SkyHigh-
I flew tankers on Forest Service contracts (including AK) for 7 years, and i have never KNOWN ANYONE to get hired BECAUSE they have had a DUI. Never has this been a prerequisite with the operators (and i know all of them). So i have to say this is COMPLETE B.S, and i do not appreciate you portraying tanker industry pilots as partying drunks. As for time building there has not been a problem with that the last 10 years or so due to the required insurance hour minimums. Most new hires who do not hire on for the right reasons usually to not make it more than a day or two when the decide they to not like to fuel, oil, and wash a large place 4-5 times a day. Also tankers occasionally fly IFR when ferrying from base to base. It is very common on a fire dispatch to request a special to get out. Tankers do not operate under Part 135...We are part 91.