Classification: Protected A

Agriculture and Forestry, Government of Alberta

April 1, 2021
Pilot Handbook

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Table of Contents
Table of Contents................................................................................................ 3
Contact Information............................................................................................ 6
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 7
Forest Area Administrative Boundaries Map ...................................................... 8
Incident Command System ................................................................................ 9
Incident Command Organization Structure Chart ........................................... 9
Operations Section Organization Chart ........................................................ 10
Role of the Air Operations Branch ................................................................... 10
Air Operations Branch Director (AOBD)........................................................ 10
Air Support Group Supervisor (ASGS) .......................................................... 11
Helibase Manager (HEBM) ........................................................................... 11
Loadmaster (LOAD) ...................................................................................... 11
Helibase Radio Operator (RADO) ................................................................. 11
Helicopter Coordinator (HLCO) ..................................................................... 11
Air Attack Officer (AAO) ................................................................................ 12
Air Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS) .......................................................... 12
Firedrive ........................................................................................................... 12
Aircraft Hiring and Requirements.................................................................... 13
Definitions ........................................................................................................ 13
Availability ..................................................................................................... 13
Forestry Projects ........................................................................................... 13
Suitability ...................................................................................................... 13
Forest Area Operator (FAO) ......................................................................... 13
Hiring Authority ................................................................................................ 13
Forest Area ................................................................................................... 13
Alberta Wildfire Coordination Centre............................................................. 13
Hiring Priority ................................................................................................... 14
Light, intermediate and medium helicopters ................................................. 14
Heavy Helicopters ......................................................................................... 14
Releasing ......................................................................................................... 14
Aircraft Substitution .......................................................................................... 15
Aircrew Changes.............................................................................................. 15
WebAir ............................................................................................................. 15
False Information on WebAir ........................................................................ 16
Unserviceable Aircraft ...................................................................................... 16
Minimum Equipment Requirements ................................................................. 16
Required – Beyond Transport Canada Requirements .................................. 16
Wildfire Operations – Required ..................................................................... 18
Specialty Operations ..................................................................................... 18
Tracking Device Requirements for Wildfire Management Operations........... 18
Accounts and Expenses .................................................................................. 20
General ............................................................................................................ 20
Annual Fleet List and Insurance – Helicopters ................................................. 20
Sample Daily Flight Report (AO-02)................................................................. 21
Daily Flight Report (AO-02) .............................................................................. 22
Signing Authorities ........................................................................................... 22
Verification and Approval Process ................................................................... 23

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 Daily Minimum Hours ....................................................................................... 23
Flying Time ...................................................................................................... 25
Point of Hire and Ferry Time ............................................................................ 25
Fuel Expenses ................................................................................................. 25
Landing Fees ................................................................................................... 26
Flight Crew Meals, Accommodations, and Transportation ............................... 26
Alberta Government Payment Schedule .......................................................... 28
The Pilot............................................................................................................. 29
Fixed Wing Aircraft Pilot Qualifications ............................................................ 29
Helicopter Pilot Qualifications .......................................................................... 29
Helicopter Pilot Mentoring Program ................................................................. 30
Pilot Responsibility ........................................................................................... 31
Briefing of Passengers by Pilot ..................................................................... 31
Briefing of Pilot ................................................................................................. 32
Respectful Workplace Expectations................................................................. 32
Radio Use, Airspace Management, and Flight Following .............................. 33
Class F Airspace Management ........................................................................ 34
Outside Class F Airspace (Transiting to and from the fire) ........................... 34
Approaching Class F Airspace with no Airspace Manager (Approaching the
fire)................................................................................................................ 35
Approaching Class F Airspace with an Airspace Manager (Approaching the
fire)................................................................................................................ 35
Flight Plans and Flight Monitoring .................................................................... 36
Flight Following and Flight Plans .................................................................. 36
Flight Itinerary with Flight Following Radio Watch ........................................ 36
Flight Itinerary without Flight Following Radio Watch.................................... 37
Operation Safety and Procedures ................................................................... 38
Flight Management General Restrictions and Requirements ........................... 38
Daylight Flying Under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) ............................................. 38
Minimum Meteorological Conditions for VFR Flight ......................................... 39
Pilot’s Duty Day................................................................................................ 39
Mandatory Rest Periods .................................................................................. 39
Flight Hour Limitations ..................................................................................... 40
Maximum Daily Flight Time ........................................................................... 40
Suppression and Presuppression Assignments ............................................ 40
General Duty Assignment ............................................................................. 40
Flight Crew Alert Statuses ............................................................................ 40
Day Base ...................................................................................................... 40
Low Level Operations (<500 feet AGL) ............................................................ 41
General ......................................................................................................... 41
Helicopters .................................................................................................... 41
Fixed Wing .................................................................................................... 41
Standard Airmanship – Cruising Altitudes........................................................ 42
Altimeter Settings ............................................................................................. 42
Passenger/Cargo Manifest (FP249)................................................................. 42
Helicopter Load Calculations ........................................................................ 42
Refuelling Operations ...................................................................................... 44
Hot Refueling ................................................................................................ 45
Helicopter External Load Operations ............................................................... 45

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 Ground Running of Engines during External Load Operations ..................... 46
Flights with Passengers and External Loads ................................................ 46
Helicopters Equipped with Dual Controls for External Load Operations ....... 47
Entering or Leaving a Hovering Helicopter in Flight ......................................... 47
Helicopter Company Compliance and Pilot Qualifications ............................ 47
Emergency Helicopter Boarding in a Hover .................................................. 47
Hover Exit Conditions and Limitations .......................................................... 48
Open Door Aerial Work .................................................................................... 48
On the Skid or Moving Around Inside the Aircraft ......................................... 48
Seated and Secured Inside the Aircraft ........................................................ 48
Airspace Restriction / Notice to Airman (NOTAM) ........................................... 49
Safety Considerations for Working in the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range
(CLAWR) ......................................................................................................... 49
Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR) Map ............................................ 50
Alberta Fort McMurray Oil Sands Class E Airspaces ....................................... 50
North Oil sands ATF Area ............................................................................. 50
South Athabasca Oil Sands Area.................................................................. 51
Transportation of Dangerous Goods ................................................................ 51
Considerations for Shipping Propane Tanks ................................................. 51
Pepper Spray ................................................................................................ 52
Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) ...................................................... 52
Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Prevention ...................................................... 52
Aviation Decontamination Procedures .......................................................... 53
Whirling Disease Infection Map .................................................................... 54
Fur and Game Farm Operations ...................................................................... 54
Aviation Occurrence Response and Reporting.............................................. 55
Aviation Accidents, Incidents, Hazards, Missing Aircraft .................................. 55
Procedures for Reporting Aviation Occurrences .............................................. 55
Aviation Accidents......................................................................................... 55
Missing Aircraft ............................................................................................. 55
Aviation Incident............................................................................................ 56
Near Miss/Hazard Reporting ......................................................................... 56
APPENDICES..................................................................................................... 57
Alphanumeric Wildfire Incident Maps ............................................................... 57
Air Operations Map Using the Alphanumeric Grid System .............................. 58
Alberta Third System of Survey ....................................................................... 59
Fireline Equipment Weights ............................................................................. 63
Helicopter Landing Areas ................................................................................. 67
Helibase ........................................................................................................ 67
Helispot ......................................................................................................... 67
Helipad.......................................................................................................... 67
Helispot Size and condition: .......................................................................... 67
Glossary of Wildfire Terms .............................................................................. 68
Airspace Chart 1 – Class F Airspace ............................................................... 73
Airspace Chart 2 – Vertical Altitude Assignments ............................................ 74
Airspace Chart 3 – Airtanker Circuits ............................................................... 75
Airspace Chart 4 – Split Fire Operations.......................................................... 76

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Contact Information
Forestry Area Offices
Office Location Email Phone Number

Calgary calgary.wfops@gov.ab.ca (403) 297-8800

Edson wf.wfops-edsn@gov.ab.ca (780) 723-8269

Fort McMurray mcmurray.wfops@gov.ab.ca (780) 743-7125

Grande Prairie grande.wfops@gov.ab.ca (780) 538-5560

High Level high.wfops@gov.ab.ca (780) 926-3761

Lac La Biche labiche.wfops@gov.ab.ca (780) 623-5388

Peace River peace.wfops@gov.ab.ca (780) 624-6190

Rocky Mountain House rocky.wfops@gov.ab.ca (403) 845-8272

Slave Lake slave.wfops@gov.ab.ca (780) 849-7428

Whitecourt whitecourt.wfops@gov.ab.ca (780) 778-7153

Alberta Wildfire
Coordination Centre
Office Location Email Phone Number

Edmonton AWCC@gov.ab.ca (780) 415-6460

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Introduction
The purpose of this handbook is to give companies and pilots working for the
Province an insight into how Agriculture and Forestry conducts business. Basic
information on policies, procedures, and incident command system are provided
in this handbook.

Wildfire Management is within the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (AF) and is
responsible for wildfire service, operations, prevention, wildfire information and
community programs for approximately 52.9% of the province (349,726 square
kilometres).

To help with safeguarding our forests, Alberta has a designated legislated Forest
Protection Area where within the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Wildfire
Management Branch, is responsible for wildfire suppression. The Province has
been divided into ten (10) Areas (each with their own fire centre) as listed below:

 Calgary Forest Area  Edson Forest Area

 Fort McMurray Forest Area  Grande Prairie Forest Area
 High Level Forest Area  Lac La Biche Forest Area
 Peace River Forest Area  Rocky Mountain House Forest Area
 Slave Lake Forest Area  Whitecourt Forest Area

A Forest Area Manager coordinates and monitors all forest protection activities
within the Area.

The key strategy used to protect the land and forest resources is the safe, rapid
and aggressive initial attack of all fires in the province. It is important that the
aircraft pilot is well trained, competent and has a well-maintained aircraft. In
addition to wildfire operations, aircraft are also used for other resource
management projects.

Each Forest Area is responsible for the management of wildfires within their
designated area. The Alberta Wildfire Coordination Centre (AWCC), previously
the Provincial Forest Fire Centre (PFFC) which is located at the Wildfire
Management Headquarters in Edmonton is responsible for the coordination of
resources between the Forest Areas, setting Provincial Priorities, oversees
polices and conducts audits on wildfire programs.

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Forest Area Administrative Boundaries Map

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Incident Command System
The Alberta Wildfire Management Branch Incident Command Organization is
based on the Canadian Incident Command System (ICS) and is used to manage
all wildfire emergencies and prescribed fire events.

The ICS organizational structure is specifically designed to meet the complexity

and demands of single or multiple emergencies or complex planned events.
The Incident Command System is the combination of facilities, equipment,
personnel, procedures and communications operating within a common
organizational structure with responsibility for the management of assigned
resources to effectively accomplish stated objectives pertaining to an incident.

Five (5) basic sections are used in forming the Basic Incident: Command,
Operations, Planning, Logistics and Finance. On smaller Incidents all positions
may not be activated and persons may be assigned the duties and
responsibilities held by other positions. Aircraft will typically report to the
Operations Section on an incident and the Air Operations Branch if activated.

Incident Command Organization Structure Chart

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Operations Section Organization Chart

Role of the Air Operations Branch

The Operations Section Chief may establish an Air Operations Branch when the
complexity of air operations requires additional support or when the incident
requires mixing tactical and logistical utilization of helicopters and other aircraft.

The number of personnel needed to perform the major functions and

responsibilities assigned to the Air Operations Branch will vary based on the size
and complexity of the incident. The general responsibilities of the key positions
in the Air Operations Branch are as follows:
Air Operations Branch Director (AOBD)
The Air Operations Branch Director position is deployed on large and or complex
incidents. The Air Operations Branch Director is responsible for overseeing all
aircraft operations on the incident including: ensuring appropriate incident air
support facilities are in place, coordinates tactical, logistical and other uses of
incident aircraft, ensures appropriate airspace management procedures are in
place and ensures safe and efficient use of aircraft resources.

A pilot’s day-to-day interactions with the Air Operations Branch Director may be
limited when air support staff such as the Air Support Group Supervisor, Helibase
Manager and Helicopter Coordinator are deployed on an incident.

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Air Support Group Supervisor (ASGS)
The Air Support Group Supervisor is deployed on mid to large-scale incidents
with several aircraft. The Air Support Group Supervisor is responsible for the
management and coordination of all air support facilities and resources including:
briefing new aircrew on the facilities and their assignments, coordinating and
communicating aircraft assignments, ensuring air traffic control plans are
established/communicated and manages Daily Flight Reports (AO-02).
Helibase Manager (HEBM)
The Helibase Manager is responsible for managing and supervising all activities
and resources at their assigned helibase. The Helibase Manager should be the
first point of contact for the pilot for any issues surrounding: fueling, helibase
layout, dust and debris issues or concerns, engineering maintenance support
and security.
The Air Support Group Supervisor and the Helibase Manager are most
commonly the air operations branch positions that a pilot will interact the most
with on an incident.
Loadmaster (LOAD)
During highly complex helibase operations, it may be necessary to activate a
LOAD. The LOAD is responsible for the safe loading/unloading of personnel and
cargo.
 Responsible for the safe loading/unloading of personnel and cargo.
 Ensure all passengers receive pre-flight briefings.
 Supervise manifesting of personnel and cargo.
 Coordinate efficient movement of personnel and cargo
 Coordinate sling loads
Helibase Radio Operator (RADO)
The RADO is supervised by the ASGS and is responsible for facilitating
communications among assigned helicopters, helibases and air operations staff.
 Responsible for facilitating communications among assigned helicopters,
helibases and air operations staff. Maintain constant communication with
all helicopters.
 Maintain a log of all aircraft movements and manifests
 Assist with helicopter timekeeping and utilization tracking
Helicopter Coordinator (HLCO)
The Helicopter Coordinator is responsible for:
 Managing and coordinating aerial firefighting using multiple medium and
heavy helicopters
 Briefing pilots on tactical missions and procedures
 Identifying and prioritizing suppression targets
 Assisting with initial scouting/ assessment of water sources
 Coordinating with other Provincial staff and resources including ground
personnel and airtankers.

The Helicopter Coordinator position plays an integral yet limited part in managing
airspace over an incident. The primary airspace management responsibilities of
the Helicopter Coordinator are as follows:

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  The Helicopter Coordinator’s pilot may inform the other rotary-wing what
altitude the Helicopter Coordinator aircraft is maintaining, however, the
Helicopter Coordinator shall not assign altitudes to “stack” other aircraft, or
give entrance/exit instructions.

