The April 2024 Issue of AgAir Update

IN APRIL 1974 THE FIRST AIR TRACTOR WAS DELIVERED.

Since then our focus has been continuous improvement in quality, productivity, dependability, pilot safety, and customer service.

Thanks for flying with us.

We’re looking forward to the next fifty years.

With 36 years of experience, we have perfected the art of guidance for aerial application. But that does not mean we won’t keep innovating and improving. The new Ag-Nav Platinum Lite takes our industry leading technology and combines it with our more economical Guia 153 hardware. Paired with our OLED Transparent Lightbar, and Flow Control, you get the most advanced and cost effect guidance system on the market. The Ag-Nav OLED Lightbar displays all the information of our classic lightbars plus new more information, such as, Flow Rate, Aircraft Heading, Individual Booms On Indicators, Tank Level and more!

Graham Lavender - graham@marsaylmedia.com

VICE-PRESIDENT:

Bill Lavender - bill@agairupdate.com

SECRETARY:

Sandy Lavender - sandy@agairupdate.com

ACCOUNTING:

Casey L. Armstrong - casey@marsaylmedia.com ADVERTISING: Melanie Woodley - melanie@marsaylmedia.com

CLASSIFIED

Melanie Woodley - melanie@marsaylmedia.com

PRODUCTION:

Felicia (Lisa) Pannell - lisa@marsaylmedia.com

CIRCULATION: subs@agairupdate.com

Mary Jane Virden - maryjane@marsaylmedia.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Ted Delanghe - ted.delanghe@gmail.com

Robert Craymer - robertc@covingtonaircraft.com

Regina Farmer - regina.farmer@chem-man.com

Carlin Lawrence - carlin@agairupdate.com

Ryan Mason - ryan@agairupdate.com

Michelle Miller - michelle@thefarmbabe.com

Josh Alameda - josh.alameda@gmail.com

Tracy Thurman - thurmantracyt@gmail.com

LATIN AMERICAN REPS:

Noelia Burgeus - noeliburgues@gmail.com

Ernesto Franzen - ernesto@agairupdate.com

Guillermo Giordana - aravia@aravia.com.ar

Gina Hickmann - gina@agairupdate.com

Pat Kornegay - pat@svatx.com

Ivan Parra - ivan@agairupdate.com

Marcia Specht - marcia.specht@gmail.com ©

FROM THE COCKPIT

Bill Lavender | bill@agairupdate.com

“Recurrent” Training

Ag aviation is dynamic. Split-second decisions and precise maneuvers can mean the difference between life and catastrophe. The importance of “recurrent” training cannot be overstated. Traditional, recurrent airline-style training isn’t appropriate for our industry. Traditional BFRs sometimes waste too much time on basic airmanship, but what about regulations? Intercept procedures? Radio communication? Towered airport operations? Emergency procedures?

“ Pilots are better equipped to respond calmly and effectively in high-stress situations by practicing effective decisionmaking and emergency procedures in a controlled environment. ”

Ag flying is a complex and demanding task requiring knowledge, skill and experience. Skills you do, day in and day out, until you don’t even know you are doing them. But how about the once-per-year skills, the ‘I did this years ago’ skills? Those are the ones that can diminish over time without regular practice and reinforcement. Before the season begins, it may be an excellent time to brush up on those skills tucked away in the preverbal vault.

The aviation industry is generally governed by many regulations, procedures and best practices to ensure safety and efficiency. They are also subject to updates and revisions. Staying abreast of the latest regulatory requirements, airspace procedures and safety protocols

can take time and effort. A good review contributes to a safety culture, regulatory adherence and professionalism. When was the last time you reviewed FAA Part 137?

Through simulated scenarios, emergency drills and risk assessment exercises, ag pilots are exposed to various challenging situations they may encounter in real-world flight operations. Pilots are better equipped to respond calmly and effectively in high-stress situations by practicing effective decision-making and emergency procedures in a controlled environment. When did you last go over your aircraft’s POH and emergency procedures?

Fatigue, stress and complacency can significantly impact pilot performance and decision-making. Remember IMSAFE (Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion)? You can identify and mitigate these issues by fostering a deeper understanding of human limitations and psychological factors that affect performance before you are 5000 acres behind or more.

Ag aviation continually evolves with technological advancements, aircraft systems and navigation tools. New GPS? New glass cockpit gauge? iPad, etc? Now’s the time to go out there and use it, not while you are on the way to the first load of the season.

By investing time now to do some “recurrent training,” you can demonstrate a commitment to safety and being a professional. Training ensures that you are always prepared to begin your season with confidence.

Until next month, Keep Turning…

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

agairupdate.com/calendar

May 27, 2024

International Crop Duster’s Day United States

June 04, 2024

Iowa Operation S.A.F.E.

Newton Municipal Airport - Earl Johnson Field

2901 Rusty Wallace Dr

Newton, IA 50208, USA 202-546-5722

July 22-28, 2024

EAA AirVenture

Oshkosh, WI, USA 202-546-5722

August 20-22, 2024

SINDAG

Aeroporto de Santo Antônio do Leverger

Cuiabá/MT

+55 (51) 3337.5013 congressoavag@ congressoavag.org.br congressoavag.org.br

October 10-12, 2024

NAAA & NAAREF Oct. 2024 Board Meetings

DoubleTree Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN

Lauren Henretty lhenretty@agaviation.org 202-546-5722

October 16-17, 2024

Michigan AAA Convention

AgroLiquide Building

3055 W M-21

St Johns, MI 48879, USA

Tim Swanson flyingfarmertim@hotmail.com 989-292-1362

October 21-23, 2024

Kansas AAA Convention

Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview Wichita

400 W Douglas Ave Wichita, KS 67202, USA

Rhonda McCurry kaaa@ksagaviation.org 316-650-6857

October 28-30, 2024

California AAA Convention

TBA

Terry Gage terry.gage@caaa.net 916-645-9747

November 04-05, 2024

Pacific NW AAA Convention

The Coeur d’Alene Resort

115 S 2nd St

Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814, USA

Tara Lea Brown pnwaaa@gmail.com

509-989-9098

November 18-21, 2024

2024 Ag Aviation Expo

Fort Worth Convention Center

Fort Worth, TX United States

Lauren Henretty lhenretty@agaviation.org 202-546-5722

January 03-05, 2025

Arkansas AAA Convention

Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort 2705 Central Ave Hot Springs, AR 71901, USA

Katherine Holmstrom katherine@araaa.org 870-830-2308

January 06-08, 2025

Louisiana AAA Conference

TBA

Kim Brown laagaviation@outlook.com 225-436-3199

January 08-10, 2025

Texas AAA Convention

TBA

Chris Shields cshields@thetexascapitol.com 512-476-264

January 13, 2025

Arizona AAA PAASS Program

Custom Farm Service of Arizona Stanfield, AZ

Brittany Armstrong barmstrong@agairusa.com 520-705-9692

January 15, 8am, 2025

Ohio AAA Meeting

TBA

Brian Gibbs gibbsaerospray@gmail.com 419-332-1724

January 15-16, 2025

Missouri AAA Convention

Drury Plaza Hotel Cape Girardeau Conference Center 3351 Percy Dr Cape Girardeau, MO 63701, USA

Eric Blair ericb802@yahoo.com 573-283-5590

January 16-18, 2025

Mississippi AAA Convention

Beau Rivage Resort & Casino 875 Beach Blvd, Biloxi MS 39530, USA

Vicki Morgan vickimorgan@msaaa.com 662-455-0070

January 19-21 2025

Oklahoma AAA Convention

Embassy Suites by Hilton Norman Hotel & Conference Center 2501 Conference Dr Norman, OK 73069, USA

Sandy Wells sandy@okaaa.org 405-431-0381

January 22-24 2025

New Mexico AAA Convention

Inn of the Mountain Gods 287 Carrizo Canyon Rd Mescalero, NM 88340, USA

Seaver Tate seavtate@gmail.com 575-799-2504

February 03-05, 2025

Southeast Aero Culutural Fair (SEAF)

TBA

Ashley Houston aehouston81@gmail.com 270-293-3843

February 11-13, 2025

Tri-State Aerial Applicators Convention

Alerus Center

1200 S 42nd St

Grand Forks, ND 58201, USA

Cindy Schreiber Beck cindy@tri-stateaviation.com 701-899-3232

February 17-20, 2025

Canadian AAA Conference

Bonaventure Montreal

Montreal, Canada

Shara Tardif ed@canadianaerialapplicators.com 780-413-0078

February 20-22, 2025

NAAA & NAAREF February Board Meetings

Bonaventure Montreal

Montreal, Canada

Lauren Henretty Lhenretty@agaviation.org 202-546-5722

February 24-26, 2025

Nebraska ATA Convention

Younes Conference Center North Kearney, NE

Taylor Moore taylor@youraam.com 402-761-2216

October 9-11, 2025

NAAA & NAAREF October Board Meetings

Sheraton Flowood The Refuge Flowood (Jackson), MS

Lauren Henretty Lhenretty@agaviation.org

202-546-5722

November 17-20, 2025

2025 Ag Aviation Expo

Atlantis & Reno Convention Center Reno, NV

Lauren Henretty Lhenretty@agaviation.org

202-546-5722

AGAV PICS

An Air Tractor at Sunset. - Photo by Mike Schoenau

An AT-502 soars over Ridgely Airpark. - Photo by @agaviationphotography on IG

A two seat Air Tractor at work in Porto Alegre. - Photo by @airtractor on IG

A Russian KA-26 multi-mission helicopter on a spray run. - Photo by @tomiaviation on IG

An Air Tractor at work in Brazil.

- Photo by @tangaraaeroagricola on IG

An Air Tractor lays a line.

- Photo by @timgreyphoto on IG

An Air Tractor on a low pass. - Photo by @jo_jo_richard on IG

A Schweitzer S300 doing a crop run. - Photo by @copter_fb on IG

An Ipanema gets loaded in South America. - Photo by @voandobaixo_br on IG

A corn run shot. - Photo by @wingsaerial on IG

A Thrush 510 on a low pass in Texas. - Photo by @night sky creative on IG

A Cessna 188 on a spray run in Winamac, Indiana. - Photo by @tomjonesfoto on IG

OUR NORTHERN NEIGHBORS ZIMMER AIR SERVICES & CAAA PRESIDENT AARON TRUDELL

by Ted Delanghe

Situated a short 60 miles away from the Motor City on the Canadian side of the Detroit River, Zimmer Air Services Inc (ZASI) has been in the aerial application business for over 40 years and currently runs a fleet of fixed and rotary wing aircraft. We caught up with Operations Manager Aaron Trudell, who also serves as President of the Canadian Aerial Application Association.

AAU: What got you interested in ag aviation in the first place?

AT: When I was 14, I was at my grandparent’s farm at a family picnic. We heard the very distinctive “thwop-thwop” sound of a helicopter coming in for a landing behind the barn. It had all been arranged by Paul Zimmer, ZASI President, and the pilot was giving people rides, me included. I was smitten by the flying bug then and there and started working for ZASI as a teenager during high school summer breaks. Over the years I obtained my CHPL, enrolled in an AME college program, and eventually

started working for ZASI as a line pilot and then moved into management as Operations Manager.

AAU: What are your primary duties as Ops Manager?

AT: Being Ops Manager is a full-time job overseeing programs ranging from forestry seeding, larviciding, forestry pest management, and herbicide programs, along with the ag work we do. With a geographic area covering four provinces, there’s a lot to look after. In coordination with our Chief Pilot, and Director of Maintenance, recurrent training, and documentation upkeep

(Cont. on page 14)

Paul Zimmer, President

Aaronn Trudell Operations Manager

for both aircraft and pilots are ongoing tasks, along with responding to RFPs and an unknown list of things that pop up constantly making for some long days at the office before, during and after the work season. Amidst that, I also have to ensure I maintain my currency on our aircraft.

AAU: How would you describe the state of the ag industry today?

AT: There is currently a high demand for crop and forestry protection provided by aerial applicators, but the overall usage is a reflection of Mother Nature. Some parts of the country have experienced drought conditions for the past two years, which can put a lot of operational and financial strain on operators.

In our local area, we’ve stressed to clients to utilize aerial application as a norm rather than as an ambulatory service used only in times of major disease outbreaks or abnormally high precipitation levels that make ground applications impossible. That approach for the most part has been successful both for the company, as well as the clients we serve.

We also have to remember that an important part of our industry is keeping in mind that the business relies on a healthy and sustainable environment and that means promoting practices that ensure aerial applications are done safely and effectively.

(Continued on page 16)

For Those Who Demand the BEST

F49 - Where service meets excellence.

We specialize in providing a high level of service to our clients.

You work in a demanding environment, you can rely on Neal Aircraft to give you the best service and support.

AAU: What is the role of the CAAA concerning regulatory agencies?

AT: The last couple of years we’ve seen inspectors conducting random audits throughout the industry and as far as we can see our industry is not only compliant with regulations, but we also take a proactive stance in working with regulatory agencies. We’re all after the same goal as the regulators, that of helping growers produce healthy, safe produce.

One of the things we have to recognize when working with regulators and governing bodies on issues from safety to the efficacy of products to potential adverse effects from pesticide applications is that the path to progress often requires a lot of flexibility when all parties are sitting around the table.

AAU: Is the CAAA working on changing label rates?

AT: Label rates are an issue in terms of water volume where some label rates are higher in Canada as compared to our US counterparts. Some registrants are working

toward making changes and some are not and it has been a strong topic of discussion.

We had a small win at the end of 2023 with a change on a couple of labels but not as much as we would like, you take what you can get.

AAU: What is the current status of Dangerous Goods regulations related to aerial application?

