Barrett Farrell: After we’ve gotten back from flying, we saved someone’s house or saved someone’s crop, because that’s their livelihood and that’s how they make their living. That’s well worth the risk that we take.
Narrator: When wildfires spread, they can be too powerful for firefighters on the ground.
Instructor: Flaps 10. Ready for the water.
Narrator: That’s where aerial firefighters come in.
Trainee: Set power.
Instructor: Power set. Feathers armed. Right there, feel that? There it is. Scooper 282 is inbound, loaded for the drop.
Trainee: And three, two, one, drop.
Instructor: Load’s away.
Narrator: These are the pilots who operate specially built aircraft to target a fire with more than 1,000 gallons of water, working with agencies like the US Forest Service and state governments.
Tim Sheehy: We’re seeing a massive wildfire threat worldwide, and it’s straining the infrastructure of a system that was designed for a two- to three-month fire season into a persistent year-round threat. Our people are trained and tailored to ensure that we’re providing the absolute best support on time, on target, because after all, the fires are won and lost on the ground.
Check out the link to Business Insider to see the video.
