This Unit Is Always Fired Up and Ready

Whether ignited by man or nature, they often rage out of control, sometimes overwhelming or outpacing the resources necessary to get them under control. Forest fires are part of the natural cycle of forest management, but when fires threaten life and property on a grand scale, human intervention is needed.

I first became aware of the existence of the aviation division of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) several years ago while attending a warbird flying clinic in Porterville, California. CAL FIRE had three aircraft on display, an OV-10A (a former forward air control and observation aircraft) and a pair of S-2T tankers (converted from Navy anti-submarine missions). While there, these CAL FIRE aircraft were scrambled multiple times. 

Having caught my attention and wanting to learn more about their mission, I visited CAL FIRE headquarters at Sacramento McClellan Airport (KMCC).

“The state of California consists of almost 156,000 square miles,” Linnea Edmeier, aviation communication officer for CAL FIRE, told FLYING. “Considering the generally warm and dry climate, much of the state is susceptible to wildfires.” 

Wildfires have long been a major problem, increasing in scope with potentially catastrophic consequences for California’s economy. The 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest in California history, consumed more than 150,000 acres, destroyed 18,000 structures, and killed 85. Aside from the tragic loss of life, the estimated property damage exceeded $16.5 billion. 

In 1885, the California Legislature established the State Board of Forestry, one of the first state-appointed forestry boards in the nation.

It was authorized to investigate, collect, and disseminate information about forestry. Local politics led to the disbanding of the board in 1893, but the need remained. Eventually, on March 18, 1905, the state legislature approved a new Board of Forestry and the creation of the position of state forester.

CAL FIRE is a state agency responsible for protecting natural resources from fire on land designated by the State Board of Forestry as state responsibility area (SRA). 

CAL FIRE also manages the state forest system and has responsibility to enforce the forest practice regulations, which govern private and other nonfederal lands. 

CAL FIRE has two chief missions. One is the protection of the state’s merchantable timber on all nonfederal lands from improper logging activities. The other is the protection of the state’s grass, brush, and tree covered watersheds in SRA from wildland fire. CAL FIRE functions as a conservation agency with origins stemming from the conservation movement of the last century.

The use of aircraft to fight California’s wildland fires was first proposed in 1931, and again in the late ’40s after World War II. Between 1954-57, CAL FIRE relied on several small airtankers used on-demand as needed. Then in 1958, CAL FIRE contracted airtanker services with private aviation companies. 

The air program continued to expand and by the early 1970s the organization had purchased 14 piston-powered tactical aircraft and contracted seven additional retardant/water bombers. 

Early aircraft, much like today, included surplus military aircraft, including TBM Avengers manufactured by Grumman and General Motors, Grumman F7Fs, Consolidated PBYs, and a Boeing B-17. Through the 1960s and the early ’70s, the CAL FIRE aviation program was part of the department’s mobile equipment program. 

In spring 1974, it became its own unit and has since been known as the Aviation Management Unit (AMU). The CAL FIRE AMU is located at Sacramento McClellan Airport and operates with support from contractors Amentum-DynCorp and Logistics Specialties Incorporated.

One of the unique operational aspects of CAL FIRE is the fact that it’s a state government agency, not a privately owned company. This offers many advantages, including state funding for modern equipment as needed. 

As the CAL FIRE aviation program continued to grow, the Tactical Air Operations program (TAO) was established in 2008 to provide oversight to the operational side of CAL FIRE’s aviation program. The TAO oversight includes aviation training, northern and southern air attack and helitack base operations, military aviation asset coordination, wildland fire chemicals and retardant oversight and contracting, plus an unmanned aerial systems (UAS) program development.

TAO and AMU work together in close coordination to supply one of the world’s largest and most effective aerial wildland firefighting fleets to protect California residents and its natural resources. 

“Today, the Aviation Management Unit operates the largest civil aerial firefighting fleet in the world,” Edmeier said.

The backbone of CAL FIRE’s tanker fleet is the Grumman S-2T. Twenty-three of these tankers, each of which can carry 1,200 gallons [10,800 pounds] of fire retardant, are dispersed among 14 airtanker bases throughout the state.

In the coming year, CAL FIRE will add seven Lockheed C-130H Hercules acquired from the U.S. Coast Guard. They are being outfitted with the Coulson RADS-XXL (retardant aerial delivery system), which boasts half the cost of competing systems, and one-sixth the weight, thereby making it the most powerful retardant delivery system in the world.

