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Meet the aircraft
The AT-802 carries its working load in a hopper ahead of the cockpit. Its low wing, large turboprop and elevated pilot position reflect its agricultural origins. The same basic platform has been adapted for firefighting and other specialist work. An agricultural aircraft and an amphibious Fire Boss are distinct configurations. Floats, water collection and delivery equipment change the role as well as the appearance.
Aircraft background
Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗A first water scoop proves harder than it looks
McSpadden joined Dauntless Air's annual training at Cleburne, Texas, flying with chief pilot Jesse Weaver in a Fire Boss. He found the aircraft's ordinary handling approachable, despite its size and large floats, and admired how Weaver used bank, flap and careful energy management to position it smoothly. A simulated attack on an island in Lake Whitney demonstrated the coordination between aircraft making successive drops.
AOPA Pilot, August 2023. Firsthand supervised Fire Boss training report; simulated fire attack and an interrupted practice scoop.
AOPA Pilot · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube Guillem · 1 min ·
Air Tractor AT-802's cockpit 1
A brief look around the cockpit and exterior of a firefighting AT-802.
Real aircraft · Air Tractor AT-802
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet Air Tractor AT-802
The AT-802 carries its working load in a hopper ahead of the cockpit. Its low wing, large turboprop and elevated pilot position reflect its agricultural origins. The same basic platform has been adapted for firefighting and other specialist work.
An agricultural aircraft and an amphibious Fire Boss are distinct configurations. Floats, water collection and delivery equipment change the role as well as the appearance. The simulator products identify their agricultural or firefighting mission equipment.
Air Tractor AT-802
Air Tractor → · Explore the family →
Air Tractor AT-802
Wikipedia contributors · Air Tractor AT-802 ↗Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024 →Aircraft type designators
Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.
History & design
Development milestones
First flight: 1990
Wikipedia contributors · Air Tractor AT-802 ↗Air Tractor AT-802 · family/variant named by the source · Wikipedia revision 1369127342
Pilot accounts
A first water scoop proves harder than it looks
McSpadden joined Dauntless Air's annual training at Cleburne, Texas, flying with chief pilot Jesse Weaver in a Fire Boss. He found the aircraft's ordinary handling approachable, despite its size and large floats, and admired how Weaver used bank, flap and careful energy management to position it smoothly. A simulated attack on an island in Lake Whitney demonstrated the coordination between aircraft making successive drops.
His own attempt to collect water brought a different experience. Concerned about engine limits, he added too little power while the hopper filled. The aircraft began to oscillate, and his control inputs did not settle it. Weaver directed him to dump the water and accelerate away. McSpadden describes the relief as the load disappeared and the aircraft lifted off. The exercise made the distinction between basic floatplane handling and a well-executed scoop tangible; Weaver explained that even experienced seaplane pilots needed dedicated practice.
AOPA Pilot, August 2023. Firsthand supervised Fire Boss training report; simulated fire attack and an interrupted practice scoop.
Read the full account · AOPA Pilot ↗Bringing close-air-support habits to the fire line
Young connects his earlier A-10 service with his work flying Air Spray's AT-802F Fire Bosses from Chico, California. In Air Tractor's interview, he describes the familiar demands of airspace coordination, communication and supporting people on the ground. Flying in organised groups, under an air tactical supervisor or lead aircraft, gives that support a structure he recognised from military operations.
The aircraft still demanded humility. Young warned that a pilot arriving with complete confidence in an ability to fly anything would quickly meet a challenge in the Fire Boss. His emphasis was on preparation, disciplined execution and honest debriefing. Annual spring training brought crews back to scooping, dropping and coordinated tactics before the season. The work also had a local significance: the Camp Fire had affected colleagues, neighbours and families around Chico. This is a manufacturer's published interview, with Young's operational experience clearly attributed to him.
Air Tractor, 2 March 2019. Manufacturer-published interview with Air Spray USA’s chief SEAT pilot; commercial source context retained.
Read the full account · Air Tractor ↗A cargo stop leads to a new kind of flying
Young first encountered a Fire Boss during a cargo stop at Galena, Alaska, in 2021. A tour with its pilot persuaded her to pursue the aircraft herself. Coming from work as a mechanic, flight engineer and cargo pilot, she took leave to train, paid for simulator time and built aerial-application experience on jobs including tree fertilising. She joined Dauntless Air in 2022 and flew her first fire in Alaska that year.
