LEGACY
We would not be who we are today without the guidance and tireless work put forth by every person who has made the drive up Airport Hill since 1971. We have built a strong community that is proud to carry on the tradition of service and the pursuit of excellence.
People have gone on from this program to fill regional and national aviation positions, positions of leadership on other crews, and other influential non-governmental roles. Others have stayed, dedicating themselves to the strength and betterment of the crew.
Their legacy is tangible in everything we do. We stand on their shoulders every time we put on our yellows.
People have gone on from this program to fill regional and national aviation positions, positions of leadership on other crews, and other influential non-governmental roles. Others have stayed, dedicating themselves to the strength and betterment of the crew.
Their legacy is tangible in everything we do. We stand on their shoulders every time we put on our yellows.
HISTORY
In the 1960's the Malheur National Forest began using helicopters for firefighting and forest resource management, hosting as many as three helicopters on forest grounds. The first helitack crew was formed in 1971 when Larry Sohr and Stu Fields showed up with a box of pulaskis and a bubble-canopied Bell 47.
Within a few years, the need for a permanent helitack facility was recognized, and in the 1970's the Forest Service broke ground "on the hill" adjacent to the Grant County Airport. The John Day Helitack Crew hit the ground running, picking up smokes across the 1.7 million acre Malheur National Forest.
It was in the steep, timbered country of the Pacific Northwest - where the terrain can make access to fires difficult - that the concept of rappelling fires was developed. With thick canopies making jumping fires hazardous, and few helicopter landing zones available, the Forest Service began testing different ways to insert firefighters for remote initial attack missions. After a series of false starts in the 70s and 80s, Region 6’s helicopter rappel program was officially instated in 1987.
In 1991, John Day Helitack put on their rappel harnesses for the first time and the Malheur Rappel Crew was born. Two years later, the National Type 2 program kicked off, allowing the crew to provide rappellers and large fire support from coast to coast. 1993 also saw the beginning of the Single Engine Air Tanker program at the Grant County Airport. With four other rappel crews in region 6 all training toward the same goal, the first Regional Rappel Academy was established in 2000 and held in John Day.
The crew structure provides for 25-30 rappellers, supporting multiple nationally available aircraft including; a Bell 205A1++ type-2 rappel helicopter, a high performance type-3 initial attack helicopter, and a type-1 heavy lift helicopter. The John Day Airbase often functions as a helibase for local large fire support.
Within a few years, the need for a permanent helitack facility was recognized, and in the 1970's the Forest Service broke ground "on the hill" adjacent to the Grant County Airport. The John Day Helitack Crew hit the ground running, picking up smokes across the 1.7 million acre Malheur National Forest.
It was in the steep, timbered country of the Pacific Northwest - where the terrain can make access to fires difficult - that the concept of rappelling fires was developed. With thick canopies making jumping fires hazardous, and few helicopter landing zones available, the Forest Service began testing different ways to insert firefighters for remote initial attack missions. After a series of false starts in the 70s and 80s, Region 6’s helicopter rappel program was officially instated in 1987.
In 1991, John Day Helitack put on their rappel harnesses for the first time and the Malheur Rappel Crew was born. Two years later, the National Type 2 program kicked off, allowing the crew to provide rappellers and large fire support from coast to coast. 1993 also saw the beginning of the Single Engine Air Tanker program at the Grant County Airport. With four other rappel crews in region 6 all training toward the same goal, the first Regional Rappel Academy was established in 2000 and held in John Day.
The crew structure provides for 25-30 rappellers, supporting multiple nationally available aircraft including; a Bell 205A1++ type-2 rappel helicopter, a high performance type-3 initial attack helicopter, and a type-1 heavy lift helicopter. The John Day Airbase often functions as a helibase for local large fire support.
