Airplane Pilot (SEAPLANE)

Summary

NEW CLOSED DATE: 9/8/2026. This position is located in Ely, MN within Region 9 Fire and Aviation Management. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Jeremy Harmon at [email protected].

Duties

• Duties listed are at the full performance level GS-12.
• Perform as pilot in command of light single engine aircraft configured for land or sea equipment performing wildfire suppression, low level water drops on fires, providing airborne fire intelligence and ground crew direction.
• Operate light single engine aircraft configured with land/sea/or ski equipment under visual and instrument weather conditions, perform secondary duties such as wildfire detection, transportation of fire crews to and from fires, and wildlife surveys.
• Serves as pilot-in-command in a single engine land/water/skis, in unfavorable terrain such as austere and back country forests, during daytime, involving water and frozen lake landings.
• Performs preflight checks of aircraft and related equipment, plans extended flights by evaluating weather conditions at the point of departure, at points along the route, and at the destination.
• Provides technical advice regarding airplane contracts and contract pilots; serves as a technical leader, participates in aviation contract development.
• Serves as a technical advisor to the Regional Aviation Officer, Regional Aviation Safety Officer and DHC-2 Supervisory Pilot.
• Performs wildfire suppression support as directed within training and physical capabilities and other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards. To receive consideration for these positions, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the time of applicant submission date. Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Basic Requirement: Certificates and Ratings: Must possess an FAA Airplane Commercial Pilot Certificate with Single-Engine Land and Sea Ratings, an Instrument Rating or an FAA Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, with Single-Engine Land and Sea Ratings. Medical Certificate: Must possess a current FAA first or second-class medical certificate. Must possess proof of a tail wheel logbook endorsement post April 15, 1991. Pre-April 15, 1991, proof of PIC Tail Wheel time will be required via logbook entry, as appropriate to the position held. Must possess all necessary certificates and ratings and flight hours in the appropriate Category and Class (Single-Engine Land and Sea Ratings) as required. Minimum Flight/Flying Experience: GS-11: Must meet all the following flight requirements and all minimum hours must be in Category (Airplane): possess minimum flight time of 1500 hours with 500 hours as Pilot-In-Command (PIC); possess minimum PIC time of 200 hours in Category and Class to be flown (Airplane-Single Engine Land and Sea); possess minimum PIC flight time of 50 hours performing Instrument Flight Rules(IFR) flight; Possess minimum PIC flight time of 75 hours performing Night Flight; and possess minimum PIC flight time of 100 hours in the preceding 12 months. GS-12: Must meet all the following flight requirements and all minimum hours must be in Category (Airplane): possess minimum flight time of 1500 hours with 1200 hours as Pilot-In-Command (PIC); possess minimum of 200 hours in Category and Class to be flown (Airplane-Single Engine Land and Sea); possess minimum PIC time of 500 hours performing Cross Country flight; possess minimum PIC time of 200 hours performing low-level operations in mountainous terrain (flight at 2500 AGL and below terrain identified as mountainous in 14 CFR 95.11, and as depicted in the Aeronautical information Manual figure 5-6-3); possess minimum PIC flight time of 75 hours of actual or simulated Instrument time with 50 hours in flight; possess minimum PIC time of 100 hours performing Night Flight; possess minimum PIC time in Category of 100 hours (preceding 12 months) and 10 hours (preceding 60 days). Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Selective Placement Factors: Under age 40 -OR- less than age 40 after subtracting the months of Permanent Federal Service worked in a primary or secondary firefighter/law enforcement position -OR- a veteran preference eligible, older than age 40 and is requesting a waiver to the maximum age requirement. FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a primary/rigorous position covered under the special retirement provisions of 5 USC 8336(c) for the Civil Service Retirement System and of 5 USC 8412(d) for the Federal Employees Retirement System. Age Requirements: For those who do not currently occupy a permanent Federal position covered under primary fire fighter retirement, you must be under age 40; less than age 40 after subtracting the months of Permanent Federal Service in a primary or secondary firefighter/law enforcement position; or a veteran preference eligible, older than age 40 and requesting a waiver to the requirement. To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt. Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify. Must be 18 years of age. This is a drug testing designated position. You will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. Appointment is based on a negative result. This announcement constitutes 30 days advance notice. Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable). Under age 40; less than age 40 after subtracting the months of Permanent Federal Service in a primary or secondary firefighter/law enforcement position or a veteran preference eligible, older than age 40 and is requesting a waiver to the requirement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

There is no education substitution for this position.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. Please ensure your resume does not exceed two pages. Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc.