Aircraft rescue and firefighting

Now let's talk about what happens on the ground at a major airport when a brake fire is called in, because this is part of the story that never makes the video.

Every commercial airport certificated under Federal Aviation Regulation Part One Thirty-Nine, which covers commercial service airports across the United States, is required to maintain aircraft rescue and firefighting capability.

The Federal Aviation Administration calls it ARFF.

The requirement scales with the size and frequency of aircraft operations at that airport.

At LAX, which handles wide-body international traffic continuously around the clock, the ARFF capability is substantial.

Multiple specialized apparatus carrying thousands of gallons of water and foam, crews trained specifically in aircraft firefighting, all of it positioned to reach any point on the airport within a defined response time.

When a brake fire call comes in at a place like LAX, the response is immediate.

For you as a pilot operating into certificated commercial airports, this infrastructure is part of the safety net you rely on whether you think about it or not.