Each pilot in command on the incident is responsible to see and be seen and
may only be assigned altitudes and entrance/exit instructions by a qualified Air
Attack Officer or Air Tactical Group Supervisor that is managing the airspace.
Air Attack Officer (AAO)
Each airtanker group has an assigned “birddog” aircraft that carries an air attack
officer (AAO) and a birddog pilot. The AAO coordinates air attack operations on
wildfires and ensures aerial operations are conducted in an effective, efficient
and safe manner. The birddog team also manages the airspace over the wildfire
to ensure the safety of all aircraft in the vicinity.
Air Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS)
When two (2) Birddog aircraft are on a fire, one Birddog may assume the Air
Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS) role. Once an ATGS is established, that
Birddog team will be responsible for managing the airspace for the fire. The
ATGS will maintain a high altitude orbit while the tactical birddog will remain 1000
ft. AGL and continue to work with the airtankers working the fire. The ATGS will
be identified as “Air Attack” and either the Wildfire number or a geographical
identifier. For example: Air Attack Fire 31 or Round Hill Air Attack. Once ATGS
has been established it will be announced on the Air Advisory and Forest Area
Firenet Frequencies.

Firedrive
The Wildfire Management Branch has made a file sharing service available to all
aircraft companies with a casual charter agreement. The Firedrive
(https://firedrive.gov.ab.ca) allows companies to access a digital copy of the pilot
handbook, helicopter rates, geo referenced pdf. maps, the FP183 Forestry
Division Radio Guide, reference materials and other important electronic forms.
These materials are available for download and pilots using electronic devices in
the field are encouraged to make use of this site. For mobile devices, there is a
mobile app which provides a far superior experience for mobile users. The app is
called Synology Drive that can be found in the app store.

The login username and password is distributed to the primary contact in Webair
on an annual basis by April 1st.

Files and documents on this site are not to be distributed beyond those
individuals participating or assisting in wildfire operations.

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Aircraft Hiring and Requirements
Definitions
Availability
For a helicopter to be considered “Available’ on WebAir, the aircraft must be
available to depart within one hour of hire notification. Both the helicopter and
essential aircrew must be at the location indicated on WebAir.
Forestry Projects
Operations related to and in support of wildfire suppression, presuppression,
reclamation, lookout tower servicing, timber management, forest health, etc.

Suitability is determined by the following considerations:

1. Aircraft type, capability and Pilot qualifications
2. Forest Area Operator (Rotation list will be used)
3. Forest Area knowledge and familiarity with Agriculture and Forestry
policies and procedures
4. Proximity to point of hire

Forest Area Operator (FAO) is an aircraft company with an established base

located within the Forest Area/ Mutual Aid zone with aircraft on location and base
maintained year round. A base is further defined as a permanent facility capable
of indoor aircraft storage, maintenance and fueling of the designated aircraft
types. To be considered a Forest Area Operator, the aircraft company must be
established in the Forest Area/Mutual Aid Zone for a minimum of 1 year after the
Forest Area inspection. The aircraft company must make contact with the Forest
Area advising them of the intent of establishing FAO status. A Forest Area
representative(s) will inspect the facility(s) to confirm if the company meets the
criteria mentioned above. Once the inspection is completed and approved by the
Forest Area, the one year time period will commence.

Forest Area Operators must provide the Forest Area with a list of aircraft types
and quantities that are designated as Forest Area Operator aircraft at the
beginning of the fire season (April 1st) of each year. An aircraft company may
only list aircraft with one Forest Area.

Hiring Authority
Forest Area
Shall hire on a casual basis those aircraft companies situated within the Forest
Area boundaries.
Alberta Wildfire Coordination Centre
Shall hire upon request from the Forest Area(s) or Edmonton those aircraft
companies situated outside the requesting Forest Area boundaries or outside of
the Province.

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Note: Aircraft companies must have a Casual Charter Agreement in place to be
eligible for hire. Only those companies with a Transport Canada issued
approved Air Operator Certificate are eligible for a Casual Charter Agreement
with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Wildfire Management conducts
aircraft company safety reviews with new Casual Charter Agreements and
periodically there after.

Hiring Priority
Agriculture and Forestry first determines the best aircraft type or classification for
the job and any other specific pilot competencies required. Hiring priorities are
as follows for:
Light, intermediate and medium helicopters
1. Long-term contract aircraft of required capability
2. ‘Available’ aircraft based on:
 Suitability; and
 WebAir time stamp
Heavy Helicopters
1. Suitability
2. WebAir time stamp

Releasing
The intent of this procedure is to meet the needs of the operation while finding an
equitable balance for aircraft companies.

When releasing helicopters from presuppression or wildfires, each is considered

an individual project, for example: presuppression is one project, *WF-060 is one
project, *WF-090 is one project. Helicopters are not replaced from one project to
another.

Within each project, helicopters are released as follows:

1. Aircraft requesting to be released for other work or limited time
commitment,
2. Casually hired aircraft based on least suitability for the work required,
3. Long-term contract aircraft.

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Aircraft Substitution
An aircraft company may substitute a helicopter short term (48 hours) for
maintenance or aircraft unserviceability provided that:
 The Forest Area is advised and agrees to the replacement;
 The aircraft is the same type. Alternate types within the same
classification (light, intermediate, medium or heavy) maybe considered,
however the replacement aircraft will be paid at the same or lower rate as
the aircraft it is replacing;
 The aircraft being substituted is not already on hire with the Branch;
 The aircraft is owned or leased by the aircraft company and
 The aircraft is shown in WebAir to be at the same location as the intended
hire.

Note: All costs or expenses related to substituting aircraft shall be borne by the
aircraft company.

Aircrew Changes
If an aircraft company wishes to replace or substitute any member of the aircrew,
they must notify the Forest Area 48 hours in advance of any replacement or
substitution. The aircraft company must provide updated contact information for
any new aircrew. The Province must approve pilot competencies prior to the
replacement of any pilots. All costs or expenses related to replacing or
substituting aircrew shall be borne by the aircraft company.

WebAir
WebAir Canada shall be used to determine aircraft location. For general
questions or technical support, please contact the Canadian Interagency Forest
Fire Centre (CIFFC) at (204) 784-2030.
1. No aircraft substitutions at the time of hire
2. If an aircraft is substituted mid-hire, the aircraft will be marked as ‘Hired’
by Agriculture and Forestry at time of substitution
3. If Agriculture and Forestry contacts an aircraft company and the aircraft is
not available immediately within one (1) hour or the time required,
Agriculture and Forestry will mark aircraft as ‘Unavailable’ in WebAir and
move on to hire the next available aircraft
4. Aircraft companies are responsible for real time updates to their status on
WebAir for availabilities, pilot competencies, training, aircraft company
information, etc.
5. Agriculture and Forestry will mark aircraft as ‘Hired’:
 At the time of hire when the aircraft will be commencing work within
24 hours
 On the first day of the hire when the aircraft is hired more than 24
hours in advance.

Note: Pilot information must be entered and updated in Webair at the time of
hire. This includes but is not limited to pilot competencies, updated flying hours,
speciality flying experience and speciality training such as the Alberta Wildfire
Pilot Orientation course or Mountain Flying courses.

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False Information on WebAir
If an aircraft company falsely claims information (such as, but not limited to, pilot
competency, aircraft position, etc.) on WebAir, the hiring Wildfire Operations
Officer (or designate) or the Provincial Aircraft Coordinator will address concerns
with the aircraft company and advise the Manager of Aviation and Geomatics (or
designate). If it is found that the aircraft company is intentionally providing false
information on WebAir, reprimands to the aircraft company such as a verbal
warning, a letter of warning, suspension of hire or termination of all or some of
their contracts may result. Letters of warning, suspensions or contract
terminations will be sent from the Manager of Aviation and Geomatics.

Unserviceable Aircraft
Unserviceable is defined as when the aircraft, pilot or engineer are not in
condition to perform, fails to perform or is unavailable to perform during the
alert/standby period as defined in “Flight Crew Statuses” or work assignment
period specified in the daily Incidence Action Plan or Forest Area daily operations
plan. Casual hired aircraft unserviceable for more than one charter period will be
released. Daily Minimum Hours shall be adjusted when the helicopter is
unserviceable for a portion of the Charter Period and shall not apply if the
helicopter is unserviceable for the duration of the Charter Period.
When reporting unserviceable aircraft these procedures must be followed:
 Advise the Forest Area immediately of unserviceable casual charter
aircraft,
 Begin completion of Unserviceable Aircraft Report (FP26) and submit it to
Forest Area Duty Room via the Forest Area email,
 Ensure the Alert Period is completed to allow for accurate adjustment(s) to
any daily standby penalty charges, and
 Advise the Forest Area when aircraft is serviceable again (complete that
section of the report and submit it to the Forest Area Duty Room).

Note: Inoperable radios constitutes an unserviceable aircraft. Depending on the

aircraft unserviceable reason, an Aviation Occurrence Report (FP1) may need to
be completed.

Minimum Equipment Requirements

Required – Beyond Transport Canada Requirements
1. Transport Canada approved, VHF-AM transceiver, operating in the 118.0
– 136.0 MHz frequency range, with 25 KHz spacing] with the ability to
monitor two separate frequencies.

2. One Project 25 (P25) Compliant Transport Canada approved VHF-FM

transceiver capable of programming and retaining 99 or more channels of
operating on 138.0 – 174.0 MHz transmit-and-receive with full access to
CTCSS sub-audible tones, Network Access Codes (NAC) and be
switchable by the operator to any of the 32 standard CTCSS tones or one
of the 4096 NAC codes and capable of narrow banding and a minimum of
one guard channel. All radios must be useable by the pilot with a “push to
talk” button on the cyclic.

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 3. Intercom communications with a minimum of one headset per passenger
seat for light and intermediate helicopters. A minimum of one headset for
each front seat and four headsets for the rear seats in medium
helicopters. All headsets are to be “David Clark” equivalent in quality.

4. Light, intermediate and medium helicopters must have the ability to

independently receive and transmit simultaneously from the pilot and co-
pilot positions on any of the radio systems.

5. Functioning Hobbs meter (except heavy helicopters) calibrated to show

readings in hours and tenths of hours that is activated by flight or full
power ground hover. Helicopters without Hobbs meters may be hired,
however, a method of determining accurate flight time such as audited
pilot logbooks or helibase manager records, must be used for billing.
Aircraft with an unserviceable Hobbs meter will require review and
recording of the Pilot logbook for validation of all flight hours. Alternative
devices to the standard Hobbs meter will be permitted as long as they
provide an audit function that will record individual flight airtime and a
cumulative tally of airtime for the helicopter.

6. All helicopters shall have one GPS unit mounted in a central position
between the pilot and co-pilot station. GPS units are mounted and in a
position that does not impede the passenger view from the co-pilot seat.
Preferably with degree decimal minute (DMD) as the standard display.

7. Functioning mode C transponder (Must be turned on at all times)

8. Equipped at all times with functioning emergency locator transmitter (ELT)

compliant with the ‘406’ ELT approved by Transport Canada.

9. Near real time tracking device that is capable of providing position, speed
and heading in a standard format “AFF” (automated flight following) at a
minimum of every 02 minutes as described in this document.

10. Transport Canada approved shoulder harnesses for all passenger seats,
except heavy helicopters equipped with “airline style” seats.

11. Portable electric refuelling gear.

12. All helicopters must have upper surfaces of the main rotor blades painted
in solid or alternating color patterns with high visibility paint. Acceptable
colors are white, black, yellow, red and orange.

13. Self-cocking, automatic locking cargo hook with both manual and electrical
release.

14. Sleeping bag and sleeping gear for each flight crew member.

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 15. Preferred to have a multi-purpose mobile computing device (IOS or
Android "smartphone" or tablet) equipped with a mapping application
(such as but not limited to ForeFlight or Avenza Maps) capable of reading
geospatial PDFs - mounted to be used in a hands free way
Wildfire Operations – Required
 Helicopters (except for the R22 and R44) must come with an approved
water bucket having a volume suitable to the operational performance for
that helicopter type.
 Helicopters with a 270 Imperial gallon or greater capacity bucket, the
bucket is to be foam capable.
 Intermediate, medium and heavy helicopters must come with at least one
(1) long line of at least 100 feet with remote hook and be equipped for
vertical reference capabilities.
 Minimum of two (2) cargo nets of appropriate size for the aircraft and two
lanyards.
 Cabin area cargo nets or restraints for medium and heavy helicopter side
facing seating/cargo area.
Specialty Operations
Any speciality operations may require other equipment and will be identified at
the time of hire.
Tracking Device Requirements for Wildfire Management Operations
Tracking systems are mandatory for all Helicopters and Fixed Wing. (This does
not apply to scheduled airline flights and charter fixed wing flights for passenger
moves)

The satellite system must meet the USAFF XML data specification and either
push the data to a WM server or allow WM services to pull the data from its data
server.
 Must be Automated Flight Following (AFF) compliant.
 Must be connected to the aircraft power source.
 Installed in such a manner that the GPS and Satellite antennas have
maximum vertical exposure to ensure connectivity with the satellites.
 Installation is approved via an Engineering Order (EO), Limited
Supplemental Type Approval (LSTA), or a Supplemental Type Certificate
(STC).
 Secure in such a manner that in the event of a firm landing it will not
become dislodged and pose a risk to cabin crew.

Note: The Electronic Serial Number (ESN) and/ or the International Mobile
Equipment Identity (IMEI) number must be provided to the Alberta Wildfire
Coordination Centre in Edmonton for entry into the tracking system.

The service providers listed below are set up in the Alberta Wildfire tracking
system:
 Outerlink
 Guardian
 Bluesky

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  LatitudeService
 skyTrac
 SkyConnect
 SpiderTracks
 SolaraRDDI
 TrooTrax
 V2Track

Any additional providers not listed must be set up prior to Fire Season. Please
contact the Alberta Wildfire Coordination Centre before March 15 each year to
add a service provider.

Note: An inoperable tracking system may constitute an unserviceable aircraft

depending on the project and length of time the system is inoperable.

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Accounts and Expenses
General
Invoices for flights conducted by Agriculture and Forestry must be directed to
Aircraft Accounts at the Alberta Wildfire Coordination Centre. The Government
of Alberta (GOA) Daily Flight Report (AO-02) signed by the designated authority
of the Province will be the basis for payment made. Timely and accurate
documentation supports the department’s requirement for record keeping and
allows for prompt payment to aircraft companies.

The green copy of the Daily Flight Report (AO-02) is left at the Forest Area office
and the aircraft company retains the white and yellow copies. The aircraft
company must submit a copy of the Daily Flight Report with the invoice for
payment. If the invoice is sent by email, a scanned copy is acceptable.

Note: Any changes to the flight report after it has been signed must be
approved by the Forest Area that the flight occurrence in. Any invoices
with unapproved changes to the vendor copy of the flight report that do not
match the original flight report will not be processed.

Annual Fleet List and Insurance – Helicopters

By January 15th of each year, the Air Operations Section of the Wildfire
Management Branch will email a current Fleet List to all aircraft companies with a
valid casual charter contract. This Fleet List will include all aircraft that Wildfire
Management has on file for each aircraft company. Companies are required to
review, and if the fleet list is correct, must sign, date and send back to the Air
Operations Section. If any updates or changes need to be made to the Fleet list,
companies are required to make those adjustments and send back to the Air
Operations Section who will then review and make any necessary adjustments
and return for date and signature.

