NATIONAL RAPPEL ACADEMY
High Tower
When helicopter rappelling was first introduced as a wildland firefighting tool, training for new rappellers was carried out at individual bases using signals and practices unique to each crew. As the program gathered steam, training began to be more standardized until in 2002, all Region 6 rappel programs began to meet yearly in John Day, Oregon for consolidated training.
In 2011, this idea was carried to the agency level with the introduction of the National Rappel Academy in Salmon, Idaho, providing a universal standard of training for rappel operations. Since that time all rookie rappeller candidates have been required to prove themselves at the Academy, producing rappellers and spotters who are ready to operate from any aircraft and any base in the program.
The National Rappel Academy is a performance-based training program, demanding a high level of physical and mental toughness of candidates. Training begins in ground school, progresses to the rappel tower and aircraft simulators, and culminates with live rappels in typical mountain terrain. Typically lasting from a week to twelve days, this is a highly regimented and demanding program, with each progression in the training sequence building upon the last; as such, the highest level of proficiency is required in each portion of the training. Failure is not uncommon. Those who succeed become part of the small and tight-knit community of helicopter rappellers.
In 2011, this idea was carried to the agency level with the introduction of the National Rappel Academy in Salmon, Idaho, providing a universal standard of training for rappel operations. Since that time all rookie rappeller candidates have been required to prove themselves at the Academy, producing rappellers and spotters who are ready to operate from any aircraft and any base in the program.
The National Rappel Academy is a performance-based training program, demanding a high level of physical and mental toughness of candidates. Training begins in ground school, progresses to the rappel tower and aircraft simulators, and culminates with live rappels in typical mountain terrain. Typically lasting from a week to twelve days, this is a highly regimented and demanding program, with each progression in the training sequence building upon the last; as such, the highest level of proficiency is required in each portion of the training. Failure is not uncommon. Those who succeed become part of the small and tight-knit community of helicopter rappellers.
Low Tower
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Rappel Academy
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Rappel towers in Salmon, Idaho
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