Forest Service Pilot Opening

[Flying Pig]

In case any of you are interested. I hope posting this doesnt violate any forum rules, but it only has five days left.  There have been no applicants.

--------------------------------------------------------

OUTREACH NOTICE
US Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Regional Aviation Group
GS-2181-12 Airplane Pilot
Mariposa, CA
The Pacific Southwest Regional Aviation Group is recruiting for a permanent, fulltime GS-2181-12 Airplane Pilot position to be located in Mariposa, CA.  This is an exciting opportunity and will provide a challenging and rewarding experience.  The purpose of this notice is to determine if there are interested and qualified individuals.

This outreach notice is in effect from September 22, 2009, to October 13, 2009. If you are interested in this opportunity, please complete the attached form and return it to amset@fs.fed.us via email, fax to 559-855-2666, or hard copy mail to:

Susan Sova
U.S. Forest Service
Adaptive Management Services
34849 Maxon Road
Sanger, CA  93657

If you have questions about the position, please feel free to contact John Litton at 661-723-2580 or by email at jlitton@fs.fed.us.

Position Information
This aviation position is located in the Regional Aviation Group (RAG), U.S. Forest Service, Region 5, with the duty station in Mariposa, California. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a Pilot-In-Command of single and multi-engine reciprocating and turbine-powered airplanes under visual and instrument flight rules.

General and special-use operations are conducted in support of natural resource programs. The incumbent serves as the Region 5 aviation representative and interagency liaison in providing leadership, guidance, assistance, and evaluation for all technical aspects of aviation management in support of natural resource programs.  Primary duties are in support of wildlife research including a new research program investigating the ecology of the Pacific Fisher. Additional airplane support may involve fire management, recreation, law enforcement and other assigned emergency incidents.

Incumbent must possess a FAA Class II medical certificate and a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument ratings. In addition, the incumbent must have a minimum of 500 hours in light single-engine tail wheel aircraft and be able to pass a flight evaluation in a Cessna 185. 
This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the USDA Drug Free Workplace Program. All applicants selected for this position will be required to submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Incumbents of this position will be required to submit to a urinalysis, as directed.
Location Information
MARIPOSA:  Located east of Merced, and west of Yosemite where State Highways 49 and 140 meet.  The county has about 16,000 residents; located at 2,500-foot elevation-"above the fog and below the snow".   The town of Mariposa is the largest community in the county with a population of about 1,800.  It is the county seat of government and also includes a high school, middle school and elementary school, hospital, senior center, and fairgrounds.   Tourism is its biggest industry, with local attractions of the 100+ year old county courthouse, history museum and the California State Mining and Mineral Museum.  Mariposa is located along the all-weather highway to Yosemite.

OAKHURST:  The town of Oakhurst is situated in the Sierra Nevada foothills at the 2,300-foot elevation.  Oakhurst has a population of about 2,868 people and has major fast-food and chain stores, banks, numerous doctors, dentists, an urgent care facility, a bowling alley, a movie theater, many restaurants, churches, general services, a variety of pre-schools, elementary and middle schools and a high school.  Oakhurst is a former mill town whose people depended for decades upon the timber industry, with tourism the current main industry.

The surrounding area offers endless opportunities for recreation, including camping, fishing, sailing, and water skiing, whitewater rafting and kayaking, off highway vehicle routes, skiing, hiking, backpacking, hunting and horseback riding.  Bass Lake recreation area is seven miles from Oakhurst and offers excellent fishing and boating opportunities.  Yosemite National Park's south entrance is about 10 miles away.  The Sierra Vista National Scenic Byway extends east from the town of North Fork along the dramatic San Joaquin River.  The Bass Lake District encompasses a portion of the Ansel Adams Wilderness, just east of Yosemite National Park.

Affordable housing is available in Oakhurst, as well as nearby towns such as North Fork, Coarsegold, Ahwahnee, Bass Lake and O'Neals.  Rentals range from about $500 to over $1,200 depending on location.  There are mobile home parks and apartment complexes located in Oakhurst, Bass Lake and Coarsegold and single-family homes in other areas.  The average home in Oakhurst is valued at about $325,000.00; homes in North Fork are a little less.

