The Albanian Civil Protection and Rescue Directorate announced preparations for the upcoming wildfire season, focusing on training pilots for aerial firefighting tractors. Directorate head Stojançe Angelov met with Rade Ivanovskin, owner of a company and retired commercial pilot, to discuss potential basic training opportunities. The meeting included consideration of three potential tractor pilot candidates, each possessing over 300 hours of flight experience in recreational aviation.
As part of the assessment, Angelov conducted a reconnaissance flight with one of the candidates over the Shtip region. Currently, the State Civil Aviation Administration maintains five certified tractor pilots. An aircraft has undergone servicing and is operational at the airport.
The Directorate highlighted the importance of these pilots in supporting firefighting efforts during the wildfire season.
