Conair acquires two TBM 960 planes
Conair has acquired two new Daher TBM 960 fixed-wing aircraft for use in aerial firefighting operations
The aircraft will be flown as a ‘bird dog’ aircraft – used for surveying wildfires, monitoring fire activity, assessing risk, and strategizing airtanker drops.
Conair said the aircraft was selected for its “superior performance, modern design standards, and advanced features, improved reliability, and strong original equipment manufacturer (OEM) support”.
The first TBM 960 was delivered to Conair at the end of October 2024, with the second due to arrive in later in January. The aircraft will be retrofitted for use in aerial firefighting operations, before serving as air attack lead planes during the 2025 Canadian fire season.
The aircraft feature a 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.
It also includes safety features such as a HomeSafe emergency autoland system.
“Modernizing our bird dog fleet ensures our aircraft aren’t grounded by lack of parts supply, increasing maintenance, or obsolescence, when needed the most,” said Matt Bradley, President and CEO of Conair. “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.”
Conair Group announced that it had reached the milestone of converting a total of 20 Dash 8-400s into firefighting aircraft in December 2024.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.