The Dash 8 family is a series of twin turboprop aircraft, first developed by De Havilland Canada in 1983, and later by Bombardier Aerospace. They were designed to operate from smaller regional airports, including short unpaved runways in more remote communities. That, along with their versatility in many situations and lower operating costs, made them a favorite of short haul regional carriers. The Dash 8’s unmistakable appearance, with its wings and horizontal stabilizers placed high above the fuselage, also lend to its economical performance. The DHC-8-102A variant, which entered service in 1986, carried 37 to 39 passengers and an increased 34,500 lb take-off weight. 299 8-100s were built, with some still in use today performing a variety of jobs in regional and cargo operations, firefighting and evacuations, patrols, and even one serving as a hybrid-electric propulsion testbed.
