Annual Wildland Fire and National Guard Helicopter Training set for May 2

Rapid City, S.D. – South Dakota Army National Guard (SDARNG) Blackhawk helicopters, in coordination with SD Wildland Fire (SDWF), will conduct wildland fire aerial water delivery recertification training later this week. The annual joint training is a collaboration between SDWF and the SDARNG Army Aviation Facility (AASF). The SDARNG’s Blackhawks are a vital aviation asset in fighting wildfires with the capacity to drop over 500 gallons of water to targeted sights using their Bambi buckets.  

The training will include practice of aerial water delivery with a live simulated fire exercise on Friday, May 2, weather permitting, on the west side of the Angostura Reservoir near Sheps Canyon Road.  The SDARNG will dip and fill their buckets in the reservoir and then drop the water on simulated fire locations nearby in the Black Hills.

The public is advised to stay clear of these areas between the hours of 8 am and 4 pm on May 2. Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (drones) in the area is prohibited during these hours and will interfere with safety and training resulting in flight operations being shut down.

The training is part of an annual refresher training for SDARNG’s AASF personnel and live training for interagency ground personnel.  Flight operations will conclude by 4 pm.

South Dakota Wildland Fire is an agency of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.

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