Five more Fire Bosses for Dauntless Air
Aerial firefighting firm Dauntless Air has acquired five more AT-802F Fire Boss scooper aircraft
The additional fixed-wing turboprops brings the total number of Fire Bosses operated by Dauntless to 22, and will help them respond to growing demand for small fixed-wing scoopers for firefighting operations.
“It’s been a long time coming, but it’s clear that single-engine scooper-infused rapid initial attack is gaining ground around the world,” said Brett L’Esperance, CEO of Dauntless Air. “By expanding our fleet, we are not only increasing our operational capacity but also reinforcing our commitment to leading the fight against wildfires wherever we’re needed.”
The number of firefighting contracts being operated by Fire Bosses has grown rapidly in recent years. In the USA alone, there are 24 exclusive-use (EU) and 10 call-when-needed (CWN) contracts currently utilizing the aircraft type. This is up from 15 EU and seven CWN contracts last year.
As a major operator of Fire Bosses in North America, Dauntless Air holds a large portion of these contracts.
The government of Slovenia placed an order for four AT-802F Fire Bosses in April 2023.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at AirMed&Rescue. 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.