FIREFIGHTER ROTORCRAFT PILOT - 42002922

Florida; Tallahassee (FL); On-site; USD 75,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Forest Service, seeks a Firefighter Rotorcraft Pilot located in Ocala or Tallahassee. The role requires operating single-engine turbine helicopters for aerial suppression, water drops, and tactical support during wildfires, with extensive flight hours and FAA qualifications.

Responsibilities include mission planning, post-flight duties, and currency maintenance, plus the ability to travel for emergency operations.

Qualifications

• FAA Commercial Pilot with Rotorcraft/Helicopter ratings (Instrument-Helicopter ratings preferred).
• At least 1,000 hours helicopter flight time, including 500 turbine hours.
• FAA Class 1 or Class 2 Medical Certificate.
• Be at least 18 years old and a high school graduate or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Safely pilot single-engine turbine helicopters as PIC for aerial fire suppression.
• Transport water and conduct aerial suppression over wildfire areas.
• Provide aerial fire behavior intelligence and assist in tactical operations.
• Perform aerial ignition missions and coordinate with ground crews as needed.
• Complete preflight tasks, file flight plans, check weather, and maintain logs and currency.

Skills

Rotorcraft Pilot

FAA Certifications

Flight Hours >1000

FAA Medical Class 1/2

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Requisition No: 881447

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: FIREFIGHTER ROTORCRAFT PILOT - 42002922

Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 42002922

Salary: $75,000.12 - $88,400.26

Posting Closing Date: 10/15/2026

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

FIREFIGHTER ROTORCRAFT PILOT

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES

FLORIDA FOREST SERVICE

• OPEN COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY***

THIS POSITION WILL BE LOCATED EITHER IN OCALA OR TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA.

Contact

Tom Hopkins, [phone]

Minimum Requirements

Certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a Commercial Pilot with Rotorcraft/Helicopter and Instrument-Helicopter ratings.

Having logged one thousand hours of helicopter flight time including five hundred hours of turbine helicopter.

Current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Class 1 or Class 2 Medical Certificate.

In addition to the above requirements, Florida Statute 633 requires that any person employed in this class must:

• Be a high school graduate or the equivalent, as the term may be determined by the Division of State Fire Marshal of the Department of Financial Services and, be at least 18 years of age
• Not have been convicted of a felony or of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, as the term is defined by law and must comply with Florida Statute 112.011(2)(b).
• Have his/her fingerprints on file with the Division of State Fire Marshal or an agency designated by the Division.
• Have a good moral character as determined by investigation under procedure established by the Division.
• Be in good physical condition as determined by a medical examination as prescribed by the Division. Such examination may include but need not be limited to provisions of the National Fire Protection Association Pamphlet 1582.
• Be a nonuser of tobacco or tobacco products for at least 1 year immediately preceding application, as evidenced by the sworn affidavit of the applicant.

SPECIAL NOTE:

Florida Statute 633 requires that any person employed in this class obtain a certificate of compliance which includes, in addition to the above requirements, satisfactory completion of a fire fighter training program approved by the Division. No employee shall obtain permanent status unless the certificate is received.

NOTE: ALL POSITIONS WITHIN THIS CLASS REQUIRE POSSESSION OF A VALID DRIVER LICENSE.

ATTENTION CANDIDATES***

To be considered for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:

• All fields in the Candidate Profile must be completed (an attached resume is not a substitution for the information required on the candidate profile).
• Work history, duties and responsibilities, hours worked, supervisor, and formal education fields, etc. must be filled out to determine qualifications for this position.
• Responses to Qualifying Questions must be verifiable in the Candidate Profile.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services values and supports employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Additional Requirements

Occasional to moderate travel required.

Position may respond to emergencies, including natural disasters or other type incidents requiring travel, as needed.

Florida Statute 633 requires that any person employed in this class obtain a Certificate of Compliance which includes, in addition to the above requirements, satisfactory completion of a fire fighter training program approved by the Division. No employee shall obtain permanent status unless the Certificate is received.

For applicants meeting the minimum requirements for this position, there will be an interview and a written exam which has a minimum required passing score. The top candidates will be given a flight evaluation where the candidates will be required to meet established commercial pilot standards for further consideration.

Applicants Who Receive a Job Offer Must Pass

• Pre-employment comprehensive medical examination
• Pre-employment physical fitness test

Post Employment - Incumbents Must Pass

• Annual medical examination (pulmonary function and blood pressure)
• Annual physical fitness test

Notes

To maintain fairness and integrity, applicants are required to provide honest and authentic responses during all stages of the evaluation and selection process. Applicants must rely on their own personal knowledge, thoughts, and impressions. A candidate’s use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to answer qualifying questions or participate in interviews will be taken into consideration when determining qualification for the position.

Successful applicant must pass a background screening, including fingerprinting, as a condition of employment.

Job Duties

This is a highly skilled position requiring the ability to safely suppress fire and conduct prescribed burns as pilot in command of single engine turbine helicopters.

Pilot helicopters performing aerial suppression of wildfires in initial and reinforced attack by transporting water with helicopter, flying over and releasing water onto fire. Provide aerial intelligence on fire behavior and tactical effectiveness during fire operations. Perform aerial ignition missions utilizing helicopters and machines that drop ignition devices to set fires and reduce fuels for wildfires. Make predictions of fire behavior based on weather and other indicators during aerial suppression or prescribed burning missions. Act as pilot in command in transporting firefighting personnel to wildfire locations and transporting aerial observers on fire and resource management missions.

Perform preflight inspections, check weather forecasts and file flight plans as appropriate; perform post-flight duties, prepare discrepancy lists, fuel aircraft, ensure security of aircraft, and close flight plan; prepare flight logs and process as necessary.

Attend internal training sessions and complete training from outside instructors to maintain currency and proficiency in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ratings and instrument and visual flight rules. Maintain currency as required by agency and insurance policy