Our latest episode of EMAPodcast recognises 50 years of aerial firefighting in Australia.

We hear from Ben Buckley, the maverick pilot who led Australia’s first aerial firebombing operation in the summer of 1967.

We chat with NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons,

Victorian Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley and NAFC General Manager Richard Alder about the importance of large air tankers in the fight against fires.

We’re also joined by two pilots who share their flying experiences and how they protect local communities.