AT: We are working with Transport Canada (TC) to update Dangerous Goods regulations to reflect the fact that aerial applicators do not carry dangerous goods. We’ve tried to adapt a DG policy for aerial applicators across the country but were informed by TC that this would not work, so currently each operator has to provide for DG training regardless of not carrying DG.

AAU: Have drones been a topic of discussion within the CAAA membership?

(Continued on page 18)

AT: We’ve had continuing discussions with TC regarding drone regulations, and we are currently waiting on responses from them from past meetings over the last 12 months regarding mandatory ADS-B installations at the point of manufacture, along with more stringent regulations. Notification was given in October last year from TC that a new Light Data Recorder (LDR) proposal was supposed to be released in late 2024.

When the initial Notice of Proposed Amendment notification (NPA) was released there was a unanimous pushback throughout the general aviation community. Following a review of the feedback, TC says they have come up with an alternate solution to the initial proposal. However, that has yet to be disclosed.

We have concerns with drones because 90% of our flying areas are in their realm which causes great concern regarding mid-air impact. After all, we know that some growers are using drones without compliance with label rates and proper certification for operation. Farmers are looking at this option because drones are so inexpensive, but the fact remains that there are very few products permissible in the eyes of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) for application by drones.

Drones may become more common for field scouting, research, application assessment/effectiveness, as well as yield assessment, but for application purposes it is undetermined. There have been many spray trials conducted over the last couple of years for research and data compiling. PMRA apparently will be releasing some labels in mid/late 2024 with ag products on them but product names are unknown at this time. Currently, to the best of our knowledge, the only product regarding an insecticide for drones are two larvicide products used to kill mosquito larvae in standing water.

AAU: Are there still ongoing discussions with Health Canada on the use of glyphosate?

AT: Glyphosate still is and most likely always will be under the microscope of its usage throughout the aerial application industry, not just ag. In the short term, I don’t see that changing as scientific research seems to swing back and forth on the findings leaving a lot open to individual interpretations.

AAU: Are there any new technologies on the market that can be adopted by aerial application operators?

(Continued on page 20)

Jason Howes, Director of Maintenance

Charles Goggin, Chief Pilot

AT: It seems every year we are seeing improvements in GPS technology from both accuracy and ease of use standpoints. It’s amazing how data can be downloaded for study and review on computers via cellular and Bluetooth technology. There are also continued improvements in auto booms and valves that make life easier and safer for ag pilots.

There has also been a lot of work carried out on ground rigs using spot spray-sensitive booms that allow growers to spray only the weeds present in a field using boom-mounted cameras and computerized processing to identify weeds as the sprayer moves across the crop. It’s also known as smart spray, precision spray, or targeted spray. However, I’m not sure if the technique will be viable for aerial applicators given the comparatively high speeds of aircraft compared to ground rigs.

AT: A key role of the CAAA is to have open discussions with TC when they attempt to make changes to the 702 category when the changes don’t pertain to aerial application. We will continue to discuss with TC how any proposed changes will negatively affect aerial application operators and hopefully affect changes in the positive.

Another priority for me is to keep in touch with CAAA members and various committees within the CAAA, along with working with Transport Canada, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) and other national and provincial agencies.

All our aircraft are outfitted with Ag Nav Platinum units which have auto boom and auto flow technology to precisely handle the on/off spray and variable rates within an area. They, and similar units from other manufacturers, have been around for a while and are great in terms of maintaining rates during spray applications if and when airspeed varies. The ability of the auto system to precisely turn the booms on and off when entering and exiting spray areas and exclusion zones is quite impressive.

AAU: What are some of your priorities as CAAA President?

Safety is another high-priority item. Because of the low-level environment we work in, safety cannot be stressed enough. Proper flight maneuvers and flying in a wire environment need to be practiced and safety measures taught constantly to ensure every flight is a safe return flight.

This year for the first time the CAAA is having a full-day workshop entitled “Flying in the Wire and Obstruction Environment”. It covers items such as how to identify signs of wires and why ag aviators hit wires they already knew were there. I’m sure this will prove to be a very helpful and informative training session for newcomers and experienced members of our industry alike.

Thrush Aircraft LLC Reports Record Year in 2023 Results

Thrush Aircraft LLC, a producer of agricultural and firefighting aircraft announced March 7th, 2024a record year for financial year 2023.

“Aircraft deliveries increased again in 2023 to the highest levels since we re-launched Thrush over four years ago,” said CEO Mark McDonald. “We had a record sales year. We certified new aircraft models and delivered them to multiple countries, delighting our customers. We sold out of one of our product lines, dramatically improved our spares and support services, and our safety record continues to lead the industry,” continued McDonald. “I’m proud of the Thrush team, both here in Albany, and around the world. They’ve done wonderful work.”

“We knew there was something special here when we bought the company,” McDonald said. “Our goal was to bring deep aerospace leadership and financial stability

to Thrush. Now, after four years of hard work by lots of stakeholders, including our terrific dealers, the Thrush team has done that. Our people make fantastic aircraft that are serving the world and bringing pilots safely back home every single day.”

In 2023, Thrush continued delivering the company’s strategy, increasing sales by 70% year-over-year bringing stability to the company and the industry, certifying the dual cockpit version of the 510P2+, improving customer service performance –spares availability, technical support, and general responsiveness, continued various operational initiatives which improved the quality and reliability of Thrush products, while improving factory efficiency and investing in tooling and process improvement that will generate further productivity in 2024. The company also expanded staff, invested in training programs, and served the local community during 2023.

“Thrush people are some of the hardest-working, most highlyskilled professionals in the aerospace industry,” McDonald said. “Because of their hard work and dedication, we’re making important progress across our entire business. I could not be more proud of our team and the professionals we serve.”

Thrush Aircraft LLC is an aerospace and technology company focused on making the safest, most reliable agricultural and fire-fighting aircraft in the world. As an American original equipment manufacturer, Thrush has decades of experience designing and building safe, high performance aircraft and systems. Thrush also integrates aircraft with state-of-the-art technology, enabling pilots and fleet operators to optimize route efficiency and lower the total cost of a demanding set of missions. All Thrush aircraft are designed to make customer’s missions safer and more efficient.

For additional information visit Thrushaircraft.com

TURNING DATA INTO ACTION

Our FAST™ solution helps you make informed decisions and optimize operations through full-flight data intelligence delivered wirelessly within minutes of engine shutdown. It helps you see the small details – as well as the bigger picture – so you can stay ahead of the game.

EXPLORE OUR DIGITAL SOLUTIONS AT PRATTWHITNEY.COM/FAST

Brazilian Legislature Forms Committee in Defense of Ag Aviation

The initiative comes from Deputy Edvilson Brum (MDB), where the group already has almost half of the parliamentarians of Rio Grande do Sul, where a project to enhance the ag aviation industry is being developed.

The Legislative Assembly (AL) of Rio Grande do Sul will promote the official installation of its Parliamentary Front (Committee) in defense of Agricultural Aviation for Brazil. The official launch of the committee will take place within the schedule of the 22nd Expoagro Afubra, in the town of Rincão Del Rey, in the Municipality of Rio Pardo (Vales Region). Expoagro Afubra is one of the country’s most important family farming fairs.

The Agricultural Aviation Parliamentary Front was proposed in February by state deputy Edvilson Brum (MDB) and formed in March, already having over 26 members. According to the AL Regulations, Parliamentary

Fronts are created to deal with specific issues of interest to society. The request is sent to the President of the Legislature to be formed. They must have at least 1/3 of the House’s deputies - the Agricultural Aviation Committee already has almost half of the parliamentarians from the AL of Rio Grande do Sul. Brum’s proposal is the first initiative of its kind in the country.

Furthermore, since October 2023, Rio Grande do Sul has a project underway in its Legislature to formalize Agricultural Aviation as being of Relevant Social, Economic, Public and Economic Interest in the State. Bill (PL) 442/23, by state deputy Marcus Vinícius and signed by 23 other parliamentarians from the House. This initiative has already resulted in similar projects in the Legislative Assemblies of Santa Catarina (proposal by state deputy José Milton Scheffer/PP) and Espírito Santo (initiative by deputy Mazinho dos Anjos/PSDB).

NEW RG-220 BATTERIES DESIGNED FOR THE MOST DEMANDING APPLICATIONS

We love the RG-220. We like that the battery box is clean; it’s a cleaner, friendlier installation without corrosion treatment and preventative maintenance. The mechanic appreciates it and for us it reduces our maintenance costs. There are more amps available for faster, cooler starts.”

For Air Tractor Models AT-402, AT-402A, AT-402B, AT-502, AT-502A, AT-502B, AT-504, AT-602, AT-802 & AT-802A

STC SA01090DE provides for the installation of Concorde RG-220 batteries in Air Tractors.

The TSO-C173a authorized RG-220 was specifically designed to start PT6 turbine engines. It is built with the same components and features that are proven to optimize current output, maximize capacity and sustain turbine engine power requirements. The RG-220 is dependable season after season.

• Faster starts, improved performance and reduced engine wear

• Sealed technology - no electrolyte management or potential contamination

• Proprietary PolyGuard® Separators – for added protection against shock & vibration

• Concorde batteries are 100% recyclable

• Supported by Concorde’s world class customer service

CONCORDE BATTERY CORPORATION

2009 SAN BERNARDINO ROAD, WEST COVINA, CA, 91790

626.813.1234 | ISO 9001 + AS9100

CONCORDEBATTERY.COM

SPREADING THE FACTS

Michelle Miller | michelle@thefarmbabe.com

Mythbusting:

No, Livestock Doesn’t Destroy the Planet

Ever wonder why no one ever questions the carbon footprint of our coffee habits? Pets? Horses? That’s because there’s a lot of money to be made for meat alternative companies through disinformation campaigns to sell products. Also, activist groups like PETA aren’t exactly broke! Let’s further explain:

Most people are rightfully concerned about our planet, climate change, and our impact on the environment.

myth-busting. Let’s find out if livestock really do destroy the planet.

Short answer: No, livestock does not destroy the planet!

Long answer: Livestock benefits the ecosystem, provides high-quality nutrition, and doesn’t have a huge impact on the environment. Let’s start with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Livestock is not a large source

“ Livestock benefits the ecosystem, provides high-quality nutrition, and doesn’t have a huge impact on the environment. ”

accounts for 4% of United States GHG emissions. This isn’t very much compared to the 23% of emissions caused by industry/fossil fuels.

If all livestock are eliminated from the agriculture industry, greenhouse gas emissions will only be reduced by 2.6% in the United States. This is clearly a small impact for an

industry that feeds and supplies so many people. It would also contribute to more nutrient deficiencies.

Grazing livestock uses about 29% of all U.S. land, which includes grassland, pasture, and rangeland. The land used for grazing livestock is often not able to be used to grow other crops or food products as it is too rocky,

arid, or steep to use for other purposes. This might seem like a lot of land, but since much of it can’t be used for other food production, livestock use land that would otherwise have no purpose.

Livestock are also “upcyclers”. This means they take inedible things humans don’t consume (grass or food waste) and turn them into high-quality protein and essential nutrients. For example, cattle, sheep, and goats can take items like brewers’ grains, cottonseed, pea pulp, beet tops, grass clippings, and potato peelings and turn those products into high-quality protein, dairy products, and wool. These byproducts, or leftovers, are often mixed into their feed, helping to decrease food waste. 40% of animal feed ingredients are byproducts. Research has also found that feeding these byproducts to cattle decreases GHG emissions by over 4.5 times compared to composting these byproducts and over 49 times when compared to landfill disposal.

Livestock are improving the environment by providing important ecosystem services. Ecosystem services are the benefits that society receives from an ecosystem. Animal grazing can improve biodiversity, provide wildlife habitat, enhance carbon sequestration, and contribute to nutrient cycling. Cattle grazing can help control weeds, allowing other

varieties of plants to grow and increasing plant diversity. Animal grazing also provides fertilizer, which enhances the growth of many organisms. Cattle, sheep, and goats provide many other ecosystem services. Sheep eat plants that crowd out trees. Sheep grazing in forests can even double the number of healthy trees and increase each tree’s growth by 30 percent compared to areas not grazed.

Manure and waste from livestock are also used. This fertilizer provided from manure often cuts down on production costs and increases soil health and crop yields for future years. Manure can also be captured in methane digesters and turned into fuel and/or renewable energy!

The environmental impacts of livestock are also improving. One example of this is the dairy industry. The environmental impact of producing the same amount of milk in 2007 was only 37% of the impact in 1944. The beef industry has also decreased its carbon footprint by 16.3% for every billion kilograms produced in 2007 compared to 1977. This has happened in every sector of animal agriculture.

The livestock industry is also on a path of continued improvement. Many sectors of animal agriculture have made sustainability commitments. For example, The dairy industry aims to achieve GHG neutrality, optimizing water

use while maximizing recycling and improving water quality by optimizing the utilization of manure and nutrients by 2050. Beef has also adopted some sustainability goals, including completely climate-neutral cattle production by 2040. Pork’s environmental goals are to reduce GHG emissions by 2030 by 40% from a 2015 baseline, improve water efficiency, improve soil and biodiversity while restoring and protecting natural habitats, improve water quality by reducing nutrient run-off, manage manure, and protect water areas around farms.

Another big sector often overlooked in the livestock world is byproducts! We get thousands of products we use every day from livestock, such as lifesaving pharmaceuticals, textiles, musical instrument strings, lotions, soaps, and so much more. In a TED talk on YouTube, the presenter explains 185 uses for a pig—from bullets to beer filtration, fine bone china, cement mixtures, and more. There’s no such thing as “vegan.”

Animal agriculture has already decreased environmental impact by utilizing new technologies, implementing farmer pledges, and following expert guidelines. Advances in technology, nutrition, genetics, and management practices will also continue to contribute to reducing animal agriculture’s environmental impact.

