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Exceptional pilots

The particular mission of these pilots explains why they are recruited in a rather special manner.
Originally, when the French Navy used to own hydroplane, pilots flying on Catalinas were altogether suited to doing this job. Then the French Sécurité Civile chose to recruit among old Navy fighters. Today most of these pilotes comes from the Air Force.
To be recruited, pilotes need to have at least an experience of 3000 hours flying. Of course these pilotes are used to fly but they are above all reliable, i.e.; careful, conscentious and motivated. Some of them come from the Patrouille de France.

As an example, here is the portrait of our two hosts.

The first one Yvon Tarré has begun his carreer as an electronics engineer before becoming fighter pilote within the Navy. He used to pilote Super-Etendard and Crusader F-8E (FN) (1600 hours flying) he is what we call an "owl", i.e.; a pilot who is able to land on carriers by night . After having flight on DC-6 he has become captain on CL-415. He is also instructor on Tracker and Canadair. This year it is his 21st season.

The second one has just become co-pilote on Canadair. Certified in 1982 within the Air force he was instructor on Fouga Magister until 1985 and was appointed in Dijon on Mirage 2000 for the alpha demonstration (solo display). Thierry Lang ended his military carreer, after having been solo leader within the Patrouille de France, in 2000. He also piloted on Fokker before being trained to pilote CL-415 in Canada.

Within the unit, the training course has recently been modified. Originally CL-215 were monopiloted and there was also on board a flight engineer. Young pilots used to begin their carreer alone on Trackers. Sometimes lack of experience was a cause of accident. Nowadays pilots are appointed as co-pilotes on Fokker F-27 and CL-415 for 3 years according to the number of pilotes who retire.
After an experience of several seasons, co-pilots begin to be pilots on Trackers. Trackers always fly by group of two. To lead the patrol, the new pilot will have to gain several seasons of experience. Sometimes it takes nearly 10 years for a pilote to become captain on CL-415. However all the pilots have not the same goal in terms of carreer. Some of them are interested in flying on Tracker, a mono-piloted and agile aircraft quite easy to pilote. Others would prefer to fly on the famous yellow seaplane.
Nethertheless the pilots we met on the Marignane base have one thing in common : they are all quite reserved regarding the details of their missions but one thing is true : they love their job. For some reason, maybe superstition or humility or simply because they will have to talk about work, they hardly umberden themselves. Indeed they stick to the essential when describing their job.

Their mission : protecting forest

Their mission is easy to describe : it consists in putting fires out. We have all watched on TV images of these yellow aircrafts which jettison water on the hillside releasing a white cloud while entering or leaving a thick layer of smoke. These images are far from representing the real tasks of water bombers.
Indeed each kind of aircraft has its particular task. First Fokkers, these latter are also used for transport for the Home Office (along with 2 Beech 200), they should have replaced the DC-6 as heavy water bombers.


©French Sécurité Civile

These two aircrafts can be filled with 5 tons of water only. Although they are now outdated they are still in charge of watching on long distances and fairly flat regions. During fire season, C-130 Hercules (hired with their crews to the USA) are in charge of fighting the biggest centers of fire. The 12 Trackers, among which 11 have become Turbo-Trackers, "turbinized" as well as the Canadairs.

In groups of two, they keep watch over high-risk areas in order to locate new centers of fire or to fight against nacsent ones. Efficiency rate for trackers is higher than 80%.

Yellow Pelicans : efficiency and safety

When fires begin to develop and that the Tracker's two tons of water are no more enough, it's up to Yellow Pelicans to begin their work.

During fire season, crews are ready to act at any time. When they are called, they often come back to the Sécurité Civile base by night. The pilot's job is made of uncertainties and doubts. At any time fire alarm can ring within the base. And even though there are a few flights out of fire season except for training ( and never enough according to pilots !), summer days are quite heavy.

Canadairs are called for important fires which explains why they always fly by group of 4 during summer. In only ten minutes the first group of 4 planes is taking off, between the civilian traffic of the Marignane Aircraft. When the fire alarm rings, localization of fire is often vague and as a consequence flight is briefly prepared. A temporary heading is taken. The axis of attacking fire will depend on the wind, aerology and relief.

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