Peak Performance: Flying the Fire Boss

[@KingSchools]

Amazing! He makes scooping all that water look so easy. What a neat machine too.

[@richardmcspadden9189]

Yep! And it is definitely NOT easy!

[@jonslg240]

All the animals and insects on that island started believing in God, only their God is his aircraft lol "Wooo free water! That gigantic flying thing is a diety! We don't have to worry about water for another few days, now.."

[@jonslg240]

He's literally at the top of the skill range for doing that. He knows exactly what he's doing every step of the way. He might not be able to drop the water "on a dime", but he can do it relatively 'on a dime'.. I bet his accuracy is under 10ft, and under 10ft is absolutely amazing considering he only has 1.67 seconds of drop time (I'm pretty sure the drops we're seeing are at max drop rate)

[@clarkjudy2041]

😢😮​@@jonslg240

[@konstantinosskouras3243]

As a CL-215 instructor myself, I have been co-operating with the fire bosses for a couple of years. These guys are the real deal. Skill and precision. And the greek seas and terrain are no joke, I can assure you. Much respect mates. Have safe flights and landings!

[@MrJasonfromcanada]

I wish British Columbia would bring back the CL215’s and 415’s instead of those dinky planes

[@tomlee7956]

They are junk and NOT what Greece needs. What you guys need is CL-415s and much heavy tankers like converted B747s, DC10s and more...

[@alu.ja.alu414]

Σμηναγέ μου πιστεύεις ότι αυτό το υδροπλάνο μπορεί να πάρει νερό από θάλασσα, με αέρα 6 και 7 Μποφώρ και είναι ασφαλέστερο για τα ελληνικά δεδομένα από τα CL-215 που πέταγες ή πετάς, όταν έχει ταχύτητα απώλειας στήριξης γύρω στα 145 χλμ σε σχέση με τα 123χλμ του CL-215 ; (δεν αναφέρομαι καν στα CL-415) Η ίδια η εταιρεία στον ιστότοπό της αναφέρει ότι μπορεί να εφοδιαστεί με νερό από λίμνη, ποτάμι ή ταμιευτήρα, δηλαδή με 0 Μποφώρ, συνθήκες εργαστηρίου. Θεωρείς ότι είναι καλή επιλογή για την Ελλάδα ; ή απλώς "θα πέσουν" καλές προμήθειες ; Όσο για τους χειριστές τους : RESPECT

[@semiprofessional8470]

RIP Richard. Hard to believe

[@PhilipAlonzo]

What happen?

[@bmwlane8834]

He was in a GA and lost engine and tried to return....almost made too. Sucks

[@taproom113]

@@bmwlane8834 He was not the PF ... correct? The other pilot was flying and made the decision to attempt the return ... Richard was just riding. ^v^

[@jmax8692]

@@taproom113no you’re just wrong… PF isn’t a term it’s PIC if you mean who is flying. He was.

[@thierrygaillot1980]

@@jmax8692 PF=Pilot Flying, PIC=Pilot In Command. Richard was none of the two and only riding as passenger.

[@christianhagen5100]

Another perspective: two of these Fire Boss planes saved our community in the 2021 Tamarack fire in Ca/Nv. They flew all the way in to NV from Minnesota. Scooped out of Topaz Lake, Nv. 10 min round trip. I watched the whole thing happen. The folks that fly these have no idea how much their efforts were appreciated!

[@bluemaxsix]

This is some of the best content you've put out so far. Focus, pilotage, skill, training, and standardization- all focused around a common mission. Not to mention the individual AND collective training & skills required. I've missed this kind of flying since my days in the military. Well done

[@markusp1788]

I seldom write down yt speaks, but this outro is exceptional: "Elite performance begins with strong execution of the fundamentals... They are humble, they didn't consider themselves above simple tools like challenging response calls between each others, and checklists. Elite performers eliminate small mistakes by leveraging simple tools consistently. And they are not embarrassed by simple tools. Their debriefs were specific, detailed and candid, so there were no misunderstandings where mistakes were made and the proper corrections. A tenant of elite performance is setting high standards and holding yourself and your team accountable to these standards." Talk about leadership material.

[@TakingOff]

What a great new series!

[@CompleteWalkaround]

Great video. Nicely done

[@AirSafetyInstitute]

Thank you very much!