In Sylvia Schneider Horne's interview, Young describes enjoying both the independence of a single-pilot cockpit and the formation work and group tactics of firefighting. Scooping was a distinct challenge that required its own practice, even for someone already comfortable with floatplanes. Alaska remained central to her enjoyment of the work and where she wanted to spend the summer.
AOPA Pilot, September 2025. Interview describing training, first fire in 2022 and subsequent Fire Boss experience in Alaska.
Read the full account · AOPA Pilot ↗The satisfaction of a useful drop, and the limits of the weather
Smajo moved from military flying instruction into Croatia's firefighting squadron when it needed additional pilots in 2008. In his interview about the AT-802 Fire Boss, he describes an aircraft whose manoeuvrability allowed useful work around difficult terrain and the edges of a fire. The most satisfying moment was a well-placed water drop and the knowledge that it had helped people below. He also wanted recognition for the maintainers and other crews whose work was often overlooked.
The 2011 Brač fire remained a difficult memory: lingering smoke reduced visibility, and sustained effort left the crews exhausted. At other times, strong wind and turbulence kept them grounded while a fire continued to spread. He describes the frustration of being needed but unable to fly, as happened around Split before conditions improved the next day. His family helped him recover from the emotional demands.
Morski.hr, 25 July 2017. Croatian-language interview; AT-802 Fire Boss operational recollections, including Brač in 2011 and the 2017 fire season.
Read the full account · Morski.hr ↗In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
MSFS 2024AT-802
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
AT-802
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
Aircraft specifications
Published figures for the named real-aircraft variant. Simulator equipment and performance can differ.
| Specification | Published value |
|---|---|
| Length | 35 ft 11 in (10.95 m) |
| Wingspan | 59 ft 3 in (18.06 m) |
| Height | 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) |
| Wing area | 401.0 sq ft (37.25 m² ) |
| Empty weight | 6,505 lb (2,951 kg) |
| Max takeoff weight | 16,000 lb (7,257 kg) |
| Powerplant | 1 × Pratt & Whitney PT6A -67AG turboprop , 1,350 shp (1,010 kW) |
| Cruise speed | 221 mph (356 km/h, 192 kn) at 8,000 ft (2,440 m) |
| Stall speed | 91 mph (146 km/h, 79 kn) (power off, flaps down) |
| Range | 800 mi (1,300 km, 700 nmi) |
| Service ceiling | 13,000 ft (4,000 m) |
| Rate of climb | 850 ft/min (4.3 m/s) |
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Pilot account
A first water scoop proves harder than it looksAOPA Pilot, August 2023. Firsthand supervised Fire Boss training report; simulated fire attack and an interrupted practice scoop.
McSpadden joined Dauntless Air's annual training at Cleburne, Texas, flying with chief pilot Jesse Weaver in a Fire Boss. He found the aircraft's ordinary handling approachable, despite its size and large floats, and admired how Weaver used bank, flap and careful energy management to position it smoothly. A simulated attack on an island in Lake Whitney demonstrated the coordination between aircraft making successive drops. His own attempt to collect water brought a different experience.
Richard McSpadden
AOPA Pilot · Read the source ↗Bringing close-air-support habits to the fire lineAir Tractor, 2 March 2019. Manufacturer-published interview with Air Spray USA’s chief SEAT pilot; commercial source context retained.
Young connects his earlier A-10 service with his work flying Air Spray's AT-802F Fire Bosses from Chico, California. In Air Tractor's interview, he describes the familiar demands of airspace coordination, communication and supporting people on the ground. Flying in organised groups, under an air tactical supervisor or lead aircraft, gives that support a structure he recognised from military operations. The aircraft still demanded humility.
Mike Young
Air Tractor · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Manual
Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft manualsMicrosoft / aircraft developersAircraft background
Air Tractor AT-802Wikipedia contributors · Research background · Wikipedia revision 1369127342 · retrieved 2026-09-12Resource
MSFS 2024 FAQ and edition aircraft inventoryMicrosoftType designator
ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03Built-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 1 profile choice
Air Tractor AT-802
Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Partial review
MSFS 2024
Air Tractor AT-802: The wheeled agricultural configuration supplies equipment context; the profile's speed-dependent resistance remains nominal control loading.
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