There are still a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding livestock’s role in “destroying” the environment. Some claim that animal agriculture should be eliminated to solve climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To put it simply, livestock are not destroying the planet. Livestock is not a large source of GHG emissions. It can upcycle land and leftover byproducts that wouldn’t otherwise be used, turning them into high-quality protein and essential nutrients that benefit people. Livestock also improve the planet by contributing to biodiversity and providing wildlife habitat. Animal agriculture is on the right path to improving by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water use, land use, and waste and improving efficiency, all without destroying the planet.

Lane Aviation is your North American Micronair dealer, providing proven technology that is used in over a hundred countries across the globe. The Micronair family of products are tailored to meet the varying needs of specific industries which include aerial spraying, horticulture and viticulture, agriculture, animal and public health, forestry and migrant pest control.

Matthew Wheeler Graduates Ag Aviation School

2024

Wheeler works at CB Aerial Application LLC. where he hopes to eventually gain a position as an aerial applicator.

The Ag Aviation School announced that Matthew Wheeler from Glenwood, Missouri recently graduated from the company’s training program located in Miller, Missouri. Wheeler completed the training on February 26th,

NAAA Targets Hundreds of Nationwide Ag Retailers & Farmers with Ads and Articles Providing Aerial Application Services

The National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) is significantly focusing on external communications through Farm Journal’s widely circulated publications touting the benefits of aerial application and hiring ag pilots to handle spraying work.

NAAA is contributing articles and continuing ads throughout Farm Journal publications, which have a potential circulation of 150,000 ag retailers, crop consultants and farmers nationwide! These ads promote aerial application services and allow readers to search the location of NAAA operator member aerial applicator businesses in the “Find an Aerial Applicator” database.

NAAA’s “Above All Other Forms of Crop Care” ad has been featured each week in March and will be placed each week in April in AgWeb, one of Farm Journal Media’s major newsletters. Additionally, the ad has appeared multiple times in February, March and April in Farm Journal’s The Daily Scoop eNewsletter.

NAAA is contributing a column to The Scoop’s monthly publication for four months in 2024. The column promotes aerial application services and their benefits and guides readers to the Find an Aerial Applicator database. The first column, titled “Precision Technology Advancements in Aerial Application,” debuted in The Scoop’s February issue and The Daily Scoop eNewsletter, with the second column, “Tips to Evaluate an Aerial Applicator” appearing in the March 2024 edition. Read the articles at www.thedailyscoop.com/ magazines and sign up for a free copy of The Scoop’s magazine and eNewsletter at www.thedailyscoop.com.

application services through national ads in agricultural trade media dates back to 2017. Last year, advertisements were placed in AgWeb, The Daily Scoop, and the CropLife News newsletter. In previous years, the “Above All Other Forms of Crop Care” ad campaign appeared in publications such as The Scoop, AgPro, CropLife magazine, and Farm Journal magazine.

Join NAAA

If you’re an aerial application operator who would like to be listed on the “Find an Aerial Applicator” database, join NAAA by calling (202) 546-5722 or visiting AgAviation.org/membership. The single most effective way you can address the range of critical issues facing your business is by joining NAAA. The payoff far exceeds what you will spend in dues in the form of positive industry marketing, effective advocacy, national representation, education and safety programs and the personal connections you will make as you participate in association activities.

Robert Craymer | robertc@covingtonaircraft.com

A Fresh View on Borescopes

Traveling and talking to people is a massive part of my job. When I talk to people about maintenance and best practices, a borescope inspection is a crucial tool I try to get them to utilize. If you have attended any of the classes that have been given over the years, you know that a borescope inspection is a trendy topic. The borescope allows an engine’s condition to be examined between hot section inspections and/or overhauls.

While borescopes have become more widely available and the cost has become more affordable if you decide to invest in one, get a quality borescope that will allow you both to take pictures and movies. In addition, I suggest one with a replaceable memory card for additional storage capabilities. We have several borescope models at Covington, but my favorite is the Olympus iPlex G Lite. This is not an endorsement of any borescope; I am just

letting you know the one I generally enjoy using. The other tool required when performing a borescope is an engine-specific tube that can be procured through Pratt & Whitney Canada or Covington.

The borescope can be used to inspect the hot section, but it does not replace or diminish the importance of performing normally scheduled hot section inspections. It is intended only to monitor the condition of the internal components. A side benefit of a borescope is the ability to recognize things that may need to be addressed prior to the normal repair schedule. It also provides documentation regarding Pratt& Whitney Canada warranty claims.

(Continued on page 38)

SPRAYING TECHNOLOGY

SINCE 1997

www.zanoniequipamentos.com.br/en

SPRAY SYSTEMS

Reliable and highly durable

ROTARY ATOMIZERS

With a standard of excellence for aerial application

FIRE GATES

Versatile and effective in reghting

GROUND SUPPORT

EQUIPMENT

With great corrosion resistance

A word of caution: DON’T PUT YOUR BORESCOPE IN A HOT ENGINE! It can cause great borescope damage if the internal parts are still hot. The best practice is to make sure the engine is cool.

What are you looking for when performing a borescope? Basically, I am looking for abnormalities. If I see something on a blade or vane that looks different from the rest, I know that spot needs more evaluation. We are looking for cracks, carbon buildup, buckling or burning, rubbing, erosion, and foreign object damage. Also, don’t forget to check your compressor for foreign object damage (FOD).

What do we do if we find issues? Although your borescope operator may be highly skilled in interpreting what they see, I suggest you reach out to people you know who have experience and whom you trust. I receive many pictures from borescopes for analysis. Once I receive the pictures, I discuss my findings with several expert sources before offering an opinion. My experience is you can never have too much-educated input.

This brings us to when a borescope inspection should be performed. I have customers that have a borescope performed annually. Some do a borescope inspection with a pre-purchase, which is always a good idea. Pratt & Whitney Canada requires a borescope inspection when you perform fuel nozzle maintenance, usually every 200-400 hours! If you have a warranty issue arise, Pratt

and Whiney Canada may ask for your periodic borescope results. If you don’t have borescope documentation, it could cause a delay or denial of warranty claims.

A borescope can also be used for other inspections. Some models require inspection for compressor erosion with a borescope. They look at the pattern of erosion on the compressor blades. You can also look for foreign object damage. If you have a starter/generator issue, you can also use your borescope to inspect the accessory gearbox for arcing.

Remember, a borescope is a wonderful tool. Take pictures or videos and keep everything for your records. Talk to people with experience about findings. This will allow you to utilize the borescope to help control operating costs by being aware of what is going on inside your engine. Finding issues early saves money, and everyone likes that.

Robert Craymer has worked on PT6A engines and PT6A-powered aircraft for the past three decades, including the last 25+ years at Covington Aircraft. As a licensed A&P mechanic, Robert has held every job in an engine overhaul shop and has been an instructor of PT6A Maintenance and Familiarization courses for pilots and mechanics. Robert has been elected to the NAAA board as the Allied-Propulsion Board Member.

Robert can be reached at robertc@covingtonaircraft.com or 662-910-9899 Visit them at covingtonaircraft.com

Fieldmaster THE NDN-6

THE AG PLANE THAT NEVER WAS – PART II

by Ryan Varjassy

Editor’s Note: This is the second part of a twopart series on the NDN-6 Fieldmaster. Read the first part in the March 2024 issue.

By 1995, the Fieldmaster program was essentially over. Owner Andrew MacKinnon and the current company he headed, EPA Aircraft, found themselves with a product they could not produce nor sell. Andrew had also run out of working contracts for the aircraft, so they were parked, and all the valuable parts were stripped and sold in an attempt to recoup some of the losses he had incurred.

But in a strange twist of fate, the Fieldmaster was about to get a second chance at life from an extremely unlikely

source. Turk Hava Kurumu (THK), based at Etimesgut Airfield in Ankara, Turkey, was the apparent savior of the abandoned Fieldmasters. They had an extremely long and proud history within Turkish aviation and had wanted to get back into aircraft production in 1992. The Turkish government desperately needed newer and more capable firefighting aircraft, so it was decided that THK would take up the reins and build its own aircraft. THK was also the agency that did the aerial firefighting, so it kept everything centralized at one location.

It is unclear how THK and EPA Aircraft managed to meet, but a deal was made for THK to acquire the liquid assets and a production licensing agreement from Andrew Mackinnon and his EPA Aircraft Company in 1996. This

Photo by Ron Handgraff

procurement included all five production aircraft, the unfinished airframes from Utva Aviation in Yugoslavia, all the manufacturing, production, and assembly jigs, and all the paper documents from engineering plans to blueprints. However, none of the aircraft were in complete condition, so they were disassembled, crated, and trucked from the UK to Turkey in the summer of 1997. NACM, NACN, and NACO left from Bournemouth, and only NACP from Sandown. NACL was left behind until it suddenly disappeared late in 1999. According to Utva, the trucks showed up at their factory in Pancevo, Yugoslavia (now Serbia). All the materials were hastily loaded, and very quickly, they were off, as stated in an email in 2023 from Utva.

The story of Turkey can be quite confusing, depending on what documentation you read and choose to believe. It is clear that THK paid between 5 and 6 million British pounds for what they received, but there appears to be some confusion about whether they had purchased all the rights to the aircraft or just a licensing agreement. The issue did make it into a London court, but no results of the hearings were released publicly. It was also rumored that THK was seeking 1.5 million pounds from NDN aircraft, but again, no public records have been released about this demand. The entire purchase and subsequent issues plagued this program from the start. THK’s president at the time was Atilla Tacoy, and he had decided to buy the Fieldmasters unilaterally, which annoyed many of his THK employees, not to mention his government

superiors. A production plan was proposed that would see TAI Aviation partner with THK, which would help spread the cost among both agencies, but Tacoy would not budge, insisting that THK would carry out the production on its own.

A team of engineers was assembled, but when they arrived at an old hangar at the Etimesgut Airfield, they expected to find the beginnings of a production line, but sadly, this was not the case. They were met with hundreds of molds, parts, and thousands of technical drawings. There were crates containing fuselages and parts, and they concluded that this entire project had been rushed and nothing

1981-12-17 NRDC First Flight Sandown Airfield C

NDN Aircraft Photo

1991 NACP Lelystad - Netherlands Micronair Atomizers 30

Photo by Ron Handgraff

had been organized. The engineers got to work and decided that they would start by building 2 -65 Taysu aircraft, which they would be known as moving forward. Some reports suggest that THK built these two aircraft from scratch, but in reality, they were NACM and NACN originally built in Cardiff, Wales, then converted to -65s at Sandown by Vic Osborne.

THK acquired 2 Pratt -65’s and 2 Hartzell 5-blade propellers on October 29, 1988..NACM (now TC-ZBC) flew again for the Republic Day Ceremonies at the Etimesgut Airfield. There was much fanfare around this first flight, and it was announced that THK would be making its own crop dusting and firefighting aircraft, which, at the time, was the main source of revenue for THK. TC-ZBD (NACN) would fly in 1999, but the THK was under increasing pressure to produce aircraft quickly. There were plans in the works for the initial nine airframes to be made flight-worthy, the five from the UK and the airframes from Yugoslavia, and future plans saw the fleet grow to close to 30 aircraft over the next two years, giving THK the means to fight fires for years to come.

But things started to unravel quickly. Atilla Tacoy could not shake his critics and was forced to resign due to the slander he was facing. The Minister of the Interior was forced to act, and a lawsuit was filed against Tacoy for acquiring a failed company’s aircraft and damaging THK’s business and reputation. Tacoy passed away from cancer in 2001, but his court case continued for three years after his death, which resulted in his acquittal.

The government desperately needed firefighting aircraft and decided to buy a fleet of 12 M18B Dromaders from PZL in Poland. Turkey had also decided to ban aerial spraying due to environmental concerns, which was THK’s number one source of income, followed by aerial firefighting. This government ban dealt the final blow to the Fieldmaster, and the entire project was completely eliminated. The program was irreversibly thrown away, and the Minister of the Interior stated that “the resources of our country were saved.” Behind the scenes were cost overruns, unorganized factory space, accusations of corruption, lawsuits, and severe mismanagement, with much of this remaining quiet and kept behind closed doors to avoid further embarrassment to THK and the Turkish government.

Once again, the two -65s were stripped of all their useful parts, and the four aircraft were placed in the boneyard behind a hangar on the south end of the airfield at Etimesgut. NACM, NACN, NACO, and NACP were once again destined to be discarded and forgotten. But after sitting for a few years, it was decided that these aircraft should be celebrated as an accomplishment and should, therefore, be displayed. For some, though, these wonderful aircraft were destroyed for nothing, and to quote Turkish reporter Sedat Halac, “they were placed in front of the THK museum as an exemplary lesson for those who try to do useful work for this country.”

The Fieldmaster Resurrection Project was started in July 2023 from a chance online meeting between

NACN Maidenhead ,UK White Waltham Airfield. (Barlow Handling building in the background)

Vic Osborne of Wales, UK, and Ryan Varjassy from Saskatchewan, Canada. The two were a world apart but quickly realized they both had a passion for the lost Fieldmaster. Vic had worked on the aircraft personally, and Ryan saw one in a magazine in the mid-1980s and had a fascination with the aircraft ever since. Ryan’s dad, Joe Varjassy, was a well-known crop duster for over 30 years, and Ryan worked with him in the ag industry for many years, starting as a young boy. This time spent around ag flying made Ryan develop a love for ag aircraft, which he still carries today at age 50. Vic, at 75, has a few years on his younger cohort but shares the same enthusiasm for the elusive Fieldmaster.

The two men quickly developed a plan to save one of the airframes to be displayed in the United Kingdom, where it was originally born. The search began for any information they could find. After countless hours of scouring the internet, sending letters and emails, and starting a FaceBook page dedicated to the cause, began to show results. Vic still had contacts from his days as an engineer on the Fieldmaster, and after the Facebook launch, more people came out of the woodwork. Former employees, aviation enthusiasts, some Fieldmaster experts, and Desmond’s son, Roddy Norman, are all involved with the project.