All finalized Fleet Lists are to be returned to the Air Operations Section by March
31st of the current year. Any updates to the Fleet List throughout the season
must be done prior to hire. Any invoicing discrepancies will reference the signed
Fleet List. Failure to return a signed Fleet List by March 31st of the current year
will result in Wildfire Management defaulting to the most recent aircraft list on file,
in turn generating payment for the aircraft on file.

To maintain an active contract, aircraft companies are required to supply a copy

of their current insurance certificate to Aircraft Accounts.

Note: This Fleet List is a record of aircraft on file with the Alberta Wildfire
Management Branch and may differ from those aircraft listed on WebAir Canada.
Management of the aircraft listed on WebAir Canada is the responsibility of each
individual aircraft company.

20 Pilot Handbook | 2021

Sample Daily Flight Report (AO-02)

Pilot Handbook | 2021 21

Daily Flight Report (AO-02)
Flight tickets are the basis of payment and the audit trail document. The following
information if applicable must be filled out on the flight report.

 Flight Date;
 Vendor Name;
 A/C Type;
 A/C Registration;
 Aircraft Registration Substitution (if Applicable);
 Departure and Down for the Night Location;
 Aircraft Departing From, Roll/Up Time;
 Aircraft Arriving To, Stop/Down Time;
 Total Flight time according to Meter Reading, Start and Finish and
Difference (If Aircraft has no meter, an explanation must be provided);
 Purpose of Flight;
 Fire # / Project Code (if applicable);
 Crew # / Type (if applicable);
 Any landing Fees to be charged;
 Comments;
 Supplied by Vendor and GOA Fuel, number of litres and cost per litre;
 Pilot(s) and Engineer(s) Printed Name;
 Crew expenses supplied by aircraft company or Government of Alberta
(GOA); breakfast, lunch, dinner, accom., and/or vehicle rental;
 Flight Verification
o Pilot Signature and Pilot Printed Name;
o Verified by Signature, Title, Printed Name and Phone Number of
Authorized Provincial Representative;

Note: All eligible aircrew expenses and fuel supplied by the aircraft company
must be recorded on the Daily Flight Report (AO-02). If these chargers are not
recorded on the Daily Flight Report (AO-02), payment for these charges will not
be honored.

Signing Authorities
Only the following personnel are authorized to sign the Daily Flight Report:

 Wildfire Rangers, Technologists and Operations Officers;

 Forest Officers, Foresters;
 Managers;
 Helitack and Unit Crew Leaders and Sub-Leaders;
 Crew Supervisors, Task Force and Strike Team Leaders;
 Contract Air Attack Officers, Contract Air Support Group Supervisors and
Air Operations Branch Director;
 Dispatch Supervisors, Wildfire Dispatchers and Aircraft Logistics
Supervisors;
 Airtanker Base Personnel;
 Communication Technicians;
 Hinton Training Centre employees, and

22 Pilot Handbook | 2021

  Out-of-Province and out-of-service Incident Management Team members,
with written authorization from the Forestry Area Manager,
 Employees not included in this list, with written authorization from the
Forest Area Manager or a Director.

The person signing the Daily Flight Report (AO-02) should be a person who was
on-board the flight, or coordinating the flight, and can verify the details of the
flight and any expenses incurred.

Verification and Approval Process

Daily Minimum Hours

Daily minimum hours are the number of hours per day, if any, that may be
guaranteed to an aircraft company. Daily minimum hours are paid out at the
hourly flying rate. Daily minimum hours for all types and classes are as follows:

May 1st to September 30th

Fire suppression and presuppression daily minimum hours shall be:

 4 hours;

Note: With the exception of late day hires, the daily work period for fire
suppression and presuppression will be a minimum of 8 hours.

Project work (e.g. Tower service, fuel moves, forest health, timber
management, etc.) and late day hire for Fire Suppression and Presuppression
the daily minimum hours shall be:

 2 hours when the daily work period* is less than 6.0 hours;
 3 hours when the daily work period is between 6.0 hours and 7.9 hours;
 4 hours when the daily work period is 8.0 or more hours.

Pilot Handbook | 2021 23

 October 1 to April 30

Daily minimum hours shall apply only to fire suppression, presuppression,

and Mountain Pine Beetle Operations and shall be:

 2 hours when the daily work period is less than 6.0 hours;
 3 hours when the daily work period is between 6.0 hours and 7.9 hours;
 4 hours when the daily work period is 8.0 or more hours.
 All other flights will be only for flight hours flown

1. Daily minimum hours shall be averaged over the term of each charter
period** and any unused daily minimum hours shall be calculated by
Aircraft Accounts at the end of the charter period.

2. Daily minimum hours shall be determined by the Province for very short-
term flying projects and late-day hire for suppression or man-up.

3. Daily minimum hours shall not apply if the aircraft is released 30 minutes
or more (pilot or engineer notified) prior to its assigned "stand to" time.

4. Daily minimum hours shall not apply for ferry time or block time days.
These flight hours shall be included with the daily minimum hours
averaged over the term of the charter period.

5. Daily minimum hours shall be adjusted when the helicopter is

unserviceable for a portion of the charter period and shall not apply if the
helicopter is unserviceable for the duration of the Charter Period.

*Daily Work Period – Is the daily helicopter commitment and refers to the time
the helicopter is committed to the project from the time of initial takeoff or start
of standby period (whichever is earlier) to completion of the last flight or end
of standby period (whichever is later). The daily work period is to be
determined at the start of the charter period and is not to be adjusted
throughout the day.

**Charter Period – means the period of time for which the Contractor supplies
helicopter for the exclusive use of the Province at the request of the Province
from initial hire until it is released. The Charter Period is an open-ended hire
with no guarantee of the number of Daily Work Periods.

24 Pilot Handbook | 2021

Flying Time
Payments for helicopters shall be based on the aircraft type provided and the
applicable rates specified in the current Alberta Rotor Wing Rate Schedule.
When determining the duration of a flight, fractions of an hour are rounded to the
nearest multiple of six minutes and expressed as decimals of an hour.

0-2 min = 0.0 21 - 26 min = 0.4 45 - 50 min = 0.8

3-8 min = 0.1 27 - 32 min = 0.5 51 - 56 min = 0.9

9 - 14 min = 0.2 33 - 38 min = 0.6 57 - 60 min = 1.0

15 - 20 min = 0.3 39 - 44 min = 0.7

Point of Hire and Ferry Time

The actual point of hire and any ferry time may be negotiated at the time of hire.
For aircraft positioned outside Alberta, ferry time will be paid one way from point
of hire to the required work location. Daily Minimum Hours shall not apply for
ferry time days. Flight hours for ferry time must be on the flight report for the first
or last day of the charter period. If the ferry time does not take place on the first
or last day of the charter period, a note needs to be made in the comments
section of the flight report as to when the ferry flight took place.

Note: If the aircraft is repositioned, ferry time will be paid back to the original
required work location.

Fuel Expenses
Agriculture and Forestry makes every attempt to supply aviation fuel located at
Wildfire Management maintained fuel caches. While hired with Agriculture and
Forestry, companies are expected to use Wildfire Management fuel when
supplied. There may be times when the Duty Officer or divisional representative
may request the aircraft company to supply fuel. When an aircraft company is
requested to supply fuel and/or oil, the number of litres must be shown on the
Daily Flight Report (AO-02). If not reflected on the Daily Flight Report (AO-02) or
the aircraft company supplies fuel and/or oil without being requested to, payment
for these charges may not be honoured.
Aircraft companies are expected to:
 report for a hire with adequate fuel and leave at the end of a hire fueled up
 use Agriculture and Forestry supplied fuel when available
When helicopters are released from the charter period, the Province shall honour
invoices for fuel that was utilized from departure from the point of hire up to and
including return to the point of hire.

Pilot Handbook | 2021 25

Landing Fees
Any landing fees incurred while working for the Province will be reimbursed with
the submission of a receipt. To avoid delay in payment for flight time and
expenses, landing fees can be invoiced separately. All landing fees must be
recorded on the Daily Flight Report (AO-02) in the “Landing Fees to be charged”
section. If the landing fees are not recorded on the Daily Flight Report, payment
for these charges will not be honored.

Flight Crew Meals, Accommodations, and Transportation

Subsistence (meals, accommodation and vehicle rental) for all aircraft crew can
be claimed when the aircraft starts and finishes its day away from its point of hire
and when not supplied by the Province. Example: An aircraft that has a point of
hire in Slave Lake and starts and finishes its day in Slave Lake is not eligible for
any aircrew expenses. If the aircraft is repositioned to High Prairie and the
Province does not provide meals or accommodations the aircrew would then be
eligible for subsistence claims. Subsistence claims shall not apply for ferry time
or block time days. Expenses may be claimed in accordance with Schedule “C”
of the Casual Charter Agreement. The aircraft company must submit receipts
when claiming any expenses in excess of limits. Charges are not permitted for
alcoholic beverages or gratuity. All eligible aircrew expenses supplied by the
aircraft company must be recorded on the Daily Flight Report (AO-02). If these
charges are not recorded on the Daily Flight Report (AO-02), payment for these
charges will not be honored.

Meals
Flight crews are expected to:

 Use closest kitchen facility maintained by Wildfire Management for the

purpose of feeding seasonal firefighters, such as fire camps, secondary or
primary camps, or contract kitchens,
 When more convenient and feasible, eat near their place of
accommodation, if different from above location; for example, when
staying at a hotel in town they may take breakfast there rather than drive
out to a base, however, the flight crew may not claim the meal on their
expense claim, and
 Eat pre-packed lunches from any source but primarily Wildfire
Management contracted kitchens.

Accommodations
Canadian Air Regulations defines suitable accommodation as:
"a single-occupancy bedroom that is subject to a minimal level of noise, is well
ventilated and has facilities to control the levels of temperature and light or,
where such a bedroom is not available, an accommodation that is suitable for the
site and season, is subject to a minimal level of noise and provides adequate
comfort and protection from the elements"

In remote locations (temporary firebases or camps), the Province will make every
attempt to supply aircrew with suitable accommodations. In the event the

26 Pilot Handbook | 2021

Province cannot provide accommodations and the contractor is eligible for
subsistence claims, the contractor will be reimbursed at cost upon submission of
an invoice with receipts or as specified in the current Wildfire Management
Aircrew Subsistence rates, without receipts. In the event the Province attempts
to supply suitable accommodations and the aircrew chooses not to accept, the
contractor shall not be eligible for any claims. Further, any additional costs (flight
time) as a result of aircrew not accepting accommodations shall not be paid.

Note: Pilots should be prepared to overnight in temporary camp

accommodations such as sleeping trailers in remote locations. Bedding is not
provided in camp accommodations, the pilot is required to come prepared with
toiletries and sleeping gear suitable for the season.

Transportation
Wildfire Management does not provide pilots and engineers with Government or
Government leased vehicles when hired for contract or charter. When the
aircraft company is eligible for vehicle transportation expenses (one vehicle per
aircraft), vehicle rentals will be reimbursed at cost upon submission of an invoice
with receipts or as specified in the current Wildfire Management Aircrew
Subsistence rates in Schedule “C” of the Casual Charter agreement, without
receipts. The Province must preapprove any additional vehicle claims. In cases
where the aircraft company vehicles are used for transportation, the current
Wildfire Management Aircrew Subsistence Rates apply. In cases where taxis are
used for transportation, receipts are required for charges over $10.00.

Pilot Handbook | 2021 27

Alberta Government Payment Schedule
1. A separate invoice must be submitted for each aircraft registration.
Invoices must be submitted to the Alberta Wildfire Coordination Centre
(AWCC), Aircraft Accounts in a timely fashion. A suggested guideline is
that invoices should be submitted to the AWCC on the 15th and 30th of
each month.

2. Any unused Daily Minimum Hours are to be invoiced at the end of the
Charter Period.

3. The Province is not responsible for any claims not covered by a valid tariff.

4. The Daily Flight Report (AO-02) cannot be changed after authorized

personnel have certified it. If changes are required, the Forest Area that
the flight took place in must authorize any changes.

5. Daily Flight Report (AO-02) submitted without Government authorization

will be returned to the aircraft company.

Appropriate documentation to support claims for flight crew expenses or other

miscellaneous claims must accompany the Daily Flight Report (AO-02) when
submitting invoices for payment. All invoice documentation may be scanned and
emailed to the Aircraft Accounts Section at:

wf.awhq-aircraftaccts@gov.ab.ca

Alternatively, documents may be mailed to:

ATTN: AIRCRAFT ACCOUNTS UNIT

WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT BRANCH
J.G. O’ Donoghue Building
Suite 100, 7000 – 113 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T6H 5T6

28 Pilot Handbook | 2021

The Pilot
Fixed Wing Aircraft Pilot Qualifications
On an annual basis, all fixed wing pilots must complete the Alberta Wildfire
Pilot Orientation online course through the Hinton Training Centre.
Registration instructions for the Alberta Wildfire Pilot Orientation course are
available on the Firedrive. All fixed wing pilots require the following:
 Current Fixed Wing Transport Canada Commercial or Airline Transport
Pilots License.
 Current Pilot Competency Check (PCC) while operating VFR and a
current Pilot Proficiency Check (PPC) when operating IFR.
 Agriculture and Forestry require that all fixed wing pilots meet the following
qualifications, experience and training level for the following aircraft types:

(a) Twin Turbine and PC-12 (or Single engine turbine over 5,000kg):
 2000 hours total time, fixed wing aircraft
 500 hours multi engine, fixed wing aircraft
 500 hours PIC, fixed wing aircraft

(b) Multi-Engine and Single Engine Turbine Aircraft (Under 5800kg) Caravan,
Turbine Otter and Turbine Beaver:
 1200 Total Time
 100 hours multi-engine or 100 Single Engine Turbine, as applicable
 200 hours PIC
 1000 hours total time if operating under IFR (Captain only)

(c) Single-Engine Piston Aircraft:

 600 Hours total Time
 200 Hours PIC

Helicopter Pilot Qualifications

On an annual basis, all helicopter pilots must complete the Alberta Wildfire Pilot
Orientation online course through the Hinton Training Centre. Registration
instructions for the Alberta Wildfire Pilot Orientation course are available on the
Firedrive. Agriculture and Forestry requires that all pilots meet the competencies
outlined in the Helicopter Association of Canada (HAC) endorsed Pilot
Competencies for Helicopter Wildfire Operations – Guidelines and Best
Practices, Amendment #1. Helicopter pilots must meet the specific
competencies or equivalent for the following operations:

Wildfire Operations
A pilot is competent in:
 General Wildfire Operations Knowledge
 Mountain Flying (When operating in Grande Prairie, Edson, Rocky
Mountain House, and Calgary Forest Areas)
 External Load – Short Line (horizontal reference) or Long Line (vertical
reference)

Pilot Handbook | 2021 29

  Water Bucketing / Tanking
 Hover Exit
 Confined Area Operations
 Low Visibility Flight (Minimum 500 Hours Pilot in Command)

