Fire in the Sky

Nearly 2,000 wildfires sweep the province of BC each summer. Air tanker pilots battle the blaze high above the treeline and face a unique mix of challenges in their firefighting pursuits. UBC researchers affiliated with the Survive and Thrive Applied Research (STAR) initiative have teamed up with Camosun College, Latitude Technologies, and Conair – a company specializing in aerial forest fighting.

The first phase of research includes analyzing past flight data, conducting fatigue tests in regular and simulated flight scenarios and identifying and quantifying fatigue factors to assist in the creation of new safety standards and risk management processes.