Rutledge Airborne

Rutledge Airborne Disabled veteran-owned business providing professional and standardized, nationwide, aerial fire suppression.

08/29/2026

The Minden-Tahoe Airport caught our Operations Director James Tombrello during a fuel stop. Our unique T-34C has many roles but today James was on the way to check in with our teams based at Minden, in Wells, NV and Chester, CA. You can’t know exactly what your team needs sitting behind a desk!

The entire team was engaged this week, often all at the same time; Wells was fighting 3-4 fires a day making national ne...
08/26/2026

The entire team was engaged this week, often all at the same time; Wells was fighting 3-4 fires a day making national news, Chester crossing borders, Miles City hitting initial attack and Texas saving structures and property. We couldn’t be more impressed with the professionalism and agressiveness our teams fight fire and take care of eachother. The gray noses were everywhere this week!

Aerial firefighting is hazardous enough, unfortunately not everyone appreciates the sacrifice crews on the ground and in...
08/18/2026

Aerial firefighting is hazardous enough, unfortunately not everyone appreciates the sacrifice crews on the ground and in the air put forth to preserve lives and property.
We’re beyond relieved that our team mates are safe.

08/12/2026

Annie in T-821 and her team making another round in the Texas panhandle today.

08/11/2026

Annie in T-821 fighting the Canadian Fire in Texas this week.

08/09/2026

The Bug Fire in western Nevada

The entire team was active today across the country. Our Canadian, TX detachment has been flying the last 2 days on the ...
08/09/2026

The entire team was active today across the country. Our Canadian, TX detachment has been flying the last 2 days on the Round Up and Canadian River fires. The Chester, CA detachment of Clif and Ashton got to work early on the Bug Fire threatening several populated areas west of Reno, NV. Finally our Wells, NV detachment launched on the Pahranapat Fire and ended up in Cedar City, UT for the night. We couldn’t be prouder of the precision work our dedicated crews are displaying to protect people and property.

Fresh off a dispatch to the Steady Fire, our Canadian, TX detachment was visited by Texas State Representative Ken King....
08/03/2026

Fresh off a dispatch to the Steady Fire, our Canadian, TX detachment was visited by Texas State Representative Ken King. It was a privilege for our Lead Pilot Louis and Crewchief trainer Matt, along with our GB Aerial partners to showcase the equipment and dicusss fire suppression techniques we use to protect District 88 and the Texas Panhandle. Representative King is a key supporter of ensuring a full time, professional wildland firefighting force is available to protect Texas lives and property.

Big day in tanker land today, almost the entire company was in the air at the same time but spread across 4 states. The ...
07/31/2026

Big day in tanker land today, almost the entire company was in the air at the same time but spread across 4 states. The biggest news of the day was our third hard working crewchief-turned-pilot finally got his shot at fighting the dragon with 4 precision drops on the Steady Fire in Texas. Louis is the definitive story of paying his dues to earn a seat. USFS dozer driver, he built flight time at his own expense, lived in a 100 degree hangar on a cot while doing it, crewed our planes for 2 seasons and earned his opportunity to fly a tanker. Nobody makes a better firefighting pilot than a yellow shirt that’s been on the fire line and had to claw their way to a cockpit. Proof our selection and training program works and that our strength is our people rather than machines. We are beyond proud of Louis and humbled he chooses to call the Rutledge Airborne team family. Louis and our crewchief trainer Matt will be taking in the customary First Dispatch steak dinner on the company. The Texas panhandle couldn’t be in better hands!

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Casa Grande Municipal Airport
Casa Grande, AZ
85122

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