Consider the following points when selecting a landing zone for a helicopter:

• Locate a flat area that is of sufficient size for the type of helicopter you are expecting.
  • Type 1 – Clear and level touchdown pad measuring 30 feet by 30 feet; safety circle measuring 110 feet in diameter.
  • Type 2 – Clear and level touchdown pad measuring 20 feet by 20 feet; safety circle measuring 90 feet in diameter.
  • Type 3 – Clear and level touchdown pad measuring 15 feet by 15 feet; safety circle measuring 75 feet in diameter.
• Choose an

The following points should be considered when operating around an unimproved landing site:

As part of risk management, especially during high activity fires, each aviation manager and employee should be asking questions about every mission.

It is critical to respond quickly and effectively to aviation mishaps. A posted and accessible written mishap response action plan is an important first step. A checklist of actions will ensure that nothing is missed in a stressful, time-critical period. All crew members must know where to find the plan and must understand how to use it in an emergency.

Every aircraft and pilot used in support of a federal wildland fire mission must have a current Aircraft and Pilot Card or letter of authorization. The card must be held in the aircraft or with the pilot and give specific authorization to complete the requested mission. These missions could be all or any number of missions as follows:

Continued from: Mountain Flying Part 1

Orographic Lifting

As the wind blows moist air upslope, it will cool, and may form clouds. If, as is often the case in winter, the air is stable, the clouds will stay close to the mountain, forming a cap cloud. However, if the air is unstable, as is usually the case in summer, this initial lifting will be enough to start convection and result in thunderstorm formation.

Leadership is the act of influencing people to achieve a result. The leadership environment is made up of critical elements that a successful leader must consider in planning for effective action. Those critical elements are:

You –

The leader, who is ultimately responsible for all action and results.

Your People –

Those who you are responsible for.

An important aspect of safety is individual responsibility for one’s own health and safety. Even with the best supervision, each individual firefighter will occasionally be required to make personal decisions concerning safety. It is important that individual responsibility is taught as the basis for a viable safety program. Some of those individual responsibilities are:

Leaders often face difficult problems for which there are no simple, clear-cut, by-the-book solutions. In these situations, leaders must use their knowledge, skill, experience, education, values, and judgment to make decisions and take or direct action. Command presence is one element of a leader’s effectiveness.