On Point – Conair’s Air Attack Operation

British Columbia-based Conair is one of the world’s premier aerial firefighting operations. With dozens of aircraft, nearly 100 pilots, and an extensive support staff, the team helps keep Canadians safe by quickly and expertly responding to the country’s many wildfires. They use a large fleet of Twin Commanders to assess fires and then direct firefighting assets in real time. Flight Levels Online spoke to Director of Maintenance Brad Belyan (BB), Fleet Manager of Bird Dog Operations Ryan Gahan (RG), and Vice President of Business Development Jeff Berry (JB) to learn more about their impressive operation.

How many airplanes total do you currently operate? How many Twin Commanders and what types?

Conair operates a fleet of 70 aircraft for aerial firefighting operations. Out of the fleet, eight are Turbo Commander TC-690 A and B model aircraft. These aircraft operate each year in BC, Alberta, and Yukon. They also get sent to assist other forestry agencies all over Canada, Washington, and Alaska. Their role is to fly as a Bird Dog, also known as lead planes in the USA, responding to wildfires. The Bird Dog aircraft orbit low level over wildland fires, providing continual oversight and instruction for all aerial suppression operations. In each aircraft there is a Conair pilot and a government agency Air Attack Officer. The Bird Dog team provides the command and control over the wildfire, directing aircraft where to place drops on a fire as part of the suppression strategy. The Air Attack Officer also communicates with all airtankers and helicopters, as well as firefighters on the ground. Often, the Bird Dog will lead an airtanker in, guiding them where to place drop. All Bird Dog aircraft have additional firefighting equipment such as six radios, smoke system, thermal imaging camera and sirens all to enhance the safety and effectiveness of firefighting operations. Generally speaking, the TC-690 will control all aircraft in the fire zone to ensure a safe, effective and efficient firefighting operation. –RG

Can you describe a typical mission?

In addition to the above, during a typical mission, the government agency will dispatch a Bird Dog to a fire to gather information and create obtainable objectives. Sometimes airtankers are dispatched at the same time, and sometimes later after an initial inspection is completed. It depends on a risk assessment, considering criteria which could include the fire activity report, location, wind, and fuel type. The Air Attack Officer determines the appropriate course of action weighing such factors as the fire threat, weather, other fires in the region, and availability of resources. –RG

How many hours a year do you operate each aircraft?

Operational hours vary each fire season depending on need. Overall, Conair’s fleet of 70 aircraft typically flies 8,000 to 12,000 hours per year. –JB

How many pilots does Conair employ?

Conair has over 90 pilots, with 18 being dedicated to flying the Bird Dog aircraft. Of those 18, 11 fly the Turbo Commander. –RG

What was your path to becoming fleet manager for Bird Dog Operations at Conair?

I joined Conair in March of 2013. Prior to Conair I flew for a regional carrier based out of Vancouver, where I was a training Captain on both the SAAB340 and the Beech 1900. When I joined the Conair team, I spent the first couple years as a heavy tanker First Officer on the Convair 580. In 2016 I transitioned to the Bird Dog role flying the Turbo Commander, Cessna Caravan, and Piper Aerostar. Since 2019 I’ve held the position of Air Attack Fleet Manager, where I’m in charge of all the Bird Dog Aircraft, which includes the Turbo Commander. I currently fly the Turbo Commander, Cessna Caravan, and Citation CJ3. –RG

What sort of pilot experience, or type of person do you hire?

At Conair, safety is paramount. The transition from pilot to aerial firefighting pilot is not a quick one. In addition to at least 2,000 hours total flying time, 1,000 hours PIC, and 250 hours in mountainous terrain, pilots must exhibit strong skillsets in both the controlled and uncontrolled environments. The lifestyle of an aerial firefighter requires sacrifice, dedication, and passion. Pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers are away from home, family, and friends for up to four months at a time on remote bases, with limited time of reprieve. Days are unpredictable and can vary from long days on base waiting a call out, to hours of flying for days on end, in smoke-filled, turbulent, hot conditions. Those who succeed are self-motivated, level-headed and flexible in an ever-changing fire environment, with teamwork and safety being paramount for a successful firefighting mission. –RG

Why do you use Commanders for the Bird Dog mission, how well do you think they suit the mission, and why?

The Turbo Commander is well suited for Bird Dog missions. It is fast, keeping pace with our large airtankers. It’s nimble, capable of flying over a variety of terrain including mountains. And it offers superior visibility from its windows, allowing Air Attack Officers and pilots the ability to see the fire, other aircraft, retardant lines, ground crews and assets under threat. –JB

How do you prepare for each season in terms of training?

To help our pilots and government agency Air Attack Officers prepare for each season, Conair has invested in the creation of a Training and Tactics Centre, dedicated to aerial firefighting training. It is the only one in the world of its kind. Specific training for firefighting operations is the Mission Training System (MTS). This system features six fully integrated Flight Training Devices, each a replica of the cockpits of Conair’s fleets, including the TC-690. This specialized simulator platform enables pilots the ability to operate together in a synthetic wildfire environment, practicing together over the same fire at the same time, with the ability to see and hear each other, mimicking the complex aerial arena real life conditions create. This level of training, including detailed debriefs where errors are identified and lessons are learned, is invaluable to both the pilots and the Air Attack Officers. The training produces safer and more effective missions, preparing crews for situations that would otherwise be impossible to replicate. –RG

How do you deal with the required maintenance while also trying to defer some items to the offseason?

Heavy maintenance is performed between contract periods. For our Turbo Commander aircraft, this means heavy maintenance takes place over the winter. Heavy and major maintenance items are forecasted in advance and are most often completed earlier than required. We typically forecast 150 to 200 percent ahead of a typical flying year to determine these requirements and fit them in prior to the upcoming fire season. This way the aircraft are ready to fly spring through fall to respond to the Canadian fire season with all maintenance requirements completed and avoiding the need to defer these important heavy maintenance items. Heavy maintenance includes detailed inspection and repair to all components of the aircraft, including the use of Non Destructive Testing, such as ultrasound or x-rays. During the fire season, aircraft are deployed to remote bases for often four months at a time. Inevitably, repairs will be required on the remote base. Conair has a maintenance team accompany each aircraft group, complete with a kit of spare parts. If additional parts are required, Conair will fly them in from our inventory in stock at our main Abbotsford hangars. Often maintenance during the fire season takes place overnight, so that the aircraft are available to respond during daylight hours. –BB