For a few months, the research seemed to raise more questions than it answered, but the more interaction with the online contacts, the more the pieces began to fall into place. The tracking of the production, engine

conversions, foreign spraying, and firefighting all came from the online searches and contacts that were made. Information came in from all over the UK, Europe, and even Australia.

One of the most important tasks was tracking down all 6 of the air-frames. Much speculation and false information needed to be proved or disproved, and after much reading and consulting, they believed that they had accounted for all of the minus one..NACL..the first production Fieldmaster and the first of the fleet to be converted from a -34 to a -65. The sale of all the assets to THK was supposed to include all five production aircraft, but NACL remained at Sandown till late 1999, some two years after the other four aircraft had been shipped to Turkey and the THK production program was canceled. So where was it?

The four aircraft in Turkey were accounted for, but NACL seemed to have vanished. One of our group experts, Martin Forster, said he had spoken directly to someone who helped load NACL onto a truck bound for Ankara, Turkey. There was no reason to doubt Martin, but there was no evidence that NACL was there. The project group has acquired almost every published photograph of the aircraft and a massive amount of photos from private collections. They searched Google Earth Historical Images and found satellite images of all the Fieldmasters in various locations they were known to be.

NACN Old Sarum Firegate closing testing

Phot by Simon Mathews

For over 30 years, ISOLAIR has been manufacturing industry leading helicopter systems for the firefighting, forestry and aerial application industries. With a broad line of certified and custom helicopter equipment, ISOLAIR has the system to fit your company’s needs. From agricultural spray systems and bucket spreaders to firefighting systems, forestry grapples and torches, ISOLAIR can and will do it all!

For over 30 years, ISOLAIR has been manufacturingindustry leadinghelicopter systems for the firefighting, forestry and aerial application industries. With a broad line of certified and custom helicopter equipment, ISOLAIR has the system to fit your company’s

With competitive pricing, quality assurance, easy to install products, and an ongoing commitment to customer service, we welcome you to contact us. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff is ready to answer your questions and help you find the ISOLAIR system that will best meet your operational requirements. ISOLAIR

www.isolairinc.com

However, Ryan came across some photos he had not seen before, dated Sept 12, 2023. It was NACL, still in the France Aviation livery she had when she was last seen at Sandown some 24 years ago..and she was at the THK Etimesgut Airfield. Ryan contacted the publisher of the small article that featured the photos, and he did confirm that NACL is still at the Etimesgut Airfield and was sadly going to be sent for scrap at some point in the future. But this has now raised another question. It is now a fact that all five production aircraft made it to Etimesgut, but only four are accounted for, with the missing aircraft now being NACM (TCZBC). It was assumed that the last aircraft seen in the satellite photos at Etimesgut was NACN, but it turns out that it was NACL, meaning that NACN is still there. The current theory is that it is inside an old hangar at the airfield with all of Yugoslavia’s parts, fuselages, jigs, and papers, but only time will tell if this suspicion is true.

The Fieldmaster Resurrection Project is currently trying to acquire NACL from THK to have it shipped back to the UK, but this is proving difficult. Our proposal to obtain NACL has finally reached the desk of the correct people at THK after months of emails, letters, and phone calls asking for any information on who could help us. Our request will need to go before the Board of Trustees for THK, but we currently have no information regarding that timeline.

The group discussed with the Wight Aviation Museum at the Sandown Airfield the possibility of displaying a Fieldmaster airframe at their facility. Sandown is the obvious choice for NRDC to display, as she was born there and was laid to rest in the same spot. Unfortunately, the Wight Aviation Museum has since reversed its interest in the aircraft, so the search is on for a new location. The South Wales Aviation Museum seems like a good fit as it is only 6 miles from the production factory in Cardiff, but nothing has been discussed with them.

“ The Fieldmaster Resurrection Project is currently trying to acquire NACL from THK to have it shipped back to the UK, but this is proving difficult. Our proposal to obtain NACL has finally reached the desk of the correct people at THK after months of emails, letters, and phone calls asking for any information on who could help us. Our request will need to go before the Board of Trustees for THK, but we currently have no information regarding that timeline. ”

Additionally, Martin Forster has also obtained the location of the original prototype NRDC, which never left the UK and was abandoned at Sandown for the better part of 21 years. After moving through a few locations, NRDC ended up near Wainfleet along the eastern coast of the UK. She was supposed to become part of a crop dusting museum collection, but those plans never materialized due to the poor health of the owner. Martin is handling the negotiations on the possibility of acquiring NRDC for display.

The Fieldmaster’s ultimate demise resulted from many issues and failures, not just one singular problem. Firstly, the program suffered from mismanagement from its inception, resulting in financial constraints throughout its existence. Second, the cost of the Fieldmaster was wildly expensive for the time. The cost of purchase of a production line aircraft was rumored to be between $450,000 to $500,000 in the mid to late 1980, which for the time was a huge financial commitment for an unproven aircraft that was so different from the airplanes of the day. Thirdly, it would be difficult to convince established operators to switch to an unknown platform from their traditional tail-draggers because it was so different. Drawings and design concepts had been developed for a tail-dragger version of the Fieldmaster, but they had never been developed beyond that stage. Fourth, it would have been almost impossible for the Fieldmaster to break into the American market, which at the time was arguably the largest ag plane market in the world.

Turboprop conversions were already in use in America, and factory production of turboprop ag planes had begun. Also, operators had many options: Air Tractor, Thrush, Ag-Cat, PZL Dromader, Cessna, Piper, and Weatherly. The American market already had a full plate

(Continued on page 50)

of aircraft to choose from. The world market would have provided more opportunities for sales as an aerial firefighter with the ability to do pest control, with the main target areas being Australia and New Zealand.

Still, they were also set in their aircraft choices, just as the Americans were. Lastly, the Fieldmaster was conceived when aerial spraying was banned throughout Europe, which undoubtedly hurt the possibility of sales.

Even in the UK, where she was built, aerial spraying and aerial firefighting were already being phased out when the Fieldmaster was in production. So it was a combination of timing, changing laws, and poor corporate decisions stopped the Fieldmaster from being a commercial success.

The Fieldmaster Resurrection Project has come a long way in its short eight months of existence. It has amassed the world’s largest collection of data, photos,

videos, and an overall clear picture of the Fieldmaster’s existence. The project has now reached its most difficult phase so far: acquiring these airframes before they are lost again or destroyed. The project group has begun registering as a non-profit with the British government, and Vic, Martin, and Ryan will be the Trustee Board Members.

The Fieldmaster Resurrection Project is seeking donations to help fund this project to save these aircraft from destruction and being erased. The Fieldmaster aircraft were an important part of aviation history, albeit a failed story that deserved a better outcome than it had. We now have the chance to rescue two airframes and, depending on the success of the fundraising, will determine the extent of the restorations. Private donations and corporate sponsors are welcome and required to progress with the project.

See the opposite page for outlets to contact The

Fieldmaster Resurrection Project.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/1483419635727874 or search for NDN/NAC Fieldmaster Resurrection

When foliar applying high quality Kugler Fertilizers, you also don’t have to worry about rust or corrosion on the plane or ground equipment.

This season, make the change to high quality Kugler Fertilizers. We make it. We sell it. And nobody can match our ease of aerial application –Think Local. Think Kugler.

MAINTAINING THE LEADING EDGE

ROTORCRAFT REPAIR AND MANUFACTURING’S DRAGON SKIN XTREME COATING IS A PREMIUM WAY TO ADVANCE BLADE PROTECTION.

BY HOWARD SLUTSKEN

Maga

The rotor blades on a brand-new helicopter are clean and pristine, with an optimized lift-generating airfoil that perfectly slices through the air.

Put that aircraft into service on agricultural, firefighting, or military missions, and the blades will quickly show the effects of flying in a harsh environment.

“The leading edge of the blade becomes beat up and eroded, and then you no longer have a nice, beautiful airfoil,” explained Seth Hardage, owner of Rotorcraft Repair and Manufacturing in Pocohontas, Arkansas. “It affects how the helicopter will fly — it will no longer fly nice and smooth. It makes the blades not track as well, and over time, it’s putting extra stress on the engine so you’re also using more fuel.”

six years of rigorous testing before receiving Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approvals in 2012. Since then, in a careful rollout, Rotorcraft has made DSX available to a select group of customers.

“We needed to let it go out and fly. We didn’t want to tell a lot of people about it until we knew it could last many, many hours,” Hardage said.

And in this extended field test, DSX has exceeded his expectations.

DECADES OF EXPERIENCE

Rotorcraft overhauls or repairs an average of 350 blades per year, ranging from the vintage wooden blades on a classic Bell 47 to the massive rotors from a Boeing Chinook.

including x-ray, borescope and eddy current testing.

If required, Rotorcraft draws on its in-house engineering team to develop repair processes and procedures to submit for FAA approval.

With decades of experience in overhaul and repair of rotor blades, to address the problem, Rotorcraft has quietly developed an advanced blade erosion and corrosion protection coating.

Rotorcraft’s proprietary Dragon Skin Xtreme — DSX — underwent

“We’ve seen more than 3,000 hours of hard flying on a helicopter, and while DSX does wear, it wears so evenly that it always keeps a perfect airfoil. It’s very rare to have a coated blade come back. We’ve only seen them return with some type of damage elsewhere on the blade,” Hardage said. “We’ve had a couple of customers where the blade is flown out of its life limit, and I’ve bought the blade back so I could see how the coating did over all that time.”

According to Hardage, DSX can be easily applied during the time that a blade is in his shop for overhaul.

“There are a few extra steps we have to take, but nothing major.”

With a mix of work — 60 percent on metal blades and 40 percent on composite ones — Rotorcraft’s bread-and-butter is rotors from Airbus and Bell light and medium helicopters.

When a blade comes in the door, Hardage and his team get to work, first with an extensive preliminary inspection.

“I’m very eager to get the paint and finish removed because it can hide a lot of problems. I spend a lot of time looking at the blade’s structure, a lot of time trying to understand what the blade is going through, and I keep in mind what this blade is doing for a living, what they’re doing with this aircraft,” Hardage said. “I know what to look for.”

As part of its repair process, the company can perform a full range of non-destructive blade inspections,

• OLD BLADE WITHOUT COATING

But it’s the company’s institutional knowledge that gives it an advantage in its operations, going back to the original owners — the Propst brothers.

Having operated Bell 47s for crop dusting and forestry work, the three brothers realized a huge time savings by doing their own blade work, rather than having to ship the blades out for repair.

“If they had to pull the blades off, then their helicopter was down, and it could take months and months to get the blades done. So, in 1992, they opened their own blade repair station in Black Rock, Arkansas.”

Drawing on relationships with original engineers from Bell — including William Underhill and Herb Waldrup, the men who developed Bell main rotor blades — Rotorcraft gained much of its knowledge and experience.

That benefited Hardage when he began working with the Propst brothers in 2018, which led to his purchase of Rotorcraft in 2020, and a move in 2021 to a 40,000-squarefoot (3,716-square-meter) building in Pocohontas, where he and his family have their roots.

A PERSONAL CONNECTION

• OLD BLADE WITH COATING

• NEW BLADE WITH COATING

Rotorcraft’s success has been driven by its relationships with its customers, and word-of-mouth recommendations continue to bring new business to the company.

“When someone calls, I want to get to know them. They’re putting a lot of trust in me. I’m going to be working on something where lives are on the line,” he said.

It’s important for Hardage to maintain those strong relationships, which he does with visits to his clients.

“I understand we’ve got these new technologies, but face-to-face and a good old handshake goes so much further.”

Who’s Gonna Fill Their (Our) Shoes?

by Hervé Marchadier

As we go through convention season every year, I’m struck by how young some new faces are. This is, of course, a function of how old I’m becoming. Even some of the people I thought of as “kids” when I started are starting to show a little gray in their beards. Some of the old-timers I remember when I started are no longer around. Naturally, I started wondering what the industry would look like in 10, 20, and 50 years.

Technology will change; that’s a given. The man who broke me out started with flashers, graduated to an Automatic Flagman, and retired with a GPS and a lightbar on his airplane. We’re seeing UASs more every year, variable-rate applications are becoming more common, and now you can have a map and a shape file wirelessly delivered to your airplane.

Overall, what doesn’t change is the people. This career attracts a wide range of people, but those who get in and stay around are rare. By and large, they’re willing to do the hard work this job requires. They are willing, enthusiastic even, to fly in an environment with a much smaller margin for error than most professional aviators.

There’s usually no shortage of people who think they want to do this; the question is how to train and prepare them for this lifestyle. That’s where Michael Ranspot

and Tailwheel Training Center, located in Cameron, Texas, come in. Michael’s family has been involved in aerial application for three generations. Michael himself has flown for seventeen seasons. He’s also flown eradication in Colombia, instructed in the 802U, firefighting, and is now an airline pilot. He’s a man accustomed to operating in hazardous environments and doing so safely and efficiently. Ranspot started Tailwheel Training Center in 2021 because he wanted to teach new pilots not only how to do the work but also how to do it safely.

This isn’t just an ag school, though. It’s a real flight school. There are students here who have no plans to fly an ag plane. Michael has full-time instructors and maintenance, and he is more than happy to hang around and answer the myriad questions that come up occasionally. I came down for ten days to help him with some students and to see what this place is all about. I don’t typically fly much this time of year, and I keep my CFI current, so when he asked if I was free, I jumped at the chance. Not only have I known Spot for years, but I love this business, and having a chance to give back and pass along some lessons I’ve learned was impossible to pass by.

