AirFire & Forestry
AgAir Update’s AirFire & Forestry welcomes Mark Bickham as columnist AgAir Update’s quarterly AirFire & Forestry section is excited to announce that Mark Bickham has joined our team to bring its readers insights into the everexpanding world of aerial firefighting. Mark’s column will be created from his experience of more than 40 years in aviation and over 32 years in the aerial firefighting industry. Mark is owner and COO of Salvo, LLC, an aviation advisory company. He is the past National Program Manager, Air Tankers/Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) for the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management at the National Interagency Fire Center’s National Aviation Office. Mark also is a current Professor of Aviation Management in Fire Suppression, and Aviation Program Development at Eastern Oregon University. Mark’s work experience includes Aviation Safety Inspector and Accident Investigator for National Aviation Underwriters and Aviation Underwriting Specialists (19761983), Independent Aviation Safety Inspector/Accident Investigator (19831984), USDA Forest Service, Fire and Aviation Specialist, Engineering Technician/ Survey Crew Leader, Aerial Observer/Fire Reconnaissance Officer (1984-1990), DOI Bureau of Land Management, Safford/Tucson Fire Management Zone Aviation Officer/Air Attack Base Supervisor, Senior Aviation
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Technical Advisor, Single Engine Air Tanker Lead Development Specialist, National Single Engine Air Tanker Specialist (1990-1999) Bureau of Land Management State Aviation Manager, Montana and the Dakotas (1999-2001) National Program Manager Air Tankers/ SEATs Department of the Interior (2001 to 2011) . Mark’s experience doesn’t stop within the borders of the United States. During the spring of 2013, he worked in close cooperation with Elbit Systems LTD during the development and implementation of aerial firefighting programs and training syllabus for the State of Israel. In addition to his company, Salvo, LLC, Mark serves as Director of Aerial Firefighting Applications and consulting representative for Thrush Aircraft, Inc. He also is a consultant to several state fire agencies in developing an effective local aerial fire suppression program. Mark has too much aviation and fire experience to comprehensively list in this short introduction, but just to name a few: Senior Aviation Technical Advisor, U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management National Program Manager Air Tankers, Single Engine Air Tanker Coordination Specialist, Lead developer of the Aerial Firefighting
Institute for the Department of the Interior, Lead developer of the Single Engine Air Tanker National Training Course, Lead developer of the National SEAT Pilot Academy, Author and lead developer of the Close Air Support in Fire Suppression Doctrine for the Bureau of Land Management, Lead Doctrine Developer and implementation oversight coordinator of the Aerial Task Force for the Bureau of Land Management, Member of the Steering Committee for the National Aerial Firefighting Academy, Author of the Interagency Single Engine Air Tanker Operations Guide, Lead developer of the SEAT Pilot Training Syllabus, Lead Developer of the Computer Based Pilot Training syllabus, Author of the SEAT Manager Training syllabus, Chairman of the Board for the Interagency Single Engine Air Tanker Steering Committee, Voting Member of the Steering Committee for the Interagency Airtanker Board. Air Operations Branch Director, Air Tactical Group Supervisor, Helicopter Manager Type 1 through Type 4, Helicopter Coordinator, Aerial Observer, Type 6 Engine Foreman, Crew Boss, Division Group Supervisor, Single Engine Air Tanker National Coordination Specialist and Single Engine Air Tanker Manager. We hope you look forward to and enjoy Mark’s upcoming columns as he shares his expertise and insight into his aerial firefighting domain.