Veteran N.W.T. wildfire pilot Robert MacLeod remembered as patient mentor
Buffalo Airways says MacLeod, killed in a plane crash near Fort Simpson on June 24, spent more than 25 years in aerial firefighting and trained countless pilots.
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Robert MacLeod, a veteran aerial firefighting pilot killed in a plane crash near Fort Simpson, N.W.T., on June 24, is being remembered as an expert leader who mentored generations of pilots and kept composure under stress.
MacLeod served as a bird dog captain for Buffalo Airways over the past three seasons, coordinating tactical support for water bombers in wildfire operations across Canada. Before that, he flew as both a bird dog and waterbomber pilot in New Brunswick.
Beyond his firefighting role, MacLeod worked as a medevac captain and flight instructor. Buffalo Airways described him as a "patient mentor and dependable teammate" in a Facebook post honouring his 25-year career. MacLeod and two firefighters were aboard a Turbo Commander 690 when it crashed while providing tactical support during active wildfire operations.
