Simulated Training
At Aero-Flite, crews are trained on special missions, incorporating ground school, in-flight sessions, and simulator sessions.
Mission Training System
The Mission Training System features six Flight Training Devices integrated together so pilots can see and hear each other while operating together over the same wildfire. With fire behaviour generated by algorithms that account for relative humidity, terrain, wind, fuel type, and temperature, it produces an accurate visual representation of wildfire behaviour.
The certified Level 4 Flight Training Devices include: TC690B birddog; Cessna 208 birddog; Air Tractor AT802 (wheeled or floats); RJ85 airtanker; Dash 8-400AT airtanker.
Specialized Simulators
Flight Training
Each spring Aero-Flite pilots take part in tactical flight training in Chico, California, where they put into practice what they have learned in ground school and aircraft type training, including aerial firefighting communications, strategics, tactics, wildfire behavior, and human factors. The live training exercises include flight training sorties and live water drops in an environment that mimics real-world scenarios, incorporating ground crew communication simulation, smoke machines, dozer lines, and multiple aircraft types.