As Fires Sweep Southwest, Aerial Firefighters Rush Aircraft, Contend With Coronavirus Risk
With much of the US Southwest seeing explosive growth in wildfire events, air tanker and helicopter operators are quickly deploying assets, with the added challenge of keeping their pilots, mechanics and other field crew safe under the ongoing coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. “The USFS is relying much more heavily on airborne assets—both fixed and rotary wing--in order to minimize the need for large camps where firefighters are positioned in close proximity to each other, increasing the risk of contracting the coronavirus,” explained Dan Snyder, Chief Operating Officer of Neptune Aviation Services in Missoula, Montana.