Wildfire Support
A pilot is competent in:
 General Wildfire Operations Knowledge
 Mountain Flying (When operating in Grande Prairie, Edson, Rocky
Mountain House, and Calgary Forest Areas)
 External Load – Short Line (horizontal reference) or Long Line (vertical
reference)
 Confined Area Operations
 Low Visibility Flight (Minimum 500 Hours Pilot in Command)

Helitorch Operations
A pilot is competent in:
 General Wildfire Operations Knowledge
 Mountain Flying (When operating in Grande Prairie, Edson, Rocky
Mountain House, and Calgary Forest Areas)
 External Load – Short Line (horizontal reference) or Long Line (vertical
reference)
 Water Bucketing / Tanking
 Aerial Ignition Device (AID) and Drip Torching
 Confined Area Operations
 Low Visibility Flight (Minimum 500 Hours Pilot in Command)

Helicopter Pilot Mentoring Program

In an effort to help reduce helicopter pilot shortages and increase exposure to
wildfire operations, the Province will allow a second pilot who does not meet the
HAC competencies for Wildfire Operations and Wildfire Support to fly on wildfires
under the supervision of a mentoring pilot. The low time pilot will be given the
opportunity to gain experience and hours flying on wildfire operations. The
second low time pilot will be approved on a case-by-case basis for certain
operations and under the following conditions:
 A formal request must be made to our Provincial Aircraft Coordinator. The
aircraft company must describe the low time pilot’s experience (including
hours PIC), the competencies they intend to work on and the mentoring
pilot’s experience. Approval for low time pilots will be on a case by case
basis at the discretion of the Provincial Aircraft Coordinator and the Forest
Area managing the wildfire.
 The second low time pilot must be supervised for every flight by a
experienced mentoring pilot that meets all the required competencies.
 The second low time pilot would not be permitted to fly with any
passengers on board the helicopter.
 The second low time pilot would be at no cost to the Alberta Government.
Daily fee, travel, meals and accommodations would be the responsibility

30 Pilot Handbook | 2021

 of the aircraft company. In remote base camps when space allows, meals
and accommodations may be provided by the Alberta Government.
 Integrating the second low time pilot into operations would need to be as
little disruptive as possible

Pilot Responsibility
Pilots are legally responsible for the safety of passengers and cargo on board the
aircraft and have the final say on loading of the aircraft, whether a flight proceeds
or is terminated. Pilots must:
 File flight plans as required in CARS;
 Report all hazards, incidents and accidents;
 Determine the suitability of weather conditions for a flight;
 Determine if and where landings can be made safely;
 Ensure maintenance is carried out with minimum impact to Provincial
operations;
 Monitor assigned radio frequencies while in flight;
 Check and report position;
 Complete and submit all paperwork at the completion of each work day;
 Report unserviceable aircraft immediately to the Forest Area;
 Relay immediately any deviations from a flight plan or passenger manifest
immediately to the flight watch station;
 Ensure all flight and load calculations have been completed as per the
requirements of CARS; and
 Supervise all refuelling to ensure the procedures are followed, including
the established amount, type and quality of fuel used.
Briefing of Passengers by Pilot
Pre-flight briefing of passengers and pre-operation briefings of crews are
required as part of safe and efficient aircraft operations.

The safety briefing shall consist of an oral briefing provided by a flight

crewmember or by audio or audio-visual means and include the following
information as applicable to the aircraft, aircraft configuration, equipment and
operation:
 Prior to boarding, procedures for embarking and disembarking when
engines are running and rotors are running:
 When and how carry-on baggage and cargo is to be loaded, secured and
unloaded
 Fastening, unfastening, tightening and general use of safety belts or
safety harnesses
 The proper positioning of seats for take-off and landing
 The location of normal and emergency exits, how they are marked and
how they operate
 The requirement to obey flight crew instructions
 The location, access to and use of emergency equipment, including the
emergency location transmitter, fire extinguisher, life preservers, life rafts,
survival equipment and first aid kit
 Aircraft evacuation procedures, water-ditching procedures, procedures if
the aircraft is configured with external fixtures and where applicable to

Pilot Handbook | 2021 31

 wide-bodied helicopters. The method of egress in the event of a rollover
accident by use of the under seat frame of the traverse cabin seats as
ladder for egress.

Where no additional persons have embarked for subsequent take-off on the

same day, the take-off briefing may be omitted provided a crewmember has
certified that all carry-on baggage and cargo is properly stowed, safety belts and
harnesses are properly fastened and seats properly positioned. The safety
briefing need not be provided if the pilot-in-command has ensured that the
person has completed a currently valid training program covering the safety
briefing requirements for the aircraft. In addition to the proceeding, CARs
requires the following points are to be addressed where applicable:

 Danger zones, approaching and departing a running aircraft

 Operating doors and external compartments
 Helipad requirements and securing equipment
 Carrying equipment around the aircraft
 Aircraft allowable weight and fuel duration
 Personnel protective equipment requirements around an aircraft
 Smoking restrictions

Briefing of Pilot
The Forest Area or Incident Command Team is responsible for providing
briefings to each pilot new to the Forest Area or incident. Once hired, the briefing
will cover the following:

 Terms and conditions of hire;

 Instructions on completing Daily Flight Report (AO-02);
 Radio use, frequencies, and flight following procedures;
 Use of maps and explanation of Alberta Third System of Survey;
 Location of fuel caches and refueling procedures;
 Work assignment, projects, presuppression, or fire reporting structure.
 Maintenance logistical support (Lights, generator, etc.)

Respectful Workplace Expectations

The Government of Alberta is committed to ensuring a strong, inclusive, healthy,
and respectful workplace that is free of harassment, violence, and discrimination.
The Government of Alberta will not tolerate harassment or violence in the
workplace from anyone and is committed to eliminating and doing everything
reasonably practicable to prevent this inappropriate and unacceptable behavior.
Pilots are expected to be familiar with the contents of the respectful workplace
policy for the government of Alberta prior to hire. The pdf is available online at:
https://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/psc-respectful-workplace-policy.pdf

32 Pilot Handbook | 2021

Radio Use, Airspace Management,
and Flight Following
The Forest Protection Radio Guide (FP 183) lists all Forest Area frequencies,
stations, channels and VHF / FM and VHF/AM frequency allocations. The most
current version will be sent to aircraft companies on an annual basis. A pocket
size copy of the Radio Guide is available upon request at Forest Area offices.
There are two sets of VHF-FM frequencies used in Alberta:

1. The Firenet radio system is a provincial VHG repeater network specifically

designed for wildfire in Alberta. It consists of 96 remote repeater sites that
carry radio transmissions via satellite links. In the Firenet system, analog
channels range in numbers from 201-269. The digital P25 compliant
channels range in numbers from 301-329.
2. Fireline channels operate on a simplex system, analog channels range in
numbers from 1 -50. The digital P25 compliant channels range in
numbers from 401-443.

FM Radio Power Settings: VHF FM radios are to be operated on LO (1 watt)

transmit power. This is required to minimize opening repeaters. If HI (10 watt)
required, reselect radio transmit power to LO power after use.

For a Letter of Authority to operate on the Firenet system please send requests
to:
firenet@gov.ab.ca
Aircraft are expected to arrive for hire with all applicable radio frequencies
programmed into their radio. Every pilot must ensure they understand the
wildfire management radio procedures prior to commencement of the flight.
If any aircraft loses the ability to communicate with a designated radio station via
air-to-air or air-to-ground due to a failure of the on-board radio, the aircraft is
considered unserviceable and shall be removed from service until the radios are
operational.

Pilot Handbook | 2021 33

Class F Airspace Management
The Wildfire Management Branch has been assigned a number of VHF-AM
frequencies from ISED. The allocation of these frequencies is managed by the
communication section of the Wildfire Management Branch. Three frequencies
have been allocated to be used for initial attack (operations during the first day of
the wildfire). The following radio frequencies to be used for initial attack:
129.800 MHZ (Primary)
128.950 MHZ (Secondary)
130.750 MHZ (Alternate), North of 52° only and below 3500 feet AGL

Two frequencies have been allocated for sustained action (operations in the
second or concurrent days of the wildfire). The following radio frequencies are to
be used for sustained action:
 122.650MHZ, (Primary)
 130.175 MHZ, (Secondary) North of 53° only and below 3500 feet AGL

The use of the air-to-air advisory frequencies is restricted to aircraft flight

coordination/movement only. All other communications (i.e. to discuss tactics,
logistics, etc.) are to be done on the assigned VHF FM frequency (Firenet and /
or Fireline frequencies). If there are multiple initial attack wildfire or sustained
action wildfires in the same geographical area and the air advisory frequency is
too congested, the airspace manager will determine the requirement to assign an
alternate air advisory and will communicate it to the Forest Area radio room.

The Birddog team (Birddog Pilot and Air Attack Officer) or ATGS act as the
airspace manager over an incident. The Air Attack Officer will issue air space
management instructions to non-airtanker aircraft on an established air advisory
frequency. Management of an airtanker aircraft in the zone will be performed
over an assigned bombing frequency.

When two (2) Birddog aircraft are on a fire, one Birddog may assume the Air
Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS) role. The ATGS will be identified as “Air
Attack” and either the Wildfire number or a geographical identifier. For example:
Air Attack Fire 31 or Round Hill Air Attack. This resource will not use their
birddog aircraft identification number / call sign. The operational birddog will use
their birddog call sign (i.e. Birddog 55).

Outside Class F Airspace (Transiting to and from the fire)

 While transiting to and from wildfires outside of Class F airspaces, you are
expected to monitor the VHF-AM mandatory frequency of 126.7 MHZ as
well as the assigned air advisory frequency.
 For initial attack, the primary air advisory frequency is 129.8 unless
advised of an alternate.
 For sustained action, the primary air advisory frequency is 122.650 unless
advised of an alternate.
 Ensure your transponder is on squawk code 1200.
 All aircraft will follow visual flight regulations including the required cruising
altitudes

34 Pilot Handbook | 2021

 o Westerly track (180-360 deg), maintain even altitude +500 feet
o Easterly track (000-180 deg), maintain odd altitude +500 feet
Approaching Class F Airspace with no Airspace Manager
(Approaching the fire)
 If there is no airspace manager (Birddog or ATGS), all aircraft will contact
any known aircraft 5 minutes back from the fire on the assigned air
advisory frequency.
 If no response, remain outside the restricted airspace (5 nautical miles)
and advise the Forest Area Dispatch. DO NOT proceed inbound until
communications are established. Confirm the assigned air advisory
frequency and aircraft registrations with the Forest Area dispatch.
 All aircraft operating in an un-managed fire airspace will broadcast their
movements and maintain their own separation using the assigned air
advisory frequency.
Approaching Class F Airspace with an Airspace Manager
(Approaching the fire)
 If an airspace manager (Birddog or ATGS) is activated, all aircraft must
call them 5 minutes back on the assigned air advisory frequency
 If no response, remain outside the restricted airspace (5 nautical miles)
and advise the Forest Area Dispatch. DO NOT proceed inbound until
communications are established. Confirm the assigned air advisory
frequency and aircraft registrations with the forest area dispatch.

The Airspace Manager (birddog or ATGS) will Require:

 Your aircraft registration
 Your altitude, position and direction of approach
 Your intensions

Example: “Birddog 132, this is YEG on air advisory”

“I am 5 minutes back from the west at 3500 feet”
“I would like to drop off my crew off at the tail of the fire”

The Airspace Manager will Provide:

 an altimeter setting
 clearance and/or holding instructions
 Other aircraft on scene

When operating in the fire restricted airspace with an airspace manager (Birddog
or ATGS), all aircraft must contact the airspace manager on the assigned air
advisory for clearance instructions into or out of the zone BEFORE they lift off or
move.

Pilot Handbook | 2021 35

Flight Plans and Flight Monitoring
Flight Following and Flight Plans
All aircraft flying for the Province and non-department flights carrying Provincial
employees on related business (oil, gas and timber inspections where company
provides aircraft) must file a Flight Plan or Flight Itinerary as follows:

 Flight Itinerary with Flight Following Radio Watch, or

 Flight Itinerary without Flight Following Radio Watch, or
NAV Canada - a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) or Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight
plan. Any flight designated as IFR must file an IFR flight plan with NAV Canada.

When flying within a Forest Area, the appropriate Forest Area Fire Centre radio
room will be open; it is the required method for flight following for flights within or
between Forest Areas. Exceptions are permitted for high altitude IR scanning
flights. Alterations in the planned mission or itinerary must be immediately
conveyed to the Flight Watch station / person.

All aircraft operating under the jurisdiction of the Province under Instrument Flight
Rules (IFR) must file a flight plan with NAV Canada. Refer to Canadian Air
Regulations.

The above does not apply to regular “Airline Scheduled” flights (Air
Canada, WestJet etc.)
Flight Itinerary with Flight Following Radio Watch
 Flight following will be provided by a combination of direct radio contact
between the aircraft and the radio and the use of the Province’s
automated flight following program (Dispatch).
 If connectivity does not allow for flight following to be completed through
the Dispatch system a verbal 30 minute check-in over the radio will be
required
 Aircraft will report all movements such as take offs, landings, passenger
manifest, weights, destinations and deviations to the radio room, over the
radio.
 Radio stations providing coverage for a flight will remain open until the
flight is officially handed off to the next station enroute.
 Any person providing radio watch for an aircraft shall initiate radio contact
with the aircraft;
o When the aircraft has not reported a position for over 6 minutes
through the Dispatch system
o If the estimated arrival time has been exceeded by 30 minutes, or
o When longer check-in periods have been arranged and the check-in
time is exceeded by, 50%, or 30 minutes whichever is shorter, or
o Any time any aircraft makes any type of distress call.

All written station logs shall be retained for a period of at least 2 years and must
be made available upon request.

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Flight Itinerary without Flight Following Radio Watch
This type of flight watch is not encouraged and it is to be used only when a
staffed radio room is not available or the aircraft is not equipped to communicate
with the radio room.

 The person initiating the flight must designate a person to be responsible

for their flight itinerary and closing the flight plan. This includes providing
them with: departure time, flight path, planned stops and a manifest of all
passengers and return time.
 The designated person must remain available until the flight is closed.
 Upon completion of the flight, the flight initiator must contact the
designated person to close the flight plan.
 The designated person must be aware of the missing aircraft procedures
within the Forestry Division OHS Incident Reference Guide and implement
them if the estimated arrival time is exceeded by 30 minutes.

Pilots must be advised of the name and means of contacting the person
responsible for closing the flight itinerary. This person must remain available until
the flight is closed. The pilot in command shall, upon completion of the flight,
contact the person responsible for closing the flight plan within 30 minutes of the
intended arrival time of the aircraft.

When individuals responsible for closing the flight plan believe the aircraft is
missing, and has not closed the flight itinerary within 30 minutes of its planned
arrival time, they must initiate the procedure for a Missing Aircraft as detailed in
the Forestry Division OHS Incident Reference Guide.

