If you hear helicopters flying overhead this week, keep in mind that the pilots are busy honing their skills ahead of the upcoming firefighting season.
Wildcat Helicopters is conducting its mandatory annual emergency training based at Penticton Airport, with work anticipated to wrap up on Friday.
Due to the current cooler temperatures, sound waves refract more, which can increase the volume of sound, making helicopters sound closer than they appear.
Penticton Airport is well known as being a highly sought-over location for training some of the world’s top pilots, due to our diverse terrain.
In fact, the Penticton-based Topflight helicopter school has trained thousands of military and police pilots from all over the world, including those from the Royal Canadian Air Force, the U.S. Navy Special Forces, the RCMP, Royal Danish Air Force, numerous aviation police force and search and rescue from across North America.
Also based at Penticton Airport is Eclipse Helicopters, which provides a range of services including fire suppression work with BC Wildfire Service, search and rescue missions, hydro/utilities work and other precision work, as well as helicopter tours.
Also, Penticton Search and Rescue (PENSAR) uses helicopters to respond to calls throughout the region.
For more information about Penticton Airport, visit yyf.penticton.ca.
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