Capability Where It Counts
The Dash-8 brings Air Tanker capability to airstrips most Large Air Tankers can't reach.
Hayden Alexander
In Partnership with Conair Group
The Dash 8
Australia's next-generation Air Tanker, based on the proven Bombardier Dash 8-400 series - the workhorse of regional aviation across the country. The Dash 8-400AT delivers up to 10,000 litres of retardant per drop with the short-field performance, speed, the reliability the role demands and the lowest fuel burn of any Air Tanker in the category . Engineered for rapid turnarounds, long days, and the regional strips that define Australia's fire-attack network, it brings heavy-lift capability closer to the fire than any other air tanker in its class. The Dash 8-400AT type has operated in Australia every summer since 2020/2021
WHEN IT COUNTS MOST
Fire seasons are getting longer and harder to fight. Agencies need aircraft that can hit fires early, keep working through the worst days, and deliver real impact when conditions turn. The Dash 8 is built for exactly that - an Air Tanker proven on frontline fires, delivered in partnership with Conair.
THE DASH 8 - AIR TANKER
The Dash 8-400AT brings turboprop performance to aerial firefighting - 10,000 litres of retardant, fast cruise speeds, and the short-field capability to work out of regional airstrips. In partnership with Conair, Field Air offers the Dash 8 piloted and maintained by experts in aerial firefighting.
In Partnership with Conair Group
The Avro RJ85
A proven Large Air Tanker with thousands of operational hours on firegrounds across Australia, North America, and Europe. The four-engine British Aerospace RJ85 carries up to 11,400 litres of retardant per drop, with the redundancy, climb performance, and high-altitude capability that demanding fire seasons require. Its constant-flow tank system delivers precise coverage at variable drop rates, placing retardant exactly where it's needed. The Avro RJ85 type has operated in Australia every summer since 2014/2015.
Current Service Areas
Every fire season, our AT-802Fs are positioned on bases across Australia under contract to state fire agencies. Forward-deployed means faster response. It's how single-engine air tankers earn their place in initial attack, and how Field Air has supported Australian firefighting for decades.
