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2011 Ornament

Limited Edition Ornament Recognizes Fire and Aviation Partnership

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From stories of the Big Burn in 1910 to this year’s 60th birthday celebration of Smokey Bear, the conservation legacy of the Forest Service has been shaped by fire fighters. In honor of the Museum’s fire and aviation partners, the Board of Directors selected firefighting as the first theme of our Limited Edition Holiday Ornament Program.

The 2011 brass ornament commemorates the first use of a helicopter on a forest fire. In the summer of 1947, the U.S. Forest Service ordered a helicopter from Bell to fly on the Bryant Fire in Big Tujunga Canyon of the Angeles National Forest in southern California. The ship, a Bell 47-B model, was flown alternately by Knute Flint and Fred Bowen. Fred went on to fly contract Bell helicopters on fires for many years and became a true legend. He was known as "Mr. Helicopter" to the fire fighters.

Even though the helicopter of that time could only carry the pilot and one fire fighter, its first use in fighting fires was so successful that it became a standard operation for forest fire control. Today's Bell helicopters are capable of carrying an entire Helitack Crew for rapid initial attack on a new forest fire. They can perform numerous duties on large forest fires including moving entire crews rapidly from one location to another, dropping water and fire retardants on a fire, moving supplies to fire crews in roadless areas and more.

This holiday season, the Museum welcomes Bell Helicopter as a Larch Society member of the capital campaign. Bell Helicopter’s $30,000 multi-year pledge supports the construction of the National Conservation Legacy and Education Center, Traveling Exhibit Program and Virtual Museum.

In honor of this new partnership and in tribute to this shared history, the Museum’s program committee selected the Bell 47-B model as the image for the 2011 commemorative ornament.  New and renewing members of the Museum, at the Family level and above, will receive a complimentary ornament. For those who would like to purchase the $15.00 ornament as a gift or to grace your evergreen, you may reserve one through our online Heritage Gift Store or contact the Museum office. Proceeds from the sale of the ornament will support the Museum’s goals to collect preserve and interpret the conservation legacy of the U.S. Forest Service, its cooperators and partners.

Visit our Gift Shop to become a Family level member or purchase a commemorative ornament

The photograph of the Bell 47-B is courtesy of Lynn Biddison.