More detail on this person: California's first
firefighting pilot James Ramage named among the
dead
The state's first firefighting pilot was among the
nine people killed in Tuesday's fiery helicopter
crash in Trinity County. James Ramage, 63, of
Redding was working as a Forest Service check
pilot aboard the privately owned Sikorsky S-61N
that crashed in a rugged area 35 miles northwest
of Redding near Junction City, a forest service
spokesman confirmed. Ramage was hired in 1984
as the California Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection's first forestry pilot. He worked 20
years for Cal Fire before he retired. "He had
badge No. 1," Cal Fire information officer Dan
Sendek said Friday.
Ramage wasn't flying the helicopter when it went
down soon after takeoff Tuesday night. Rather, he
was on board to assure the flight plan was
followed and to coordinate efforts on the ground.
"He had a tough job because every pilot thinks
they're the best in the world," said longtime
friend John Richardson, battalion chief for the
Cal Fire unit in Paso Robles. "It's tough to say,
`Hey, I'm here to ride along.' But he made people
feel comfortable. He was just one of those guys
who didn't have a chip on his shoulder." Also
killed in the crash was pilot Roark Schwanenberg,
54, of Lostine, Ore. Schwanenberg worked for
Carson Helicopters, the company that owned the
helicopter. Seven contract firefighters with
Grayback Forestry Inc. of Merlin, Ore., also were
killed. They were Shawn Blazer, 30, of Medford,
Ore.; Scott Charlson, 25, of Phoenix, Ore.; Edrik
Gomez, 19, of Ashland, Ore.; Matthew Hammer,
23, of Grants Pass, Ore.; Steven Renno, 21, of
Cave Junction, Ore., Bryan Rich, 29, of Medford,
Ore.; and David Steele, 19, of Ashland, Ore. Four
people survived the crash and are recovering.
The helicopter had flown two flights earlier in
the day Tuesday and crashed on its third flight.
Investigators on Friday said the Sikorsky hit a
tree before it came down. "This devastating
tragedy is a reminder of the dangers these
courageous men and women face while protecting
our communities on a daily basis. They are true
heroes and we are eternally grateful for their
service and their sacrifice," Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger said in a statement Friday.
Capitol flags in Sacramento will be flown at
half-staff, Schwarzenegger said.
Ramage's flight career began as a U.S. Army
helicopter pilot. He served one tour of duty in
Vietnam and also flew with Air America in
Southeast Asia from 1970 to 1974. "He tried to do
a desk job for a while, but he didn't like flying
a desk, so he went back to his love," boyhood
friend Jan Rohrbach said by phone from his Santa
Barbara home. Ramage recently had built a house
near Shasta, Rohrbach said.
Richardson first met Ramage in 1995 attending a
state training session in Redding. The two were
reunited earlier this summer when Richardson came
to Shasta County to help firefighting efforts. "I
was up for 32 days. ... He was part of the
Forest Service safety team; he would come by and
check all air operations," Richardson said.
Richardson described his friend as a great pilot
who was willing to help anybody who needed
guidance. Ramage just couldn't keep away from
aviation. Eleven days after he retired from Cal
Fire in 2003, he went to work for the Forest
Service as a helicopter inspector pilot in
Sacramento. Ramage and his family moved back to
Redding in 2006.
Ramage is survived by his wife of 38 years, Diane,
and his 28-year-old daughter, Ginger.
A memorial fund for the Ramage family has been
established at Wells Fargo Bank.
One of the crash survivors met briefly with
reporters Friday at Mercy Medical Center, where he
has been treated since Tuesday. Bruised and
battered, contract firefighter Richard Schroeder
of Medford, Ore., had tears in his eyes _ and
stitches in his lower lip. Schroeder, 42, who was
sitting in a wheelchair, his neck in a brace, had
difficulty speaking because of the stitches, but
said that he was "very lucky" to be alive.
Although he declined to discuss the crash as the
National Transportation Safety Board conducts its
investigation, his nurse read a prepared statement
from him that thanked those who have helped him
and offered his condolences to the families of
those firefighters who died. "The past few days
have been very traumatic for me and (for) so many
of my colleagues and families," his statement
read. "I feel so very fortunate to be here with
you and to be able to go home today."
Schroeder's mother, Linda Parks, also of Medford,
said her feelings were finally beginning to
overcome her, "I was fine until now," she said.
"I'm very saddened for all the people and very
lucky that my son is alive," she said, adding that
her son is suffering physically, as well as
emotionally. "He lost a lot of his friends and
co-workers," she said. Parks said she believes
her son is a hero and that it was his quick
thinking to get out of the burning helicopter that
saved his life. "I think God was with him," she
said. "It was not his time to go."
Reporter David Benda can be reached at 225-8219
or at dbenda@redding.com. Reporter Jim Schultz
can be reached at 225-8223 or at
jschultz@redding.com
News Release from US Forest Service,
Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Contact: Mike
Odle 530-226-2494
James N. Ramage, age 63, is one of the nine
fatalities of the Northern California helicopter
crash that happened this past week on the
Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Ramage, a
helicopter pilot, had an outstanding career with
both the US Forest Service and CAL Fire,
California's state fire agency. Pacific Southwest
Regional Forester Randy Moore said, "The US
Forest Service was very fortunate to have Jim as
part of our workforce and family. He was an
aviation leader with extensive flying experience
and knowledge."
Ramage's aviation career began as a helicopter
pilot for the US Army from 1966 through 1970. He
served one tour of duty in Vietnam. He also served
and flew with Air America in Southeast Asia from
1970 to1974. In 1974 he began his helicopter
firefighting career with Evergreen Helicopter,
Inc. and flew as a contract pilot for both the US
Forest Service and CAL Fire until 1978. He then
worked as a contract pilot for Redding Air Service
in Redding, California, flying across the Western
United States. For 20 years, beginning in 1984,
Ramage worked for CAL Fire. He was the first
Forestry Pilot for CAL Fire and carried badge #1
for forestry pilots. He was then promoted to Air
Operations Officer and served as CAL Fire Chief
Helicopter Pilot and later Aviation Safety Officer
until his retirement in 2003.
Ramage's love of firefighting and helicopters was
so strong that after 11 days of retirement, he
began working for the US Forest Service as
helicopter inspector pilot working out of
McClellan, California. In 2006, Ramage and his
family moved back to Redding, California with the
US Forest Service. Born in Taft, California,
Ramage had a passion for aviation. He dedicated
himself and his career to help provide for the
safety of others. Ramage was performing his duties
as a helicopter inspector pilot at the time of the
accident.
Ramage is survived by his wife of 38 years, Diane,
and his 28-year old daughter Ginger.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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