Pilot Handbook | 2021 37

Operation Safety and Procedures
Flight Management General Restrictions and Requirements
The following restrictions/requirements apply to all flights (except regular “Airline
Scheduled” flights (Air Canada, WestJet, etc.)
 No fixed wing or helicopter reconnaissance flights in temperatures below -
30 oC.
 No one shall operate an aircraft, or direct an aircraft to be operated, in an
unsafe manner.
 Any person on doctor prescribed medication will ensure they have
sufficient medication on their person for 3 days.
 Based on the nature of the activity, environment and assessed risks,
individuals shall be attired to spend a minimum of 24 hours in the “bush”.
 A briefing will be held between the aircrew and passenger(s) describing
the nature of the flight and expectations of the aircrew to ensure that the
mission and expectations are clearly understood.
 The minimum Transport Canada survival equipment onboard the aircraft.

Daylight Flying Under Visual Flight Rules (VFR)

When aircraft are working for Wildfire Management, they will operate under
daylight VFR unless the pilot is qualified and current on Instrument Flight Rules
(IFR) procedures and the type of aircraft in use.

The air carrier must be approved by Transport Canada to operate the multi-
engine aircraft under IFR and night VFR conditions. The following rules and
definitions CARs 101.01 will apply:

Day: The period of time beginning one half hour before sunrise and ending one
half-hour after sunset and in respect of any place where the sun does not rise or
set daily, the period during which the centre of the sun’s disc is less than six
degrees below the horizon.

Night: The period beginning one half hour after sunset and ending one half
hour before sunrise and, in respect of any place where the sun does not rise or
set daily, the period during which the centre of the sun’s disc is more than six
degrees below the horizon.

Note: Subject to satisfactory visibility and atmospheric conditions set forth in Part
VI of the Canadian Aviation Regulations, aircraft flying under VFR on projects for
Wildfire Management may fly between the hours one half hour before sunrise
and one half hour after sunset. Outside this time, the aircraft must be on the
ground. Wildfire Management uses the National Research Council of Canada’s
sunrise/sunset calculator.
https://nrc.canada.ca/en/research-development/products-services/software-
applications/sun-calculator/. In the interest of flight safety (e.g., duty days),
Wildfire Management will not use morning and evening twilight calculations for
any operations.

38 Pilot Handbook | 2021

Minimum Meteorological Conditions for VFR Flight
For aircraft operating at less than 1,000 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) in
uncontrolled airspace:

 Fixed wing aircraft must have flight visibility of not less than 2 miles,
except if otherwise authorized in an air operator certificate.
 Helicopters must have a flight visibility of not less than 1 mile. Helicopters
may operate at a reduced VFR visibility limit of 1/2 mile for human
emergencies only (life threatening medical incident or imminent danger).
Flights with helicopters in visibility less than 1 mile are to be the exception not the
standard. VFR flights over the top of cloud or smoke layers is not permitted. Any
cases of perceived or real pressure to fly in unsafe flight visibilities should be
reported. Minimum flight visibilities are to be determined by the pilot in
command. The accepted standard to determine visibility is as follows:
1) Set aircraft ground speed to 60 knts per hour
2) Pick a feature that you can make out in the distance
3) Determine how many seconds it takes to reach the feature
4) Divide the number of seconds by 60 to get the visibility in miles

Example: a feature takes 120 seconds to reach; this would indicate the visibility
is 2 nautical miles

Pilot’s Duty Day

A pilot’s duty day is restricted by the Canadian Air Regulations. This duty period
is fourteen (14) hours in any 24 consecutive hours.

A pilot’s duty day starts when a pilot:

 Reports for a flight,
 Reports for standby that has a reporting time of one hour or less,
 Performs any duty required by the aircraft company, or
 Performs any duty designated by the Minister of Transport.

A pilot’s duty day ends when:

 The engine is turned off at the end of the final flight,
 Any required paperwork is completed,
 Any pilot performed maintenance is completed,
 At the end of a predetermined standby period, whichever is later.

Note: Travel, food, and hygiene are not included in the duty day.

Mandatory Rest Periods

All pilots must have, excluding meal breaks, a minimum of eight (8) hours of
prone rest between the end of one (1) duty period and the start of the next.

Before starting the next duty day, the pilot must be given sufficient time to allow
for 8 hours of prone rest, travel to and from the workplace, meal breaks and
personal hygiene.

Pilot Handbook | 2021 39

Flight Hour Limitations
Wildfire Management’s standard maximum daily flying times are as follows:
Maximum Daily Flight Time
To ensure safety, the Province has established a maximum of ten (10) hours any
pilot may fly within their duty period. This requirement was implemented to
reduce fatigue and ensure every pilot has the required nutrition and personal
breaks each day. The Province may add additional restrictions for ongoing
operations to reduce pilot fatigue and ensure an increased level of safety during
operations.
Suppression and Presuppression Assignments
 Ten hours maximum for the first three (3) days of continuous activity, and
 Eight (8) hours maximum for every consecutive day thereafter.
 The Forest Area Duty Officer, Incident Commander or the Air Operations
Branch Director may allow a pilot who has been flying to start the first of
their ten-hour days providing:
o Pilot has been on continuous ‘light duty’ such as presuppression, day
basing, or flying patrols, and
o In the previous three (3) days pilot has flown less than four (4) hours
per day.

To reset to a ten-hour day, the pilot must not fly for a 24-hour period.
General Duty Assignment
Pilots involved in moving crews from airport to airport or for out-of-province
basing, may fly a maximum of 10 hours per day.

Flight Crew Alert Statuses

Flight crew alert statuses are each set for the following day by the Forest Area
Duty Officer after the afternoon weather forecast. The alert status for
presuppression helicopters are:
 Five (5) minutes
 Ten (10) minutes,
 Thirty (30) minutes,
 Sixty (60) minutes, and
 Project Status (PS).

The expectation is that skids will lift off within the assigned alert status time.
Day Base
Aircraft are moved to an alternate base for the day.
This is usually done after 1100 hours for anticipated fire action or support.
Normally the aircraft will return to their home base unless prevented by fire action
or weather conditions.

40 Pilot Handbook | 2021

Low Level Operations (<500 feet AGL)
The following are operating procedures for activities that do not have a specific
set of procedures similar to those developed for Fire Bombing, Aerial Ignition and
Hover Exit.
General
The aircraft company, pilot and aircraft will be qualified by Transport Canada for
702 Aerial Work. Flight crew are to be fully engaged in “flying the aircraft” and not
be distracted by other work being done. Wherever possible, Agriculture and
Forestry staff should operate radios on Agriculture and Forestry assigned
frequencies, including telemetry receivers. The pilot can monitor these radios if
the cockpit workload permits. Except were specifically permitted in Canadian Air
Regulations sections 602.12-602.16, no flights over the built up area of a
community shall be conducted at altitudes below 1000 feet AGL. A Hazard and
Risk Assessment is to be done for the specific task undertaken requiring low-
level operations including the need for the flight and alternate means of
accomplishing the task identified.
Helicopters
The flight profile should remain at an altitude of at least 300 feet above ground
level (AGL) and remain in the safe operating areas of the “Height / Velocity” (HV)
chart specific to the helicopter in use. If the mission requires the flight profile to
go below 300 feet AGL or into the “unsafe” portion of the Height Velocity (HV)
curve, the exposure time is to be minimized and:
 Only essential crew are allowed on the aircraft.
 If working over open water, the pilot must brief Agriculture and Forestry
personnel on the specific emergency procedures to follow, including
ditching procedures and egress from the aircraft.
 A Hazard and Risk analysis shall be completed to identify any extra safety
equipment and/or training required by Agriculture and Forestry staff or
contractors (e.g. flight helmets and flotation devices, water egress training,
etc.).
 Winds must be less than 75 km/hr or wind gusts less than 30 km/hr above
the sustained wind speed.
 A power check must be done prior to entering the Height Velocity curve.
There shall be sufficient torque to maintain the aircraft in a hover for 5
minutes without exceeding the manufacturer’s temperature or torque limits
and have full tail rotor authority.
Fixed Wing
With the exception of a wings level pass, the flight profile shall remain at an
altitude of at least 300 feet AGL. The maximum angle of bank while operating
below 500 feet AGL shall be 30 degrees. Other than take offs and landings, at no
time shall the flight profile go below the adjacent tree canopy. In level flight, the
indicated forward airspeed must not drop below 1.3 times the configured stall
speed. If the aircraft will be in a turn, the airspeed must be maintained at 1.5
times the stall speed or higher.

Pilot Handbook | 2021 41

Standard Airmanship – Cruising Altitudes
All aircraft operating within the fire zone will be assigned corridors and
approach/departure altitudes by the airspace controller. Outside the control
zone, aircraft are required to cruise at the appropriate Visual Flight Regulation
(VFR) altitudes listed below:

VFR Cruising Altitudes (Above 3,000ft. AGL)

Heading Altitude
Westerly Track (180o - 359o) Even Altitude + 500ft.
Easterly Track (000o – 179o) Odd Altitude + 500ft.

Altimeter Settings
To ensure proper vertical separation, it is critical that all aircraft use the same
altimeter setting. Vertical separation between aircraft over an incident is only 500
feet. All aircraft need to adjust their altimeters as barometric pressures change,
altimeter settings are considered current up to 90 minutes. Typically, all pilots
will set their altimeters on the ground where the specific elevation is known
(Airport, Tower site, Base camp, etc.). If an altimeter setting is changed during an
operational period, it is imperative that all aircraft over the incident receive and
acknowledge the new setting. . A standard altimeter setting may not be used on
a wildfire incident.

For initial attack, the first birddog aircraft arriving on the location, will establish the
altimeter setting for all other incoming aircraft. They must communicate this
setting to all other pilots already over the location and all aircraft as they arrive. If
there is no birddog, the first helicopter on the fire will establish the altimeter
setting.

Passenger/Cargo Manifest (FP249)

Helicopter Load Calculations
The purpose of carrying out helicopter aircraft load calculations is to ensure that
the aircraft is capable of carrying a specified load to an identified elevation at a
given density altitude. The load calculation must be completed daily for all
helicopter flights prior to the start of operations. For repetitive flights, one
calculation is valid between like points of similar elevation as long as weather
conditions do not change, and loads do not exceed that which was authorized by
the calculation for the initial flight. The passenger manifest and weights must be
communicated verbally to the flight following radio room upon departure.
Responsibility for completion of load calculations is as follows:

Pilot Responsibilities
The pilot is responsible for completing the load calculation correctly using proper
performance chart information as per the aircraft company’s Operation Manual,
Canadian Aviation regulations (CARS) and the Commercial Air Service
Standards. The pilot is responsible for computing the allowable payload.

42 Pilot Handbook | 2021

When operationally feasible, the Passenger/Cargo Manifest (FP249) must be
used to record passenger manifest and cargo weights.
The pilot must enter the following weights (in pounds) on the FP249:
 Maximum internal gross weight of the aircraft
 Aircraft empty operational weight
 Pilot and personal kit weight
 Fuel Weight
 Remaining available payload

Note 1: Empty operational weight includes the complete equipped weight of the
aircraft with no fuel on board. This includes but is not limited to the weight of the
bucket, longline, survival kit, refuelling gear, radios, etc.

Note 2: Remaining available payload must be based on aircraft performance, the

least favorable predicted density altitude based on the highest temperature and
operational altitude to be encountered for the day, and comply with weight and
balance limits.

Government Representative Responsibilities

Passenger and cargo weights (for internal and external loads) must be supplied
to the pilot for approval prior to every flight. When operationally feasible,
Passenger/Cargo Manifest (FP249) must be used to record passenger manifest
and cargo weights and consider the following:.

 The pilot must first provide the Agriculture and Forestry representative
with the usable load weight for the aircraft, by completing the pilot section
of the FP249.
 The Agriculture and Forestry representative will then complete the
remainder of FP249, ensuring the total weight is lower than the pilot
supplied usable load weight.
 Both the pilot and the Agriculture and Forestry representative must sign
the FP249 before departure to certify that the information is complete and
accurate to the best of their knowledge.

NOTE: If an FP249 cannot be used, the Agriculture and Forestry representative

will verbally provide the passenger cargo weights for approval by the pilot prior to
departure. Personnel must frequently confirm their seat weight on a scale, in
order to be as accurate possible. When operationally feasible, all equipment
being loaded onto an aircraft will be weighed prior to loading and weights
recorded on a FP249. If a scale is not available, or operationally feasible,
estimated weights provided in the FP249 can be used.

Completed FP249s must be submitted to the local fire centre and retained at
least two years.

Pilot Handbook | 2021 43

Refuelling Operations
The following procedures must be followed during refuelling operations:
 Smoking on any airport ramp is prohibited during refuelling operations.
 Open flames on aircraft fuel servicing ramps, aprons or any other fuelling
operation site where aircraft fuelling is being carried out by or on behalf of
Wildfire Management, or within 50 feet (15 meters) of any portable or field
fuelling operation and fuelling equipment is prohibited.
 No person operating an aircraft shall permit it to be refuelled if passengers
are on board, embarking or disembarking.
 During refuelling operations, the proper type and size of fire extinguishers
must be available for use close to the operation.
 The aircraft engines must either be shut down or the approved hot
refuelling procedures followed.
 The pilot-in-command must ensure the aircraft has the appropriate fuel
and the required amount for the planned flight.

Refuelling personnel are to follow the guidelines listed below:

 Never leave any fuel nozzle unattended.
 Never tie or wedge the nozzle trigger in an open position.
 Full attention is to be devoted to the refuelling operation.
 Check the amount of fuel in the tank frequently to prevent overfilling.
 Either hand or power-operated pumps shall be used when aircraft are
refuelled from drums and pouring or gravity flow is not permitted.
 Avoid kinks and short loops in the fuelling hose.
 As soon as leakage or spillage from the fuel-servicing equipment is noted,
stop the flow of fuel immediately.
 Fuelling operations shall be suspended where there are lightning flashes
in the immediate vicinity of the fuelling operation site.

Refuelling aircraft can be carried out from:

 Commercial outlets,
 Wildfire Management underground tanks,
 Wildfire Management bowsers,
 Contract portable fuelling systems/bowsers for field operations, or
 Wildfire Management drums (purchased fuel).

Although Wildfire Management makes every attempt to keep fuel clean and
current, pilots should always check the fuel to make sure it is the appropriate
type for the aircraft and is free from foreign material. Wildfire Management
personnel have no authority to refill drums from bulk aviation fuel sources. Due to
the liabilities involved, Wildfire Management will not do this for any operations.
Pilots can refuse to accept fuel from unsealed or improperly sealed drums and
damaged drums. Pilots may use fuel from their own source if requested to do so
by the Forest Area Duty Officer or Designate fuel amounts must be recorded on
the Daily Flight Report (AO-02). Wildfire Management will reimburse fuel charges
incurred, providing supporting documentation is attached (legitimate invoices).

44 Pilot Handbook | 2021

Fuel spills are often the result of improper or careless operation of fuelling
equipment and poor maintenance of the mechanical fuelling equipment. To
prevent fuel spillage, caution is required on the part of every person responsible
for fuelling equipment.

