Thanks firefighting helos!

I want to pause and remember all of you helicopter pilots and crew who play such an important role in aerial wildland firefighting. You might be under a federal contract. Alternatively, your helicopter might be owned by or under contract with a state or local government agency. You helos come in various sizes performing various missions.

I know you are there.

Perhaps you are a Bell Super Huey (medium helo) with a 300 gallon bucket. Your state agency got you through the federal excess property program. You get the call, a wildfire in your division. The ground crews need your help, they need your bucket. You fly to the fire, there is a pond minutes from the fire where you can dip your bucket. The incident commander on the ground has been in touch with your pilot telling him where to drop. You dip and fly to the fire to make your drop. You fly back and forth to the fire for as long as the incident commander needs you, dip and drop, dip and drop. Dip, oh there is a spot fire outside the fire line, you drop on the spot fire. Dip and drop, dip and drop. . .

I know you are there.

Perhaps you are another Bell Super Huey (medium helo) flying for an agency in a different part of America. You carry up to 8 firefighters, you have a 360 helitank with a snorkel hose and a separate foam tank. You also have a 324 gallon bucket. There is a wildfire in a remote area in the hills within range of your base. Your job, drop off your firefighters and their captain at a safe landing spot near the fire. You drop off your firefighting team. This time your bucket is needed. They quickly unload their gear and attach your bucket to your belly.

The fixed wing tanker and air attack platform from your base are already at the fire when you arrive. You will support your firefighting team, with your bucket, and your pilot talks to Air Attack and the captain of your team on the ground. As long as necessary you go back and forth, dipping and dropping.

I know you are there.

Perhaps you are an Erickson Air Crane with a 3,000 gallon tank and a snorkle hose. Your tank can carry water as well as retardant. You are working a large fire, there is a portable retardant tank set up at a temporary base near the fire.

You are working with some fixed wing tankers, and another "Crane. After you fill your belly tank with retardant you circle the fire in the fire traffic area at an orbit and altitude assigned by an aerial supervisor. The aerial supervisor tells you when it is your turn to drop. If requested by the aerial supervisor, you make multiple drops. You go back and forth from the fire to the retardant tank, to the fire traffic area, dropping, and then back to the retardant tank.

I know you are there.