Safety in the tanker and helo biz

I've been thinking a lot about the safety in the tanker and helo biz recently. I believe that I can say that one common thread to various communications with those of you in the business of aerial wildland fighting is a concern for safety. A common concern for safety. I now have the experience of attending aviation ground school, passing the FAA private pilot written exam, and while I am not in flight training I do go on scenic flights. While it is likely that I may never get a pilot's certificate, I can say that out of my own experiences with aviation that I have thought about aviation safety in a new way. In a new way because, perhaps, I have role in the safety of my scenic flights. My role is confined to being a knowledgeable passenger, but it is a role I take seriously.

Some of you know that I have spent some time on this blog writing about safety as relates to the world of aerial wildland firefighting. As I reflect on safety in the aerial wildland firefighting business, I have been thinking about these earlier posts. I also find myself thinking about all that I have learned about aerial wildland firefighting. And of course, I have my own experiences in aviation ground school and my scenic flights to draw on.

Regarding safety, I have recently written about emergency retardant drops and using checklists. For reasons that are difficult to explain, I felt the need to sit down and write about my reflections on tanker and helo safety. What I thought would be something that I could sit down and have ready for posting today is turning into a longer piece, something that I am spending some time on.

While I am working on these reflections, I'll be making some additions to the pages on this blog, adding a page on tanker and helo safety. Stay tuned. I'll let you know as I work on the other pages to this blog. Further, I'll be posting the as yet unwritten reflections here when they are ready. In the meantime, I may continue to post more specific posts along the lines of what I have recently written about emergency retardant drops on take-off and using checklists.

Stay safe out there.