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I want to be a professional (non-airline) pilot when I grow up

Not to take anything away from this young woman's accomplishments - I have been inundated with stories of this young woman from my family and friends who are under the impression she is saving California on her own and that she must be quite something to command a CH-47 in firefighting mission.

Since this aircraft is over 12.5k MGTOW, a type rating is required yes?

www.cbsnews.com

19-year-old helicopter pilot joins the fight against wildfires in California

"As soon as I got into flying I knew that was going to be one of my end goals was to get into firefighting," said Ashli Blaine.
www.cbsnews.com www.cbsnews.com
 
Beautiful video of Helijet Airways operations - one of the few if only 121 helicopter scheduled airline in the world.

 
Looks like fun. (article is from Bloomberg)

To Fight Wildfires, California Turns to a Family With a Fleet of $8,000-an-Hour Helicopters
Coulson Aviation’s night-flying, water-siphoning Chinooks are on call to battle blazes on four continents.

31884
 
ChuckMK23 said:
@wink

Looks like a new supply of Huey and Cobra parts



https://rotormedia.com/19340-2/
Click to expand...
Yohoo!!! We are a Dakota customer, but usually as a last resort. Very expensive. Still, the shear variety and numbers of hard to find parts will improve. That is great!

Side note. The article mentions that Air Services International will be the distributor. In high school I worked for ASI subsidiaries Arizona Helicopters and Southwest Airlines ( not THE SWA but a small FBO /part 135 charter operator in the 70s ). ASI has a long and significant history outlined here .But while it does mention their founding work in HEMS, Grand Canyon aerial tours, USAid contract flying, and high altitude work in Nepal, it doesn't mention they were a CIA contractor ( Air America ) during the Vietnam War. While I was working there unmarked C-130s would land in the middle of the night and fly off with Bell 206s. My boss was a former CH-46 USMC pilot just back from Vietnam. He flew with a 1911 in a shoulder holster. Later, company founder/owner Robert "Tug" Wachs ( WW II B-17 pilot) made news by sponsoring Vietnamese refugees. He created a mobile home park to house them and many came to work at ASI or AZ helicopters. I remember having a conversation with one guy who was working as a mechanic's helper. He was a former LCOL in the VN AF. Turns out that Tug's offers to help was in part a personal obligation he felt. Most of the families he brought over were former employees or allies of the contract CIA air operations or high ranking military. They were rescued to prevent their execution. Where are guys like Tug today and why not the government facilitation to save the Afghans, particularly interrupters we have left behind.
 
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