French aircraft manufacturer Daher Aircraft was in British Columbia to present two of their aircraft models as ideal for fire fighting applications. Company representatives were on site during the recent conference in Kelowna promoting variations of both their unpressurized Kodiak and pressurized TBM for a variety of missions.
Both aircraft are turboprops, powered by different versions of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 engine. However, the Kodiak is a high-wing, fixed-gear relatively light aircraft with STOL characteristics and rough-field advantages while the TBM is a low-wing retractable capable of higher speeds and range.
“Our Kodiak and TBM bring complementary strengths to aerial wildfire operations,” Daher’s CEO Nicolas Chabbert said. “The Kodiak combines ruggedness, excellent handling qualities and multi-mission adaptability, while the TBM delivers the speed, efficiency and versatility needed to cover distances quickly and respond to changing operational demands.”
Either aircraft can be outfitted for “birddog” missions, which mean the aircraft serves as the lead aircraft in firefighting missions, such as coordinating water or retardant drops by aerial tankers. These aircraft are generally outfitted with multiple radio transceivers to keep in touch with other aircraft, air traffic control and firefighting agencies.
Conair of Abbotsford, B.C. selected the TBM 960 after reviewing several different aircraft types. Outfitted to serve as birddogs, they entered service in B.C. in 2025.
Daher has several TBMs and Kodiaks in service with various U.S. firefighting agencies.
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