FORESTRY FIRE PILOT
Santa Clara, CA, USA
USD 7,948-10,488 / month
Job Posting: Forestry Fire Pilot
Department of Forestry & Fire Protection
FORESTRY FIRE PILOT
$7,948.00 - $10,488.00 per Month
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.
Final Filing Date: 9/9/2026
Job Description and Duties
For questions related to the duties of the positions, please contact Battalion Chief Sean Ketchum by phone at (408) 472-1613 or by email at sean.ketchum@fire.ca.gov.
These positions will be located at the the Alma Helitack Base in Los Gatos, CA.
Eligibility Information
To be considered for this position, candidates must meet one of the following eligibility criteria:
- Candidates with SROA/Surplus eligibility will be given priority, if any. If none, then;
- Candidate must have taken and passed the examination for this classification and be active on a current certified eligibility list; or,
- Candidate must be eligible to transfer; or,
- Candidate must be eligible to reinstate.
To obtain list eligibility, candidates must take and pass an examination for the classification of interest. The examination for this classification is currently posted and can be accessed by following the link below:
Forestry Fire Pilot
Applicants that successfully complete and pass the examination will be placed on an eligibility list. Obtaining list eligibility does not guarantee employment. Those interested in obtaining employment as a list eligible candidate must apply to the job control of the position in which you are interested and compete through the state recruitment process. The score and rank you achieve on your examination will not be considered during the rating portion of the hiring process; evaluation will be based on separate, predetermined criteria that evaluate your knowledge, specialized skills, and abilities in relation to specific program needs.
You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.
Working Conditions
May be required to work nights, weekends, and holidays.
The incumbent to the position will pilot a helicopter in single pilot operation under hazardous conditions, during day or night, such as: mountainous terrain, turbulent air, reduced visibility, confined areas, over water, with external loads (including Heli torch and other airborne pyrotechnical devices), to and from unimproved landing sites, at high altitudes, in high temperatures, in toxic smoke, with high gross weights at or near the performance limits of the aircraft, in close proximity to uncontrolled fire line, and in close proximity with other aircraft such as with other firefighting helicopters, air tankers, lead planes, news media helicopters, as well as general aviation and military aircraft.
Required Pilot-In-Command (PIC) Flight Hours
- At least 500 hours of mountain pilot-in-command helicopter flight time, routinely making landings in mountainous terrain above 4,000 feet MSL.
- At least 500 hours of turbine helicopter time as pilot-in- command.
- Two hundred and fifty hours as pilot-in-command of helicopters performing low level missions in fire control, map survey, powerline patrol, search and rescue, and spray or seeding operations over mountain or forested or comparable military operations.
- At least 100 hours as pilot-in-command in helicopters carrying sling loads.
- At least 50 hours as pilot-in-command in helicopters in the past year.
Minimum Requirements
You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.Additional Documents
Position Details
Department Information
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is California’s fire department and resource management agency. The organization is comprised of nearly 14,000 permanent and seasonal employees. The mission of the Department is to serve and safeguard the people and protect the property and resources of California.
When you join CAL FIRE, you join a family of employees that function as a team. You will build trust and friendship with your co-workers, as together you respond to emergencies and challenging situations. CAL FIRE provides employees with a variety of career choices and opportunities. We hope that you will consider a rewarding and challenging career with CAL FIRE!
Special Requirements
- Incumbent must possess a valid Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Commercial Airman Certificate with rotorcraft-helicopter rating or a valid FAA issued Airline Transport Pilot's Certificate with rotorcraft-helicopter rating.
- Incumbent must possess a valid and current Class II Airman's Medical Certificate issued by an FAA authorized medical examiner.
- Incumbent must possess a valid driver's license of the appropriate class issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
- Applicants must have logged at least 2,000 hours of pilot-in-command time flying helicopters. Of these, candidates must have all of the required flight hours in qualifying conditions or assignments as listed in the class specifications.
CAL FIRE pilots must have the ability to work any required shift and remain on duty 24 hours a day with regulated maximum flight time and mandated uninterrupted sleep cycles per 24-hour period.
Application Submission Requirements
In order to advance through the selection process and be considered for this position, a complete application package must be submitted. A package is considered complete only if all items listed in the Required Application Package Documents section (below) are included, complete, accurate, legible, and all directions are followed.
Please Note: Electronic Logbook Requirement
Submission of logbook(s) in any of the unacceptable (non-electronic) formats is considered to be a demonstration of the candidate's inability and/or refusal to follow instructions and as a result, the logbook may not be reviewed. Additionally, by failing to submit a logbook in the required electronic format, the application package may be considered incomplete, candidate will be considered no longer interested in the position, and these candidates will not move forward in the hiring process.
