Academy brings together all Forest Service and Department of Interior bases
Mariah Leuschen-Lonergan
Fire and Aviation Management
April 30, 2026
Pick your favorite theme song and imagine it hits the loudspeakers. You suit up, load up and head out to the plane. After a 20-minute flight you are briefed about the jump spot and the fire behavior. A tap on the back tells you to hone your focus and remember every day of training you've had as you free fall into the atmosphere. Five seconds, a tug and tranquility follows the rush of adrenaline when your parachute deploys.
This is smokejumping, a silhouetted parachutist against the smoke-hazed horizon. But one of the most important smokejumpers doesn't even jump from the plane.
This spring, smokejumpers from all nine Forest Service and Department of the Interior bases came together in Missoula to train new spotters. A spotter is a highly experienced smokejumper responsible for coordination and picking the spot to make the jump. They may not be the first person you think of in wildland fire, but they are critical mission leaders in the aircraft.
Smokejumper spotters go through pre-flight checklists during the National Spotter Academy. (Forest Service Photo by Mariah Leuschen-Lonergan)
"A spotter talks to dispatch, talks to air attack, coordinates with pilots, talks to ground resources, all those things, and then gets to the fire and selects a jump spot," said Jake Besmer, training manager and smokejumper spotter at Missoula Smokejumper Base. "They coordinate the whole mission, taking a low pass to make sure the ground is safe to land in, using streamers to indicate wind and determine a safe place to put the jumpers out."
Over 10 days, the Missoula Smokejumper Base hosted the National Smokejumper Spotter Academy. Smokejumpers worked with counterparts from the Department of the Interior and spent an estimated 50 hours of flight time with multiple flights each day, plus additional classroom time and simulations, all to train for every possible scenario.
Jake Besmer, Missoula smokejumper and training manager demonstrates the proper way to load paracargo drops during the National Spotter Academy. (Forest Service photo by Mariah Leuschen-Lonergan)
"In the job of a smokejumper spotter, continual recalculation, constant communication and attention to detail are all paramount. Keep rehearsing, keep honing, keep practicing," said Kurt Atkins, a former Great Basin based Bureau of Land Management smokejumper and current fixed wing program manager.
The smokejumper spotter also plays a role in managing the aircraft's cargo. Along with smokejumpers, the jump plane carries provisions, including food, water and firefighting supplies such as chainsaws and tools for the crew–everything smokejumpers need to fight the fire. After the smokejumpers have landed, the spotter is vital to ensure that all cargo is dropped accurately, near the jumpers, to allow the firefighters to access their tools quickly after landing.
"The intent of coming together for 10 days is to combine training and collaborate to improve training and standardization for safe, efficient and effective smokejumper operations as a whole, across the nation." said Court Wallace, National Technology and Development Program project manager.
For the first time ever, the National Spotter Academy brought together smokejumpers from all over the country to standardize their training (Forest Service photo by Mariah Leuschen-Lonergan
Smokejumpers undergo rigorous training to prepare for their role. Smokejumper spotters are smokejumpers who take on additional responsibilities including extensive study of fire behavior, weather and winds and learning to use advanced navigation tools so they can coordinate missions. Back at their home bases, proficiency jumps every few weeks help maintain their readiness. Teamwork, communication and decision-making in high-stakes environments are part of the job every day. Spotters must be able to think quickly and remain calm under pressure, as their decisions directly affect the safety of the entire jump.
For all wildland firefighters, the ability to make quick, informed decisions in high-stakes environments, honed and polished by years of sweat and grit, will continue to be the cornerstone of wildfire response. This ensures that professional wildland firefighters are ready for swift and rapid response in a variety of situations to reduce harm to people, homes, infrastructure and natural and cultural resources.