[@cliftonsnider1520]

Living in northern BC I always hate seeing these appear every spring but god I love watching them. If only I had been smarter when I was younger.

[@McStebb]

My first flight lesson EVER is in a few weeks, and it's humbling to me to see a guy as experienced as Richard still making mistakes, still asking good questions, and still learning. These are some of the most wicked aircraft & pilots I've ever seen. Truly inspiring stuff.

[@thechosenone9127]

how are the leasons going?

[@McStebb]

@@thechosenone9127 My training got postponed due to a stupid medical thing (Thanks FAA) 🤪 But that has since been resolved and hopefully I'll be getting my medical soon so I can start training for real

[@McStebb]

Wait... this is the same Richard that just died in a plane crash. This video is much sadder now. :(

[@2litersoftwist988]

The skill it must take to be confident enough to let someone take control of such a powerful aircraft and know you can fix virtually anything they can do wrong shows this pilots familiarity and proficiency with the airplane

[@jeremybrito8490]

Richard McSpadden a legend in the aviation community and a pilot other pilots should be inspired to replicate in their own cockpits. We lost Richard This month and his absence will be felt throughout aviation community far and wide.

[@StoryboardMindset]

I respect that you gave scooping a shot.

[@joshuabrunetti2001]

What a ride! We need a whole series of Mr. McSpadden trying out every plane, please and thank you

[@69adrummer]

What an absolutely beautiful video in terms of recording, production, narration and delivery. While *not* a pilot, I am a student of the profession/hobby/art and as someone who has fought wildland fire for the Forest Service and as a volunteer, I appreciate *every* resource and asset we have available...be it fixed wing or rotor!

[@CascadiaAviation]

I’ll never forget seeing a 5 ship formation of Air Tractors fighting a fire at Lake Wenatchee, WA. So incredible.

[@julianaturchetti3408]

I am AMAZED by this video! Jesse Weaver really nailed on every aspect of flying the airplane and also being able to instruct on how to do it! So much respect for what they do! I have learned so much watching this video! Thank you for sharing it! ✈️ 🔥 🧑🏼‍✈️

[@10ford]

RIP.

[@FiniteStars]

Absolutely A+ content

[@michaelberry950]

Outstanding documentary, wrap up made me feel very good about watching it all.

[@LieutenantLysol]

As long as I'm doing something with aviation I'm happy, but aerial firefighting has always been the dream job!

[@olsonspeed]

Many thanks and respect to my flying firefighter brothers and sisters for their vital work.

[@engineeringoyster6243]

I love the deliberate announcement and acknowledgment of who is flying the airplane. So important.

[@RichEdwards]

This was great. Loved the insight into something few people, even in GA, see or appreciate. Also loved the effort in production value and cinematography. It's really hard to marry those two things and tell am honest and compelling story. Keep up the series.

[@Aran2323]

Loved the smile on his face at 14:30! "Yeah, what we do IS awesome!"

[@AngusSuter]

That was a really enjoyable watch. Thank you. What a bundle of skills those pilots have.

[@mysteryY2K]

these guys are quite literally saving the planet. i just got my CPL not too long ago and this is my dream gig for sure. going to get my SES rating next!

[@erikapland3570]

y'all killed it on this one. can't wait for more. thanks!

[@christopherrobinson3290]

Exciting machines! Powerful and utilitarian. Talk about a dream job!!!

[@paulm2206]

that lil smile when he is drooping the load, priceless.

[@Holabirdsupercluster]

Between this and your last conversation about banner flying, I love this attention to unusual professional modes, really interesting for the layman who never thinks about this stuff

[@richardmcspadden9189]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Nicholas10101]

This was a great video! The skill of the guys is awesome.

[@joebrown8886]

Such a cool, skilled job and with all the potential pitfalls taken into account (I imagine) highly rewarding to operate as a pilot.

[@stevekirk8546]

Wow! That is so impressive. A fascinating piece beautifuly presented. Thank yoiu for sharing it with us.

[@MrArgus11111]

Excellent footage. I had no idea this aircraft even existed.

[@utahballoonflights2716]

I’ve been fortunate enough to work with these and other SEAT pilots in my fire career. Always a welcome sight when an 802 is bearing down on you bringing some much needed help.

[@jimmarshall1708]

Living in British Columbia on Lake Okanagan have had the opportunity of watching these aircraft in action. Great to see how they are operated from the cockpit.

