The aircraft will be converted into Special Mission Platforms providing Air Attack operations
ABBOTSFORD, CANADA (January 7, 2025) – Conair Group Inc. (Conair) is excited to announce the purchase of two Daher TBM 960 aircraft as the company looks to modernize their air attack fleet used to fight wildfires. This surveillance aircraft is dispatched to fly continuously over a fire, monitoring fire activity, assessing risk, and strategizing airtanker drops. The modern aircraft was selected for its superior performance, modern design standards, advanced safety features, improved reliability, and strong Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) support by Daher.
“We are planning for our future with the selection of the TBM 960 aircraft, chosen after an in-depth analysis of 50 aircraft types. Modernizing our birddog fleet ensures our aircraft aren’t grounded by lack of parts supply, increasing maintenance, or obsolescence, when needed the most. Investing in modern aircraft gives our government agency customers the security of knowing the fleet is available to respond, offering lower operational risk at a time of crisis” shared Matt Bradley, President & CEO.
Daher’s TBM 960 offers many advanced safety features advantageous for wildfire operations, including the HomeSafe emergency autoland system – a single button return-and-land function the Air Attack Officer can initiate in the event of pilot incapacitation. In addition, the aircraft offers single-lever digital engine and propeller control, an advanced doppler radar system detecting lightning and turbulence, as well as electronic stability and under-speed protection and emergency descent mode.
“Conair’s acquisition underscores the TBM 960’s versatility and effectiveness in highly demanding operational environments,” explained Nicolas Chabbert, CEO of the Daher Aircraft Division. “We are committing Daher’s full resources to ensure top-level OEM support for the TBM 960s in service with Conair, applying the expertise we’ve gained with our TBM and Kodiak aircraft that are deployed in multi-mission duties around the world.”
The Daher TBM 960 aircraft will be retrofitted by Conair with specialized avionics and equipment specific to wildfire operations before deploying as Air Attack lead planes, or “birddogs,” providing tactical and strategic direction to aerial firefighting aircraft over wildfires. Both TBM 960 Air Attack aircraft will operate in Canada for the 2025 fire season, with a government agency Air Attack Officer in the right seat and a Conair pilot in the left. The Air Attack Officer communicates with all pilots – rotary and fixed-wing – as well as all ground crews, ensuring safe and effective aerial firefighting operations. The fire experts in this command-and-control aircraft work to slow down and contain extreme wildfires, ensuring drops from multiple aircraft are strategically placed for the best results given the terrain, fuel type, wind, weather and aerial response available.
“Globally, the legacy fleet of birddog aircraft are reaching the end of their lifespans given the demanding conditions they fly in, facing turbulence, heat, smoke, and fluctuating elevations on a continuous basis,” shares Mike Benson, Director of Business Development with Conair. “These new aircraft offer key advantages for aerial firefighting response. They are fast, keeping pace with large airtankers; offer superior visibility, providing crews the ability to observe aircraft in a crowded airspace; can fly low and slow, showing airtankers where to place drops on a wildfire; and can be converted into multi-role platforms, if desired by our government agency partners, incorporating ISR technologies used to map wildfires or provide search & rescue capability.”
The first Daher aircraft arrived at Conair at the end of October 2024, with the second arriving this month.
