Random Ramblings: Aerial Wildland Firefighting

I have blogged about aerial wildland firefighting since 2009. I am not a firefighter and am not a pilot, just an interested bystander who wants to learn more and share what I learn here. Join me here as I blog on the aircraft and the pilots who fight wildland fires from the air in support of crews on the ground. I also blog on concerns affecting fire crews on the ground as well as other aviation and meteorology issues. Learn what it takes to do jobs that are staffed by the best of the best.

Monday, December 31, 2012

Wildland Firefighters: About Smokejumping

I embedded a short video about smokejumping in Alaska last Friday and want to spend a little more time on the important role that smokejumpers play in fighting wildland fires. Rather than reinvent the wheel so to speak, I am going to embed two videos about smokejumping that I first embedded over three years ago (July 2009) in a series on smokejumpers.

direct link to video, that I first shared on July 17, 2009. Note, you will see some footage of the DC-3 used in Missoula for smokejumping. One DC-3 smokejumping aircraft was retired this past October, see this article on Wildfire Today for more info. I believe that the DC-3 smokejumping aircraft based in Missoula will be flying again this coming season.