[@LibertyLakeWildlife]

I had no idea the AT's could handle 16,000 pounds gross, WOW! A Twin Otter gross is 12,500 with all that wing. The AT looks so short-coupled as well. Thanks for posting this video. We see them often here in Eastern Washington doing pick-ups and I now have huge respect for what is going on. Superb video post.

[@taproom113]

Agree ... while the Twin Otter is very forgiving, the FireBoss looks to require very precise control. There's an old saying that goes, "Flying is hours of boredom, punctuated by moments of ... stark terror." From what I could see of the stick inputs during the scooping ops, the analogy would be 'Scooping requires a very soft touch, punctuated by moments of ... snatching.' ^v^

[@kennethfeagins1414]

The AT is a no frills work horse.

[@rchuyck]

Excellent video. Saw the first Fire Boss at OSH close to 20 years ago, Wipline had it on display and Mark Mattson was the pilot, amazing machine

[@kl-90h]

I witnessed 7 of these scooping from the lake where I live yesterday. It was amazing to watch up close! Thanks for giving us a look behind the scenes- I’m even more impressed now!!

[@erniejessop7304]

Fantastic! Makes me want to fly one of those amazing birds!!

[@foesfly3047]

Serious Pilot Skills and in a way that has huge benefit to people and property 😎♠️💙

[@shaunroberts9361]

These aircraft look like Crop Dusters with Floats. This was a really cool edit for sure.

[@CodysCornerGarage]

They are crop dusters with floats, AT-802 with a slightly different engine, prop and airframe to accommodate the extra weight and stress of the floats. I've worked on both wheeled AT-802s and a Fireboss, they're awesome planes!

[@gracelandone]

Every video I see about firefighting aircraft operations further convinces me that it’s maybe the most exciting (and prone to risk) flying there is. Thanks for putting this out. I had no exposure to this type and mission specialty.

[@JillandKevin]

Great video! Really sad that we lost Richard last year.

[@ThePwig]

wow this video is absolutely wonderful content! so many factors go into that kind of aviation, and I had thought I understood it but there was always an additional thing the pilot had to take into account to make a successful flight.

[@GregInTokyo]

There was some awesome scenes last week in Vancouver, Canada of a fleet of six of these flying in formation to put out a fire on the North Shore.

[@clifflong1203]

Very gratifying to watch! I really enjoyed this!💪👌

[@Habsfan-nr2hc]

I’ve been lucky enough to see crews like this in the Okanagan, great pilots.

[@xtreker15]

The air tractor is such an amazing platform the military has purchased a bunch to fly close air support and recon missions out of remote strips for special operations. There is a great KZbin video talking about its capabilities.

[@flyingfortressrc1794]

Wow that was so awesome to watch. Makes me wish I could fly.

[@SamCooper373]

Great video! God bless America. Had a great Flightchops feel to it.

[@CrosswindSurfer]

REAAAAALLY love these kinds of videos. Please keep making them, my kids LOVE learning from these videos. (not so much the crash ones hahah)

[@77Avadon77]

What a great guy and such a cool aircraft!! Just amazing journalism. Thank you for sharing.

[@tac-cobserver3788]

Awesome 🤙 Just amaze how he approach the water surface and scoops the water with so smooth. Pilot are Awesome, and man, this machine is huge. Cool, thanks for sharing, stay healthy for all of us & Safety First!✌😉

[@bittnerbs]

Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed watching this. I would’ve never imagined the amount of skill that these pilots have and it was great to showcase them, their skills, and an amazing airplane. Thank you!

[@christopherrobinson3290]

Beautiful plane, great PT6 and a job to do!! Thanks for the access!

[@hack1n8r]

So awesome!! Loved the video-- very educational. Thank you!!

[@JustPlaneChris]

I watched these guys in action last summer as they scooped from Belton Lake very near my house to work a fire Northwest of Fort Hood. It was great to see more in-depth details of how they do it. Awesome!

[@glennnel3570]

Just a GREAT video - Well explained & well filmed. Thank you.

[@mauryhatcher]

Yeah, Navy Pilots and F-22 Pilots get all the attention (and they certainly deserve attention, no doubt) for flying skills, but what these guys and girls do is equally impressive for the skill it takes to control these machines in such challenging ways, great video!

