Originally Posted by
170'
Hire protagonist..
Preparing for a OAS checkride, is like preparing to breathe. Not a big deal..These guys are not going to bust your chops.. just fly safe and conservatively, and youŽll be thru it in no time!
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OAS was always 5000' for mountains..Just elevation!
CDF are the only ones who ever really checked anyway!
170'
Thanks for the kind words all. I'm not terribly stressed about the checkride/flying (though I will be when I've got one scheduled), as I've done the job, (often as the pilot flying and always as the pilot communicating) while I was a co-pilot last summer, plus three years as a ground-pounder, and feel fairly comfortable (for a rookie) in that environment.
SASless said...
Last USFS checkride was pure pleasure....emphasis is on safety...safety...safety. As it should be.
One of my favorite things about flying on fires is this focus on safety. I can't think of another customer who's going to say, "Oh, you can hover OGE with a 2,000 lb. load under today's conditions? Great, I demand that you take no more than 1,700 lbs. then."
When I was helitack, we used to recon for five minutes looking at landing spots near the fire, and then (invariably it seemed) fly to SAFER spots farther (seemed liked miles) away.
Every time I've smelled smoke this summer, I've had the urge to try to call air attack, and offer the use of my pax. as some sort of scary, type III hand crew (dressed in skirts and shorts, high heels, flip-flops, whatever), and maybe we could get some WORK done! But alas, we carry no hand tools on our tours, so I've just continued on to the picnic spot.
I can meet the mountain time requirement if it's 5,000' DA, but if it's the higher def. I'm looking for some work up high.
Sorry for the thread creep.