California Army and Air National Guard helicopter pilots

California Army and Air National Guard helicopter pilots from the 1st and 3rd Battalion of the 140th Aviation Battalion (Air Assault), based out of Los Alamitos, Stockton and Mather, and the 129th Rescue Wing, out of Mountain View, fly their UH-60 Black Hawks and HH-60 Pave Hawks, Aug. 29, 2013, to the dip site at the Cherry Lake dam just west of Yosemite National Park to various bucket drop sites nearby. The aircraft rotated from dropping to dunking, sometimes with other civilian choppers and could drop as many as 20 buckets before having to refuel. The pilots move in, directed by Cal Fire managers, who spot U.S. Forest Service fire fighters on the ground or follow other guidance on where best to lay the line of water. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Paul Wade/Released)