The Face of a Wildfire

Meet Dave, the pilot of a S-64E Sikorsky Skycrane. I met Dave at Fox Field in Lancaster, California during a break from dropping 1,600 gallons of water and retardant on the Thomas Fire in Ventura. You have seen the photos of helicopters dropping approximately 13,000 pounds of water on a single pass; now you know the face of the guy that that puts that aircraft over the correct place to make the drop.

Dave’s right hand man (sitting in the right seat) is Garrett who is busy manning all sorts of devices to make Dave successful.

By the way, here is the S-64E Sikorsky Skycrane they pilot.
Specifications:

Maximum Gross Weight: 42,000 lbs.
Empty Weight: 19,500 lbs.
Cargo Lifting Capacity: 20,000 lbs.
Fuel Capacity: 1,250 gal.
Endurance: 2.5 hrs.
Speed: 115 knots
Maximum Range (nm): 230 w/ 30 minute fuel reserve

It is owned and operated by Siller Helicopters in Yuba City, California   http://www.sillerhelicopters.com/