Montélimar Turbo Firecat flies

Conair Turbo Firecat F-AYKM, owned by the Musée Européen de l’Aviation de Chasse at Montélimar, made its first flight in private hands at Nîmes Grande Provence Méditerranée Airport on 9 September. At the controls were test pilot Axel Valat and ex-Sécurité Civile pilot Philippe Roux, who has 1,700 hours of flight time on type.The former Sécurité Civile fire-bomber — coded T24, and latterly registered F-ZBMA during its service days — started life with the US Navy in January 1957 as