Once converted, these tankers will be capable of hauling 4,000 gallons (36,000 pounds) of retardant. 

The AMU utilizes 16 North American OV-10 Broncos (with four more in the pipeline) operating in the same basic role they performed in the military.

CAL FIRE uses the OV‑10s as the primary command and control platform on wildland incidents. The air attack officer, a highly trained and experienced fire officer, coordinates with the incident commander on the ground, providing a unique aerial perspective on fire conditions, anticipated resource needs and potential threats to life and property.

The air attack officer is also responsible for the safe coordination of all aerial resources on an incident and where to make retardant and water drops based upon the incident commander’s control objectives. The OV‑10 can be utilized as a lead pathfinding aircraft for Very Large Air Tankers (VLAT) when not assigned as a command-and-control platform.

Another example of CAL FIRE’s investment in technology is the upgrade of its rotary-wing fleet.

The AMU is in the process of replacing a dozen aging Bell UH-1H Super Hueys, each carrying 360 gallons of retardant, with up to 16 purpose-built Sikorsky S70i CAL Firehawks. These are not refurbished surplus military equipment aircraft like most used in the firefighting applications, but are factory-new. 

They were delivered to CAL FIRE “green,” which is an unfinished state prior to modification and paint. As each aircraft arrived, they were outfitted with Night Vision Goggle (NVG) capability, a Kawak 1,000-gallon (23,500 pounds) tank, and a major landing gear modification to accommodate the weight of the additional tank system.

The Sikorskys are dispersed among 10 CAL FIRE helitack bases and one CAL FIRE/San Diego County Sheriff helitack base. Between the fixed-wing and helitack bases, CAL FIRE aircraft can reach even the most remote State Responsibility Area (SRA) fires in as little as 20 minutes.

“The new generation of S70i CAL Firehawk helicopters have brought a myriad of improvements to the firefighting operations,” said Joe Tyler, director and fire chief of CAL FIRE. “With improved flight safety features, higher payload capacity, increased power margins, and the ability to operate at night, CAL FIRE can now tackle emergency situations more efficiently and effectively. 

These state-of-the-art helicopters have proven to be valuable assets to the firefighting fleet, enabling CAL FIRE to respond more quickly to emergency situations and providing a greater degree of safety for firefighters and residents alike.”

Amentum’s services also include providing uniquely trained aerial firefighting pilots for CAL FIRE’s fixed-wing aircraft. Pilots for the rotary wing aircraft in the fleet are CAL FIRE employees. 

Nothing about aerial firefighting is your average commercial flying gig. Pilots are subjected to all manner of hazards that are not for the fainthearted, including low visibility, extreme convection turbulence from proximity to the fire, and avoiding challenging terrain all at very low altitude.

James Foster, a line pilot for CAL FIRE based at Porterville, took a winding road to the left seat on the S-2T. He said a chance meeting with a CAL FIRE pilot on an unrelated flight eventually led to his connection with the department. 

“I was a flight instructor for almost a decade,” Foster said. “My dream job was to fly firefighting aircraft, but I never knew the route. Instead, I took a flying job in corporate aviation, where I remained for quite a while. Meanwhile, I really worked hard at diversifying my experience, worked hard to fly as many airframes as possible, flying into as many different places as I could. I knew that there was absolutely nothing routine about flying as a firefighting pilot.”

The minimum hiring requirements for a new pilot at CAL FIRE include commercial, multiengine land with instrument rating,1,800 hours PIC, 800 hours multiengine PIC, and  200 hours of mountain flying or similar terrain. In addition, the department prefers 75 hours of instrument PIC, 100 hours of night flying, and experience with aerial firefighting.

Foster started flying the OV-10, like all new fixed-wing CAL FIRE pilots.

“The basic role of the OV10 pilot is basically to transport the Air Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS) to the proper position to help him manage aerial assets and manage a fire from the air,” he said.

The ATGS is a chief or captain with CAL FIRE who has been through an extremely rigorous training and planning process. They work in coordination with the incident commander (IC) on the ground who coordinates ground and air activities. The ATGS and IC work in coordination with each other to attack the threat. 

“As the front-seat guy in the OV-10, my job was to put the ATGS where he needs to be without him asking me to be there,” Foster said.

The Bronco typically orbits at 2,500 feet agl, while the tankers orbit at 1,500 feet agl. The helicopters get close, often as low as 500 feet. The Bronco pilot must deconflict with other traffic, understand what the ATGS needs, and coordinate with ATC if near Class B, C, or D airspace. 