Note: As per the current Alberta Fire Code, when the loss of a flammable liquid
or combustible liquid occurs from a spill or leak, the aircraft company shall
ensure that:
 Appropriate action is taken as required to recover escaped liquid, prevent
it from escaping the site where possible, and to remove or treat the
contaminated soil.
 The fire department and the authority having jurisdiction are notified if the
quantity of liquid spilled or leaked:
o Exceeds 50 litres in aggregate, or
o Is sufficient to cause sheen on nearby surface water.
Hot Refueling
Hot refuelling aircraft on Wildfire Management projects will be allowed only if:
 There are no passengers on board, embarking or disembarking,
 The pilot’s seat is occupied by a person who is competent in controlling
the aircraft,
 There is a visual link between the pilot and the refueler. A third person
may be required to act as a visual link if the filler neck is on the opposite
side from the pilot; and
 Refuelling is carried out by a trained aircraft company engineer and/or a
person who is trained and certified in refuelling aircraft as per the
CAN/CSA Standard for Storage, Handling and Dispensing Fuels at
Aerodromes.
 Agriculture and Forestry does not pay flight time for hot refuelling

Helicopter External Load Operations

 Agriculture and Forestry staff require a briefing by the pilot on external
load operations, long line use, hooking and unhooking external loads.
 Small or lightweight items that have the potential to be blown from or fall
through the cargo net shall not be transported by external load.
 Sling loads shall not be lifted from or onto a vehicle.
 Items of high value (garden tractors, ATVs) can be carried in a cargo net
when internal load transport is not available.

Pilot Handbook | 2021 45

Ground Running of Engines during External Load Operations
Another person must be present to act as loadmaster for the pilot, or the pilot
must shut down the helicopter before exiting the aircraft to hook up/release
operations, when the following situations occur:
 The hook up and release takes place at a site where there are people
present who are not involved in the operation,
 There are other helicopters using the same site for landings and
departures at the same time, and
 The operation occurs near Wildfire Management facilities, both permanent
and temporary (line and fire base camps).
Aircraft on Wildfire Management projects will only be allowed to carry out load
hook up and release operations with the engine running and the pilot’s seat
unoccupied when none of the above noted situations occur.
Flights with Passengers and External Loads
External loads (sling or other) are governed by the Canadian Air Regulations.
Carrying passengers is permitted only under the following five (5) scenarios.

Bucket Operations
For initial attack or sustained action, Incident Command personnel on board
medium helicopters may be permitted only during bucket operations.
The pilot and the aircraft company must be certified to conduct this operation as
per CARS section 702.16 and the CARS Standard 722.20(2). When Agriculture
and Forestry staff are onboard an aircraft during bucket operations, they are
required to wear a personal flotation device.

Wildfire Operations
Aircraft companies may carry persons other than the flight crew if:
The aircraft company is authorized to do so in their Air Operation Certificate,
The person has received a safety briefing by the pilot as per the CARS Standard
722.23, and the person being carried is involved in wildfire suppression activities.

Aerial Ignition on Wildfires

Aerial ignition operations shall be conducted in accordance with the Alberta
Ignition Manual. At a minimum, pilots conducting aerial ignition operations must
meet the Helicopter Association of Canada competency for Aerial Ignition Device
(AID) and Drip Torching.

Aircraft approved for ignition operations are AS 350B3, Bell 206 L4, EC130 and
Bell 407 helicopter. The AS 350B2, FX2, AS355N, AS355NP and D2 are
conditionally approved if no alternate is available and the fuel load is reduced.
Local conditions and the environment around the wildfire must be considered to
assess the suitability of any aircraft while conducting this operation.

Transporting Wildlife
Provincial staff are considered essential crew if they are required to monitor the
condition of an animal during flight.

46 Pilot Handbook | 2021

Helicopters Equipped with Dual Controls for External Load
Operations
 Passengers must receive a pilot briefing before occupying a seat with dual
controls.
 It is at the discretion of the Pilot in Command to allow passengers to
occupy the front seat with dual controls installed.

Entering or Leaving a Hovering Helicopter in Flight

Hover exit training is part of the regular training for Helitack and Unit Crews.
Only a certified instructor can carry out basic hover-exit training. All certified
hover exit personnel must maintain certification as outlined in the Hover
Exit/Freeboard Training Guide. The CIFFC Manual defines a hover as:

A hover is a state in which the helicopter is under power and the pilot must
manipulate the flight controls to maintain a stable attitude. This could be
free of, or in partial contact with a grounded surface.

For the purpose of Wildfire Management operations, a hover exit is only

permitted if it allows the person performing the hover exit to have contact with
both the ground and the helicopter.
Helicopter Company Compliance and Pilot Qualifications
The Helicopter Company offering this service to Wildfire Management will:
 Provide a pilot that meets the Helicopter Association of Canada’s pilot
competency for Hover Exit
 Satisfy CARs 602.25 and 702.19 requirements and have an amended air
operations manual with a detailed procedure for emplaning/deplaning in
flight
 Produce an approved amendment to their Air Operations Manual if
requested by the Province.
 Conduct a full and complete briefing prior to commencing the hover
exit/entry
Emergency Helicopter Boarding in a Hover
The reloading of personnel and equipment into a hovering helicopter is
considered to be an exception rather than a standard practice. There is a
requirement to train Wildfire Management personnel for this manoeuvre not only
for the expediency of the firefighting operation but also for swamp and deep
snow pick-ups.

Hover loading of personnel and equipment may be authorized provided:

 Personnel have been trained in the manoeuvre.
 The pilot and crew leader agree on the sequence of events.
 The site is acceptable to the pilot.
 The equipment must be bundled/packaged in an acceptable manner and
capable of hand-to-hand transfer if it is to occupy cabin space.
 The helicopter must be capable of exiting the pick-up area with an out-of-
ground effect power reserve with the anticipated load. The pick-up site

Pilot Handbook | 2021 47

 will be prepared to provide rotor clearances for the helicopter and sure
footing for the personnel.
 Personnel and pre-packed equipment will be pre-sited before helicopter
arrival and equipment is to be secured.

Reloading sequences are the reverse order of exit. Emphasis will be on the
smooth initial transfer of weight on the skid. Smooth crew movement control is
vital as the weight of the aircraft increases. Crew leader (first in) will establish
pilot/crew contact as soon as possible after boarding and will control the
reloading by use of hand signals.
Hover Exit Conditions and Limitations
 Conducted only by trained personnel.
 Conducted only where the trained personnel can transfer their weight from
the helicopter to the ground smoothly and gradually, rather than jump or
drop to the ground.
 Hover exit to be conducted with an acceptable power and fuel reserve
required maintaining hover out of ground effect at the set-out/pick-up site.
 Must have “hot” (hands free) intercom capability between pilot and crew
leader.
 Must have doors, which either can be removed prior to exit or safely
opened in flight.
 Skids and exiting area must be unobstructed.
 Sliding/folding doors and removable doorposts must be secured.

Open Door Aerial Work

Open door aerial work is any work that is conducted by staff of the Province
when the aircraft is no longer in contact with the ground and a door on the aircraft
is not secured. Open door aerial work should only be conducted when no other
reasonable options exist. Activities included in the open door aerial work include
(but are not limited to) animal capture, cargo deployment, infrared scanning, etc.
Operations such as Aerial Ignition and Hover Exit that have specific operating
procedures are exempt from this. If open door work needs to be conducted, the
exposure should be minimized by only having the door open or off when
required.
On the Skid or Moving Around Inside the Aircraft
If the open door aerial work to be conducted requires the passenger to be free of
the lap and shoulder restraints of the helicopter, then the passenger must be
provided a fall harness and restraint device. The harness and restraint device are
to be provided by the aircraft company. The aircraft company must ensure the
device is maintained and utilized in accordance to Transport Canada approvals.

Seated and Secured Inside the Aircraft

For activities that do not require the passengers to undo their seat belts, but
where there is a risk of accidental release of the lap belt, Agriculture and Forestry
will provide the approved fall restraint system. This system is a secondary
restraint device in the event the quick release seatbelt becomes unfastened. The

48 Pilot Handbook | 2021

seatbelt must be worn properly at all times. The device must be attached to
aircraft structure as recommended by the aircraft’s aircrew. Visual inspections
shall be conducted on the harness the day of the use, prior to being utilized, and
recorded on the harness equipment inspection log. If any component of the
system fails the inspection, the system cannot be used. The completed
inspection log is to be kept with the fall restraint device and all the lanyards
during use and when stored.

Airspace Restriction / Notice to Airman (NOTAM)

As per Section 601.15 of Canadian Aviation Regulation Standards:

No person shall operate an aircraft:

(a) over a forest fire area, or any area located within five nautical miles of a
forest fire area, at an altitude less than 3,000 feet above ground level; or
(b) in any air space described in a NOTAM issued pursuant to Section 601.16.

This is an automatic airspace flight restriction for any forest fire. NO advisory to
pilots is given; it is expected that all pilots are aware of this requirement.
Personnel must be aware of this restriction as it applies to ALL aircraft not
working on the fire at the request of appropriate fire control agency. Any aircraft
found within the restricted area must be reported to Transport Canada for
possible investigation and sanctions.

As per section 601.16 of CARS, Wildfire Management can request further

airspace restrictions.

 An advisory NOTAM - an informal NOTAM that is requested via a local

NAV Canada office to be given as an advisory to local pilots. No
amendment to the normal restricted airspace is given.
 A NOTAM - a formal Notice to Airman that may only be issued by
Transport Canada. These NOTAM’s may include additional area outside
the automatic restricted area and/or additional airspace above the fire.

Safety Considerations for Working in the Cold Lake Air

Weapons Range (CLAWR)
The Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR) poses some unique hazards.
This Area is not open to hunting and has had numerous "problem" bears
released over the years. You can expect a higher frequency of bear encounters
here. The Air Force conducts live training exercises and access to and
movement within the CLAWR is strictly controlled. It is an active weapons range,
which might have:
 Unexploded ordnance (bombs and rockets),
 Practice bombs that may contain acid marking charges - used to generate
smoke to see where the practice round landed,
 Lasers - CLAWR often has pilots using lasers mounted to the aircraft for
targeting with laser-guided munitions. These lasers are powerful enough
to cause blindness, or

Pilot Handbook | 2021 49

  Radar emitters - used to simulate enemy tracking or targeting radars.
These give off large levels of radiation in the immediate area of the
emitter.

Contact the Lac La Biche Office before entry, the Lac La Biche Duty Officer will
contact range control for access permission. If possible, a CLAWR grid map
should be obtained. Under no circumstances are aircraft to proceed into the
range without clearance. Upon clearance by the duty officer, the pilot will contact
the tower at Cold Lake. The Lac La Biche radio room will supply a current
frequency. Aircraft are required to have their transponder turned on and squawk
code 1276 at all times in the range. At the north end of the range contact may be
difficult, it may be necessary to climb up several thousand feet to establish
contact. If you are unable to contact the tower, contact the Lac La Biche Radio
Room and they will notify the tower by phone. Do not proceed into the CLAWR
until you have confirmed that Cold Lake Tower has been notified.

Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR) Map

FIRE GRID
Quadrants & Corridors
112 15 111 45 111 15 110 45 110 15 109 45 109 15 108 45 108 15 107 45 107 15
112 30 W112 111 30 W111 110 30 W110 109 30 W109 108 30 W108 107 30 W107
N5540 N5540

55 30 Y1 Z1 A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1 I1 55 30

N5520 N5520

55 10 Y2 Z2 A2 B2 C2 D2 E2 F2 G2 H2 I2 55 10

N55 N55

54 50 Y3 Z3 A3 B3 C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 H3 I3 54 50

N5440 N5440

54 30 Y4 Z4 A4 B4 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 H4 I4 54 30

N5420 N5420
112 30 W112 111 30 W111 110 30 W110 109 30 W109 108 30 W108 107 30 W107
112 15 111 45 111 15 110 45 110 15 109 45 109 15 108 45 108 15 107 45 107 15

Alberta Fort McMurray Oil Sands Class E Airspaces

The development of the oil sands in Northeastern Alberta has resulted in
increased air traffic in the areas North and South of Fort McMurray. NAV
CANADA completed aeronautical studies to review the communication and
airspace requirement s for areas north and south of Fort McMurray. The result of
the studies was the establishment of two Class E airspaces known as North Oil
Sands ATF Area and South Athabasca Oil Sands.
North Oil sands ATF Area
The North Oil sands ATF Area encompasses three aerodromes in relatively close
proximity to each other – Fort Mackay/Horizon, Fort Mackay/Firebag and Fort
Murray/Mildred Lake. The North Oil Sands air traffic advisory frequency 123.5

50 Pilot Handbook | 2021

MHz is to be used before entering and within the Class E airspace. See the
current Canadian Flight Supplement for full details.
South Athabasca Oil Sands Area
The South Athabasca Oil Sands Area encompasses four aerodromes in relatively
close proximity to each other - Primrose, Kirby Lake, Christina Lake and Conklin.
The South Athabasca Oil Sands air traffic frequency 123.025 MHz is to be used
before entering and within the Class E airspace. See the current Canadian
Flight Supplement for full details.

Transportation of Dangerous Goods

All staff must adhere to the current Canadian Transportation of Dangerous
Goods Act and Regulations. If the pilot-in-command does not load or directly
supervise the loading of the dangerous goods, the person who loads and
secures the dangerous goods will give the pilot-in-command a written list of the
following information for each of the dangerous goods:
 Shipping name
 UN number and class
 Gross mass
 In the case of explosives, the net explosives quantity

All pilots and/or flight crew accepting dangerous goods aboard their aircraft must
have dangerous goods training and carry a valid certification card on their
person. Certification for transporting dangerous goods by air is valid for two (2)
years.

Casual charter contract aircraft companies must provide letters from TC:

 Indicating they have an approved TDG training program;

 Indicating an approved chapter on TDG in the aircraft company’s
operations manual.
Considerations for Shipping Propane Tanks
One hundred pound bottles of propane or smaller can be shipped by helicopter
or fixed-wing if the above requirements are met.
Considerations for Shipping 365 Liter Propane Tanks
The pilot must have a current Transportation of Dangerous Goods Certificate on
their person. Before hooking up and moving any propane tanks, full or empty, the
following checks must be performed:
 The pilot must be informed of the dangerous goods to be carried, in writing
on proper shipping documentation,
 The pilot must receive a copy of the Permit for Equivalent Level of Safety,
 Check for correct attachment of the cradle and harness to the tank,
 Check for defects such as stripped or cracked bolts, frayed or bent wires
on the cables, and bent or cracked load ring, and Check for damaged
valves and gauges and that the tank has a protective collar or cap.
Note: All shipping documents must be kept on record for a minimum of 2 years.
All training records must be kept on file for 2 years following the certificate's
expiration date.

Pilot Handbook | 2021 51

Pepper Spray
Personnel must inform the pilot of the presence of pepper spray in the cargo. Any
pilot has the right to refuse to transport pepper spray. For air transport, pepper
spray (aerosol containers) must be placed in separate sealed PVC containers
with proper labelling and placed in:

 An external basket or cage that is not part of the fuselage,

 the baggage compartment in the tail boom, or
 A baggage compartment with external access only that is within the
aircraft fuselage.

