Fire fighting with the Fire Boss

Take a ride on board an Air Tractor AT-802F Fire Boss as it flies as number 2 of a flight of 3 AT-802Fs involved in a fire fighting operation in the mountains near Caserta, in Central Italy. 10 Fire Boss (piloted by 9 pilots from the Italian Air Force and 1 from the Italian Navy with the “water bomber” qualification) are being used by the Italian Civil Protection (under a leasing contract) to support the fleet of 19 Canadair CL-415s that are currently unavailable as the previous contract with SOREM was rescinded after its chief was arrested as a consequence of a big tax swindle and a new tender was issued to find another contractor (a Temporary Consortium of Enterprises by Inaer Helycopter Italia and Inaer Aviones Anfibios Sau).

About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

1 Comment

  1. Hello David!
    As far as I know your country or company search for pilots on the fire boss in Italy.(was told to me by a spenish boss pilot)
    I a retired captain from Arkia with 37000 hours on more then 80 kins of planes from ultralights to boing 737 707 ATR 72 and 802F that I still flys and current in Israel, unfortunatly the 2 bosses that we had here was on the ground for 8 monthes or so and sent back to spain, the floats removed and came back on wheels.
    I also had seaplane experience (one of only few pilots in Israel) and my its on my Israeli licence (ALTP)
    Holding German passport and worked for companies in UK 22 years ago.
    I had british comercial but I didn’t renew it, also holding Americn ATP
    with multiengine ratings on it and American medical check current.
    Iwill be happy to hear from u about the opertunity for a job in Italy as firefhighting the boss on forests saveing.
    seevloewy@gmail.com
    Thanks
    Seev Loewy

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