How to Become an Aerial Firefighter

Aerial firefighting pilots work in dynamic environments to carry out challenging but important missions.

Andrew Chen

Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 08:47 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Kimberly Johnson

[File image: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Aerial firefighters are pilots critical to wildfire suppression, tasked with surveying, transporting smokejumpers, and dropping water or fire retardants in challenging conditions.
They utilize a variety of specialized aircraft, including air tankers for drops, air attack planes for coordination, lead planes for guiding tankers, and smokejumper aircraft for deploying personnel.
Becoming an aerial firefighter requires extensive flight experience, typically thousands of hours, and obtaining specific licenses such as private, commercial, and often an airline transport pilot certificate.
Compensation for aerial firefighters varies significantly based on employer (government vs. private sector), experience, and qualifications, ranging from approximately $50,000 to over $100,000 annually for experienced captains.

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Wildfires are extremely dangerous and have devastating impacts on communities. Large wildfires have become increasingly common in recent years, leading to a greater demand for firefighting resources.

Aircraft play an important role when it comes to wildfire suppression. Their ability to view a fire from the air and drop water or fire retardant is a major asset during firefighting efforts.