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Originally Posted by BCan
Anyone have any experience/interactions with Chloeta? I’m interested in flying out of Ogden UT
Thank You
I don't have any personal experience with Chloeta or flying the IR mission out of Ogden, but I do know a couple guys who did it for a season or two as Fed employees. I looked at the Chloeta job descriptions, so the Ogden jobs appear to be for the King Air and Citation IR (Infrared Mapping) missions. These missions are primarily flown at night (1 to 2 flights) and range all over the western US. From what I've been told, you start in the late afternoon/evening with mission planning, then fly once or twice, and finish in the morning by going to your hotel. They primarily operate out of larger/busier airports in order to use FBOs that are open 24 hrs. The 6/1 or 12/2 schedule is typical for Fed fire flying jobs, so think about how that'll work for you. Things change, but that could mean you spend some of your days off on the road, or at least be prepared for that possibility. The mapping mission is important for the fire management, so it's a good mission, but not as exciting as other fire aviation. Mostly GPS grid tracks in the flight levels from what I understand.
That being said, in this job market it could be a good gig and a way to get a foot in the door (as a USFS pilot) if you're interested in pursuing a career in aerial firefighting. Downsides to me would be the night schedule and you're not really working day in/day out with other fire operators if looking to build contacts in the industry.
This is just my take on that particular job based on what I've been told by guys who have done it. This is also about 4 years out of date and things may have changed a bit, so take it for what it's worth. Feel free to let me know of any errors and I'll correct them...