Inside Titan: A look at Europe’s leading Aerial Firefighting Training Academy

From emergency landing drills and training in advanced simulators to low-altitude water drops and live fire exercises, Europe’s next generation of firefighting pilots is forged in the cockpit of the Air Tractor AT-802F.

Great Big Story recently profiled Titan, Europe’s largest private aerial firefighting academy, based in Viver, Spain. Established in 1965 as an aircraft maintenance and repair operation specializing in fumigation and firefighting aircraft, Titan has since expanded into an EASA-certified training organization. Today, its academy offers a full range of courses taught using the Air Tractor AT-802F single-engine airtanker.

The video provides a rare inside look at the rigorous training both veteran pilots and new recruits undergo as Europe prepares for increasingly destructive wildfire seasons. Viewers meet Titan’s pilots and instructors, and get an exclusive glimpse at the Air Tractor AT-802F in action across the rugged mountains of Spain. The footage only underscores the power of the aircraft and the skill required to master it.

With southern Europe experiencing longer, hotter, and drier fire seasons, demand for highly trained aerial firefighters has never been greater. Titan stands apart as one of the few academies dedicated exclusively to training pilots for the dangerous, high-stakes missions of aerial firefighting.

Trainees learn precision navigation under extreme conditions, flying fully loaded AT-802F single-engine air tankers through smoke-choked valleys and across firelines. Classroom instruction is paired with demanding practical drills, including controlled crash-landing scenarios and water drop runs. The program also utilizes Titan’s full-motion flight simulator, the only EASA-approved FTD Level II simulator in Europe, where supervised simulator hours are credited as actual flight time.

This demanding curriculum prepares pilots not just technically but mentally for the split-second decisions and risks inherent in their work. Titan’s program reflects the skill and resilience required for every mission—and underscores why training the next generation of AT-802F pilots is vital as Europe faces increasingly volatile fire seasons.