Rumors of Alaska

[Void425 0]

I've heard people say that a person can go to Alaska and get trained to be a SmokeJumper, and get paid while they do it. If this is true would this trainign count towards an A License?

[riggerrob 643]

Smoke-jumper training "sort of" counts towards USPA licenses.
The United States Bureau of Land Management also trains smoke-jumpers in Montana. Smoke-jumpers also work in British Columbia, Siberia, etc.
While static-line jumps made as a smoke-jumper loosely qualify for a USPA license, they really are two different worlds.
Most forest fire fighters jump round parachutes, from low altitudes (max 3,000' AGL), with equipment and they frequently in trees. Smoke-jumping is so vastly different from sport jumping that you will need some serious re-training before you can jump skydiving gear.
For example, most smoke-jumpers exit the airplane in a military "jab" body position, the exact opposite of skydiving "boxman" position.
Also consider how much hard work is required to become a smoke-jumper, usually two or three years on a ground-pounding, hot-shot fire-fighting crew before they let you near a parachute.
Make no mistake, forest fire fighting is dangerous, exhausting work.

[Void425 0]

I know it would be hard work. I was a fire-fighter for just over a year until they had to let me go because I was low man on the pole when budget cuts came. I was just interested in the idea...and since its not the same I would rather keep it as a sport rather then a job.

[steve1 5]

I've known several smokejumpers over the years. Rigger-Rob is right when he says smokejumping is completely different from Sport Jumping. The training is really difficult also and it takes years of fire-experience before you can be considered for the job. There are lot's of people who apply for each opening, and it is difficult to be selected. If you are a minority who is also a veteran you have a much greater chance of being selected. At least that was the way things were done in the forest service ten years ago. A couple friends of mine were smoke-jumpers when I went through Special Forces training. One of them told me that he thought smoke jumper training was more difficult than SF training, but I don't know about that. I know they do a lot of running. For men you have to do ten pullups. I knew a guy who washed out because he couldn't do ten good ones. The PT standards are different for women. They have women Smoke Jumpers today. I always thought it would be a cool job to have. The chance of injury on a fire jump is pretty great. I know a couple guys who ended up with life time injuries out of the deal. I also know a few who smoke-jumped for over 20 years without serious injury. If I recall correctly some of the main Smoke Jumper bases are in Missoula, Mt., McCall, Idaho, and somewhere in California and Alaska. I've heard fire jumps in Alaska are like flying half way across the US at times. In other words they often go a long way to the fire. Steve1