Firstly, could you start off by giving us a brief look into your career history / background in aviation?

I started as a Spanish Army pilot in 1978. During my military career, I was a line pilot, instructor and maintenance pilot. I flew many helicopter types, including Bell 47, Hueys, OH58, BO105 and CH47 Chinook.

My first contact with the civil industry was in 1987 on the firefighting season. Ever since then, I have been involved in firefighting, aerial work (ENG, filming, external load, etc), offshore, mountain search and rescue, and helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS).

You’ve worked for Babcock for 24 years; have you always been based in the same place, or have you moved around a lot?

When I first started out working in the civilian industry, I moved around working for different companies and in many places, but in 1996, I joined Helicsa (one of the root companies for what is now Babcock), and decided that it was the company I was looking for. Within Babcock and my former companies, I have moved around Spain, Africa and South America, and, of course, moved helicopters around Europe, mostly between Norway and Sweden.

What are the key differences in aerial firefighting operations in different countries in terms of aircraft and wildfire management protocols?

I would say the main differences between firefighting in southern Europe and what you can see in Australia, Canada or the US, is that in most cases, we work in an environment where there is more concern about the potential for the impact a fire could have on small towns, farms and infrastructures. It is not very common to fight fires that have a long front of flames on which you could use a big tanker. We tend to see very irregular fire fronts that have to be fought mostly with precise drops from helicopters or, at the most, medium fixed-wing tankers.

Another important difference is that all helicopters in Spain and Portugal are required to transport brigades, which is why it is rare to see large helicopters that cannot carry people due to their restricted certification.

What are the key differences in aerial firefighting operations in different countries in terms of aircraft and wildfire management protocols?

I would say the main differences between firefighting in southern Europe and what you can see in Australia, Canada or the US, is that in most cases, we work in an environment where there is more concern about the potential for the impact a fire could have on small towns, farms and infrastructures. It is not very common to fight fires that have a long front of flames on which you could use a big tanker. We tend to see very irregular fire fronts that have to be fought mostly with precise drops from helicopters or, at the most, medium fixed-wing tankers.

Another important difference is that all helicopters in Spain and Portugal are required to transport brigades, which is why it is rare to see large helicopters that cannot carry people due to their restricted certification.

What are the biggest challenges you face at the moment in terms of fleet management and replacing or renewing aircraft?

At Babcock, innovation and technology are key priorities. The company is always looking for the best aircraft to meet operational and customer’s needs. The new kid on the block is the AS332 SuperPuma. It means a big step ahead in terms of extinction capability, and the number of people we can move to the fire frontline, and, last but not least, due to the technology onboard, we are exploring, with customers and aviation authorities, the possibility of starting nighttime firefighting operations.

Working with local operators that may not have the same resources as a multinational company such as Babcock can be challenging; how do you ensure that you work effectively and safety with other companies offering aerial firefighting services? Do you share aircraft tracking data, for instance?

The most effective barrier to risk is a good set of standard operating procedures (SOPs). There is a basic set of them that all customers and operators share. We have basic rules, like not overlapping any helicopter that is ahead of you in the dropping circuits, and never lose view of the preceding helicopter, and a number of other basic rules of behavior in the operations. Of course, beyond that, every operator has their own SOPs that do not interfere with, or compromise, safety during firefighting operations.

We do have tracking systems that accurately give position, flying parameters and drops, all that data is sent in real time to the operational command center and our customers on demand.

What have you noticed about how fire seasons have changed in the last 20 or so years?

I remember back in the days where there were no limitations on duty periods, flying hours per day, hot refueling, or the number of times the pilot decided to fly and so on … Nowadays, both the Civil Aviation Authority and the operators have invested a lot of effort into developing safety regulations, and the numbers clearly state that it has been worth it. Babcock is flying over 10,000 hours per season, and the number of incidents are extremely low. Of course, risk is always there, but the firefighting industry has made great efforts over the last few years to beat statistics that were not to be proud of. The big change, in one word, has been safety.

How did Covid affect your summer 2020 operations?

We have been keeping up quite well with our normal operations, even though we have had some cases among our crews. Generally speaking, our crews have been quite responsible in terms of keeping safe. It has been a big effort that involved different departments in the company. Our health and safety team has done extraordinary work, providing crews with all the personal protective equipment needed, developing guidance, and new policies, etc. Traveling for crew changes, allocations, training ground crews … everything had to be redesigned to the special situation the pandemic has brought about, but, fortunately, the outcome has been positive.

What are the best things about your job? Are there any downsides to doing what you do?

For me, the best thing is that it’s vocational, meaning that you are always willing to do your best, and motivation is not an issue most of the time. Also, knowing that what you do is a critical service to society is a plus. Putting some spiritual component to it, the Noble Eightfold Path states ‘right livelihood’ as part of happiness, and I think that our job clearly fits into that description.

The downside is also quite clear, and that is the price you have to pay to enjoy the upside: for some, the job means many days away from home if you don’t have a base near to where you live. Families must be given a lot of credit for being the support behind a helicopter pilot, since they may not be able to count on you when you are on duty away from them.