Pepper spray is not permitted in the passenger cabin of any aircraft.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)

RPAS operations will be evaluated and approved on a case-by-case basis.
RPAS operations will be approved at a Provincial level and must comply with all
applicable legislation/regulations. In the event of a RPAS airspace incursion over
a wildfire incident, the following procedures shall be followed:

 De-conflict the affected airspace by grounding any incident helicopters

and fixed wing aircraft that may be impacted by the incursion. Maintain
one assessment helicopter or fixed wing overhead the affected airspace.
This assessment aircraft will perform 3 functions, in order of priority:

1. Act as a lookout to ensure the continued safety of ground operations

that may have been affected by the exclusion of aerial suppression
efforts.
2. If safe to do so, maintain visual contact of the RPAS and assist ground
resources in locating the RPAS operator.
3. Determine when the airspace is made safe to resume normal
operations.

 A ground-based search for the RPAS operator will be initiated. If contact

is made, WMB staff shall notify them that they are illegally operating a
RPAS in restricted airspace, request them to cease their operations
immediately, document their name, and contact information for submission
to the Alberta Wildfire Coordination Centre.
 A RPAS airspace incursion is considered an aviation incident. The
Alberta Wildfire Coordination Centre will report all RPAS airspace
incursions to Transport Canada.

Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Prevention

To assist with preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) into
Alberta from other jurisdictions, any skimmer airtanker imported or returning from
export into Alberta will proceed to an airtanker base designated by the Provincial
Aircraft Coordinator. Any imported Helicopters or Alberta Helicopters returning
from out of Province must ensure their buckets are washed as per the Aviation
Decontamination Procedures prior to being utilised in any Alberta water bodies.

52 Pilot Handbook | 2021

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has declared the Bow River watershed
“infected” with whirling disease and the remaining areas in the province of
Alberta as a “buffer zone”. Whirling disease causes mortality and deformities in
salmonid fish including trout and whitefish. The movement of fish, mud, and
water can spread whirling disease between water bodies. To prevent the spread
of whirling disease from infected areas, whenever possible, avoid operating from
known or high-risk (Red Zone in map) whirling disease watercourses. If operating
in the infected areas is unavoidable:
 Avoid dipping or scooping water from multiple water sources within the
same operational period to minimize cross-contamination of water
sources;
 If possible, use water dipped from the same drainage that it will be
dropped in;
 Use deeper (blue) water whenever possible. Avoid areas that will intake
mud or plants;
 Switch out a contaminated helicopter bucket with a clean bucket before
moving to a new water source. Alternating used (possibly contaminated)
helicopter buckets with spare (clean) buckets can save time and increase
efficiency, as the first bucket can be decontaminated while the second
bucket is being used;
 Helicopter snorkels do not need to be primed, with source water, so there
is no risk of residual tank water entering a water source during drafting
operations;
 However, snorkel ends and foot valves that encounter untreated water
must be decontaminated;
If contamination of equipment with raw water or mud/plants is unavoidable, follow
the Aviation Decontamination Procedures.
Aviation Decontamination Procedures
 Chemicals such as bleach and quaternary ammonium compounds do not
meet corrosion requirements for aluminum and shall not be used on
aircraft fuselages or water delivery components such as helicopter
buckets and foot valves
 Visually inspect aircraft surfaces (floats, tanks, intakes, water buckets,
snorkels) daily, during maintenance, and after every water dropping
mission
 Remove visible plants and mud from external surfaces
 Decontaminate all exposed surfaces by power washing with hot water
(≥90°C) for 5-10 sec (up to 5 minutes preferred) before moving to new
water sources
 If a helicopter bucket has a butyl (rubber) valve seal, avoid prolonged
application of hot water spray to the seal to prevent softening of this
vulnerable material
 Allow all surfaces to thoroughly dry
 If drying is not possible for a quick turnaround, carry spare, clean gear to
switch out with wet gear

Pilot Handbook | 2021 53

Whirling Disease Infection Map

Fur and Game Farm Operations

Aviation noise caused by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft flying at low altitudes
can cause serious economic losses to the farming industry. Pilots working for
Agriculture and Forestry shall avoid over-flying these farms below 2000 feet
above ground level (AGL), and where possible, no closer than one (1) mile
horizontal. Any aircraft operating under the jurisdiction of Agriculture and
Forestry must be made aware of area restrictions and legal land locations of Fur
Farms and Game Farms. These locations shall be identified on maps in all Area
operations rooms and airtanker bases. Locations shall be provided to incoming
casual chartered aircraft as part of the briefing package and to all incoming
contract airtanker groups and/or helicopters.

54 Pilot Handbook | 2021

Aviation Occurrence Response and
Reporting
Agriculture and Forestry uses the Transport Canada Aviation Occurrence
definitions as described in the current edition of the “Aeronautical Information
Manual”. In addition, any contravention of Agriculture and Forestry Standard
Operating Procedures and Business Rules will be considered an Aviation
Occurrence.

Aviation Accidents, Incidents, Hazards, Missing Aircraft

In the event of an aviation occurrence while on hire with the Province, the
procedures in the Forestry Division OHS Incident Reference Guide must be
followed. The OHS Incident Reference Guide outlines procedures on:
 Reporting contacts and timelines that must be followed,
 Whether an investigation is required and who conducts it,
 Paperwork requirements and timelines that must be followed, and
 Process for follow-up after an accident or incident.

Procedures for Reporting Aviation Occurrences

All aviation near misses/hazards, accidents, incidents, and cautions are to be
submitted electronically on the Aviation Occurrence Report (FP1).The FP1
should be completed within 24hrs of the occurrence and submitted to the Forest
Area Duty Room. Depending on the occurrence type, additional paperwork such
as the Unserviceable Aircraft Report (FP26) may need to be completed.

The aviation occurrence reporting system is not meant to be a punitive process

for reporting near misses/hazards, accidents, incidents and cautions. Agriculture
and Forestry encourages timely, open and transparent reporting. Follow up and
corrective actions will be carried out as required.
Aviation Accidents
When any aircraft working for the Province is involved in an accident it must
report immediately (within 15 minutes) to the Forest Area Duty Officer, Incident
Commander or Supervisor. The FP1 should be completed within 24hrs of the
occurrence and submitted to the Forest Area or Wildfire. The following must be
ensured when responding to an accident:

 Always ensure the safety of yourself, crew and public.

 Never mention any names of persons involved over the radio;
 Never mention aircraft company name or aircraft registration over the
radio;
 Use plain language over the radio to describe your assessment of the
situation and resource requirements.
Missing Aircraft
An aircraft is considered overdue when it has missed its expected check-in time.
For example:

Pilot Handbook | 2021 55

  Pilot informs aircraft landing for 2 hours, but after 2 hours, there is no
communication from the aircraft.

An aircraft is considered missing when:

 The check-in has been missed and has exceeded another 30 minutes;
 Overdue aircraft procedures have been initiated and no aircraft found;
 Anytime any aircraft makes any type of distress call.

Note: When an aircraft is reported missing, it is considered to have been

involved in a reportable accident.

As soon as it becomes obvious an aircraft is missing, attempts shall be made to

communicate with it on all frequencies in current use within the Forest Area of
operation. All contacts and attempts shall be recorded fully in the dispatch log
and the Forest Area Duty Officer will be notified immediately. In the event an
aircraft is determined to be missing, the office providing the flight radio monitoring
shall ensure the following are notified:

 Forest Area and Alberta Wildfire Coordination Centre Duty Officers,

 An air traffic control crew, a flight service station, community aerodrome
radio station or,
 A rescue co-ordination centre,
 Aircraft Company owning the missing aircraft.
Aviation Incident
When any aircraft working for the Province is involved in an incident it must
report immediately (within 60 minutes) to the Forest Area Duty Officer, Incident
Commander or Supervisor. The FP1 should be completed within 24hrs of the
occurrence and submitted to the Forest Area or Wildfire.
Near Miss/Hazard Reporting
When any aircraft working for the Province is involved in a near miss or discovers
a hazard, it must report immediately (within the day of operation) to the Forest
Area Duty Officer, Incident Commander or Supervisor. The FP1 should be
completed within 24hrs of the occurrence and submitted to the Forest Area or
Wildfire.

56 Pilot Handbook | 2021

APPENDICES
Alphanumeric Wildfire Incident Maps
Wildfire maps produced by the Wildfire Management Branch use a simple
alphanumeric grid numbering system for both feature reference and helipad
numbering and provide GPS coordinates. The alphanumeric grid is a coordinate
system that uses letters on the horizontal axis ascending from West to East and
numbers on the vertical axis ascending from North to South. The alphanumeric
grid system allows for quick reference because the feature or helipad name
references the location, which in an emergency becomes very important.

Features are given a name and have a corresponding grid reference

(combination of letter and number) and GPS coordinates. Helipads are named
by their grid reference and assigned a dash number. The dash number is used
to differentiate between two or more helipads in the same grid. The dash
numbers assigned are based on the order in which the helipads were created.
Example map below: Two helipads were created in grid H3. The first helipad
was assigned the pad number H3-1 while the second was assigned pad name
H3-2.

Pilot Handbook | 2021 57

Air Operations Map Using the Alphanumeric Grid System

58 Pilot Handbook | 2021

Alberta Third System of Survey
Maps produced and used by Wildfire Management emphasise the Township Grid
System as the major reference system. Compared with the Latitude-Longitude
System, which denotes a point at the intersection of two lines, the Township Grid
System denotes an area of known size located in a certain position.

Subdivision
The smallest regular unit of land in Alberta is a Legal Subdivision (abbreviated
LS or LSD). This unit is square, being one-quarter mile (0.4 km) in length and
width, containing 40 ac. (16.2 ha, 1 acre = 43,560 sq. ft. or 4,047 m2).

Section
Sixteen Legal Subdivisions make up one Section (abbreviated SEC), the key unit
of the Township Grid System. It is a square measuring 1-mile at each side and
containing approximately 640 ac. (259 ha).

Quarter Section
Four Legal Subdivisions form 1-quarter Section. These are identified as NE¼,
NW¼, SE¼, and SW¼.

Pilot Handbook | 2021 59

Township
A Township is a square with 6 mi. sides, and contains 36 sections (abbreviated
Twp.). The numbering starts in the SE corner of the Township. The area of a
Township is that of 36 sq. mi. (57.9 km2) plus the width and length of the road
allowances.

A Township strip runs in an east-west direction. Starting at the United States

border, parallel strips 6 miles wide are numbered consecutively from the south to
the north. Strip #1 borders the United States, while strip #126 borders the
Northwest Territories. Each strip constitutes a series of Township squares.

Road Allowance
A standard Government Road Allowance, 66 ft. (20 m) in width, is left between
Sections. Section boundaries that are not Road Allowances are called “Blind
Lines”. Road Allowances are provided after each mile in an east-west direction;
i.e., five north-south road allowances within the Township in a north-south
direction, with three Blind Lines forming the remaining Section boundaries.

Township Range
Each Township is identified by two numbers, which indicate its position
geographically. These are Township number and Range number.

The Range (abbreviated Rge.) numbering starts immediately west of a Meridian,

and increases in 6 miles Blocks (one township) as it goes west. Thus, the
Township marked with an * in the diagram below is numbered Township 3,
Range 2 West of the Fourth Meridian or in short form, Twp. 3, Rge. 2, W4M.

Meridian
The line from the North Pole to the South Pole by the shortest route is called a
Meridian. These lines are used as basic starting points for distances measured

60 Pilot Handbook | 2021

east and west. In Canada, these meridians have been arbitrarily numbered from
1 to 6. The first (“principle”) Meridian is located just west of Winnipeg; the
second is on the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border; the third is in Saskatchewan;
the fourth on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border; the fifth runs through Stony
Plain, Alberta, and the sixth through a point just east of the town site of Jasper.

Ranges are always referred to as being west of one of these Meridians and the
Range numbering resumes with “1" west of each Meridian.

Correction Lines
Townships are always slightly tapered towards the north because the earth is
round. Around Edmonton, this tapering means that the south of the Township is
about 65 ft. wider than the northern boundary. Sections at the northern boundary
of a Township are about 10 ft. narrower than those at the southern boundary of
the same Township. To prevent this convergence from becoming too great, a
break is made every four Townships. This break is called a Correction Line and
is not, as may be supposed, the result of the surveyor’s error. Note that the jog
at the Correction Line becomes greater the further west you move from the
Meridian. Just east of the next Meridian to the west, this jog is greater than 1 mi.

Pilot Handbook | 2021 61

Fractional Townships and Fractional Sections
At the Meridian, all Townships are cut off to the straight, geographic north-south
line and a fresh start is made. This results in fractional Townships and fractional
Sections.

Finding a Location Based on a Legal Description

When a legal description is received over the radio, the reverse procedure for
transmitting is followed to find it on the map:

1. Find the Meridian.

2. Find the Township at the intersection of the Range column and the
Township strip.
3. Find the Section with the Township template.
4. Find the quarter Section or Legal Subdivision.

For example, suppose you are told to proceed to LSD 8 of Section 10, Twp. 24,
Rge. 8 W5M. First, you would locate the fifth Meridian. The location you want
will be west of this Meridian. Next, locate the Range by using the Range
numbers that are usually located horizontally along the top and bottom of the
map. Then locate the Township (Township numbers are usually located
vertically along the sides of the map). Finally, locate the Section number, then
the Legal Subdivision.

