“I LOVE the smell of retardant in the morning!”
~ Said Every Incident Commander Ever
There’s something magical about watching an air tanker coming in on final, tight on the tail of its lead plane, and suddenly seeing thousands of gallons of glorified dish soap come spewing downwards. Especially when the fire is kicking your ass. Watching the air show arrive makes you feel like you actually have a shot at catching this thing. Every year, federal and state governments contract with the private sector to procure hundreds of aircraft for the fire season. These companies need pilots, mechanics, marketers, accountants – the list goes on. You don’t have to swing a tool on the line to have a career in wildland fire. These companies are a great example of that. So if you think working for a company that delivers these awesome machines to the fireline every season, safely and reliably, then you might want to check out the companies below.
Wildland Fire Aviation Company Directory
| Company | City | State | |
| Air Tractor | Olney | Texas | airmail@airtractor.com |
| Columbia Helicopters | Portland | Oregon | info@colheli.com |
| Construction Helicopters | Howell | Michigan | cturner@constructionhelicopters.com |
| Erickson Air-Crane | Central Point | Oregon | @ericksonaviation.com |
| Intermountain Helicopters | Sonora | California | imh@mlode.com |
| Helicopter Express | Chamblee | Georgia | info@helicopterexpress.com |
| Kachina Aviation | Nampa | Idaho | info@helicopterexpress.com |
| Neptune Aviation Services | Missoula | Montana | dsnyder@neptuneaviation.com |
| Rogers Helicopters | Fresno | California | info@rogershelicopter.com |
| Timberline Helicopters | Laclede | Idaho | travis@timberlinehelicopters.com |
Resources
American Helicopter Services & Aerial Firefighting Association
International Fire Aviation Working Group