Fire Bomber into Hell

Even if I had a pilots certificate, which I do not, the chances of my being able to sit in the cockpit of an air tanker or fire bomber are remote at best. More likely given contract restrictions and liability concerns, the chances are nonexistent.

In the introduction to his memoirs, Fire Bomber Into Hell, Linc Alexander invites us to sit in the cockpit with him as he writes of his thirty-seven years flying fire bombers in Canada and the United States. Linc delivers. I was with him in the cockpit in his early days of flying fire bombers when the tanker business was in its infancy. I was with him as he flew in rotor winds. I was with him as he barely beat out a thunder storm to make a drop on a fire in a ravine in a mountainous area in Canada. I was with him in each of the fire bombers that he flew. And you will be too.

Knowing that Stearman's and TBM Avengers were used in the early days of the tanker business, I enjoyed reading about his experiences with both of these aircraft. A couple of months ago I wrote a series about the TBM Avenger, so I enjoyed sitting next to him in the cockpit the first time he flew the TBM Avenger, learning the hard way about one of the quirks of the TBM Avenger.

I have seen a few Stearman biplanes at nearby general aviation airports. They are beautiful airplanes. Linc put me in the open cockpit (in front of him) of the Stearman he flew during his first year flying fire bombers. It was cold at times, so I had my warm clothes on, and my seat was properly adjusted to mitigate some of the effects of the slipstream.

Linc writes about piloting the F7F and the A26, two planes that I knew very little about. Thank-you Linc for introducing me to these two planes. I sat with Linc in the cockpit has he was first co-pilot and later pilot-in-command (pic) of a DC-6 fire bomber. I learned a little more about the relationship between the pic and the co-pilot. I know something about Butler's DC-7 tankers thanks to Larry Kraus, so I couldn't help but wonder about the similarities and differences between these two tankers. What ever those differences are, they will have to wait for a later time.

I know what Linc's favorite fire bomber is. You will have to read the book to find out. Linc, I read a book recently where your favorite plane is mentioned.

There is a list of other things that I know a little bit more about through Linc's words. I know a little more about Canada and the Canadian north. Linc flew for Sis Q in CA for a time, a company that I have read about. I learned about the check rides that all pilots experience. I learned more about rotor winds from Linc because he has lived to tell about it. I am reminded that the tanker business aka the fire bomber is dangerous. I knew that some pilots die, and others live, and Linc's words reinforced that. Linc loved being a fire bomber pilot and he was good at it. We should all be so fortunate to spend a career doing something we love.

I have been in touch with Linc over e-mail and he agreed to allow me to interview him. I will be posting the interview over the next three posts. Stay tuned.