Guides · Updated Nov 10, 2026

Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Pilot Jobs (2026): Interagency Carding Hours, Who’s Hiring, Pay and the New Texas Fleet

Short answer: To be approved as pilot-in-command on an interagency fire helicopter you need a commercial or ATP rotorcraft-helicopter certificate, a Class I or II medical and, as PIC, 1,500 hours in helicopters, 100 hours in the last 12 months, 100 hours in the weight class, 100 turbine hours, 50 hours in the make and model (halved with factory training) and 10 hours in the exact make, model and series in the last 12 months. Mountain flying approval adds 200 hours, and longline work needs 10 hours of vertical reference time (NWCG PMS 525-1). Outside state agencies, the pilot jobs we found are at private operators flying agency contracts. Lohman Helicopter posts $100,000–$165,000 base plus flight-hour pay and per diem for a Bell 407/Bell medium line pilot. CAL FIRE’s state-employed Forestry Fire Pilot pays $130,489–$172,188 a year but needs 2,000 hours helicopter PIC. In Texas, the A&M Forest Service bought two Bell 412EPX helicopters; the first is due in December 2027.

Why this matters now

On Nov 8, 2026 a contracted H225 Super Puma crashed into the Barito River in South Kalimantan, Indonesia, while collecting water for firefighting. Both pilots, an Australian and a New Zealander, survived; an Indonesian crew member was killed. The cause is under investigation (ABC News (Nov 9, 2026)). The same week, Flight Safety Foundation published an ATSB case of a Bell 412EP that dropped 50 feet while filling a longline bucket (Flight Safety Foundation, “Uncommanded Descent” (Nov 9, 2026)). Fire flying is low, heavy and repetitive, which is why the agencies set their own hour floors well above the FAA’s. Here is what those floors are, who is hiring, and what the work pays, using only agency and operator pages.

How firefighting helicopter jobs are structured

Agencies hire helicopters fully crewed. Lohman Helicopter, for example, describes its Bell 407 and Bell medium pilots flying “Exclusive Use (EU) and Call-When-Needed (CWN) contracts supporting federal fire suppression” across the U.S. and Canada (Lohman Helicopter Line Pilot posting). Columbia Helicopters lists seasonal contracts, emergency call-when-needed support and international deployments (Columbia Helicopters fire page). Some states employ their own pilots: CAL FIRE hires helicopter pilots as state employees (CAL FIRE Forestry Fire Pilot class page).

On Nov 10, 2026 a USAJOBS search found no open Forest Service or Interior helicopter pilot posting. The closest federal openings were Forest Service helitack crew jobs (firefighters who load, manifest and work from helicopters, not pilots): temporary GW-5 roles in Oregon and Washington at $25.37 an hour (rest-of-U.S. rate) for the 2027 season (USAJOBS 890777900 (Forest Service Helitack, GW-5)).

Interagency carding: the hours you need

Before a pilot flies an agency mission they are inspected and “carded” in that make, model, series and mission. The NWCG standard for cooperator Type 2 and 3 helicopters (PMS 525-1, the current edition on NWCG’s site, dated August 2021) spells out the PIC minimums (NWCG Standards for Interagency Cooperator Type 2 and 3 Helicopters, PMS 525-1 (Aug 2021, PDF); NWCG PMS 525-1 publication page):

Sources: 14 CFR 61.129 (eCFR); Helicopter Express careers; NWCG Standards for Interagency Cooperator Type 2 and 3 Helicopters, PMS 525-1 (Aug 2021, PDF); Lohman Helicopter Line Pilot posting; CAL FIRE Forestry Fire Pilot class page. Checked Nov 10, 2026.