Application Instructions
Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.
Final Filing Date: 9/9/2026Who May Apply
Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).
How To Apply
Address for Mailing Application Packages
You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:
Address for Drop-Off Application Packages
You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:
Required Application Package Documents
The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:
- Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
- Resume is required and must be included.
- Other - Authorization to Release Information Form (PO-299). Access the form by following this link: https://www.fire.ca.gov/-/media/D817B8E27D8049C3BC35297686467FB9
- Other - Completed and signed Forestry Fire Pilot Supplemental Questionnaire. Access the form by following this link: https://www.fire.ca.gov/-/media/96C1E719BB754F549B6776D66D33B0CF
- Other - Copy of the front and back of your valid driver’s license of the appropriate class issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
- Other - Copy of your valid Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Commercial Airman’s Certificate with Rotorcraft - Helicopter rating or valid FAA Airline Transport Pilot's Certificate with Rotorcraft - Helicopter rating.
- Other - Copy of your valid Class II Airman's Medical Certificate issued by an FAA authorized Medical Examiner.
- Other - Updated copy of your Official Flight Record indicating at least 50 hours in the past twelve (12) months flying helicopters as Pilot in Command.
- Other - Electronic copy of your pilot logbook demonstrating you meet the minimum qualifications of the Forestry Fire Pilot classification. Images, photos, or scans of paper logbooks will not be accepted.
- Other - If applicable, please include a copy of your most current pilot card issued by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), United States Department of the Interior (DOI), or United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Desirable Qualifications
Forest-firefighting experience with helicopters is desirable.
Possession of interagency carding to fly agency (CAL FIRE) aircraft is desired.
Benefits
This classification is eligible for the following pay:
$7948 - $10488 Base Salary (paid every month)
$2701 - $3564 Extended Duty Week Compensation (paid every 4 weeks)
$130,489 – $172,188 Annual Compensation
Employees in the classification are eligible for Pay Differential 506 and shall receive incentives based on their helicopter pilot qualifications and/or CAL FIRE helicopter program responsibilities. These incentives shall be cumulative, depending on the qualifications and program responsibilities of the employee, the total of which shall not exceed 15% of base pay.
RATE
10% of base salary - S-70i Firehawk Helicopter and Night Flying Qualified
2.5% of base salary - Unit Instructor Pilot
2.5% of base salary - Flight Examiner
2.5% of base salary - Helicopter Instructor Pilot
2.5% of base salary - Maintenance Test Pilot
2.5% of base salary - Chief Pilot
This differential shall be considered compensation for the purposes of retirement contributions.
In addition to the above pay items, employees are eligible for medical benefits (health, dental, vision) and may be eligible for other pay differentials, more information on which can be found on the Pay Differentials Library website.
Contact Information
The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the application process. The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position.
Michi McKillip
(707) 576-2905
Sean Ketchum
(408) 472-1613
sean.ketchum@fire.ca.gov
Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.
EEO Contact:Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator
(916) 767-8359
ReasonableAccommodations@fire.ca.gov
Bargaining Unit 8 Considerations
The Bargaining Unit 8 Memorandum of Understanding regarding Voluntary In-Class Transfer Policy (Inter-Unit) (Section 9.2) will be followed. The unit may require two (2) years of service in the employee's current assignment starting on the date of appointment before becoming eligible for inter-unit transfer.
Additional Information
Please include the position number 542-116-1046-VAR on your STD 678.
Candidate may be selected by resume review.
Applicants are highly encouraged to complete a Recruitment Questionnaire, located at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HLYSH8V
Sign up for CAL FIRE exam notifications here.
General information on CAL FIRE career opportunities can be found here.
How To Get A State Job
Use the “exam/assessment search” function on the CalCareers website at www.jobs.ca.gov to search for the examination you are interested in applying for. If the exam is currently being offered, you will need to follow the directions in the exam bulletin on how to apply for and take the exam. Not all examinations are offered continuously or at the time a job vacancy occurs.
Successful examination candidates are placed on an eligibility list. Candidates should refer to their examination results for specific list eligibility expiration dates and to re-take the exam when necessary. Once list eligibility has been established, you can search and apply for current vacancies in the classification to which you have established eligibility.
Candidates must also meet the minimum qualifications of the classification to be appointed into the classification they are applying for. Minimum qualifications can be found in the class specifications listed on the exam bulletin or on the CalCareers website. Application packages should include documentation and relevant experience that shows you have the required education and/or experience to meet the minimum qualifications.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.
It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.
