As Montanans, we have a special empathy for those affected by fires. In particular, in the eastern part of our state last year, many of our neighbors suffered devastating losses of livestock and property. It is crucial to have a maximum amount of equipment and resources to combat these devastating fires.
At Billings Flying Service, we are a third-generation family-owned business that operates firefighting helicopters on contract with the U.S. Forest Service, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and the State of California. The California fires that devastated Los Angeles in January were an example of why we take our job so seriously. We sent four helicopters down to the fires. Unfortunately, we could have sent more, but we were not able to due to a years-long delay with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in certifying additional helicopters. We reached out to Congressman Ryan Zinke to help, and he immediately went into action.
Congressman Zinke and the rest of the Montana delegation penned a letter to the FAA urging them to speed up the certification process for these helicopters. We had been trying to certify these aircraft for nearly two years. After the letter was sent, we got a response in days. Within two months, the helicopters were certified.
As fire season approaches, these helicopters will be essential to protecting people’s lives and property. We appreciate Representative Zinke’s responsiveness to our request and his support of American fire preparedness for this coming season. Thank you, Congressman Zinke.
Bridger Blain, president
Billings Flying Service