Requirement (as PIC)	Hours
Pilot-in-command, helicopters	1,500
Helicopter, preceding 12 months	100 (a waiver may be requested)
Weight class	100
Turbine helicopter	100
Make and model	50 (cut 50% with the manufacturer’s ground and flight training)
Make, model and series, preceding 12 months	10
Mountain flying approval	200, plus 10 in the make and model
Longline vertical reference (VTR)	10, plus 2 hours annual VTR recurrency

The same standard requires a commercial or ATP certificate with a rotorcraft-helicopter rating and a valid Class I or II medical; the IAT aviation firefighting courses MH1, MH2 and MH3 within the last 36 months; an evaluation flight every 3 years over typical terrain by a USFS, DOI or federally approved pilot inspector; and written evidence of qualification to carry external loads under 14 CFR Part 133, rotorcraft external-load operations (eCFR). Pilots fill out the Helicopter Pilot Qualifications and Approval Record (Form FS-5700-20a or OAS-64) before evaluation (NWCG Standards for Interagency Cooperator Type 2 and 3 Helicopters, PMS 525-1 (Aug 2021, PDF)).

For comparison, the FAA commercial helicopter certificate needs 150 hours of flight time, including 100 hours PIC (14 CFR 61.129 (eCFR)). Most new commercial pilots are more than 1,000 hours short of a fire card, which is why tour, utility and instructing jobs come first.

Fire duty and flight-time limits

The cooperator standard sets these pilot limits (NWCG Standards for Interagency Cooperator Type 2 and 3 Helicopters, PMS 525-1 (Aug 2021, PDF)):

No more than 8 flight hours a day (10 on point-to-point flights with a pilot and copilot).
Duty of any kind no more than 14 hours in any 24, with at least 10 consecutive hours off before each duty day. Standby counts as duty.
A pilot reaching 36 flight hours in 6 consecutive duty days must take the next day off; flight time can never exceed 42 hours in 6 days, and every 14 days must include 2 full days off.
In long, heavy fire periods the agencies can cut duty and flight time further.

Contract pilots follow the limits written into their procurement document (NWCG Standards for Helicopter Operations, PMS 510 (May 2023, PDF)). Compare the FAA’s own rest rules in our duty time and rest guide.

Type 1, 2 and 3 helicopters

Fire helicopters are “typed” by what they can lift (NWCG Standards for Helicopter Operations, PMS 510 (May 2023, PDF), Exhibit 6.1):

	Type 1 (heavy)	Type 2 (medium)	Type 3 (light)
Useful load (59°F, sea level)	5,000 lb	2,500 lb	1,200 lb
Passenger seats	15 or more	9–14	4–8
Water or retardant	700 gal	300 gal	100 gal
Max gross weight	12,501+ lb	6,000–12,500 lb	Up to 6,000 lb

Those are minimums. Columbia’s Model 107-II carries a 1,300-gallon bucket and its Model 234 Chinook 2,600 gallons (Columbia Helicopters fire page). The weight-class hours in the carding table refer to the helicopter you are offered in.

Who’s hiring firefighting helicopter pilots

Every row comes from the operator’s or agency’s own page, checked Nov 10, 2026.

