Hingham's Darrold Hutchinson will be among the pilots responding to wildland fires from the air this summer. Hutchinson will work for Taylor Aviation Inc. and be stationed in Miles City, making runs as far west as the Bear Paws if necessary, he said. The program is overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. "They're not just sitting around doing nothing. They've been training people all winter long," Hutchinson said. Hutchinson owns Hutchinson Aviation and Hutchinson Spraying, and does mostly agricultural spraying. He said he's responded to fires several times, but never with the training he received in the last few months through the BLM. He's taken multiple written tests, has had classroom instruction, and has participated in drills in Arizona. Andy Taylor, owner of the Fort Benton company that will employ Hutchinson, said there are only about 100 pilots nationwide who received the training and certification through the BLM's 2-year-old Single-Engine Air Tanker Program. Of those, Taylor said, 23 will work for him this summer. Hutchinson will fly a single-engine plane that can hold 500 to 600 gallons of fire retardant. For the most part, he will not be placing the retardant over fires, but around fires to contain them. The exception will be in the case of structure fires, he said. Hutchinson is scheduled to begin July 1 and stay in Miles City until Sept. 15, but the starting date may be pushed forward if there's an early fire season, he said.
Hutchinson hired to fight wildland fires
Published: Friday, May 20th, 2005
Hingham's Darrold Hutchinson will be among the pilots responding to wildland fires from the air this summer. Hutchinson will work for Taylor Aviation Inc. and be stationed in Miles City, making runs as far west as the Bear Paws if necessary, he said. The program is overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. "They're not just sitting around doing nothing. They've been training people all winter long," Hutchinson said. Hutchinson owns Hutchinson Aviation and Hutchinson Spraying, and does mostly agricultural spraying. He said he's responded to fires several times, but never with the training he received in the last few months through the BLM. He's taken multiple written tests, has had classroom instruction, and has participated in drills in Arizona. Andy Taylor, owner of the Fort Benton company that will employ Hutchinson, said there are only about 100 pilots nationwide who received the training and certification through the BLM's 2-year-old Single-Engine Air Tanker Program. Of those, Taylor said, 23 will work for him this summer. Hutchinson will fly a single-engine plane that can hold 500 to 600 gallons of fire retardant. For the most part, he will not be placing the retardant over fires, but around fires to contain them. The exception will be in the case of structure fires, he said. Hutchinson is scheduled to begin July 1 and stay in Miles City until Sept. 15, but the starting date may be pushed forward if there's an early fire season, he said.
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