Editing Grumman TBF Avenger (section)

===Civilian use===
[[File:Fire retardant aircraft and DC-3 Missoula Montana Aerial Fire Depot US Forest Service Johnson Flying Service August 1967.jpg|thumb|[[Johnson Flying Service]] TBM Avengers modified to drop fire retardant: [[Missoula International Airport|Missoula, Montana]] 1967]]
Many Avengers have survived into the 21st century working as spray-applicators and water-bombers throughout North America, particularly in the Canadian province of [[New Brunswick]].

Forest Protection Limited (FPL) of [[Fredericton, New Brunswick]], once owned and operated the largest civilian fleet of Avengers in the world. FPL began operating Avengers in 1958 after purchasing 12 surplus TBM-3E aircraft from the [[Royal Canadian Navy]].<ref name="FPL">[http://www.forestprotectionlimited.com/english/history.html "History: Timeline."] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20050312235157/http://www.forestprotectionlimited.com/english/history.html |date=2005-03-12 }} ''forestprotectionlimited.com.'' Retrieved: 17 November 2012.</ref> Use of the Avenger fleet at FPL peaked in 1971 when 43 aircraft were in use as both water bombers and spray aircraft.<ref name= "FPL"/> The company sold three Avengers in 2004 (C-GFPS, C-GFPM, and C-GLEJ) to museums or private collectors. The Central New Brunswick Woodsmen's Museum has a former FPL Avenger on static display.<ref>[http://www.woodsmenmuseum.com/id2.html "Woods Museum: Avenger."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413201147/http://www.woodsmenmuseum.com/id2.html |date=2008-04-13 }} ''Central New Brunswick Woodsmen's Museum.'' Retrieved: 22 July 2011.</ref> An FPL Avenger that crashed in 1975 in southwestern New Brunswick was recovered and restored by a group of interested aviation enthusiasts and is currently on display at the Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum.<ref>[http://acam.ednet.ns.ca/avenger/avenger.htm "Avenger On Display."] ''Canadian Aviation and Space Museum.'' Retrieved: 22 July 2011.</ref> FPL was still operating three Avengers in 2010 configured as water-bombers, and stationed at [[Miramichi Airport]]. One of these crashed just after takeoff on 23 April 2010, killing the pilot.<ref>[http://nbinsects.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html "New Brunswick, June 2007."] ''Insects.'' Retrieved: 22 July 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/landandsea/2009/12/nb-firefighters.html "Land and Sea: NB Firefighters."] ''CBC Television,'' 9 December 2009.</ref> The last FPL Avenger was retired on 26 July 2012 and sold to the Shearwater Aviation Museum in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/n-b-wwii-plane-lands-at-shearwater-museum-1.1217441 "N.B. WWII plane lands at Shearwater museum."] ''CBC News,'' 26 July 2012.</ref>

There are several other Avengers, usually flying as [[warbird]]s in private collections around the world today.<ref>[http://area51aviation.co.uk/northweald.html "Avenger."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060628024400/http://www.area51aviation.co.uk/northweald.html |date=2006-06-28 }} ''Area 51 Aviation.'' Retrieved: 22 July 2011.</ref> They are a popular airshow fixture in both flying and static displays.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://air.blastmagazine.com/tbftbm-avenger/ |title=Air Cache: TBF/TBM Avenger |access-date=2012-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130314153508/http://air.blastmagazine.com/tbftbm-avenger/ |archive-date=2013-03-14 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2020 the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) were flying three TBM Avengers<ref>{{cite web |title=Collection / CAF Fleet |url=https://commemorativeairforce.org/aircraft |website=Commemorative Air Force |access-date=27 October 2020}}</ref> with one based with the Rocky Mountain Wing in Grand Junction, Colorado; another with the Missouri Wing at St Charles Smartt Field; and their newest with the Capital Wing in Culpeper, Virginia. Each of these allow non-CAF members to ride in the aircraft for a Living History Flight Experience.<ref name="cafrmw">{{cite web |title=Living History Flight Experience in a WWII TBM Torpedo Bomber |url=https://www.rockymountainwingcaf.org/buy-a-ride.html |website=Rocky Mountain Wing of the Commemorative Air Force |access-date=27 October 2020}}</ref><ref name="cafmo">{{cite web |title=Fly With US: TBM3E "Avenger" |url=https://commemorativeairforce.org/aircraft/11 |website=Missouri Wing of the Commemorative Air Force |access-date=27 October 2020}}</ref><ref name="cafcap">{{cite web |title=Warbird Rides |url=http://www.capitalwing.org/rides.asp |website=Capital Wing of the Commemorative Air Force |access-date=27 October 2020}}</ref>