Employer	Base	Aircraft	Pilot openings and minimums	Published pay
Lohman Helicopter	Hayden, ID (Lohman Helicopter contact page)	Bell 407 and Bell mediums	Line Pilot: commercial rotorcraft; 1,500 hours rotor-wing PIC with 100 in the Bell 407/212 or similar; must meet current interagency carding; previously OAS carded in Bell medium and/or 206/407; Class 1 or 2 medical (Lohman Helicopter Line Pilot posting)	Base $100,000–$165,000 DOE (W-2 or 1099), plus flight-hour pay, per diem and company-paid travel; daily-rate part-time positions negotiated (Lohman Helicopter Line Pilot posting)
Helicopter Express	Tate and Chamblee, GA (Helicopter Express contact page)	H125, Bell 407HP, 205, 412EPX, K-MAX, S-64E/F Skycrane (Helicopter Express careers)	S-64 SIC: commercial helicopter, 2nd-class medical, 800–1,200 hours rotorcraft PIC preferred, turbine time. S-64 PIC: S-64 type rating/experience, precision longline, USFS carded (current or previously). S-64 PIC trainee: must meet USFS carding hours except S-64-specific time. Passport required (Helicopter Express careers)	Not published (the company says pay “exceeds industry averages”; free on-site housing between assignments) (Helicopter Express careers)
Croman Corp.	Not published on the pages we read	S-61 (per posting)	Lists an S-61 pilot/co-pilot opening; minimums not published, and the page notes not all listed positions are open (Croman careers)	Not published for pilots (its lead mechanic posting shows $37.50–$47.00 an hour plus per diem) (Croman careers)
Columbia Helicopters	Aurora, OR (Columbia Helicopters fire page)	Model 107-II and Model 234 (Chinook)	Not readable on its own careers page	Not published
Rogers Helicopters	Fresno, CA (Rogers Helicopters careers)	H125, Bell 206 L3, Bell 212 HP, MD 500/530	Accepts pilot resumes by email; minimums not published. Holds FAA Part 133, 135 and 137 certificates (Rogers Helicopters careers)	Not published
CAL FIRE (state employee)	Statewide, California	Helicopters (single-pilot)	Forestry Fire Pilot: 2,000 hours helicopter PIC, including 500 mountain PIC with landings above 4,000 ft MSL, 500 turbine PIC, 250 low-level mission PIC, 100 sling-load PIC and 50 in the past year; commercial or ATP rotorcraft; Class II medical (CAL FIRE Forestry Fire Pilot class page)	$7,948–$10,488 a month base plus $2,701–$3,564 extended duty week pay every 4 weeks: $130,489–$172,188 a year, plus differentials capped at 15% of base: 10% for S-70i Firehawk and night-flying qualified pilots, 2.5% each for instructor, flight examiner, maintenance test pilot and chief pilot roles (CalCareers JC-516161 (Forestry Fire Pilot, Lassen-Modoc))

Erickson says its S-64 fleet and aerial operations business were acquired by Helicopter Express, so former Erickson Skycrane flying now runs through Helicopter Express (Erickson careers page).

CAL FIRE pilot pay and openings

CAL FIRE’s two 2026 helicopter pilot postings we read (Riverside Unit, JC-514159, filing closed Apr 17; Lassen-Modoc, JC-516161, closed May 15) both list $7,948–$10,488 a month, and new-to-state hires start at the minimum (CalCareers JC-514159 (Helicopter Pilot, Riverside); CalCareers JC-516161 (Forestry Fire Pilot, Lassen-Modoc)). CAL FIRE’s recruiting page still shows the lower $7,754–$10,232 range and says no positions are open right now, with exam 4551 open until filled (CAL FIRE Forestry Fire Pilot class page). Both 2026 postings closed in the spring, so check CalCareers early in the year.

Texas: a state fire fleet is coming

Texas has relied on federal resource-sharing and the Texas Military Department for aerial firefighting. In July 2026 Texas A&M Forest Service bought two SUBARU Bell 412EPX helicopters, the first aircraft of its own fleet, from Bell Textron. The first is due in December 2027 and the second three to six months later. The 89th Legislature appropriated $257 million (HB 500) to buy, operate and maintain wildfire aircraft, and the agency plans more aircraft over the next two years, including multimission fixed-wing aircraft and large airtankers (Texas A&M Forest Service (Jul 16, 2026); Texas A&M Forest Service helicopters page).

The scale of the Texas mission: in 2025, the agency and local departments fought 6,304 wildfires that burned 132,366 acres, and suppression aircraft flew 1,589 hours and made 1,345 drops, delivering more than 1 million gallons (Texas A&M Forest Service (Jul 16, 2026)). Texas A&M Forest Service also partners with Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Texas Army National Guard and Travis County STAR Flight, and says ranch helicopters help in their local areas (Texas A&M Forest Service helicopters page).

Who will fly the 412EPXs, and on what terms, is not published. We’ll update this page when the agency posts pilot jobs or an operating contract. See the Texas A&M Forest Service listing and every Texas pilot employer.

