Restoration of a Special Pawnee

The Piper Pawnee PA-25 with a Lycoming 150 horsepower engine was the first production aircraft specifically designed for agricultural aviation. Piper Aircraft hired Fred Weick from Texas A & M University in 1953 to help with the engineering of the aircraft. However, it was 1959 before the Pawnee was available for ag pilots. The aircraft was an evolution of Weick’s AG-1, the Transland AG-2 and Transland AG-3 aircraft, using as many Piper parts as possible. Thus, was born the Piper Pawnee PA-25. Between the years 1959 through 1981, 5,167 Pawnees of various models were built.

The Silva family with the Piper PA-25 Pawnee Fledgling on display at the 2019 SINDAG congress in Sertãozinho (L-R) Husband and wife RogérioMagalhães Silva and Bruna Magalhães Silva Ribeiro (Carlito’s daughter),Antonio Carlos da Silva (Carlito) and Thiago Magalhães Silva (Carlito’sson and current president of SINDAG).

In 1971, Mr. Ray Wessells converted a standard Pawnee into a tandem, dual cockpit version ideal for training ag-pilots and was called a Pawnee Fledgling. The aircraft was used at various locations throughout the world before finally in 1998 was bought by Trabajos Aereos Espejo S.L. of Cordoba Spain. Trabajos Aereos Espejo S.L totally renovated the aircraft and operated it from 1998 to 2015 at a Spanish training school. During that time, approximately 400 pilots were trained using the aircraft during 42 CAVAG courses.

While traveling in Spain in 2016, Antonio Carlos da Silva (Carlito) of Tangara Aeroagricola discovered this dual cockpit Pawnee. For two years, Carlito tried to negotiate the purchase of the aircraft so he could export it to Brazil and restore to like-new condition. Finally, in 2018, Carlito was successful in purchasing the Pawnee and the aircraft arrived in Brazil in a container.With its original red and white paint, the aircraft was inspected by ANAC and allowed to be imported to the Tangará Aeroagrícola maintenance facility in Orlândia. After nine months, Carlito and Tangará Aeroagrícola fullfilled their dream and completely restored the aircraft.

With its original red and white paint, the aircraft was inspected by ANAC and permitted to be imported to Tangara Aeroagricola’s maintenance facility in Orlandia. After nine months, Carlito and Tangara Aeroagricole painstakingly fullfilled a dream and fully restored the aircraft.

Why was Carlito so dedicated to bringing this Pawnee back to Brazil? It was because he wanted to donate the aircraft as a legacy to his three grandchildren; Roberto Magalhães Silva Ribeiro, Matheus Vilela Rosa Silva and João Vilela Rosa Silva. The aircraft is ANAC certified and airworthy. To maintain its airworthiness, the aircraft is occasionally flown during the year only by Tangara Aeroagricola ag-pilots. This is the same dual cockpit Piper Pawnee PA-25 that was on display at the 2019 SINDAG congress in Sertãozinho where many pilots were able to see a true, historical agricultural aircraft that represented the beginning of modern ag-aircraft. The aircraft was also on display and demonstrated at a recent Pirassununga Air Force Academy Open House airshow event.

Tangará Aeroagrícola was founded in 1986 by Carlito in the city of Orlândia SP. The company got its first service contract in Tangará da Serra, MT, to meet pasture sowing and fertilizing requirements from a local manufacturer, hence the name Tangará Aeroagricola.

In the 1990s, a rise in the demand for services due to sugar cane, soybeans and cotton planting in the Orlândia region made it an attractive location for Tangara Aeroagricola’s services. Now, the company is permanently settled in Orlândia, SP. Today, the company offers three main services: ANAC approved CHE9709- 01 for aircraft maintenance, used aircraft sales and aerial applications. It is also an authorized Air Tractor service center for AeroGlobo Aeronaves/ Lane Aviation based in Botucatu SP. For its aerial application services, the company fleet consists of aircraft with capacities from 600 liters up to 1,800 liters; all around, one of the largest ag aircraft companies in Brazil with 12 Air Tractors, two Piper PA-36 Braves with 375 HP and three PA-25 Pawnees with 260 HP.

The Tangara Aeroagricola PA-25 Pawnee Fledgling at its home base in Orlandia Brazil.

This picture shows the combination front cockpit seat/ hopper within the modifiedPawnee Fledgling airframe, which is only filled with waterfor training purposes.

The very clean and efficient dual cockpit of the Tangara PA-25 Pawnee Fledgling..Note the Satloc unit on the rear cockpit’s panel, a panel upgrade!

Future pilot-grandchildren of Antonio Carlos da Silva (Carlito) having fun in the PawneeFledgling that Carlito has donated to them; Matheus Vilela Rosa da Silva, RobertoMagalhães Silva Ribeiro and João Vilela Rosa Silva.