Aerial Firefighting Agency Prepares to Move Out Legacy Birddog Fleet

Conair has selected the Daher TBM 960 for its wildfire air attack operations, marking the first time the TBM aircraft family will be used in this role. The TBM 960 will serve as a replacement for the agency’s aging birddog fleet.

“We are planning for our future by selecting the TBM 960 in the modernization of our birddog fleet,” expressed Matt Bradley, President and CEO of Conair. “Modernizing with the TBM 960 ensures our birddog aircraft aren’t grounded when needed the most due to a lack of spare parts, increased maintenance, or obsolescence.”

Since wildfire suppression will be an unfamiliar role for the aircraft, the new set of TBM 960s are being retrofitted with specialized avionics and equipment. They will be deployed in Canada during the 2025 fire season with a government agency Air Attack Officer sitting right seat and a Conair pilot on the left.

Built-in safety and situational awareness features of the TBM 960 contribute to its capability in wildfire operations. These include Daher’s digital e-copilot technology, which provides electronic stability protection, under-speed protection, and an emergency descent mode. The aircraft also features the Engine and Propeller Electronic Control System (EPECS) for simplified engine management, an advanced Doppler radar system, and the HomeSafe emergency autoland system.

The first TBM 960 ordered by Conair was delivered in October 2024, followed by a second aircraft in January 2025. This allows the company to move out its legacy birddog aircraft that are nearing the end of their service life due to continuous exposure to turbulence, heat, smoke, and varying elevations.

“The new TBM 960s offer key advantages for aerial firefighting response,” Benson added. “They are fast, keeping pace with large airtankers; offer superior visibility, providing crews with the ability to observe aircraft in a crowded airspace; are able to 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."

Daher’s other turboprop design, the Kodiak, is widely used for multi-mission operations including aerial firefighting support. Approximately 100 Kodiak aircraft are in multi-mission service worldwide, logging a combined 35,000 flight hours annually. As of December 31, 2024, Daher had delivered a total of 365 Kodiak and 1,243 TBM aircraft to customers worldwide.

FMI: www.daher.com/en, www.conair.ca