Colleges/universities with over 2000 students nearest to Oakhurst:  California State University-Fresno (about 41 miles; Fresno, Full-time enrollment: 16,035); Fresno City College (about 41 miles; Fresno); Reedley College, with a local college campus in Oakhurst.

Community and Surrounding Area:  The Sierra National Forests lies in Central California, on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. This 1.3 million acre National Forest is bounded on the south by the Sequoia Kings National Park and on the north by the Yosemite National Park. The region offers endless opportunities for the outdoors enthusiast. Camping, fishing, swimming, sailing, boating, water skiing, whitewater rafting and kayaking, off highway vehicle travel, downhill and cross-country skiing, hiking, backpacking, hunting, and horseback riding are among the many activities which can be enjoyed on the Sierra. Temperatures are typical of the San Joaquin Valley but generally out of the winter fog. Average precipitation is 24 inches. Local community services include: 2 doctors, 2 dentists, 2 elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The population of Clovis is approximately 80,900. It is midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles tucked inside the agriculturally rich San Joaquin Valley. It is easy to find located adjacent to Fresno. There are 36 churches in Clovis of various denominations.

The Clovis Unified School District, one of the highest rated school districts in the State, offers 25 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, and 7 high schools. The median cost of a 3-bedroom home in Clovis is $350,000. Apartments can be rented from $550 to $1,800 per month. Temperatures in the winter usually range from a low of 36 to a high of 54, though a few nights can get down below freezing. In the summer, temperatures range from 64 to 97, with several days over 100 degrees. Web-pages for the Clovis Chamber of Commerce and City of Clovis are: http://www.clovischamber.com/ and http://www.ci.clovis.ca.us.

Fresno is adjacent to Clovis. The population is around 500,000, with a variety of amenities. The average cost of a home is $325,000. Rental rates range from $500 to $1,800 a month for 3-bedroom homes and from $500 to $1,700 for 2-bedrom apartments. Its symphony, local theatre companies, music and dance productions distinguish Fresno as a city with access to a wide variety of cultural events.

[Al Sayre]

500 hours of tail-dragger time?  That's going to be the hard spot...  Just about everyone born after around 1960 trained in Cessna 150's or Cherokees and has been flying tricycle gear aricraft ever since...

[Flying Pig]

Im not affiliated with the forest service, but I can pretty much bet anything is waiverable.  All appointments are ultimately made based on the needs of the department is the tag line most agencies use.

I know what they try to do is make it sound like an absolute to discourage applicants who are no where close.

[Check Pilot/Tow Pilot]

Born 1961 and I have 800 hours of Taildragger time so don't lump all of us 1960 and on people in one basket ... I wonder how much they are paying

[Flying Pig]

Starts at about $65K

[Check Pilot/Tow Pilot]

My wife would kill me and then divorce me.

[Flying Pig]

Stop making excuses.

However, I THINK 37 is the age limit.  It is for most Fed public safety jobs but I dont know if it applies to this one.

[Check Pilot/Tow Pilot]

No worries... the only flying job in my future is as a part-time CFI.   

[bosshawk]

Interesting, since nobody at Mariposa has been given this job application to consider.  The mission has been primarily been flown by two pilots on alternating temporary duty assignments for at least the last six months.  The primary mission is to fly about two hours a day, electronically monitoring about 20-24 Fishers(an animal about the size of a weasel) to see where they live, where they migrate and when they go off the air.  The Fishers have all been trapped and fitted with radio transmitters.  Mostly flying around in circles, with a scientist or two onboard to record the transmitter number and where they were noted.  This is a five year program, paid for with your tax dollars. 

I have spoken to John   Litton  about doing this part time, but haven't been given the time of day.  I meet all the requirements except the 500 hours of tail-dragger time.

Have at it and if you are selected, give me a call: I am at the Mariposa Airport at least four times a week, since I base my airplane there.

[Flying Pig]

Sounds like a blast.......

[Airrace]

Thanks for information.