Chief pilot Fred Jorgensen.
Fred Jorgensen Takes Controls as New Chief Pilot for Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency Industry Veteran Appointed to Top Role By Ted Delanghe The sound of aircraft engines echoing over the vast forests and lakes of northern Saskatchewan dates back to 1924 when the Royal Canadian Air Force flew the first aerial photography flights in the region. This produced detailed area maps critical for air navigation, and soon aircraft were being used in forest fire suppression, with the province developing a highly efficient air attack system in the 50s and 60s operating from a chain of bases located at Prince Albert, La Ronge, Meadow Lake, Hudson Bay, and Buffalo Narrows. First were fire patrols and water bombing with Beavers and Otters, and eventually, Grumman Trackers, Cansos, and CL215 water bombers formed the backbone of the fleet. As the newly appointed Chief Pilot for the Flight Operations Unit of the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), Fred Jorgensen grew up in the north, where aircraft was a principal means of transportation and commerce. From an early age, Fred's interest was drawn to the skies. "Ever since I was a little kid, I remember coming to the La Ronge airshow with my model airplanes and pretending to fly through the air with the airshow participants. I always had a fascination with aircraft and the ability to fly and thought that was something that not everyone had a chance to experience, so I wanted to be up there and be a part of that." AF 74 | aerialfiremag.com
Even though today, where many of the province's northern communities are linked by road and improved communications, aviation continues to play a critically important role in the region, not only in fire suppression but also in mining, recreation, resource management, and other commercial activities. "Aviation is a big part of the La Ronge community where I was born and raised. Our house wasn't far from the airport, so every summer, I'd see the floatplanes fly over, and you could hear the growl of the radial engines of Tracker and CL-215 aircraft, and you'd know that springtime was in the air, and not long after that, the aerial attack fire season was on the way." While aviation remained his primary goal, Fred realized that furthering his education would return solid dividends down the road, so he decided on a two-pronged approach, mixing flying with furthering his education. "I started my private license in Ottawa when attending university, taking an aerospace and engineering course. Still, halfway through my third year, I decided I'd rather be out there driving aircraft than sitting behind some desk designing them. I took a break that Christmas and moved back to Saskatchewan, and finished my Private Pilot License course in Saskatoon at Mitchinson Aviation Centre in 1997."
