Working on Fire pilot Erik Nel has spoken about the dangers of fighting wildfires from the air. He features in the second season of the documentary series Extreme Airport Africa.
The new season premieres in South Africa on Wednesday, 28 October, at 8pm on HISTORY Channel, DStv channel 186. Nel shared his story with IOL ahead of the launch.
“You have to be mentally 100% ready for this,” Nel told IOL.
The series goes behind the scenes of flying operations across Southern Africa. It follows people who work in hard conditions, often far from normal airports.
Nel started his flight training in Nelspruit in 2005. He said watching firefighting crews respond to fires in the area inspired him to choose this kind of flying.
“Way back then, I decided that this is the type of flying I wanted to do,” he said. He has now done the job for nearly two decades.
One fire shown in the series threatened an isolated village. Nel was not the first pilot on the scene. He joined later to relieve another crew member.
By then the team knew more about the size of the fire. But visibility was poor and flying was difficult. The fire burned for several days, so crews had to decide where to focus.
“We focused a lot on saving life and limb. That was our main priority, and at the end of the day, it was a win for us,” he said.
Nel said pilots must think about wind speed, temperature and the land around a fire. Smoke makes the work harder, especially when it blocks the view.
He said pilots should not simply push ahead. They must first set their goals, choose a plan and work with the resources they have.
“We need to step back a bit and realise what our goals are of the fire, to determine what strategies we are going to take and the plan of action we are going to follow,” he said.
Nel said being followed by cameras took some time to get used to. Filming became easier as the crew grew comfortable with the production team.
“You don’t really have much time to think about the camera that’s in your face the whole time. You really had to focus on your job,” he said.
The job also keeps pilots away from their families. The Western Cape has its fire season in summer. Other parts of the country, including the east and south, burn in winter.
“None of us doing this job is here because we have to. We are here because we want to be here,” Nel said.
Nel said the profession has lost colleagues over the years. He said staying sharp includes flying during quiet periods and keeping aircraft and equipment ready.
“It is not the job where you can be caught off guard. You cannot,” he said.
The new season also shows other ways flying is used in Africa. One mission moves two lions to a new home.
Nel said he hopes viewers will see the people behind the aircraft. “We’re down-to-earth, plain, basic human beings. We’re just doing a job,” he said.
Viewers who miss the premiere can watch repeats on Saturdays at 9.50am.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Entertainment. Image: IOL Entertainment. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Entertainment desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Rirhandzu Baloyi writes about entertainment for Tzaneen Voice. Rirhandzu covers South African music, film, TV, streaming, awards and celebrity news, from amapiano and local soapies to Showmax and Netflix releases. Stories stick to what happened, who was involved and when fans can watch or listen.