From Canada and the Pacific Northwest to Florida in the southeastern United States, Daher Aircraft-built Kodiak and TBM airplanes are on the front lines of wildfire response, providing aerial supervision, coordinating air tanker drops and delivering real-time situational awareness during demanding missions.
Government agencies and private operators increasingly rely on the Kodiak 100 and the larger Kodiak 900 version for aerial firefighting support and multi-mission applications. The TBM 960 has entered service as an airborne command-and-control platform, with duties that include monitoring the fire zones, assessing risks, and strategizing the deployment of water/retardant by air tankers.
“Our Kodiak and TBM bring complementary strengths to aerial wildfire operations,” explained Nicolas Chabbert, Daher Aircraft’s CEO. “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. Together, they demonstrate the breadth of Daher Aircraft’s capabilities in support of those working to protect communities and natural resources.”
The unpressurized Kodiak’s advantages for aerial wildfire operations include long endurance and excellent handling qualities – particularly at low speeds – along with short take-off and landing (STOL) performance that enables operations from backcountry and semi-prepared airfields.
As the Kodiak and TBM fleets expand in wildfire response, Daher Aircraft has strengthened its in-house capabilities for integrating specialized multi-mission systems, enabling the company to respond to increasingly demanding customer requirements. One recent project involved a new-production Kodiak 100 Series III for the U.S. Forest Service.
At Daher Aircraft’s Sandpoint, Idaho, facility, the airplane underwent comprehensive systems integration to support the agency’s wildfire management, aerial supervision, forest health and logistics operations.
