Aerial Fire Pilot Qualifications
Our fleet of Air Tractor (AT) 802 SEATs (Single Engine Air Tankers) provide rapid response to wildfires across North America. Pilots must be able to respond and competently fly under challenging conditions. Effective communication and crew coordination skills are a must. Specific flight time requirements are:
- 1,500 hours in all aircraft
- 1,200 hours in airplanes
- 200 hours airplane single engine land (100 hours airplane single engine sea, if applying for SES)
- 100 hours dispensing fire retardant, water on fires, or agricultural materials OR 100 hours of documented Primary Pilot/Aircraft Commander Close Air Support (CAS) ordinance dispensing military experience, in a low-level, contour- flying or nap-of-the-earth (NOE) environment (sorties that did not descend below 500′ Above Ground Level (AGL) for CAS do not apply to this qualification), using a fixed-wing aircraft designed primarily for CAS mission profiles.
- 25 hours in AT-802 OR 40 hours in the same make and model to be flown, including a minimum of 25 hours in scenario-based training if using CAS experience for the prior criteria.
- 200 hours low-level flight
- 200 hours in mountainous terrain or 100 hours after successfully graduating from a recognized mountain flying school.
- 100 hours in airplanes in the last 12 months