[@taproom113]

Excellent comment, Sir. 🤘 ^v^

[@robwhite2282]

Great report! What got me into flying was three fire bosses flying over my ranch at low level in North Idaho. I love this air frame.

[@badbilly1083]

More of these type of videos please!!

[@Kingfisher83]

Thoroughly enjoyed that! Sweet airplane too!

[@rodney8763]

Recently four of these incredible piloted machines had to come to my neighborhood of Westhill (Spokane WA) and I was surprised first by the true size but then by the formations and how low they were to the ground as the water was placed with precision. I almost forgot about the fire and concentrated on them.

[@zarmril1756]

This is awesome insight to this level of flying.

[@photojournalistmichaelbeard]

Ive got several videos of them action. They are absolutely amazing to watch in action.

[@enshk79]

At 00:40 - OMG they look sooooo awesome!!!!!

[@martinrice6541]

Another great piece, Richard!

[@hsilva92]

What an awsome video! Thanks for sharing that experience with us! Great content!

[@goatflieg]

I had the chance to park my RV-8 next to one last weekend in Brainerd MN. Quite a side-by-side comparison! Thanks for answering so many questions I had.

[@Tuckpana]

Thank you.

[@OneTequilaTwoTequila]

I'm amazed at how wobbly those floats were compared to the fuselage. They're much more rigid on the Beavers, Otters, and Beeches I flew.

[@DuncanSlater-r7y]

Wow that was so awesome to watch.Makes me wish I could fly.. This was a great video!The skill of the guys is awesome..

[@ClearedAsFiled]

ASI....thanks for another excellent informative video....

[@justinsalaskanadventures]

Awesome interview and I will especially liked the end on the recap, nice job and thank you!

[@txkflier]

Great video. Thanks!

[@ChrisSprenger.]

I live in Harrison hot springs lake in canada b.c. I get to see these guys practice every year. It’s so awesome ! My house is right on the lake, and i have some great footage of these guys..only difference is its in canada.

[@calpal9983]

Great segment!

[@josejoaosantamariasouza3030]

Excellent content.! 🎉

[@peterwells5424]

Educational and very enjoyable to watch. A truly excellent video!

[@TallTexasGMan]

This was awesome, first video I have seen that talks about how to do it. Looks like a small cockpit, I will probably have to stick with being a COML.

[@MetsterAnn]

Wow. I saw this plane fly over my house today and wondered what it was. I figured it was for firefighting as I live near a fire base but wasn’t sure about the skids. Then this video popped up and I knew! Thank you, these aviation videos are fascinating to me.

[@rosadias256]

Excelente apresentação do Fire Boss. Vídeo demonstrativo do ambiente em cabine, muito bom. Fiz 37 campanhas de combate a incêndios florestais, nove dos quais em Fire Boss, somando mais de 1000h nesse avião. Estou reformado mas gosto de ver quem opera bem o avião. Parabéns e obrigado por partilharem.

[@joelobryan1212]

Dauntless keeps 3 of beasts at my home drone, KBWD, they are just massive. Makes the nearby Fedex Caravan in the hanger look small.

[@paulpence8895]

Air Tractor, some bad ass planes...

[@andrewmaclean9810]

This gotta be one of the coolest jobs in aviation hands down. Maybe one day if I get my special issuance

[@shortribslongbow5312]

Awesome video thanks for sharing.

[@TCPUDPATM]

Amazing video!

[@USAMontanan]

Just a beautiful beast of a plane! Bomber pilots fighting the good fight!

[@davdruan]

Watching some of these fight the Alexander Mt fire right now, the air tractors are flying right over my house. Pretty cool.

[@carlospradoberaldi8276]

mui lindo avionetas 802 ... io trabarro em fuego em Brsil e furmigaciom. bravo hermanos

[@AkPacerPilot]

Awesome video… very cool topic! Thank you!

[@Cowdog1]

AWESOME video.

[@raimundopimentel5593]

Excellent video, please keep up this content.

[@FireBosspilot]

Excellent👍

[@davewestner]

This would be a pretty cool flying gig.

[@michaelmckelvy9165]

Nice Ride! I want one..

[@gglasser8375]

Awesome vid!

[@ThatWasLoud]

Fascinating.

[@Danger_mouse]

14:38 The tubular structure in the cabin, is this not only the airframe, but also a safety cell?