Fighting Forest Fires From a DC-6, with David Gagliardi

By John Zimmerman
Oct 7, 2025
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Pilot's Discretion Podcast, episode 114

David Gagliardi has spent many summers flying big airplanes at low altitude, dropping fire retardant on wildfires all over North America. In this episode, he takes us behind the scenes, explaining how pilots maintain situational awareness, what it’s like managing 60-year old airliners, and what the future of the industry looks like. David is also a longtime flight instructor and pilot examiner, so he shares invaluable tips for anyone preparing for a checkride, including how to avoid “failing yourself.” In the Ready to Copy segment, you’ll hear about flying warbirds, the best airport in British Columbia, and decision-making lessons learned in the navy.

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Quotes:

Planning a firebombing mission: “we have five minutes to get in the airplane and it's all done on the fly.”
How airplanes fit in: “this is one tool in the fire toolbox. And so we don't generally put fires out. It's the troops on the ground that do that… the guys on the ground are the ones, frankly, that have my respect.”
Handling big airplanes at low altitude: “we used to joke: not only are you allowed to fly close to the ground in a steep bank, you have to.”
Flying as a crew in a DC-6: “I flew as a co-pilot the first year. I never looked out the window—because there was just so much to do.”
Life as a firebomber pilot: “It is a tough lifestyle… The general rule of thumb is: if you made it to year five, you're a lifer.”
David’s approach as an examiner: “my opening position is success. I want them to pass or to be successful.”
Bouncing back from a bad maneuver: “if it doesn't go great, you just have to put it in the rear view and concentrate on doing well on the next one.”
Real world engine failure training: “in flight training, the engine never restarts after you check it. Everyone just kind of rushes through the checks and then concentrates on flying the forced landing.”
An underrated task for new pilots: “the run-up actually can be the most insightful as an examiner. It tests checklist discipline, it checks knowledge of the systems, it checks airmanship.”
Lessons learned from flying freight: “The charter world will force you into situations where you have to make decisions. And the decisions all will involve saying no, and they'll be really hard.”