Red Lake, Ontario and Penticton, B.C.

Fire season started off in May in Alberta this year and Aaron and crew were in Red Lake for about 3 weeks and flew almost 100 hours on a fire. I stayed in Arizona for the month of May and June to wrap up a few things I had going on my end and take care of Fraizer as it didn’t look like we had much more time with our 4-legged fur baby.  We also were super busy trying to get all of our paperwork submitted to go to Australia with a 61 in the fall once our fire season ended as well as submit for the U.S. Forest Service CWN Contracts for the next 5 years.  It sems that work never ends :). 

After a month or so apart, I flew to Alberta to meet up with Aaron on our 14th Anniversary (July 5th) and standby for our next “fire call.”  Two days later we loaded up the 61 and flew it across most of Canada to Ontario where we met up with 2 other HeliCarrier machines (another 61 and the Super Puma) and had about a 2 week contract on fires there.  I love Ontario with all the beautiful lakes…but with lakes and summer come mosquitoes….and not just little guys either…the BIG ones.  So after a 2 week stint we were ready to go and head west.  

We had a lift job lined up in B.C. so once again, loaded up the machine and flew back across most of Canada westbound.  I’m getting pretty use to these journeys and have a perfect seat in the back of the chopper with my own bubble window and 180 degree view, so needless to say the journey or ride NEVER gets old for me.  

Once the job was complete we got hired on in Penticton and spent almost another 2 weeks there.  We had a little time at night to enjoy the beautiful scenery around us.  After our contract ended it was time to get FIZA ready to go for a few lift jobs and then ready for her inaugural trip across the pond to Australia…so you guessed it…back in the chopper we went and ferried it once again across Canada to the head-shed…Quebec!