"Joe Zorzin" wrote in message ...
Does the USFS ever force its forestry staff to do something like this?
--
Joe Zorzin
http://www.forestmeister.com

Actually, yes. I've flown in helicopters many times during my career
in the USFS. Some while fighting fire and some while doing timber
work.

On one fire in the LA mountains, we worked a night shift and were
flown out in the early morning. Our crew got out and they were flying
out the next crew when a jet from Edwards flew UNDERNEATH the
helicopter. Flight operations were immediately shut down because the
fire area was supposedly restricted airspace. The other crew and a
half had to walk out and finally showed up in fire camp in the
mid-afternoon, not at all a happy bunch.

I've flown several times with helicopters loggers' chase ships,
dropping me off at the top and allowing me to inspect while walking
downhill. Also, for a three week stretch, I was on a marking crew and
was flown to high spots on helicopter projects. This was during the
spring in Idaho and those steep slopes were quite slippery.

It used to be that all you needed to fly was your supervisor's
permission. Now you get special training and the ships are inspected
by USFS aviation specialists.

Larry