As a bird-dog pilot John Grech乌鸦传媒檚 role in helping orchestrate the mid-air ballet of the aerial fire attack teams is a critical component of success but more importantly, safety.

He, along with the B.C. Wildfire Service air attack officer beside him work as the command and control plane for the multi-aircraft battle of wildfires in B.C.

乌鸦传媒淚 have to assess all the hazards乌鸦传媒� they乌鸦传媒檙e (airtankers) big, they乌鸦传媒檙e heavy and they have a full load of retardant, so there has to be a very precise way to get them in and, just as important, I have to assess how do I get them out of there, what if they lose an engine? Where would they go? How would they be able to climb out of this mountainous terrain without killing themselves?乌鸦传媒� said Grech, who is in his first year on the job with . 乌鸦传媒淏ut there is still an element of danger.We can乌鸦传媒檛 move the mountains, but I乌鸦传媒檝e flown in many different elements of aviation in my career, but I乌鸦传媒檝e found this to be the most challenging and the most rewarding.乌鸦传媒�

That experience includes military and similar bird-dog work in Ontario and operating his own air service in Malta.

At the controls of the powerful, twin-engine plane, Grech must first fly the route the tankers will take to drop the retardant, as well, he will sometimes lead them in through the smoke or follow as the need dictates.

乌鸦传媒淲e may have five tankers coming in and we have to provide air traffic control for them, find them different altitudes,乌鸦传媒� said Grech. 乌鸦传媒淚 have to manage the air space to make sure there is no conflict or to cause an air-to-air collision. It乌鸦传媒檚 being an air traffic controller while you乌鸦传媒檙e flying the airplane.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a lot of pressure, lots of adrenaline, but it乌鸦传媒檚 just part of the job and I love it.乌鸦传媒�

Veteran Conair pilot Grahame Wilson, who now flies the airtankers spent five years as a bird-dog pilot himself and knows how critical having someone like Grech doing the job is.

乌鸦传媒淚 am looking out at what乌鸦传媒檚 going on but I need his guidance to point out things that I might not see,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲e are a two-pilot airplane and on the fire my attention is mostly outside, watching what the bird-dog is doing and listening and understanding what he乌鸦传媒檚 telling me.乌鸦传媒