I got to Cameron in the evening, got my gear squared away, and returned early the next morning to get

checked out in TTC’s Bellanca Scout, equipped with an AgPotX GPS and a lightbar. After my checkout flight, I could load my first student of the day and get to work. There is a variety of fields to work around the area, with a corresponding variety of obstacles, illusions, and other irregularities so that an aspiring ag pilot can start after learning the basics of turns, swath runs, etc., can start by “working” flat, open, square fields, and as they gain proficiency, they can move to more challenging fields with more obstacles.

My training philosophy is more or less naturally in line with Ranspot’s. I believe in the crawl, walk, and run method. We had days where we couldn’t fly because of weather, so my flock of fledgling ag pilots received ground training concerning the flying and the application portion. The actual flying is a small part of the overall skills required to be a proficient and professional applicator. Many students come here who already have experience working as a member of a ground crew, but some also show up with no knowledge or prior experience.

The other day, it was a dreary day with low, ragged ceilings and gusty winds. After a long morning going over labels and quizzing the students about application rates, required PPE, etc, I dismissed my students for lunch. George Jones came on the radio as I drove into town to get a burger. The song was Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes.

I realized that the men I was training were the ones who will carry the torch when, God willing, I retire. I try, as much as possible, to remember the things I wish I’d been exposed to during my training. It’s hard for any school to produce an applicator ready to work in all areas of the country or, in the case of international students, the world.

That’s been the biggest complaint I’ve heard from operators since I’ve been around. As such, I’ve tried to talk to the operators these men are working for, and since I’ve flown in the Midwest, the South, on rice, row crop, and pasture, and tailor some things to the individual based on where they are and what they do. I can’t think of a way to make a one-size-fits-all program.

This isn’t about me, however. This is about a man who decided he wanted to do his part to help reduce accident rates. This is about operators who send prospective pilots to that man. This is about the students and their transformation into trained aerial applicators, albeit on the basic level. All I’m doing, all Spot is doing, is laying a foundation anchored in safety and a constant quest to learn more and never settle for “good enough”. I’m coming to the end of my stint here. I miss my wife and kids. I am grateful to Michael for allowing me to come and help; perhaps I’ll make another trip down south. As for who’s gonna fill our shoes, I feel we’ll be just fine.

Become a 2024 CertifiedProfessional Aerial Applicator Safety Steward

The Certified-Professional Aerial Applicator Safety Steward (C-PAASS) application is open for 2024 applicants at https://education.agaviation.org/cpaass.

C-PAASS was launched by the National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) and the National Agricultural Aviation Research & Education Foundation (NAAREF) last year. This annual, individual certification for ag pilots, both operator, and non-operator, recognizes a strong commitment to safety, professionalism and the pursuit of continuous improvement. This voluntary program allows those aerial applicators who strive to constantly educate themselves to better their safety and application quality and to be recognized for their efforts.

Aerial applicators, now more than ever, operate in an environment of competing interests. An everincreasing demand for timely and effective applications is challenged by factors such as added regulatory burden, rising insurance costs and stiffer pesticide label language, just to name a few. The agricultural aviation industry has risen to these challenges and, in character, has moved to advance education, rather than regulation, as the path forward with C-PAASS.

C-PAASS certified individuals can use their certification to positively distinguish themselves to insurers, customers, regulators and others outside the industry and be a part of the force advancing safety and changing the narrative, for agricultural aviation on a national level.

Individuals seeking 2024 certification will need to meet the following requirements:

(Continued on page 58)

This annual, individual certification for ag pilots, both operator, and non-operator, recognizes a strong commitment to safety, professionalism and the pursuit of continuous improvement.

1. Annual PAASS Attendance for three (3) years.

Past PAASS programs (both credit and non-credit options) are only available for purchase to NAAA members. Email information@agaviation.org for more information.

• 2021-2022 season, AND

• 2022-2023 season, AND

• 2023-2024

2. Biennial Operation S.A.F.E. Participation.

If you can’t attend an Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-In Clinic, please see below for DropFlight and AccuPatt pattern testing options.

• 2023 season, AND/OR

• 2024 season

3. 2024 Annual Membership in NAAA. Join at AgAviation.org or call (202) 546-5722.

4. 2024 Annual Membership in a State/Regional agricultural aviation association.

Contact your state/regional association to join. View a list of contacts at https://www.agaviation.org/about/ state-and-regional-associations/.

5. The two online courses listed below are new for 2024 certification. They are offered at no cost to NAAA members and the non-member cost is $100 per coursehour. Courses can be found at https:// education.agaviation.org/courses and require a satisfactory understanding of the material through review and testing to qualify for 2024 certification. In the future, NAAA and NAAREF are anticipated to allow individuals to choose from a catalog of available courses for certification.

(Continued on page 60)

Required online courses for PROFESSIONAL AERIAL APPLICATOR SAFETY STEWARD

Avoiding Wire Strike Accidents

This 2-hour self-paced course is based on the 2022-2023 PAASS Program’s Human Factors module of the same title . It covers wire strike statistics, reconnaissance, forecasting and decision-making . (Course ID: 24-HF-01)

Note:

Individuals who have taken the Utilities / Aviation Specialists Flying in the Wire and Obstruction Environment course in person within the last 12 months (at the Ag Aviation Expo, a state meeting, etc .) can waive this online course requirement upon request .

The Impact of Each Droplet – Part 1

This 30-minute self-paced course is a spray application primer in droplet size terminology and industry standards . Topics covered include droplet size statistics, droplet spectrum categories, coverage and drift potential . As the first course in a same-titled series, it lays the foundations for more in-depth courses centered around optimizing aerial spray applications (Course ID: 24-EP-01)

You can check your C-PAASS eligibility and detailed instructions at https://education . agaviation org/cpaass

S & T Aircraft Accessories

Full Engine Accessory Line

Large stock of overhauled/certified engine accessories for radial and turbine engines.

We can exchange same day, or overhaul your accessory in a short turn-around time.

Generators Wobble Pumps Vacuum Pumps

Magnetos Hydraulic Pumps

Fuel Pumps

Reverse Current Relays Carburetors Tach Generators Boost Pumps

Prop Governors Starters

Voltage Regulators Starter-Generators

Motors CALL US TODAY FOR ALL YOUR ACCESSORY NEEDS OVERHAUL OR EXCHANGE

310 FM 483, New Braunfels, Texas 78130

Email: sales@st.aero Web: www.st.aero

Phone: 830-625-7923 Fax: 830-625-4138

FAA Approved Repair Station No. CC2R737K

Has Your Aircraft Been Pattern Tested Yet?

These Tools Can Help

Pattern testing is vital to ensuring your aircraft is ready to make effective applications this season. NAAREF recommends having your pattern assessed, at a minimum, every other year or when major changes are made to your application system set up. Accordingly, biennial Operation S.A.F.E. participation has been included as a required component of C-PAASS certification.

If you are not able to attend one of the Operation S.A.F.E. fly-in clinics offered in many parts of the U.S. this spring or last year, alternative options exist.

Last year, NAAA announced the release of DropFlight, an iPhone/iPad app that allows extremely fast scanning and analysis of water-sensitive spray cards, all on your Apple mobile devices. This tool, created in part by an aerial applicator, is targeted specifically for aerial applicators to use in assessing spray pattern uniformity, effective swath width and droplet size across the swath. Learn more about DropFlight at https://dropflightag.com/.

Operation S.A.F.E. fly-in, AccuPatt has grown to include spray-card-analysis functionality that can be used independently to perform spray-card-only pattern testing. Now, it is being offered to NAAA members for use in their own operation at no cost. A flatbed scanner is required to digitize the spray cards for analysis.

Download AccuPatt for Windows/MacOS at https:// github.com/gill14/AccuPatt/releases. Consult the user manual (available at that same web address) to get up and running for this do-it-yourself spray pattern testing.

To further reduce friction in getting your spray pattern testing underway, DropFlight is also offering all the needed testing gear at dropflightag.com/collections/ all. Available as a convenient kit or by the piece, DropFlight’s card mounting system makes it simple to lay out cards uniformly and in the correct orientation to the wind. This testing gear will work with DropFlight and AccuPatt and is the fastest and most convenient way to acquire all the equipment you need to conduct your own pattern testing.

Another option for conducting spray pattern testing yourself is to use AccuPatt, the same desktop (Windows/MacOS) software that Operation S.A.F.E. analysts use. Originally developed to run the string testing systems you may have seen at an

By consulting with a NAAREF-recognized Operation S.A.F.E. Analyst about your pattern testing data, they can report it to NAAREF as participation in Operation S.A.F.E. NAAA members will receive an official letter of participation and credit toward C-PAASS certification. To contact a NAAREF-recognized Operation S.A.F.E. Analyst, visit education.agaviation.org/safe-analysts.

Thirty-five years after the first great historical account of the industry—Mabry Anderson’s Low & Slow: An Insider’s History of Agricultural Aviation—comes a new, updated account of aerial application’s history from the National Agricultural Aviation Association: Agriculture’s Air Force: 100 Years of Aerial Application

Based on a collective history of the agricultural aviation industry sourced from Agricultural Aviation magazine, AgAir Update, Low & Slow and other materials, Agriculture’s Air Force chronicles the agricultural aviation industry’s growth from its infancy in 1921 through the boom times after World War II, and on to today’s modern era of high-tech aerial application.

Whether you are an aviation enthusiast, have an appreciation for agriculture or are simply awed by the aerial ballet of these low-flying aviators, pull up a seat and tag along with Agriculture’s Air Force! (Available in hardback.)

When Hogs Fly

Suppose you have ever passed through the delta region of Arkansas in years past or spent any time scrolling through the various agricultural aviation groups on Facebook. In that case, you may have stumbled upon an airplane that stands out amongst all other ag planes.

This airplane, although the typical make and model of many of the ag planes found at most ag services across the nation, bears a unique paint scheme and design that is far from typical. The airplane I speak of debunks the old phrase “when pigs fly” because this airplane had the name coined many years ago as “THE HOG PLANE.”

The aircraft that proudly displays the Arkansas Razorback red and white color scheme sits a man behind the stick whose passion for his state’s college football team runs deep in his blood and was the inspiration behind the paint scheme of his pride and joy, the Air-Tractor 602.

His love and passion are not just limited to the Arkansas Razorbacks. He shows the same perpetual love and passion in all areas of his life, including the ag aviation industry, his family, and most of all, his faith. If you’re unaware of who I am describing, then allow me to introduce you to Mr. Stan Ferguson.

I have had the honor of knowing Stan for a good portion of my life. I worked alongside him a few years ago while working with Michael Hutchins at Eagle Ag in Des Arc, Arkansas. Stan is a well-recognized pillar in our industry which is understandable due to his notoriety and the time he has spent in the ag flying industry. He is no stranger to the business, entering his 49th season as an ag pilot this year. Stan is currently employed as a full-time pilot for Eagle Ag (now under the ownership of David Strohl), having served many years as an aerial applicator.

Stan has witnessed the industry evolve and the available technology grow with it firsthand, from

working with and operating some of the most basic equipment in the early years of his career to proudly operating the most advanced and most extensive equipment available in the industry to this date. Stan has seen his fair share of changes and advancements in the ag aviation industry.

Stan began his career in ag aviation, like many, by starting out working on the ground for a flying service. He worked his first summer at 17 as a loader, aiming to scratch the itch to work in aviation. His interest in aviation grew to aspirations of becoming an ag pilot while he worked on the ground for Williams Flying Service in Tutwiler, Mississippi, in 1971.

During this time, the owner of Williams Flying Service, Billy Williams, rapidly expanded his business and purchased several neighboring locations. During this growth and expansion process, Stan found himself in the position of working and loading at two of the newly acquired satellite airstrips. Being situated in the diverse delta region of northwest Mississippi, the crops that Williams Flying Service took care of ranged from cotton, soybeans, and some rice. The common pesticides used on these crops consisted of Green-Barrel Stam, Dinitro, MSMA, Basagran, and Methyl. During that time, you could easily take two 55-gallon drums of Methyl, load the plane without any water, and cover a 440-acre load with an ag plane equipped with Micronair nozzles.

In 1975 after a few years of working on the ground at Williams Flying Service, Stan found himself loading for Charlie Christmas in Shelby, Mississippi at the end of the season. Stan and Charlie made an agreement that if Stan completed an ag flying program and returned in the spring, he would help Stan get started flying ag.

Stan went on to obtain his commercial pilot’s license at the Jim Ratcliff Flying School in Jackson, Mississippi. After receiving his commercial certificate, Stan began acquiring his ag training under the guidance and instruction of Johnny Broome at McCarty Flying, owned by Phill McCarty, located at the Helena-West Helena airport. Along with many of the other iconic and notable ag pilots in the Mississippi River Delta Region whose flight training took place at McCarty Flying, the student’s flight time hours were achieved by use of Super Cubs, a 220 and 240 dual “hole” Boeing-Stearman, and a 450 Pratt and Whitney Stearman.

After his ag training, Stan was ready to return home as a newly certificated ag pilot. Stan returned to Shelby, Mississippi, and began his flying career in a Cessna Ag Truck and Ag Wagon for Charlie Christmas. Starting his career as an ag pilot during the time Stan did, allowed him ample opportunity to be able to witness firsthand the industry’s evolution and the technology and equipment used to grow with it. Stan was able to see and use the hydraulic spray pump before the introduction of the bellymounted wind-driven pumps like those commonly used on ag aircraft today.

In 1979, he used the newly released first-ever air conditioning system introduced by one of the Cessna ag planes. While the air-conditioned cockpit was a nice addition, technology was still behind, and the aircraft used manually operated flaps without electric motors.

After having a few seasons under his belt, Stan found himself faced with a new opportunity to further his career in ag aviation when the father of his wife (Sue), who owned and farmed land in Shelby, Mississippi, acquired a large property located in southeast Arkansas in the town of Cotton Plant. His father-in-law, James McGowan, found himself without an ag pilot because the closest ag operators did not want to extend their flying range further.

