About Me

I am not a pilot and I am not in training to be a pilot. I am not a wildland firefighter, nor have I ever been any other kind of firefighter. I started writing about wildland fires in July 2008 because I had a couple of friends who were affected by the fires that were then burning in and near the Los Padres National Forest in California, USA. I soon became engrossed in learning more about the world of wildland fire fighting. As I began to learn about wildland firefighting I wanted to share about what I was learning so I started to write about my journey of learning about wildland firefighting. Early in 2009 I was introduced to the world of aerial resources used in fighting wildland fires and I was off on a great adventure. I began writing about different types of air tankers and helicopters used by both State and Federal wildland fire fighting agencies in America. As the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years my respect for these magnificent aircraft, those who fly them, and those who provide operational support increased. What these pilots do as they fly fires in support of the fire crews on the ground is very dangerous. Through my writing, their world has became my world. I have laughed and I have cried with them.

In late 2009, I wanted to explore ways that I could get some aviation experience. My options were limited because circumstances prevent me from pursuing in the air flight training and getting a pilot's certificate. But I did not let that stop me from learning all that I can about aviation. I went to ground school in the winter of 2010 and that spring I passed the FAA private pilot written exam. In addition to continuing with my own personal ground studies on aviation there is one more thing that I did at the time. That is, I up through early 2020, I flew when I could as a passenger on scenic rides never taking the flight controls. I frequently came away from these flights with a new experience. Unfortunately, I am no longer able to take these scenic rides but the memories and experiences from these scenic rides have served me well. 

After I passed the FAA private pilot written exam in 2010, I got interested in weather and did some reading on my own about basic meteorology. My respect for Meteorologists has grown over the years.

My blog writing has evolved since 2012 to include more posts on my meteorological and aviation interests, some relating to firefighting and some not. That being said. I always come back to my passion for aerial wildland firefighting as well as issues affecting fire crews on the ground.

I continue to learn and to write about what I am learning. Grab a chair. There is a lot of detail here, too much for one visit. So, please come back.

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Tyler


Revised November 27, 2022