementalAppropriationsAct, #Infrastructure, #Aviation, #Helicopter
A History of the USDA Forest Service Aviation Program
The Forest Service has used aircraft in fire management since 1919. This book details that history, from the early days of air patrols with the U.S. Army to the modern use of airtankers, helicopters, infrared aircraft, and more through 2021.
#FireAndAviationManagement, #Helicopter
Getting fire-ready
The Caribou-Targhee National Forest extends like a long finger down the Idaho-Wyoming state line with seven ranger districts scattered from the storied lawless zone the U.S. Constitution forgot near Yellowstone National Park, through the range of Liger Town, all the way down to the multistate lake with its own version of the Loch Ness Monster. More than 30 map-dot-sized communities lie within 50…
#Helicopter, #Training, #WildfireTraining
Aviation Safety Alerts
Interagency and Forest Service Aviation Safety Alerts (IASA)Safety Alerts are red bordered and published on an as needed basis. They are utilized to disseminate information of significant nature regarding aviation safety. They are segregated into three areas: operations, maintenance, and publications.2024 Interagency Aviation Safety Alerts24-01 Aircraft Ventilation During Retardant Loading…
#Aviation, #Fire, #FireAndAviationManagement, #Firefighters, #Safety, #FirefighterSafety, #Helicopter
Helitack
Helitack crews are teams of firefighters who are transported by helicopter to wildfires. Helicopters provide rapid transport, enabling helitack crews to quickly respond and assess a wildfire situation. Helitack crews may land near a wildfire or, if equipped and trained, rappel from a hovering helicopter. Once on the ground, crews build firelines using hand tools, chainsaws, and other firefighting…
#Fire, #FireAndAviationManagement, #Firefighters, #Technology, #Helitack, #Helicopter, #Jobs
Helicopters
20180816-FS-Mendocino-SkyCraneHelicopter-0001.They can be fitted with tanks or buckets to deliver water and fire retardant to the fireline. Large, heavy-lift helicopters can fill their water tanks with a snorkel that siphons water from lakes, rivers, or other sources. Smaller helicopters carry water in buckets that hold between 100-400 gallons of water. Each bucket has a release valve on the…