In 1981 Stan put in an airstrip and flying business located in the heart of his father-in-law’s farm. Thus, Southern Aire was created. Stan purchased two Cessna Ag Trucks, leaving one plane devoted to liquid work and the other dedicated to dry work. Through his years as owner and operator, he could keep various sizes and models of aircraft in rotation. The airplane’s horsepower and payload capacity consistently increased to keep up with a growing business and satisfy its rapidly growing customer base.

In the early 2000s, Stan added the 602 to his fleet and quickly gave it the paint scheme he is recognized for to show his support for his favorite college sports team. The plane embodied everything he holds dear, from the Razorback paint job to the N number 602SQ for “602 Suzie-Q” in dedication to the love of his life, Sue.

Stan stayed in business for over 38 years until 2019, when he sold to Michael Hutchins and Eagle Ag was conceived. It was through Stan’s time at Eagle Ag, where he and I worked together that he was introduced to ChemMan Online. Up until the time he sold his business, Stan had been a Chem-Man Desktop user since 2012, where Stan was able to create invoices, send statements, and maintain bookkeeping. In 2023, Eagle Ag was purchased by David Strohl, owner of Strohl Aviation in Tollville, Arkansas. Stan still flies for David at Eagle Ag and flies quite often, having accumulated over 700 hours this past season; you can say Stan gives the younger guys a run for their money.

After 48 ag spraying seasons, I asked Stan during a conversation one day how it feels reflecting on how technology has changed and how it has helped him directly. He replied that it’s been humbling to see airplanes and equipment evolve over the years to fly more efficiently

and be more productive and safer. He goes on to say that having a program like Chem-Man online has made a difference in enhanced productivity and efficiency.

“Using Chem-Man online allows me to see the job, maintain schedules, and help get me to where I am going way easier than anything I’ve ever used. Often, the grower needs to remember what work has already been completed during the in-depth rice treatment. Chem-Man allows us to easily see and keep track of completed work to relay our progress or status of completed work back to the grower.“

We love to hear feedback like Stan’s, and all of us at Chem-Man are grateful for the years he has served in our industry. We hope to learn and hear more as Stan’s story unfolds. As our industry evolves, you can rest assured that our program evolves with it, allowing the operators and pilots to do their jobs more efficiently, making their jobs safer, and providing more service to their customers.

TWENTY YEARS AGO

Life After Honeywell

by Bill Lavender

SCOTTSDALE, AZ—Nothing in the business world can take the place of experience. This is especially true when it comes to working on an aircraft gas turbine engine. High dollar costs are replaced with reliability, making the turbo prop engine a viable alternative in ag-aviation. However, not just anyone can be considered qualified to work on these engines.

Inherently a simple concept of operation, they are conflictingly complicated. With far less moving parts than their counterpart piston engines, the gas turbine engine still requires a finesse of expertise during scheduled or non-scheduled events; e.g. hot section inspection (HSI), Continuous Airworthy Maintenance (CAM), Gearbox Inspections (GBI) or Time Between Overhaul (TBO) extensions.

Who does the ag-operator turn to for maintenance on his turbo prop, specifically a TPE331 engine? If he’s smart, he’ll select a maintenance facility with plenty of experience working on this type of engine. Does over 100 years of combined TPE331 engine experience seem like enough? You bet it is, especially when this experience was earned behind the doors of Honeywell Aerospace, and AlliedSignal before that and Garrett Turbine Engine Co. and AirResearch even before that, all on the same reliable TPE331. That’s where the three principals and employees of Executive Aircraft Maintenance (EAM) got their 100+ years of experience.

Based in Scottsdale, Arizona at Scottsdale Municipal Airport, virtually next door to Honeywell in nearby Phoenix, Executive Aircraft Maintenance is owned and operated by three ex-Honeywell employees; Jim Nordstrom, John Phoenix and Mike Croye. Jim had already retired from Honeywell when John and Mike got their pink slips two years ago. Jim saw an immense opportunity in bringing

John, Mike and himself into a partnership that would service and maintain the TPE331 engine, and hopefully the TFE 731 turbo fan engine that is installed on numerous business jets. Thus, the formation of EAM became a reality in April of 2002. Since then, EAM has serviced over 154 engines with more than half of these engines coming from the ag-market.

However, this volume of business can largely be attributed, in part, to the three partners’ excellent relationship with Honeywell. The formation of EAM gave Honeywell an excellent resource for outside and field maintenance for their engines. By making EAM an approved Honeywell Major Service Center, Honeywell knew the work from EAM would carry with it the reputation of Honeywell’s support, and why not? EAM consists of three key people that were responsible for Honeywell’s support and sales for many years, even before the company was Honeywell.

EAM President and General Manager Jim Nordstom retired from Honeywell six years ago after over 33 years in just about every facet of the organization from a mechanic on the shop floor to holding many managerial

John Phoenix at his office in Scottsdale, Arizona

positions in aftermarket support. Jim recognized the opportunity for the TPE331 engine in the ag market early on. Working with Sandy Moeur, Manager of Sales and Administration, and Bruce Baker, Installation Engineer, they were able to develop program pricing and engine configurations that met the ag market’s needs.

John Phoenix, Vice President of Customer Support and Sales at EAM has over 22 years of TPE331 customer support and sales experience. John was working in customer support administration at Honeywell when Sandy Moeur was advanced to MSP sales and support.

After Sandy’s departure, John took on all responsibilities of the agricultural engine program and the TPE331 program development for Honeywell’s repair and overhaul facility. John supported the agricultural customers for over 13 years prior to his departure from Honeywell. His duties included all trade shows, pricing, sales, support and customer visits.

Mike Croye, Vice-President of Operations and the Director of Maintenance, brings with him over 20 years in engine build, testing and technical training. Mike began his career at Honeywell as a TPE331 engine mechanic. From there he moved to the training school as a Technical Training Instructor. It was Mike who traveled the world providing training in the service and operation of the TPE331 engine. Even today, Mike fields tech support calls from several TPE331 engine shops, including Honeywell, utilizing his many years of hands-on TPE engine experience. At the end of his Honeywell career, Mike was the Repair and Overhaul Operations Manager.

EAM is a full service TPE331 engine shop that also offers airframe service. (“TPE” represents “Turbo Prop Engine” and “TFE” represents “Turbo Fan Engine”) However, the heart of EAM is its dedication to the maintenance and support of the TPE331 engine, whether it is on a general aviation plane or an ag-plane.

But, Jim and John are quick to state the ag-market is where their true love is. They feel a kinship for this market, since they were instrumental in developing it.

“We have been very fortunate in the fact that our business growth has stemmed from repeat customers and referrals. At EAM, we pride ourselves on the fact that we provide quality work at a price that meets or exceeds our customer’s expectations. We believe that this is the fastest avenue towards becoming a premier support entity for ag-operators and general aviation customers,” states John.

Because EAM is an Approved Honeywell Major Service Center, it can perform HSI, GBI and TBO extensions for the TPE331 engine. It can also perform prop strike inspections and low power restoration. In some cases, specific jobs, like the fuel and electronic systems, are outsourced. However, this is typical for a turbine engine shop. Magnaflux (checking ferrous steel parts for cracks), FPI (Fluid Penetrate Inspection for cracks in aluminum and magnesium) with an on-site engine test facility (making shaft horsepower) are all standard operations at EAM.

Engines enter the teardown shop where they are cleaned and inspected. From there, they are tagged and work orders are prepared indicating the required maintenance. EAM can do many services to the engine, depending on the ag-customer’s needs.

For a CAM inspection, the turn around time is usually 30 days. HSI or GBI inspections take two to three weeks. However, EAM keeps an inventory of Honeywell-owned rental engines for the operator that can’t afford to be shutdown. Rental costs can be $89 an hour or $58 a day, whichever is greater.

CAM engines come with a one year or 1,000-hour warranty, which ever comes first. The CAM program

Mark Kaltved repairing a TPE331 gear box housing on his Devlieg precision boring mill.

Jim Nordstrom standing next to one of the a pieces of equipment that is utilize for cleaning engine and airframe parts.

spells out engine life-limited components to be at least 5,000 hours. At 2,500 hours the CAM engine receives a HSI. Although the CAM engine’s components are not warranted for 5,000 hours, the life cycle components should complete this number of cycles. An engine cycle on a TPE331 engine is one start and shut down. A takeoff and landing is considered a 1/4 cycle. Ag operators typically do not cycle out within the 5,000-hour time frame. The TPE331-1, -5 and –6 each have up to 6,000-hour cycle limits, while the TPE331-10 has even higher limits. All things considered, the TPE331 engine operator should maintain an engine reserve of $30 an hour.

Now that you know that a turbine engine is an oxymoron of simplicity and complexity, it is equally important to know the value of being a Honeywell Service Center with a S.T.A.A.R. (Service Target Authorization Approval Rating) certification, like Executive Aircraft Maintenance. When AlliedSignal became Honeywell, it had numerous service centers throughout the world. The company decided to initiate a program whereby it could improve the customer support experience for Honeywell Aerospace products through the worldwide service / repair center network by developing and managing an approval rating program with metrics and incentives.

The S.T.A.A.R. program is based on input from operators and service centers and on benchmarking studies of the automotive and aviation industries. Performance on most items is tracked monthly and scores are compiled quarterly to determine the overall service center’s rating. Half of the rating is based on operator feedback through 10 survey questions.

To achieve the S.T.A.A.R. designation, these service centers, like EAM, must demonstrate compliance with Honeywell minimum requirements, but also provided service excellence to the operator to enhance the operator’s service experience. As of February 2, 2004, 36 Honeywell Service Centers had achieved a S.T.A.A.R. rating, including EAM. Honeywell, furthermore, has reduced authorization levels or terminated eight service center agreements of which four were TPE331 engine facilities. An operator can go to the Honeywell web site, www.e-engine.honeywell.com and determine the S.T.A.A.R. status of a Honeywell Service Center.

When it becomes time to decide where to have your TPE331 engine serviced, the criteria should include years of experience, a relationship with Honeywell and if the company is an approved Honeywell Major Service Center with S.T.A.A.R. achievement. Executive Aircraft Maintenance meets all of the above with an inherent desire to serve the TPE-331 ag-aviation operator. There must be life after Honeywell afterall….

New AMT Training Dates Released by Air Tractor

Olney, Texas – Air Tractor has released the schedule for its 2024/25 Aircraft Familiarization Courses. These introductory classes are tailored for aviation maintenance technicians who are new to Air Tractor products, but pilots, owners, and operators may also attend.

New courses are scheduled for: July 15-18, 2024, November 11-14, 2024, December 16-19, 2024, January 13-16, 2025, February 17-20, 2025.

Registration is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Enrollment is limited to 10 students per session. Class tuition is $3,500.

However, tuition will be waived if you or your company purchased a brand-new Air Tractor aircraft within the last 24 months. If you were slated for training but COVID-related issues prevented attendance, the training team is allowing some exceptions, extending those periods in some cases.

Aviation inspectors or government officials such as FAA, INAC, Transport Canada, etc., should contact Brian Hahn, Air Tractor Director of Training and Education, at bhahn@airtractor.com to be registered in a class section.

To register for an upcoming class, visit www. airtractor.com/training.

To register for an upcoming class, visit www.airtractor.com/training

R985/R1340 TOP OH TOOL KITS $250.00

R985/R1340, R1340

GEARED COVINGTON. AERO RECIP & TULSA

R1830-92, -94, -75 R-2000-7M2 • R2800

VINTAGE & ANDERSON WE BUY PARTS, INVENTORIES, AND USED ENGINES

TIME RITE KITS

R985 NO BLOW GASKETS

ENGINE MOUNTS

TEMPEST SPARK PLUGS

CHAMPION SPARK PLUGS

NEW R1340 CAMS, CYLINDERS

NEW/OH MAGNETOS CARBS

STARTERS • GOVERNORS MANUALS • PARTS BOOKS

FUEL PUMPS

COMPLETE OHC

CYLINDER ASSEMBLIES

R985/R1340/R1830/R2800

A WING AND A PRAYER

Carlin Lawrence | carlin@agairupdate.com

The Vastness of God’s Love for Humanity

Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17). Paul wrote, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-7).

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:17-18). If you put the words wide and long together we see the horizontal love of Jesus Christ for us. If we put the words high and deep together we see the vertical love of Jesus Christ for us. And if we put the horizontal and the vertical together we have got the Cross, and it is in the Cross that we see the love of Jesus Christ manifested in that He gave Himself for us. Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Paul wrote to the church in Rome, “At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8). It was the eternal purpose of God, even before He created the heavens and the earth, to demonstrate

His supreme love to humanity. And He demonstrated His love to us and proved it in one supreme action, and that is in the offering of His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Whenever God wants to assure humanity of His love He always points to the Cross, there is where God’s love is manifested for us. I can look at the Cross and I can know that He loves me! “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1).

Satan and his demonic horde are constantly trying to get us to challenge God’s love for us by the adverse circumstance that sometimes comes into our lives. Telling us in our thoughts that if God really loves us then why is He allowing all these problems to come into our life; why did God allow these things to happen? But whenever we are prone to doubt God’s love for us, all we have to do is look back at the Cross, and there our hearts are assured that God loves us supremely. “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).

Because of the sinful nature of humans there is always that attitude to think that we deserve God’s love. But it wasn’t our goodness that caused God to give us a way to spend eternity with Him—it was God’s love that did it all! The Bible says, “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the

washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:3-7).

Jeremiah wrote, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You” (Jeremiah 32:17). Oftentimes a problem arises and we look at it from our limited abilities and strength, and think that this might be more that we can handle. But difficulty must always be measured by the capacity of the agent doing the work and when God is the agent doing the work, talking of difficulty is absurd. The important thing is to get our eyes off the problem, and get our eyes upon God and His tremendous power, strength, and ability. “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).

