Holidays of Russia - Day of formation of air forest protection of the Russian Federation

Both forestry workers and civil aviation pilots patrol areas with green spaces for fire protection The area of ​​the Russian forest fund is 1,100 million hectares; only 700 hectares are available for fire suppression The fight against fire in swampy, rugged and mountainous areas is carried out by professionals from a specialized service - Air Forest Protection Her birthday is considered to be July 7, 1932, when the PO-2 biplane aircraft first took to the skies to extinguish a fire The flight became part of an expedition conducted under the leadership of GG Samoilovich - professor, doctor of sciences and head of the department of the Leningrad Forestry Academy As a result of the flights, 14 fires were discovered in the protected area, reports of which were delivered to the nearest populated areas using pennants dropped from the aircraft Every year, in memory of this event, the Birthday of the Russian Aviation Forest Service is celebrated on July 7 In 1936 GA Mokeev made the first jump from an airplane to put out the fire Thus, in addition to observation pilots and dispatchers, the position of “paratrooper-firefighter” appeared in the service’s staffing table At first, Avialesookhrana was engaged in detecting fires, monitoring timber harvests and river rafting Later, these functions were supplemented by air delivery of firefighters and special equipment to the emergency site, as well as pollination of areas with chemicals to combat insect pests Modern aircraft BE-200, AN-32P, IL-76TDP and other models bear little resemblance to the biplanes of the 40s of the last century Today's amphibians, landing both on land and on the water surface, carry on board up to 320 tons of fire-fighting fluid Aircraft of the Ministry of Emergency Situations can refuel in the air, which significantly reduces the time spent fighting fire Observer pilots and parachute firefighters are distinguished not only by their high professional training, but also by their courage and ability to quickly make decisions in emergency situations Forest pyrology experts help them with this by giving advice and making forecasts To extinguish fire, water from fresh rivers and lakes is used, which does not contain chemical impurities harmful to the soil and plants Filling tanks on airplanes takes 12 to 16 seconds For water collection, reservoirs located at a distance of 60-100 km from the fire site are selected Air Forest Protection pilots take into account wind conditions and look for optimal flight paths to a lake or river They are provided with operational information about the situation at the fire site by dispatchers, whose role in the work of the service is no less important than that of observer pilots An effectively functioning Air Forest Protection Service is the key to preserving the nature of the Russian Federation and the ecological and economic stability of the country Fighting the elements of fire, which devours forests, requires courage and bravery The contribution of firefighting aviation employees to maintaining the balance of the environment and ecosystem in the entrusted territory is difficult to overestimate Their dedicated work is the key to saving people, animals and trees that have been caught on fire Therefore, every year on July 7, Avialesookhrana employees are honored by colleagues and relatives, sincerely congratulating them on their professional triumph