Dauntless expands fleet of SEAT scoopers

Dauntless Air has announced a fleet expansion amid increasing demand for its single-engine water-scooping aircraft. The company’s added five more Fire Bosses to its fleet of water-scooping SEATs. In the U.S. a record number of new Fire Boss solicitations were issued during this past off-season.

“The Fire Boss is a game-changer in wildfire suppression,” said Brett L’Esperance, CEO of Dauntless Air.

As far back as 2012, the RAND Corporation recommended an increased focus on scoopers in the U.S. aerial firefighting strategy — amid numerous other airtanker studies. “It’s been a long time coming, but it’s clear that single-engine scooper initial attack is gaining ground around the world,” added L’Esperance.

As climate change and other factors exacerbate the frequency and intensity of wildfires, more states and federal agencies are considering increased focus on scoopers.

A total of 29 OAS-compliant Fire Bosses now operate across 24 exclusive-use and 10 CWN contracts, up from 15 EU and 7 CWN contracts from last year. Dauntless Air holds most of these contracts, many of which were issued by states that have never before offered a SEAT scooper contract.

Internationally, fire agencies have now ordered dozens of Fire Bosses to add to their firefighting fleets. Officials in Greece have ordered a record-setting 31 Fire Bosses in the last two years, and Turkey and Slovenia secured manufacturer contracts — for 15 and four aircraft, respectively.

David Dow’s Fire Boss photos were featured by General Aviation News; photos he captured of pilots conducting training flights at Heber Springs Municipal Airport (KHBZ) in Arkansas; they were operating out of Greers Ferry Lake just north of Little Rock.

 

Fire Boss fleet ready for season

Minnesota-based aerial firefighting company Dauntless Air recently announced that it’s starting the 2023 wildfire season with 17 Fire Bosses — nearly double the size of its fleet five years ago. The AT-802F Fire Boss is a water-scooping airtanker equipped with amphibious floats that is purpose-built for aerial firefighting. The company’s Fire Bosses are outfitted with thermal imaging to target hotspots, onboard gel mixing systems, and a custom fire gate to increase water load and match drop pattern to the fire type.

Fire Boss amphibious tanker
Fire Boss amphibious scooping airtanker

When near a water source, the Fire Boss can repeat continuous scoops and drops on a fire for 3½ hours.

The company used nine of its water-scooping planes during its 2-week annual training in Cleburne, Texas. Training involved every person in the company, and pilots new to the Fire Boss logged three times the industry standard for pre-season flight hours, flying roughly 25 hours each solo and with an experienced pilot in the company’s two-seat training aircraft. Company pilots completed 844 scoops and dropped over a half million gallons of water.

Pilots trained on radio communications with an Air Attack platform that flew above a training area; they also practiced initial attack on a simulated fire with the Texas Forest Service (TFS). Dozens of TFS incident commanders, along with a pump truck and dozers, participated in training.

U.S. Hotshot Association (USHA) representatives presented a session on the history of the hotshot community and its ties to aerial firefighting. Aviation Medicine Advisory Service (AMAS) President Quay Snyder led a workshop on pilot fatigue, mental health, and fitness for duty, and other training was conducted by the U.S. Office of Aviation Services (OAS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).