My Final Year of Contact FireFighter Support

Wash 10 Crew

Wash 10 Crew

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Well it’s been a long 16 year run of flying firefighter support for fire management personnel and hotshot crews that are contracted with the fed gov.  I handle fires for BLM or when contracted into large out of control fires in the northwest US.  This will be my 16th year of a 90 day camping trip, sleeping in helicopter, on the ground, fire camps and when lucky a motel bed.  

I have signed up for my final 90 day+ contract pilot for 24-7 call for the feds.  I fly upper level gov folks, fire mgn people, hot shot crews, pinpoint water drops, medivac and firefighter support (big nets of water, first aid, chain saws, blades, hand tools, food or whatever the crews need), basically whatever is needed.  

I usually fly a Bell 407 that is modified for heavy loads. but this year I got my endorsements to fly this beautiful Bell 205 out of Apply Valley.  This helicopter has been around awhile and has a great history all over the western US.   
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Congrats man, awesome shit your doing and appreciated 👏 

Stay safe your last giddy up this fire season 🔥 

:cheers:

 
Retiring or just not gonna gubment work anymore???

Anyways...congrats! You have one bada$$ job!

:cheers:

 
That’s awesome man, it takes special individuals to do what you do. As an equipment operator on the fires we always appreciate the air support from folks like you Thanks 😊 

 
My nephew is leaving tomorrow for a fire in norcal. He's a Paramedic Captain, so he runs the medics for the fires and works with Calfire.   Be safe out there.......

 
Badass!  Where'd you learn to fly a helicopter?  Military?

 
Congrats @Wash 10 Crew You deserve to stay on the ground! Enjoy the last few days. I can send you @Mac number. Do a little Facetime with him. Peace

 
nicely done oldtimer :cheers:

 
Bansh88 said:
Badass!  Where'd you learn to fly a helicopter?  Military?
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Its a long story but got very interested in flying and started in Ultra lites out of Perris. So my friend and I got out mail order licenses and rented Ultra Lites for a summer, We were the most dangerous guys in the sky. (RIP 23T Doug)

Then was very lucky back in late 90's to learn to how to fly a 180 Arrow flying from French Valley to Fullerton daily and at Fullerton is where alot of news reporters parked so I became friends with many of the pilots and the "Eye in the sky" news reporters.  Started to ride along with Commander Chuck Street in the KISS fm, KTLA helo and KLOS Sky Lord Scott Reiff's jet rangers who both flew for South Coast Helicopters and they were looking for some new pilots and got alot of on the job training.  

I also transfered into the avaiation side to the sheriff department and gained even more skill, TIS and knowlegde. (Hughs 500)  

After alot of hard work and the crappist, dirt cheap pay flying jobs, attended a couple self funded flight courses and I acheived my licenses and endorsments to fly turbine helicopters and kept taking the crap jobs unitl I was about to start a tour company out of Palm Springs where I sold and hawked everything to lease 2 jet rangers and a hanger.  This was good for about 2 years, until at that time wife ran the office and I was the tour guide and alot of well todo peoples charter pilot.  Well like any well oiled marriage, it went down in a blazing fireball of chit and she got HALF.  So she got 1 helo and I got the other and she was going to put me out of business with her new man.  6 months later, I repo'ed the helo she had for the bank and they allowed me to take over payments and this was the start of my charter business. 

Bah bah bah, fast forward and now fly for a major helo tour & charter company out of Vegas, commerical flight instructor, lease helos to the fed gov and have been doing the 90 day contract fire fighting gig for many years.  

I also have a couple other pokers in the fire that keep me busy.  

Thats my story in a nutshell.  

 
Well as luck would have it talking about fires got called out earlier this morning to operate one of our dozers on a small  grass and brush fire. Put in a line above the fire and a awd road to the top of the ridge  now just sitting watching hand crews mop up, bored to death.

 
Been trucking 35 years and finally got around to getting signed up with Cal Fire to haul equipment  mainly Dozers with my lowbeds just waiting for final approval after all the inspections and paperwork 

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