62 Pilot Handbook | 2021

Fireline Equipment Weights
Lbs. Kgs.
Axe single bit, standard fireline 5 2.3

Bag
Backpack, water, (empty) c/w handspray pump 7 3.2
Batteries (144 per box) 8.33 3.8
Batteries (576 per box) 34 15.4

Bladder
Water, slingable, 60 gallon 10 4.5
Water, slingable, 110 gallon 12 5.5
Water, slingable, 300 gallon 35 15.9

Bottle
Propane, 20 pound, full 45 20.5
Propane, 40 pound, full 90 40.9
Propane, 100 pound, full 180 81.8
Propane, camp stove model empty-full wts. 1.05-2.0 0.48-0.91

Coveralls Nomex, Yellow 2.55 1.16

Can
Gas, plastic, 5 gallon, full 46 20.9
Gas, plastic, 5 gallon, empty 2 0.9
Gas/Oil, plastic, Combination, 21/2 gallon full 23.4 10.6
Gas/Oil, plastic, Combination, 21/2 gallon empty 2.7 1.2

Chainsaws Three different bars sizes

16” 18 8.2
18” 18.25 8.28
20” 18.36 8.33
Chainsaw Oil 4 liter jug 8 3.6
Chainsaw pack 3 1.4

Drink Bottles
Gatorade / PowerAde
710ml bottle 1.5 0.68
12 pack 18 8.2
24 pack 36 16.3

Water
1 Liter bottle 2.26 1.1
Case of 12 27.2 12.3
500 ml Bottle 1.2 0.54

Pilot Handbook | 2021 63

 Lbs. Kgs.
12 pack 14.4 6.5
24 pack 28.8 13.1
5 gallon bottle / full 50 22.7

Fire Foam Concentrate

Pail, 5 gallon, full 46 20.9
Drum, 45 gallon, full 480 218.2

Fuel and Barrel

Jet A 423 192.3
Jet B 410 186.4
AV GAS 381 173.2
Diesel 558 254
Unleaded 384 175
Full Propane Pig 850 386.4
Empty Drum 50 23
Empty Propane Pig 275 125

Fusee’s
single fuse 0.52 0.23
Case of 72 42 19.1

Heater
Airtight, 18 inch c/w 6 section stove pipe 26.5 12.1
Airtight, 24 inch c/w 6 section stove pipe 26.5 12.1
NOTE: use same weight for both stove sizes

Hose
Fire, 5/8" (dry) per 50 feet 1.2 0.5
Fire, 1" (dry) per 100 feet 9 4.1
13.5-
Fire, 1 1/2" (dry) per 100 feet * 16.25 6.1-7.4
Suction, 1 1/2" Draftex 4 1.8
Suction, 2", Draftex 5 2.3
Suction, 2", Rubber 15 6.8
Bagged Hose 4/bag c/w hose bag and carton 61 27.7

* Hose Dry/Wet 13.5 to 16.25 Lbs. variation due to the type of lining inside the hose.
Note: Add approx. 2 lbs. / roll to be added for wet hose

Kit
First Aid, Personal, ‘P’ 0.4 0.18
First Aid, Type 2 2.33 1.1

64 Pilot Handbook | 2021

 Lbs. Kgs.
First Aid, Type 3 4.25 1.9
Camp Maintenance 10 4.5
Chainsaw w/o saw 25 11.4
Crash, Rescue 24 10.9
Comms, unit c/w 4 radios 14 6.4
Dozer Boss 25 11.3
Pump, BB4, w/o pump 37 16.8
Pump, Floto, w/o pump 28 12.7
Pump, Mark III, w/o pump 54 24.5
Pump, Mini-Mark/Shindawa, w/o pump 29 13.2
Sprinkler System 80 36.3
Sprinkler Mini 35 15.9
Water truck 6.5 2.9

Machete 1.9 0.9

MRE's – Box 36 16.3

Polythene Plastic
Clear, 4 mil, 100 foot roll 22 10

Power Plant
300 watt 50 22.7
500 watt 57 25.9
1 KW 215 97.7
3.5 KW 200 90.9

Pulaski 5.5 2.5

Pump And Engine

BB4 180 81.8
Floto 42 19.1
Mark III 64 29.1
Mini-Mark/Shindawa 10 4.5
Pump, Mini-Striker 21 9.5

Pump, fuel, barrel, hand, rotary 18 8.2

Radio, TK270 with batteries 1.12 0.51

Saw, Brushcutter 27 12.2

Shovel, bantam firefighting, long handle 4.5 2

Pilot Handbook | 2021 65

 Shower Lbs. Kgs.
Portable, single 110 50
Portable, double c/w tent and wood boxes 455 206.8

Stove, cook, 4 burner propane w/o bottle 75 34.1

Tank, c/w pad where required

Water, self-supporting, 500 gallon 32 14.5
Water, self-supporting, 1,000 gallon 48 21.8
Water, self-supporting, 1,500 gallon 77 35
Water, self-supporting, 2,500 gallon 125 56.8
Water, self-supporting, 4,000 gallon 110 50
Water, self-supporting, 5,000 gallon 160 72.7
Water, self-supporting, 12,000 gallon 200 90.9

Tent
Canvas, 12' x 14' 70 31.8
Modular, army c/w boxes 770 350
Pumpkin, 18' – Comes with green boxes 745 338.6
- Comes with red boxes 545 247.7
Nylon, Overhead 10.72 4.9
Nylon, Firefighter 7 3.2
Ranger, 18' x 30' 404 183.6

Torch
Torch, drip, brush burning 5 2.3
Helitorch, A&F made c/w kit 170 77.1
Aerial Ignition Device (Ping Pong Machine) c/w kit 95 43.1

NOTE: All equipment was weighed on a certified scale

66 Pilot Handbook | 2021

Helicopter Landing Areas
In remote areas, helibases and helispots are necessary for the transport of
personnel, equipment and supplies to the fireline.
Helibase
The helibase is the main location for parking, fuelling, maintenance and loading
of helicopters in support of an incident. When possible, Agriculture and Forestry
utilizes existing airstrips, open fields or meadows with road access.
Helispot
A helispot is any designated location or area where a helicopter can safely take-
off and land. Helispots may be used for offloading supplies, equipment or
personnel. Site section and preparation is a critical aspect of safe and efficient
helicopter operations.
Helipad
A helipad is the surface or structure where the helicopter actually lands

Helispot Size and condition:

 The diameter of the

helispot clearing should
be a minimum of twice the
rotor diameter
 Light or intermediate
helicopters (23 – 25
metres)
 Medium helicopters (28 –
32 metres)
 Any dangerous trees and
hazards shall be removed
 Helispot shall be free from
debris, obstacles and
garbage; any equipment
and loose gear will be
secured
 Skid logs may be used in
soft ground conditions
 Wind indicators should be
installed

Agriculture and Forestry will strive to construct safe and solid landing areas.
Ultimately, it is up to the pilot to accept, reject, or suggest improvements to be
made to any landing area.

Pilot Handbook | 2021 67

Glossary of Wildfire Terms
Air Attack Officer (AAO)
Each airtanker group has an assigned “birddog” aircraft that carries an air attack
officer (AAO) and a birddog pilot. The AAO coordinates air attack operations on
wildfires and ensures aerial operations are conducted in an effective, efficient
and safe manner. To ensure the safety of all aircraft in the vicinity, the birddog
team also manages the airspace over the fire.

Air Tactical Group Supervisor

When two (2) Birddog aircraft are on a fire, one Birddog may assume the Air
Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS) role. Once ATGS is established, that Birddog
team will be responsible for managing the airspace for the fire. The ATGS will
maintain a high altitude orbit while the tactical birddog will remain 1000 ft. AGL
and continue to work with the airtankers auctioning the fire. The ATGS will be
identified as “Air Attack” and either the Wildfire number or a geographical
identifier. For example: Air Attack Fire 31 or Round Hill Air Attack. Once ATGS
has been established it will be announced on the Air Advisory and Forest Area
Firenet Frequencies.

Automatic Flight Restriction

As per the Canadian Air Regulation Standards, no person may operate an
aircraft over a forest fire area, or area that is located five (5) nautical miles
around the fire perimeter and at an altitude of less than 3000 feet above ground
level (AGL). If additional space is required, due to increased aircraft activity, a
request must be made through the Forest Area Office to have a Notice to all
Airmen (NOTAM) issued by transport Canada for the fire area.

Bucket Source
A natural or manmade water source where helitankers can fill water from.

Called Shot
A drop technique whereby the birddog or Helicopter Coordinator triggers the drop
by voice command, saying “3, 2, 1, now”.

Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR)

The Cold Lake Air Weapons Range is a Department of National Defence (DND)
control area for the purpose of allowing military aircraft a practice / training area
in the boreal forest. All aircraft are restricted from entering the zone without
permission from the Cold Lake Forces Base. All aircraft must request permission
to enter the range by contacting the Lac La Biche Duty Officer. If access is
allowed, both a corridor and maximum elevation will be assigned. A map of the
CLWR is provided in the map books and a digital map is available through the
AWCC. Upon clearance by the duty officer, the pilot will contact the tower at Cold
Lake.

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Coverage Levels
A number representing the number of gallons of retardant mixture dropped, or
prescribed, to cover fuels in a 100 sq. ft. area.

Daily Flight Report (A0-02)

To ensure accurate information is collected at the time of the flight, all activity has
to be recorded daily for each aircraft in use or under contract. The Daily Flight
Report (AO-02) has been created and used for this purpose. A Daily Flight report
(AO-02) must be filled out for each aircraft under contract whether or not any
flight has taken place during the day. When flight hours occur, a report will be
completed and will contain information about the following: purpose of the flight,
take-off and landing by location, hours flown, Fuel consumption, and Crew
expenses.

Day Base
A temporary moving of a tanker group or helicopter to another base due to fire
hazard coverage levels or to support on-going fire operations. The aircraft is
expected to be operational while enroute to the base.

Dip Site
A retardant pit or tank for helitankers to fill retardant from.

Drop Assessment
The air attack officer or Helicopter Coordinator will access each drop from an
Airtanker or helitanker for its accuracy and effectiveness. Drops will be rated as a
bull’s eye, short, long, left or right. Short and long drops are rated as a fraction of
the entire load. i.e. ¼ load short. Left and right drops are assessed using the
wingspan of the aircraft as a reference i.e. the load was ½ wingspans left. Other
factors that can be assessed include drop height, speed, coverage, foam and
drift.

Dummy Run
A simulated bombing run made on a target by the Birddog or Helicopter
Coordinator to indicate both the target and run to the Airtanker.

Fire Bombing Circuit

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Fire Foam (Phos-Chek WD881C and Fire-Trol 104)
Are wildland Class A firefighting liquid concentrates, consisting of a surfactant,
corrosion inhibitor and stabilizers.

Firenet
A radio system that is a province wide VHF-FM repeater network designed to
meet the unique needs of Wildfire Management’s, prevention, detection and
suppression operations. It will also be used on a limited basis by other Divisions
within Agriculture and Forestry and Environment and Parks.

Half On / Half Off

An Airtanker or Helitanker drop made parallel to a given reference (fires edge)
where one side of the load falls on the burning fuel and the other half falls on the
adjacent unburned fuel.

Helicopter Coordinator (HLCO)

The Helicopter Coordinator is responsible for:
 Managing and coordinating aerial firefighting using multiple medium and
heavy helicopters
 Briefing pilots on tactical missions and procedures
 Identifying and prioritizing suppression targets
 Assisting with initial scouting/ assessment of water sources
 Coordinating with other Provincial staff and resources including ground
personnel and airtankers.

The Helicopter Coordinator position plays an integral yet limited part in managing
airspace over an incident. The primary airspace management responsibilities of
the Helicopter Coordinator are as follows:
 The Helicopter Coordinator’s pilot may inform the other rotary-wing what
altitude the Helicopter Coordinator aircraft is maintaining, however, the
Helicopter Coordinator shall not assign altitudes to “stack” other aircraft, or
give entrance/exit instructions.

Each pilot in command on the incident is responsible to see and be seen and
may only be assigned altitudes and entrance/exit instructions by a qualified Air
Attack Officer or Air Tactical Group Supervisor that is managing the airspace.

Hover Drop
A drop made by a helicopter hovering over a target which results in a
concentrated drop.

Incident Commander (IC)

Is the individual responsible to organize, assign, and supervise fire suppression
activities on any given incident. When assigned to an initial attack fire, the aircraft
report to the Incident Commander.

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Initial Fire Assessment Form (FP41)
The first resource on scene is responsible to complete and pass the initial fire
assessment. Information on wildfire status, size, spread rate, fire type, fuel type,
values at risk and requirements are recorded and relayed to the Forest Area Fire
Centre.

Lead-in
A technique whereby the Airtanker or Helitanker follows the Birddog or Helicopter
Coordinator on a final run.

Long Term Retardant

Phos-Chek® LC95a - A liquid fertilizer grade ammonium polyphosphate (11-37-
0), combined with guar gum, color package and a corrosion inhibitor. The mixing
ratio of water to LC95a liquid concentrate is Alberta is 5.5:1This is the current
retardant in use for the Province of Alberta, and is supplied by ICL Performance
Products Limited.

Operational Birddog
Working or low level birddog, sometimes referred to as the Tactical Birddog.
Operational birddog CONTROLS the base of the stack which initiates movement
in the stack

Parallel Right/Left
Same bearing but position aircraft a specified distance right or left of previous
drop. This can be a tag on but parallel right or left.

Provincial Aircraft Coordinator (PAC)

An individual based in the operations room at the AWCC, and is responsible for
the coordination of safe efficient use of Provincial Aviation assets.

Roll-ups
A retardant drop placed in front of a visible reference point, such as another
retardant load, a structure, a water body, etc. The intent is to have the load end
as it reaches the given reference point. Care must be made as to load type and
delivery.

Salvo
Place entire load on designated target. Salvo is a common term for airtankers
and helitankers with a fixed door system. A 4 door salvo with mean a four door
drop all at once.

Tag On and Extend

To drop retardant in such a way that the load slightly overlaps and then
lengthens a previous drop. A 25% overlap for conventional drops or 30 to 40 feet
(for constant flow tanks) is desired.

Side Stepping
When bomb runs cannot be made by running down a slope using short drops
dropped 90 degrees to the slope can build a line. Care should be taken as slope

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can introduce a different ground elevation off each wing of the aircraft. I.e. a pilot
in an L-188 who drops across the slope (pilot on downhill side) may not be aware
of rising terrain under the uphill wing.

Stack
An established holding pattern over a wildfire for aircraft awaiting instructions.
Spacing will be at 500 ft. intervals. The operational birddog controls the stack
movements. If the ATGS role has been activated, they will assign an entry
altitude for incoming aircraft. Aircraft with external loads (longlines) will not be
placed in the stack.

String Drop
A drop made by a helicopter in forward flight which results in a long narrow drop.

Target Altitude
Is the intended altitude, feet above sea level, at which an Airtanker is to release
their load Target altitude is equal to the ground altitude of the target, in feet
above sea level, plus the intended drop height above ground. This altitude is
provided to the Airtanker, by the Birddog as part of their run description.

TCAS / TCAD
The Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System (or TCAS) or Traffic Collision
Avoidance Device (or TCAD) is an aircraft collision avoidance system designed
to reduce the incidence of mid-air collisions between aircraft. It monitors the
airspace around an aircraft for other aircraft equipped with a corresponding
active transponder, independent of air traffic control, and warns pilots of the
presence of other transponder-equipped aircraft, which may present a threat of
mid-air collision (MAC).

Thirty-Minute Check-in
Mandatory position and status updates made from an aircraft to the Forest Area’s
dispatch centre every 30 minutes.

Unserviceable Aircraft Report

Unserviceable is defined as when the aircraft, pilot or engineer are not in
condition to perform, fails to perform or is unavailable to perform during the
alert/standby period as defined in “Flight Crew Statuses” or work assignment
period specified in the daily Incidence Action Plan or Forest Area daily operations
plan.

Wail Siren
Siren signalling the ground crews, that Airtanker Operations in the area have
been completed.

Yelp Siren
Siren signalling the ground crews of an intended and/or imminent drop from an
Airtanker. All ground crews must immediately move clear of the drop zone.

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Airspace Chart 1 – Class F Airspace

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Airspace Chart 2 – Vertical Altitude Assignments

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Airspace Chart 3 – Airtanker Circuits

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Airspace Chart 4 – Split Fire Operations

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