VAI Aerial Work and Aerial Firefighting Safety Conference 2026
Bringing the global aerial work and aerial firefighting community together to improve safety.
Aerial work and aerial firefighting operators face many of the same challenges wherever they operate: demanding environments, complex missions, changing technology, workforce pressures, and the constant need to manage risk.
Join operators, safety leaders, regulators, fire agencies, and industry specialists from across the globe in Boise, Idaho, Nov. 16–18, 2026, for three days focused on safer aerial work and aerial firefighting operations.
The VAI Aerial Work and Aerial Firefighting Safety Conference brings together experienced professionals from aerial firefighting, utility patrol and construction, external-load operations, and other specialist missions. The event program combines practical safety lessons, operator experiences, new technology, human factors, risk management, and discussion of the issues affecting global aerial work and aerial firefighting.
International participation will be a key part of the 2026 conference. Representatives from the NSW Rural Fire Service in Australia, alongside other international fire agencies, will join US agencies and operators, including the US Forest Service, providing a valuable opportunity to compare operational practices, safety approaches, and lessons learned across different aerial firefighting environments around the world.
One of the important areas of focus will be Safety on the Fireground, examining how aviation assets, ground crews, incident commanders, and supporting organizations work together safely in complex and rapidly changing fire environments.
US agencies including the FAA, US Forest Service, and US Department of the Interior will provide insight into the US operating environment, offering international operators a valuable opportunity to compare regulatory, contracting, and operational approaches with those used in their own countries.
Whether you operate in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, or elsewhere, the objective is the same: Learn from one another, challenge established thinking, and take home practical ideas that can make aerial work and aerial firefighting operations safer.
Come to Boise to meet the people doing the work, share what’s working in your part of the world, and help strengthen aerial work and aerial firefighting safety across the globe.
Register before October 5th, 2026, to receive the early registration rate.
Register before October 5th, 2026, to receive the early registration rate.
Who Should Attend
The conference is designed for people directly involved in aerial work and aerial firefighting operations, including:
- Aerial firefighting operators, pilots, and crews
- Fire agencies and incident-management personnel
- Utility patrol, power-line, and construction sector operators
- External-load and precision aerial work specialists
- Pilots, maintenance professionals, and operational leaders
- Safety managers and SMS professionals
- Government agencies and regulators
- Aircraft and equipment manufacturers
- Customers and organizations that contract aerial work and aerial firefighting services.
International operators are particularly encouraged to attend.
Countries may operate under different regulatory, contracting, and emergency-management systems, but we share many operational risks. The VAI Aerial Work Safety Conference provides an opportunity to compare approaches, learn from incidents and experience across borders, and build relationships with operators and agencies facing many of the same challenges.
What You Can Expect
The conference will focus on practical issues affecting aerial work and aerial firefighting operations, including:
- Safety on the fireground
- Lessons learned from aerial firefighting operations
- Human factors and operational decision-making
- Risk management and safety management systems
- External-load and specialist aerial work operations
- New technologies and aircraft capabilities
- Maintenance and operational reliability
- Regulator and agency perspectives
- International operating practices and lessons learned
- Collaboration between aircrews, ground crews, and incident command.
Why Attend
This is an operator-focused safety conference, not a sales event.
You will hear practical lessons from people working in demanding aerial work and aerial firefighting operations, explore emerging safety practices and technologies, compare approaches used in different operating environments, and enjoy direct conversations with fellow operators, regulators, fire agencies, and industry specialists.
The presence of organizations such as the NSW Rural Fire Service, other international fire agencies, and the US Forest Service enables participants to hear how different parts of the world approach aviation safety, operational coordination, and fireground risk.
Just as importantly, the conference provides a forum for the international aerial work and aerial firefighting community to learn from one another. What is being done successfully in Australia, Canada, Europe, South America, or elsewhere may offer valuable lessons for US operators, just as experience from the large US aerial firefighting and utility sectors can provide useful insight for operators overseas.
The aim is practical: better information, stronger professional relationships, and safer aerial work and aerial firefighting operations.
Traveling from Outside the United States?
The VAI Aerial Work and Aerial Fireighting Safety Conference is designed for the international community.
Regulations and contracting models differ between countries, but many of the hazards, human factors, and operational challenges are shared. Join operators and fire agencies from the US and overseas, including the NSW Rural Fire Service and other international fire agencies, to compare approaches and take practical lessons back to your own operation.
Boise provides a strong setting for these discussions, bringing together operators, agencies, and safety professionals with deep experience in some of the most demanding aerial work and aerial firefighting environments in the world.
Join us in Boise and be part of the global conversation about safer aerial work and aerial firefighting.
Venue
Boise Centre West, Downtown Boise
Hotel Information
Rate: $199
Rate: $239
Rate: $239
Rate: $239
Housing closes October 19th, 2026
Make your reservations today before the room blocks fill up!
Thank You
Exhibiting/Sponsorship
Contact a member of VAI’s Customer Experience Team at Sales@verticalavi.org or 352-388-7031 for information about exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities.
Questions?
Please email any questions about the event to VAI-events@verticalavi.org.
Social Media Toolkits
Download the social media toolkit to easily share ready-to-use content with your networks and let them know you’ll be speaking at, exhibiting at, or sponsoring the Aerial Work Safety Conference. Whether you’re highlighting your participation, inviting others to join you, or building excitement for the event, the toolkit makes it easy to share across your social channels and amplify the conference with your network.