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Q400 Air Tanker Pilot – Aerial Firefighting
Q400 Air Tanker Pilot – Aerial Firefighting
Join Aero-Flite’s elite aerial firefighting team and put your skills to work protecting communities and wildlands. As a Q400 Air Tanker Pilot, you’ll operate in demanding wildfire environments, delivering precision retardant drops in close coordination with ground crews and air attack. New hires typically start in the right seat while learning the aircraft and fire operations, with progression to the left seat as time and experience allow.
✈️ The Mission
Fly safe, standardized, professional missions that make a measurable difference. This role blends multi-crew line flying, aerial firefighting, maintenance support, public outreach, and travel across diverse terrain throughout the United States and Alaska.
🧭 What You’ll Do
- Execute wildfire suppression sorties, delivering aerial retardant with precision and discipline.
- Operate as a high-performing crew member under the PIC and Chief Pilot, adhering to company and agency SOPs.
- Perform thorough preflight planning, loading, and performance calculations.
- Verify aircraft airworthiness; report and document discrepancies; manage logbooks and MEL items with the PIC.
- Maintain expert knowledge of aircraft systems, limitations, documents, and mission requirements.
- Communicate clearly and timely with the PIC, ATC, air attack, and other fire resources.
- Continuously monitor aircraft systems and performance, crew coordination, and operational risk.
- Treat all equipment with care and respect; assist with aircraft cleaning, pre-/post-season preparation, and maintenance flights as required.
- Represent Aero-Flite’s mission, vision, and values in public demonstrations, community outreach, and agency events; provide tours and support educational efforts.
- Travel extensively across the continental U.S. and Alaska; adapt to dynamic, time-critical operations.
🧰 What You’ll Bring
- Certificates & Medical: FAA Commercial Pilot certificate with multiengine land; ATP preferred; FAA Class II medical.
- Flight Experience (minimums):
- 3,000 hours total time in airplanes
- 1,000 hours PIC
- 200 hours PIC multiengine
- 200 hours PIC multi-crew time
- 100 hours in airplanes in the preceding 12 months
- 75 hours actual or simulated instrument flight
- Eligibility: U.S. citizen or authorized to work in the United States; valid passport; valid driver license; ability to obtain/hold a SIDA badge.
- Preferred: Fire experience and PIC time below 500 feet AGL.
- Technical mastery: Expert knowledge of off-airport, IFR, and multi-crew operations; FAA regulations and procedures; aircraft systems; human factors; risk assessment; customer service principles.
- Operational excellence: Conservative, timely aeronautical decision-making; disciplined airmanship; aircraft-systems troubleshooting; proficient with IT tools and Microsoft Office; fluent with manuals, OEM procedures, company SOPs, discrepancy logs, and MEL guidance.
- Professional traits: Deadline-driven, organized, detail-focused, self-starting, flexible, and able to work independently and within a team under changing conditions.
Note: As a federal contractor, Aero-Flite follows the Federal Drug Free Workplace Act, including testing for THC.
🌟 Benefits & Rewards
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Retirement plan with company match
- Company-paid life and disability coverage
- Financial wellness programs
- Paid leave
- Bonus eligibility
📨 Ready to Answer the Call?
Bring your multi-crew proficiency, systems savvy, and cool judgment to missions that matter. If you’re ready to grow from the right seat to the left seat on the Q400 and help protect communities from wildfires, we’d like to hear from you.