Ex-Sécurité Civile Turbo Firecat to be operated at airshows by Alençon-based association

The first ex-Sécurité Civile Conair Turbo Firecat to fly on the French civil register as an historic aircraft took to the air on 10 October when the example coded T15 completed a successful flight at Nîmes-Alès-Camargue-Cévennes Airport.

The former F-ZBET — which was converted to Firecat configuration by Conair from US Navy S2F-1 Tracker BuNo 147559 — is now owned by the Amicale Alençonnaise des Avions Anciens (A3A), the Alençon-based association best-known for its ownership of four Dassault Flamants. It carried test registration F-WYFT, but will become F-AYFT once full airworthiness approval is received. At the controls were DGAC (French CAA) test pilot Philippe Milhem and former Sécurité Civile Turbo Firecat pilot Philippe Prioult. The machine will be ferried to Alençon to take up residence with A3A in due course, and is hoped to be available for airshows in 2024.