Some of you already know that Linc Alexander died on May 24 of natural causes. I write this article in memory of Linc.
In early 2009, I began my journey into blogging about aerial wildland firefighting, thanks in large part to a couple of friends who mentored me in the early days of this journey. Within a few weeks, I was hooked.
In the course of this on going journey into the world of aerial wildland firefighting, I have had the privilege of meeting a variety of wonderful people who are involved in a variety of different aspects of the business of aerial wildland firefighting.
A couple of months into this journey, I first heard the name Linc Alexander. I believe that this was on an earlier version of the Associated Aerial Firefighter's message boards that is no longer available on the web (the new AAF website may be found
here). What I learned about Linc in those message posts in the spring/summer of 2009 was that he was one of the early tanker pilots, flying in both Canada and in California for thirty-seven years. Moreover, I learned that he wrote a book in the mid 1960s called
Pilot's Notes for Fire Bombing. People told me that this book was considered the bible of aerial wildland firefighting, read by many or most tanker pilots. He wrote a follow-up book,
Air Attack on Forest Fires, in 1972.
A little time passed and one of my friends told me Linc was working on a new book based on his years flying tankers. Seems that various folk in the tanker biz had been helping Linc out with his book. I was told that the book would be out in several months. I had heard so much about Linc and his books by this time, and I was looking forward to reading this new book.
I don't quite recall how I heard about Linc's book,
Firebomber into Hell, when it was published in the summer of 2010. I wrote to Linc about his book shortly after I heard that it had been published, telling him a little bit about myself and this blog. I ordered an autographed copy.
Linc and I corresponded over e-mail throughout the fall of 2010. He was a true gentlemen, and was very supportive of my work on this blog. I told him early on in our correspondence that it was likely that I would never get a pilot's certificate. It did not seem to matter to him. I'll never forget what I wrote in my copy of Firebomber into Hell:
It doesn't matter how you fly and certificate or not, enjoy every second of it. You don't have to be a part of the "club" to be a respected aviator and Fire Bomber buff.
He was very generous with this time when I interviewed him over e-mail about his book, go
here to see these interviews (scroll to the bottom to see the first post). I throughly enjoyed these interviews. I knew that if I had questions for Linc that I could send him in an e-mail. I did so, a couple of times. Then I heard that he was writing a new book, so I held off on writing him. He was still working on this new book on firebombing when he died.
Linc, we didn't really know each other all that well. But you touched my life in our short correspondence. I am better for having known you, and I thank-you. One of your buddies gave me a copy of
Pilot's Notes for Fire Bombing, I've read it, and I need to reread it. Sorry for not writing sooner, but to be honest my mind was on the families of the Tanker 11 pilots, I know you understand. I miss you. I know that you are flying in favorable tail winds.
There is a
nice webpage about Linc, including some of his pictures, and more about Firebomber into Hell.