Earlier this year, Foster upgraded to S-2T tanker pilot.

“We fly the S-2Ts single pilot, so you really have to be on top of your game,” he said. “In some ways it is simply building on the experience gained flying the Bronco. Occasionally, we end up being the first aircraft on the scene. It is then up to us to assess the situation and take appropriate action on our own. Situational awareness is even more important when flying at 1,500 feet. There are a lot of ways to get hurt out there, so flying requires intense concentration.”

A mission typically begins with a horn blaring at the base. Dispatch transmits a Form 106 that contains latitude/longitude coordinates, radio frequencies, and a basic rundown of anticipated actions. Aircraft are kept on standby so start-ups are quick and assets are airborne within three to five minutes. Typically the flight leader in the Bronco leads the tankers to the fire site. 

It is important to note that the primary role is to drop fire retardant to prevent the spread of the actual fire, more so than extinguishing it. 

After returning to base, retardant tanks are filled in about three to five minutes, often with the engines running. This is some of the most grueling flying a pilot can perform, and it takes consummate professionals to complete these tasks safely. CAL FIRE is committed to being an industry leader in safety and technology.

Stu Sprung, the CAL FIRE chief of flight operations, boasts responsibilities that include supervising the flight operations of agency firefighting aircraft and pilots in the national airspace. Sprung pointed out CAL FIRE’s investments in training simulators for its four primary aircraft types (S-70i, OV-10, S-2T, and C-130H) and the advantages of having aircraft simulators on property. 

“We now have simulators for all four of our primary aircraft,” Sprung said. “These save CAL FIRE many thousands of dollars in training, and they permit us to train for many maneuvers that would be potentially unsafe in the real aircraft. The S-70i, S-2T, and OV-10 simulators are new, while the C-130H sim was transferred by the Air Force.

“Simulator training on the fixed wing aircraft is complex but straightforward. All training on the Broncos and S-2Ts is accomplished in house. We have approximately 18 fixed-wing pilots designated as instructors, although they are not necessarily full-time instructors. Our heavy training period lasts from about the first of the year until April. After that, we get into fire season so most of these trainers end up flying active missions.” 

Sprung noted that training on the S-70i is a bit more diverse.

“The S-70i performs a multitude of diverse roles, including dropping water, rescue, use of night vision goggles (NVG), and close-in support,” he said. 

“They also use a hoist simulator to train crew members on rescue operations in addition to NVG training. Before CAL FIRE acquired the simulators, most of our training happened in the actual aircraft. Owning simulators allows the company to reduce flight hours to save money and reduce time on the aircraft to reduce maintenance. This also keeps more aircraft available for tactical operations.” 

Chief Joe Tyler began his career with CAL FIRE in 1990 as a firefighter in the Shasta Trinity Unit. Since then, he’s worked in the Riverside Unit, Amador El Dorado Unit, and statewide training program in various operational classifications, including fire stations, training bureaus and programs, camps, safety programs, and as an administrative officer and staff chief.

Prior to his appointment to deputy director, Tyler served as the assistant deputy director of fire protection with oversight of Law Enforcement/Civil Cost Recovery, Fire Protection Operations, Aviation Management, Tactical Air Operations, and Mobile Equipment. In addition to those programs, Tyler now also oversees training, safety, and emergency medical services.

“This is an exciting time for CAL FIRE,” Tyler said. “Being a state agency, we enjoy the advantage of having adequate funding for our modernization efforts. We’re bringing on board seven C-130Hs, each with over three times the tanker capacity of the S-2Ts. We’re performing all the modification work in house, converting former U.S. Coast Guard aircraft to fire bombers. We’ll deploy these new aircraft strategically throughout the state. We’re also excited to be upgrading our Rotary wing fleet. The 12 UH-1H Super Hueys have served CAL FIRE well for well over 30 years. We’re replacing them with brand new Sikorsky S-70i CAL Firehawk helicopters, each capable of lifting nearly three times the amount of retardant as the helicopters they are replacing.

“This upgrade of aircraft will permit CAL FIRE to solidify its position as the world’s largest civil operator of firefighting aircraft. This is not simply about bragging rights. The depth of our fleet reduces our dependency on outside operators, which, in turn, translates into cost savings for the state.”

The CAL FIRE fleet is massive as is the task in front of the dedicated team responsible for helping keep California residents and property as safe as humanly possible. Nature is a formidable opponent that can be difficult if not sometimes impossible to manage. 

This feature first appeared in the September Issue 950 of the FLYING print edition.