Heavy helicopters set to return west of Bend for rapellers’ national firefighting aviation training

 BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- An annual national recertification event for the U.S. Forest Service Helicopter Rappel Program is slated to occur next week on the Deschutes National Forest west of Bend, adjacent to Forest Service Road 41.

The event is scheduled to start next Tuesday, April 15, and run through at least Sunday, April 20, with additional days possible if weather impacts helicopter operations.

During the training dates, the public can anticipate up to seven helicopters hovering in the air west of Forest Service Road 41 and south of the Cascade Lakes Highway at any given time between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., including on weekends.

Forest Service officials say this location was selected for the national event due to meeting several pre-determined criteria focused on safety and functionality.

While no trail or road closures are anticipated, those recreating along Forest Service Road 41 and adjacent trails should adhere to any posted signage and avoid closed areas for their safety and the safety of training participants.

The national rappel event will provide annual recertifications for 20 spotters and 70 veteran rappellers.

Rappellers are aerial-delivered wildland firefighters that rappel out of a helicopter to fight wildfires that are often in remote, difficult-to-reach locations. In addition to initial attack, rappel crews also support large fire response, all-hazard incident operations and resource management objectives.

For further questions, contact the Deschutes National Forest at (541) 383-5300.