Fighting forest fires from a DC-6, with David Gagliardi

David Gagliardi has spent many summers flying big airplanes at low altitude, dropping fire retardant on wildfires all over North America. In this episode, he takes us behind the scenes, explaining how pilots maintain situational awareness, what it’s like managing 60-year old airliners, and what the future of the industry looks like. David is also a longtime flight instructor and pilot examiner, so he shares invaluable tips for anyone preparing for a checkride, including how to avoid “failing yourself.” In the Ready to Copy segment, you’ll hear about flying warbirds, the best airport in British Columbia, and decision-making lessons learned in the navy. SHOW LINKS: * Video of Electra working a fire: https://youtu.be/idwUaJadn_M * David’s article on engine failures: https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/publications/aviation-safety-letter/issue-1-2025/are-instructors-preparing-their-students-actual-engine-failures-just-preparing-them-pass-flight-test * PilotWorkshops Mastery: https://pilotworkshop.com/