The psalmist wrote, “O God, we meditate on Your unfailing love” (Psalm 48:9). Paul acknowledges that God’s love is beyond the human intellect, but if we will meditate on God’s love, by the power of the Holy Spirit we can begin to comprehend the greatness of God’s love for us. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28). God loves you beyond your wildest dreams and thoughts. We can spend eternity in God’s Heaven; the choice is ours to make for ourselves.

Schweiss Doors Founder To Be Inducted Into Minnesota Aviation Hall Of Fame

Schweiss Doors announced on January 30th, 2024, that Mike Schweiss, founder and owner of Schweiss Doors, will be inducted into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame at a ceremony in April.

Schweiss, a private pilot, entrepreneur and inventor, designs the globally used lift-strap bi-fold doors and single-piece hydraulic hangar doors. These bi-fold doors employ nylon straps to replace outdated cable door systems that used cables, pulleys and deadweights. The company’s hydraulic doors require less headroom, are easy to install and boast the industry’s strongest hinges.

“This is truly an unexpected and humbling honor,” Schweiss says. “The great state of Minnesota is home to so many aviation pioneers and industry leaders. To be included among these folks means more to me than I can say. This is the kind of honor that makes all of us at Schweiss get to the office and work a little bit harder to make sure we’re building the most reliable bifold and hydraulic doors on the market.”

In addition to hangar doors, Schweiss has built doors for such businesses at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis; the Red Bull HQ; Yankee Stadium; the new Columbus, Ohio, soccer stadium; Cycle City in Hawaii; and the RitzCarlton Hotel in Shanghai. The largest is a 90-foot-wide

and 60-foot-tall door for a NASA assembly building at Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Other 2024 inductees are Curtis L. Brown, a U.S. Air Force pilot and NASA astronaut; Pat Magie III, a seaplane pilot, entrepreneur and author; Cheri Rohlfing, a Delta Air Lines Captain, adjunct professor at Minnesota State University; Paul Dye, flight director for 39 space shuttle missions; Stevan Petrich, commercial airline and floatplane pilot; and Max Haynes, accomplished aviation photographer and artist.

The 2024 inductees will be honored as the 36th hall of fame class at a banquet at the Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake, Minn., April 20.

For more information, visit the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame at https://mahof.org/

Chapter Two: The Equipment & People (cont.)

Power plant installations were changing rapidly by 1950 and the low powered Stearmans were receiving the fine surplus, 450 horsepower R985 Pratt & Whitneys. J.O. Dockery at Stuttgart, Arkansas made an improved installation of this engine in 1946. Subsequent installations of this nature were made everywhere and hopper/tank capacity was being stretched to the limit. Tanks holding 225 gallons became available, making for bigger and more profitable loads.

In this day and age of “store bought” aircraft and equipment, few members of the younger generation realize the tremendous amount of time, effort, and dollars that were required to produce any of these early units or conversions. For example, the MV AS Aero Mist-Master sprayer required detailed drawings and blueprints that covered 28 sheets as much as 4’ x 6’ in size. Stress data computations, drawings, die casting, jig making, and final flight approval on the A 75L300 engine conversion required almost continuous activity for nearly a year and literally thousands of hours of manpower, plus thousands in hard-to-come-by dollars! Days and days of test flying and evaluation were required by FAA. At one point, FAA sent a test pilot to the MV AS facility, where he remained for more than eight weeks making flight tests and evaluations.

The same sort of things occurred in attempts to improve the performance of existing equipment. Recently Dominic Correro, an early Mississippi Valley master mechanic, and I were reminiscing.

“Remember,” smiled Dominic, “the time we were trying to improve the performance of a set of Burnham Venturi spray units for a Texas customer? Ben White had a brainstorm and decided to mount two of them on top of his souped-up 1951 Ford and check them out by eye by

running them down the runway! We had 3,000 feet of paved runway and a few hundred feet of sod before the field merged into a cotton patch. We rigged up two of those units on top of his car, fastened a little gravity feed tank above them, and I rigged a spray valve that I could control from inside the car. By leaning way out of the window, I would hopefully see what sort of breakup the units were giving.

“Our first pass down the runway was too slow; the units just dribbled. We turned around and got set to go again and this time Ben really turned it on. That old Ford could hit 95 miles per hour and we were really screaming along. When we hit about 75 miles per hour, I turned on the valve and was leaning out to look. Ben kept pouring on the coal and craning his neck to see and forgot all about the end of the runway!

Sod Busting

“We hit that sod at just about 90 miles per hour, charged right through the sod area and across the rows in the cotton field! When we finally stopped, both Burnham units were scattered behind us in the cotton and we just sat there in the car and shook. The farmer drove up on the turning row right by us, looked over, shook his head, and I heard him mutter: ‘I don’t know just what they expect that damn thing to do, but one thing for sure, it will never fly!”

Endless testing prevailed in the production and introduction of agricultural chemicals, even in the late 1940s and early 1950s. By 1950, many excellent products were available, including many new hydrocarbons plus organophosphates such as parathion, methyl-parathion, and TEPP. Very much needed, and not yet available, was a suitable liquid defoliant for cotton growers. Calcium cyanamid special

TECI has 5 ea. Honeywell TPE331-10-511M turboprop engines in agricultural configuration available for sale or exchange.

Below are the details and configuration of the engines.

Price is valid until December 31, 2024.

Lead time to apply.

$298,000 Outright

grade, the old “Black Annie,” was still the only thing available. But commercial firms, particularly Chipman Chemical Company, began experimenting with soluble sodium chlorate as a cotton defoliant.

Most of the test work with this product was done in the Mississippi Delta in 1950 and 1951 under the supervision of Chipman’s field representative Orel Ottwell. Ottwell worked out application arrangements with MV AS and massive field tests began during defoliating season, using a wide range of dosages.

Sodium chlorate was supplied in a crystal-like powder that could be dissolved in water with a lot of manpower and stirring. After exhaustive tests over two full seasons, it was found that two to three pounds of the technical material applied at the rate of five gallons per acre would do a good job and liquid defoliating became a reality.

Liquid Defoliants

Finally, at the insistence of agricultural flying people all over the cotton belt, Chipman began packaging the material in true liquid form, utilizing great looking black and orange striped drums. This new item was called “Shed-A-Leaf L.” Spurred by this success, other commercial firms went to work with the development of defoliants. Within a short time, the highly concentrated phosphate materials made the scene, among them DEF and Folex.

Other experiments with defoliants were not so successful. Magnesium chlorate would defoliate cotton, but would also bum up aircraft and airports, especially when it came in contact with dried residues from organophosphates. Mysterious fires began springing up around loading ramps, until magnesium chlorate was quickly and fortunately removed from the market.

The widespread operations of American Dusting Company required close cooperation between management and pilots. Here pilot Lou McWilliams (helmet) gets preflight instructions.

In passing, it might be added that sodium chlorate, the commonly used product, will also fire up spontaneously under certain conditions and in the presence of phosphates. As a precautionary measure, manufacturers soon began adding a fire suppressant. Cautious operators also reduced fire potential by leaving the aircraft tank filled with water when not in use and making certain that ramps and exposed aircraft surfaces were thoroughly washed down.

Mississippi Valley Aircraft Service had a long and colorful history. Unfortunately, one of its founders, Berkley Ellis, was killed in a crash in 1949. White and I continued our partnership until 1960, when I purchased 100 percent interest in the firm. White went back into flight school work, his first love. I finally sold the firm in 1970, semiretiring from active operation. Many mechanics and ag pilots with MV AS established themselves as ag aviation leaders and set up firms of their own throughout the agricultural flying world.

In addition to pilots and mechanics, MV AS helped further the industry by producing some of the first satisfactory dispensing equipment available to the general aviation public. Among some of the better known firms that availed themselves of this service and equipment from the beginning were Mid-Continental Aircraft, operated by Dick Reade at Hayti, Missouri; Ueding Flying

Service, operated by Bob Ueding at Vincennes, Indiana; Pecatonica Airport at Pecatonica, Illinois; any number of federal and state operated mosquito control districts in the South and Southwest; and the legendary J.B. “Doc” Alder, a physician turned ag operator from Carolina, who set up one of the largest ag flying operations in Central America. At one time, Alder operated a fleet of more than 20 Instant Change 450 P&W Stearmans in Nicaragua and was perhaps the first operator in the world to engage in oil spraying of banana plantations in that region. Later, we will review in more detail this and other Central American operations that blossomed in the early and mid 1950s.

Another firm that contributed significantly to agricultural aviation expansion immediately after the War was American Dusting Company, originally located in Anadarko, Oklahoma. This firm was organized in 1945 by Clint Frye. In 1949, Frye joined with Chickasha Flying Service at Chickasha Oklahoma, making R.W. Erwin and L.H. King partners.

By 1949, the firm had grown tremendously and had graduated from the low-powered, 40-gallon tank Cubs with which it had started. Clint Frye had, from the beginning, manufactured his own dispensing equipment and, in 1949, purchased 50 like-new Stearmans and began converting them into ag aircraft in his own shops. Pratt & Whitney engine conversions were made and,

within a

A look inside the shops at American Dusting Company in the 1950s. Photo shows complete rebuilding of a Stearman.

short time, American Dusting Company became one of the largest and most influential firms in the industry.

Massive agricultural flying operations were conducted in Oklahoma and Texas, some of it original work such as the application of the selective material rotenone in lakes and streams under the auspices of state game and fish commissions. Rotenone became widely used by conservation departments in ridding bodies of water of unwanted specie& or even drastically reducing overpopulations for the benefit of sport and commercial fishing.

In addition to such local work, particularly in the area of parathion application on small grains for the control of green bugs, American Dusting Company engaged heavily in transient operations and was one of the first firms to engage in large scale DDT work on com borer in the com belt. At times, this operation was of such scope that many other operators from all over the country joined with American Dusting Company and great numbers of aircraft were kept busy working steadily northward as the growing season progressed.

Dick Reade of MidContinent Aircraft spraying for mosquito control, mid 1950s.

American Dusting Company was an innovator in leasing aircraft, equipment, and pilots to other firms. This service enabled many operators to become involved in ag aviation.

NTSB REPORTS

Accident Synopses

Accident Number: CEN23LA233

Location: Carrington, North Dakota

Date: June 3, 2023

Aircraft: Piper PA-25-235

Injuries: None Analysis

The pilot reported that after engine start, taxi, and run-up, he remained on the ground about 10 minutes at idle power waiting for a rise in oil temperature and reduction in oil pressure since it was the first flight of the day, and the engine was cold. Shortly after departure while turning onto the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern, the engine lost power and the pilot executed a forced landing to a gravel road. During landing, the airplane impacted a drainage ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings.

A review of meteorological information revealed that the airplane was operating in an environment conducive to serious carburetor icing at a glide power setting.

During a postaccident examination, no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were discovered that would have precluded normal operation.

With no anomalies noted from the postaccident examination and the weather conditions present at the time of the accident, it is likely that carburetor ice formed during the extended ground run at idle power while the pilot waited for the oil temperature to rise.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: A total loss of engine power as a result of carburetor ice that formed while the engine was operating at a low power setting for an extended period of time before departure.

Accident Number: WPR23LA211

Location: Paul, Idaho

Date: June 3, 2023

Aircraft: ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL S-2R

Injuries: None Analysis

The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during the takeoff roll, the airplane began to drift to the right. He applied left rudder correction; however, the airplane continued to drift right and exited the runway. The airplane continued over a small hill and became airborne. The pilot applied full power to maintain flight, and within a short distance, realized that the airplane was in an unusual attitude. He lowered the airplane’s nose, and the airplane contacted the ground. The left main landing gear and spreader separated from the airframe and the airplane came to rest upright, perpendicular to the runway. The left wing and aileron were substantially damaged.The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control on the takeoff roll, resulting in a runway excursion.

Accident Number: CEN23LA223

Location: Lake Village, AR

Date: June 3, 2023

Aircraft: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502B

Injuries: 1 Minor

On June 3, 2023, about 1158 central daylight time, an Air Tractor AT-502B was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Lake Village, Arkansas. The pilot was uninjured. The

aircraft was operated as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 137 aerial application flight.

The pilot reported that shortly after departure, the airplane lost thrust, but the engine remained operating. Unable to continue flight with diminished thrust, the pilot executed a forced landing to a field, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.

During a postaccident examination, engine and propeller control continuity was established from the cockpit controls to their respective engine and propeller controls with no anomalies noted. The propeller appeared at or near the feathered position.

A review of maintenance records indicated that the airplane had undergone maintenance the day before at a 14 CFR Part 145 Repair Station, which included an adjustment to the propeller beta plunger. The extent of the work was not documented on the work order and no logbook entries were made.

A detailed engine and propeller examination is pending.

Accident Number: WPR23LA212

Location: Colusa, California

Date: June 4, 2023

Aircraft: GRUMMAN ACFT ENG

CORSCHWEIZER G-164B

Injuries: 1 Serious Analysis

The pilot reported this was the eighth aerial application flight of the day spraying rice fields. He had made all takeoff’s flying low under a power line about 3/4 mile from the departure end of the runway. He stated that due to the monotony of

the flights combined with fatigue and a bi-plane wing configuration, he lost sight of the power line and struck it. The airplane impacted the ground and cartwheeled sustaining substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, vertical and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a power line during a lowlevel aerial application flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s fatigue.

Accident Number: CEN23LA232

Location: Bloomfield, NE

Date: June 7, 2023

Aircraft: GRUMMAN ACFT ENG

CORSCHWEIZER G-164B

Injuries: None

On June 7, 2023, about 1330 central daylight time, a Grumman G-164B was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Bloomfield, Nebraska. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight.

The pilot reported a loss of engine power during takeoff. He executed a forced landing to an agricultural field off the end of the runway. The airplane sustained damage to the upper and lower right wings.

