1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 350 Provence Aerial Firefighting Team

The latest edition of the Mifal Guide will arrive in Provence with tourists in the spring.

At that time, volunteers will be stationed near major transportation hubs such as train stations and bus stations in several major departments of Provence to distribute it free of charge to tourists from all over the world.

Ines told Ronan that his restaurant would not only be featured in the most authoritative travel magazine in Provence this year, but his stall information in Mena village would also be retained and given more prominence.

The reason why the Milfair Guide is so popular in Provence is because it records extremely detailed information about restaurants, shops and hotels. Reading those short pages or two is like reading a short story.

It contains information not only about the owner, the owner's family, the waiters, and the head chef, but also whether the chef and his wife are happy in their marriage.

Ronan clearly remembered that two years ago, the edition of the Milfair Guide described Mr. Jacques as a lucky fellow who was outwardly modest, inwardly extremely fragile and sensitive, and had a harmonious relationship with his wife.

How will the latest edition of the Mifal Guide describe me?

Having voiced her thoughts, Ines replied in a 'professional' tone:
"Everything will move in a direction that benefits you and Zoe. You should know that our partnership is not limited to a single 'Provence Art Review'; you are collaborating with Michelin magazine."

Ines' words made Ronan feel very safe.

Now all we need to do is wait quietly for the 'seeds' planted by Chairman Ines to sprout in the spring.

The influence of the Gold series of art events on Ronan came from all aspects.

He has achieved great success in his personal life, restaurants, and hand knitting, but he and his knitting business are more focused on long-term development.

However, the restaurant's profits can be seen in the short term.

The restaurant has not only become a popular spot for tourists, but it has also attracted more artists from Provence. At the same time, its popularity in Luberon has also increased.

The most obvious manifestation of the latter is that no matter whether Ronan returned to Lourmaran from the mountains at 5 o'clock, 6 o'clock or 7 o'clock, the restaurant was always packed.

Out-of-town tourists will definitely leave Lourmaran before 5 p.m. Drivers don't want to drive on unfamiliar mountain roads in the dark, and those without cars need to find a ride to leave early.

Those who are still eating in the restaurant after nightfall must be either from the village of Lourmaran or locals from Luberon who are relatively familiar with the mountain roads.

Luo Nan knows everyone in the village, but a large proportion of the faces at night are unfamiliar.

This means that more and more Provençal locals will make a special trip to Lourmarin for dinner, just like the two guys Feng Zhen saw last time who came to trade truffles.

One evening around 6 p.m., Ronan pushed open the door to the restaurant and found several farmers and villagers gathered around a table of strangers.

Upon seeing Ronan return, Theo excitedly waved him over:

"Come quick, come quick! A flight instructor for a fire-fighting aircraft has come to your restaurant. He's teaching us how to fly a seaplane."

Firefighting aircraft are a major feature of Provence. Whenever a fire breaks out in the forests of Luberon, these pelican-inspired planes appear overhead immediately.

Last November, arsonists set fire to the forest near Roussillon, and a dozen or twenty red and yellow firefighting planes flew back and forth between Luberon and the Mediterranean Sea for an entire afternoon.

Many children in the Luberon mountain villages have never seen a passenger plane, but firefighting planes are something they see every year.

The restaurant has really "made something of itself"—they actually have a flight instructor from a fire-fighting aircraft come to visit!
Ronan placed the bag of truffles on the cashier's counter, then went to Theo's side, where he saw a tall, loud-voiced old man with sword-like eyebrows explaining the 'origin' of aerial firefighting to everyone:
"The idea of ​​aerial firefighting emerged in the 1950s. Research in the United States and Canada showed that water jets fired from aircraft in flight would not be dispersed by the wind and would land in a relatively concentrated area. In other words, it was like water bullets that could be aimed at the flames. News of the test crossed the Atlantic and was heard by a French officer named Arrighi. As a result, France established a professional flight team, and the aircraft were equipped with firefighting equipment to deal with the forest fires that occurred in various parts of southern France every year."

Pierre crossed his arms and interrupted the gentleman:
"Did they exist in the 1950s? But I first saw a firefighting aircraft more than a decade ago."

The old gentleman took a sip of wine and continued:
"Initially, the team only had two Caterina seaplanes and eight members, which was not enough to handle heavy tasks. But now there are 28 firefighting planes 'ready to go' parked at Marseille's Marignan Airport, and the team has grown to 148 members, including administrative staff, maintenance engineers, professional technicians, navigators, and pilots."

Theo is a mechanic; he's not only fascinated by cars, but also by airplanes.

He asked anxiously:
"How can I become a pilot for a firefighting aircraft? Is it even possible for me?"

Which man doesn't want to soar through the sky?
The farmers mocked Theo:
"Are you dreaming? You can get a pilot's license?"

Theo stubbornly insisted:

"Get lost, get lost, you don't know anything. Lucas took me on a helicopter ride in Marseille. Flying a plane isn't difficult."

The old man glanced at Theo's face, seemingly guessing his age, then shook his head and said:
"Joining the firefighting flight team is not easy. Applicants generally need to be over 40 years old, have 12 years of professional experience, 3,000 flight hours, and a valid IFR qualification. IFR is the instrument navigation flight qualification certificate, which is only one level lower than the qualification required for top airline pilots. Only one out of every 100 applicants will be hired, and they must start training from the very basics."

First, one must undergo a year of basic training and observation. The second year is spent as a co-pilot on a firefighting aircraft. The next seven to ten years are spent piloting smaller "Chaser" aircraft solo, eventually rising to the rank of captain. Very few people reach this prestigious position before the age of fifty.

The men around him let out a series of regretful complaints.

Looks like I'll never be a firefighting plane in this lifetime.

Not wanting to dampen everyone's enthusiasm, the old gentleman kindly added:
"Don't be discouraged, young men. You can try applying to be firefighters. Anyone under 50 can apply."

"The age limit for firefighters has been relaxed?" This time, it was Ronan who raised the question.

Before Christmas, the Luberon fire brigade came to Ronan's house to ask for a "New Year's red envelope." Ronan said that his childhood dream of becoming a firefighter was not a lie; it really was his childhood dream.

But he remembered that the age limit for applying to become a firefighter in France was 25.

The old man shrugged, somewhat helplessly.

"The only change is that the age limit for firefighters in Provence has been relaxed from 18-25 to 18-50. The forest fire prevention level throughout Provence has been raised, and the current number of firefighters is insufficient, so we need to expand the force. This was strongly requested by the newly appointed leader of the Provence Forestry Bureau. Our seaplane team will also meet with this new leader next Monday. I wonder if he will also give us some new 'opinions'."

Several farmers around him laughed at the same time, and Theo proudly patted his chest:
"We 'worked' for the State Forestry Administration at the beginning of the year!"

That was the most glorious experience of many farmers' lives!
The old man looked around at the unassuming farmers with surprise, then smiled and said:
"The new leader of the Provence Forest Agency was also transferred from the National Forest Agency. As soon as he took office, he carried out a radical 'reform' of the Provence Forest Agency, which I heard was based on new management experience brought from Paris."

The keywords "National Forestry Bureau" and "Paris" reminded Ronan of someone.

"What's the name of this new leader of the Provence Forestry Bureau?" Ronan asked in surprise.

The flight instructor recalled:
"I think his name is Bruno?"

(End of this chapter)