How to get there from a low-time helicopter job

Build PIC time (instructing, tours, utility). See how to become a helicopter pilot.
Get turbine time and some time in a weight class you want to fly. The carding table counts 100 turbine and 100 weight-class hours.
Get external-load and longline vertical reference experience (10 VTR hours for longline approval) with a Part 133 operator.
Look at SIC seats on heavies. Helicopter Express’s S-64 SIC posting prefers 800–1,200 PIC hours, the lowest published bar we found (Helicopter Express careers).
Hit 1,500 helicopter PIC with 200 mountain hours and apply to EU/CWN contract operators, or 2,000 PIC for CAL FIRE.

Sources (checked Nov 10, 2026)

What we couldn’t verify

We couldn’t read a current federal (USFS or DOI) exclusive-use or call-when-needed helicopter contract, so the hour table above is the NWCG cooperator standard (PMS 525-1, Aug 2021). Federal contracts set their own pilot terms, and helicopter forums and state bids quote similar but not identical lists. Lohman’s and Helicopter Express’s postings say pilots must meet the “current” interagency carding requirements, so check with the operator. Helicopter Express, Croman, Columbia and Rogers don’t publish pilot pay. Croman’s headquarters and S-61 pilot minimums, Columbia’s pilot openings (its careers page didn’t load as text) and Billings Flying Service and Coulson pages (blocked to our checks) aren’t included. Third-party job-board copies weren’t used. Know an operator we missed? Tell us.

Next steps

Compare every helicopter operator and government aviation employer, see helicopter pilot salary data, and check the other big helicopter job markets: air medical (HEMS) and Gulf offshore.

Looking for employers? Browse the pilot employer & flight school directory.

FAQ

How many hours do you need to be a firefighting helicopter pilot?

Under the NWCG interagency cooperator standard (PMS 525-1), a PIC needs 1,500 hours helicopter PIC, 100 in the last 12 months, 100 in the weight class, 100 turbine, 50 in the make and model (halved with factory training) and 10 in the make, model and series in the last 12 months, plus 200 mountain hours for mountain flying and 10 hours of longline vertical reference. CAL FIRE requires 2,000 hours helicopter PIC.

How much do firefighting helicopter pilots make?

Published figures checked Nov 10, 2026: Lohman Helicopter posts a $100,000–$165,000 base for a Bell 407/Bell medium line pilot, plus flight-hour pay and per diem. CAL FIRE’s Forestry Fire Pilot pays $130,489–$172,188 a year including extended duty week pay. Helicopter Express, Croman, Columbia and Rogers don’t publish pilot pay.

What does it mean to be USFS or OAS carded?

Carding means a USFS, DOI (OAS) or federally approved pilot inspector has checked your hours and flown an evaluation with you in a specific make, model, series and mission, then issued an interagency pilot card. Under PMS 525-1 the evaluation flight is repeated every 3 years and you must complete IAT courses MH1–MH3 every 36 months.

What are the duty limits for fire helicopter pilots?

PMS 525-1 sets 8 flight hours a day, 14 hours of duty in any 24 with 10 consecutive hours off before each duty day, a mandatory day off after 36 flight hours in 6 consecutive duty days, a 42-hour cap in any 6 days and 2 full days off every 14 days.

Does Texas have its own firefighting helicopters?

Not yet. Texas A&M Forest Service bought two SUBARU Bell 412EPX helicopters in July 2026, with the first delivery expected December 2027 and the second three to six months later, funded from a $257 million appropriation. Until then it relies on federal resource sharing, the Texas Military Department and partners such as Travis County STAR Flight.

Can a low-time helicopter pilot get into firefighting?

Not as a carded PIC: the interagency standard starts at 1,500 hours helicopter PIC. The lowest published bar we found is Helicopter Express’s S-64 Skycrane second-in-command posting, which prefers 800–1,200 hours rotorcraft PIC with turbine time. Forest Service helitack crew jobs (firefighters, not pilots) posted for 2027 pay $25.37 an hour at GW-5.

Related guides

Data checked Oct 2026. Pay and postings change, so verify with the employer. Estimates are labeled.