Find & Apply For Pilot Jobs in Santa Clara, California

Forestry Fire Pilot Department of Forestry & Fire Protection

JC-527899

- Forestry Fire Pilot

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

Application Methods:

Electronic (Using your CalCareer Account) 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 . 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.

FORESTRY FIRE PILOT

Additional Documents Job Application Package Checklist Position Details Job Code #:

JC-527899

Position #(s): 542-116-1046-VAR

Working Title:

Forestry Fire Pilot

Classification:

FORESTRY FIRE PILOT

$7,948.00 - $10,488.00 New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable. # of

Positions:

Multiple

Work Location:

Santa Clara County

Telework:

In Office

Job Type:

Permanent, Full Time

Facility:

Santa Clara Unit 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!

Department Website:

https://www.fire.ca.gov/ 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 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:

9/9/2026