Mattiacci said operating a firefighting aircraft is a sweaty and tiring job. Conditions that increase the risk of fire (hot days, high winds, often mountainous terrain) also cause turbulent flight conditions. He added that aircraft fly at lower speeds, which increases turbulence.
“You get pulled out of your seat and your head hits the roof,” he said. In hot weather, pilots need to make sure they stay hydrated enough to avoid having to go to the bathroom during flights that can last up to five hours, he said.
He said there was also a risk of jumping into the thick, blinding smoke of wildfires. Aircraft fly low to the ground, sometimes as high as the tops of trees, meaning there is a significant risk of them hitting power lines, radio towers or buildings.
“It gets a little scary when you lose all your visual references,” he said.
The stronger the wind, the harder it is to get to the fire as the wind blows up smoke and reduces visibility.
He said Australia's large air tankers drop retardant from about 100 to 150 feet, but smaller air tankers can fly much lower. The largest tanker, which can transport up to 9,400 gallons of retardant at a time and is being used to fight the Southern California fires, will fall from a height of about 80 meters, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Matiacci said he often feels pressured when looking down from the cockpit at threatened homes and structures, knowing his job is to save them. And if the retardant doesn't land where it's needed, “we might not have a chance” while the fire is rapidly progressing, he added.