Airframe and engine examinations are planned following recovery of the airplane from the accident site.

Accident Number: WPR23LA218

Location: Chillicothe, MO

Date: June 7, 2023

Aircraft: Cessna A188B

Injuries: 1 Serious

On June 7, 2023, about 1454 central daylight time, a Cessna A188B, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Chillicothe, Missouri. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a

Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 agricultural flight.

The pilot reported that the airplane experienced a loss of engine power during takeoff. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot elected to conduct an off-airport landing and during the descent struck a row of trees and powerlines. Subsequently, the airplane impacted terrain and a post-accident fire ensued.

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage. The wreckage was recovered for further examination.

Accident Number: CEN23LA245

Location: Louise, Texas

Date: June 18, 2023

Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22

BETA

Injuries: 1 Minor Analysis

According to the pilot, it was a windy day and also his first day performing aerial spray operations. While attempting to turn the helicopter from a west to east heading at about 10 feet off the ground, the pilot reported he lost directional control and the helicopter started to spin clockwise. His efforts to maintain control were not successful. He stated that the wind was beating him up, and most of his flight training did not include windy/gusty conditions. The helicopter impacted a rice field, which resulted in damage to the tail boom and rotor blades. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control in gusting wind conditions.

Accident Number: CEN23LA244

Location: Sturgis, South Dakota

Date: June 18, 2023

Aircraft: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502

Injuries: None Analysis

The pilot reported he departed in the airplane with about 660 lbs of fuel and

about 3,500 lbs of liquid chemical for application to a pasture. After arriving at the pasture, the chemical dispersal system was malfunctioning, and the pilot decided to return to the airport. During the landing to the first quarter of the runway, the airplane was about 125 mph, with “half flap” applied, and the tailwheel was locked. As the tailwheel touched down on the dry concrete runway, the pilot initiated beta mode with the propeller, and the airplane “started veering to the right.” The pilot assessed that he “reversed the propeller too aggressively and too soon.” The airplane departed the runway to the right, the left main landing gear separated after impacting a ditch, and the airplane came to rest upright on a grass field. The pilot was able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the left wing.

The operator reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. A postaccident examination of the chemical dispersal system found foreign object debris that was likely blocking the flow of the chemical. Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operations does not contain full load landing training and recurrency requirements. The pilot reported the last time he performed a full load landing was about 2 years prior. The estimated density altitude for the airport was 6,101 ft.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot’s improper timing to initiate beta mode with the propeller and his failure to maintain directional during the full load landing that resulted in a runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of recent experience with performing a full load landing and the high-density altitude that likely affected aircraft performance during the landing.

Proposed Airworthiness Directive (AD) for R44 Driveshaft Yoke Being Considered

A new Airworthiness Directive (AD) is under consideration by the FAA, targeting all Robinson Model R44 and R44 II helicopters. This proposed AD stems from documented instances of fractured clutch shaft forward yokes (yokes) in the main rotor (M/R) drive, attributed to fatigue cracking.

Following a reported yoke failure in 2022, the FAA issued Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) AIR-22-08, reiterating the importance of strict adherence to existing inspection protocols and maintenance manuals. The manufacturer indicated that the yoke failure was caused by fatigue cracking and improper torque at the bolt hole and yoke crosssection. Subsequent to the issuance of the SAIB, another incident was reported by the manufacturer involving yoke fracture and separation from the drive

train, once more attributed to fatigue cracks and improper torquing.

The proposed AD necessitates visual inspections, to be conducted within 100 hours of time-in-service (TIS), of specific part-numbered flex plates, yokes, and yoke bolts. Depending on the inspection outcomes, affected parts would require replacement. Furthermore, the AD mandates replacement of a designated part-numbered yoke after reaching 2,200 hours TIS or within 12 years from initial installation. Alternatively, if removal from service is not opted for, a 10X or higher power magnification visual inspection along with a magnetic particle inspection would be required.

Comments on this proposed AD must be submitted by April 15, 2024.

Aircraft – Ag Cat

Relisting! The sale fell through. 1989 Super B Fat Cat, super 6 engine, 500 gallon, 11,166 TT, 1189 since hot, 188 IRAN, hydraulic spray system, air conditioning and heat, wing extensions, servos, night lights, E/I digital gauges. $200K.

Contact Dave: 509-520-8267 or dwparker1671@gmail.com

Grumman AgCat G-164A, s/n 847. TTAF 19551, Geared 1340 w/only 190 hours since Covington tear down, inspection, and power section replacement. 24v alternator, chip detector, single point fuel, 330 gal hopper upgrade, new fabric tail, extended wings, Hershey wing tips, aileron spades, heavy-duty gear, new 29in tires, Cleveland wheels, and brakes, new battery, new seatbelts, strobe lights, stainless booms, cp nozzles, Satlok Lite GPS system, Lane electric fan brake, rh boom shut off, smoker flagger, also extra yellow tag cylinder ready to install, spare pump, stainless dry spreader. $49,000

Contact 509-641-2079 or Gregscc odessaoffice.com

1974 Ag-Cat G164A, S/N 1034, TT

Airframe 6,744 P&W R-1340-AN-1 (600 Hp) TT SMOH 1,314, Blower Ratio 10-1, Good Compressions on all 9 Cylinders, 80 gallon fuel bottom load, 300 gallon hopper bottom load, Satloc GPS with Light bar, Hershey Wing Extensions and mods, Breckenridge Stramline Booms, most inspections & maintanance done by Hershey Flying Service & Wallace Air Repair, Clean Northern Airplane, No Corrosion, $9,000 spent on Extensive Annual inspection done 11/13/2023. Airplane is located either in Wallace or Bassett, Nebraska. Ready to Work! $39,000.

Contact Tim at 432-788-7309 or email tim_rempel@hotmail.com

1972 Ag-Cat G-164A, S/N 926, TT

Airframe 7,686, P&W R-1340-AN-1 (600 HP), TT SMOH 289, Blower Ratio 10-1, Overhaul by Tulsa Aircraft Engines,

Excellent Compressions on all 9 Cylinders, 80 Gallon fuel bottom load, 300-gallon hopper bottom load, Satloc SLXG3 GPS with Light bar, Crophawk 7 flow control, Hershey Wing Extensions and Mods, most Inspections always done by Hershey Flying Service & Wallace Air Repair. Clean Northern Airplane, no Corrosion! Almost $9,000 spent on Fresh Annual Inspection done 09/18/23. Airplane is located in Bassett, Nebraska. It’s Ready to Work! $78,000.

Contact Tim at 432-788-7309 or email tim_rempel@hotmail.com

Export Special: G164A+, Fresh AmAg repair w/factory-jigged frameworks, New 335-Hopper, Ext’d/Metal Wings, 80-fuel, 24V w/Strobes, E-Servo, TWL, Hybrid Combo. Ready for 1000 hr. service-run. Your certified R985/R1340 E&P installed. $85K includes CofAW4 Export flyaway, $90K in your container. Contact +1 (870) 886-2418 or frank.kelley@ag-cat.com

QueenCat In Progress - S/N 566B Super B+ Mods, ready for Garrett or P&W Turbine, 400-gal, 120-fuel, hi wings, heavy struts & wires, T.S. Tail, Heavy Gear, TL DAF Combo. $290K (YOUR FWF). Contact +1 (870) 886-2418 or frank.kelley@ag-cat.com

Aircraft – Air Tractor

2017 AT-802A, P/W PT6-65AG, Est. 4600 hours, Recent significant engine work (logs on request) Vondran Hydraulic gate, Wingman, Smoker, Factory air and heat, Lane brake, 302 fuel with Hatfield system, CP-11 nozzles. FCU and high-pressure fuel pump changed at 3100 hrs. $950,000 with fresh annual.

Contact 870-501-1136 or dglover63@yahoo.com

1986 AT-301, C-GAXT, S/N 301-0651, TTAF 6715.8, TTE SMOH 807.2, P&W 1340-S3H1, Hamilton Standard 22D40 TTSO 456 Due 12 May 2025. AT-401 Gear and Wheels. Dyna Nav AirAG Guidance, Smoker, CP-03 nozzles. Annual due 30 June 2022. $98,000 USD O.B.O.

Contact parkland Aerial Applicators (204) 647-2731, Manitoba, Canada.

2008 AT-602 -60, N602MS, 4310

TTAE, New propeller installed at 3,810 hours, Large fuel 280 gallons, Hatfield fuel, SATLOC w/Flow Control, Radio console, Night lights, No airframe damage, hangared & mostly owner flown, fresh annual date of sale. $860K. Contact Dow at 573-225-8019

1991 AT-401, TTAF 3162.5, P&W R1340, TTE 934.5, Hamilton Standard 3 Blade - 23D40-51, TTProp 507. Very low hours, well maintained, G4 Satloc Bantam, CP11 nozzles, Reabe Hopper Gauge, Vortex Generators, Garmen Comm, Smoker. $220,000 USD.

Contact Reed at 403-793-0949 or kdouglass@xplornet.com

2013 AT-402B -34AG, 3135 TTAE, Satloc Falcon GPS w/flow control, Fast Start, Lane brake and fan, Storm cutters, hopper rinse system, single point fuel. fresh hot section inspection and engine annual, spreader, $650,000.

Contact Kyle at 563-880-9641 or kmagair@gmail.com

2024 Air Tractor 502XP Available Now, In Stock. Options Include: Garmin audio panel, radio/transponder, SS spray system, Smoker, and Night work lights.

Contact Southeastern Aircraft Sales for details: 772-461-8924

1998 AT-402B, Serial #402B-1066, N5059V, P&W PT6-34 AG, Annual done January 18, 2024, TTAE 6774.8, Engine TSHOT 1218.8, Prop TT 6774.8, Prop TSOH 974.9 $495,000.

Contact Neal Aircraft at 806-828-5892 or robert@nealaircraft.com

2015 AT-602 -65 TTAE 2945, 0 Since Hot Section, February 2024 Annual, Wingman, Hydraulic Gate, Satloc w/Flow Control. $840K.

Contact 601-946-7118 or chuckg802@gmail.com

2014 AT-504, N173RH, List $975K, Pristine, well-maintained AT-504 for sale.

Located at KMCK. Includes an IFR Panel and ready to go to work. TTAE: 1609.6, Engine: PT6-34AG, HSI completed 600 hours ago, PTT: 1609.6. Asking $975K OBO.

Contact Zack 308-777-2585 or email fuel@rwaviation.com

2024 Air Tractor 802A-67AG Available soon. Factory Options Include: Garmin audio panel, radio, transponder, and Smoker.

Call Southeastern Aircraft Sales for details: 772-461-8924

1997 AT-401B Second owner. Will be sold with fresh annual. 0 IRAN prop, 0 IRAN engine, 0 Eddy Current insp. Complete logs since new. Only 16 401Bs currently registered in the U.S. Make this one your next money-maker or turbine conversion. See spec sheet for all the details. $265K

Contact Bob 507-430-5114 or donneraerial@hotmail.com

1999 Air Tractor AT-502BN5197X s/n 571 airframe refurbished at George’s 2021 including new spars, hopper, new style lid, paint, 1816 hours ago. G4

Satloc, intelliflow, cp nozels, RH boom shut off, new REABE hopper/pressure gauge, AC/heat, Kawak throttle quad, Shadin fuel flow, single point fuel, 3” side load, Lane electric brake and fan, led nose lights, aircraft will be sold with fresh annual. Owned since new and kept in new condition. TTAE 9420, P&W -34AG

Time since overhaul 1816, TTSHOT 658, Hartzel 3-blade propeller. $595K. Contact 509-641-2079 or Gregscc@odessaoffice.com

2023 AT-502XP available NOW! Many options, including radio package factory installed.

Contact Rick or Greg at Southeastern Aerial Crop Service 800-441-2964

1992 AT-502, PT6-15 0SHOT, TTAE 11,752, SPOH 3165. November 2023 annual. Clean Northern plane. Well maintained. Has a SATLOC M3. $450,000

Contact Jim Knox at 218-289-1999 or email jim@agrimaxllc.com

2024 Air Tractor 502XP Available Now, In Stock. Options Include: Garmin audio panel, radio/transponder, SS spray

system, Smoker, and Night work lights.

Call Southeastern Aircraft Sales for details: 772-461-8924

1997 AT-502B, N5063N, PT6A-34AG, TTSN: 14,270.5, TTSHS: 26.2 (8/24/2023@ 4209.3), HOBBS: 4270.5, Fresh Annual, TTSA: 44, SATLOC G4, Factory Air & Heat, Smoker, ADSB Out, Transponder, Com Radio, Laser Altimeter, Wingman, Side Load Fuel, Kawak Throttle, Reabe Hopper Gauge,A LOT OF TIME LEFT ON THE WINGS, Flown Regularly, Hangared when not in use.$425,000 Price negotiable.

Contact Duston Bailey at 318-525-5880 or 318-722-0002 or baileyair502@gmail.com

2016 AT-602, 3400 TTAE, Wingman and Spreader, Storm Cutters, and Reabe glass top. Comes with fresh hot and extensive annual. $850,000.

Contact Aaron at 870-253-8242 or aaron@advantageagair.us

1989 AT-502 - 502-050 - 34AG Hobbs 8766, TT 16,395, HSI@8536, overhauled FCU @8427, prop overhauled @6922. Wings due @17,821. Annual due 1-31-24. G4 with flow control, Air Repair Hydraulic Gate. Hydraulic spray valve, flaps, and wingman. New batteries 8-18-23. Kawak throttle quadrant, VG’s, A/C, pulsating wing lights, new T Boom 8-1-23. Comm radio, ADSB.$225,000 OBO.

Text or call Brandon at 662-902-4688 or TJ at 662-836-7347 or flatlandaviation@yahoo.com

REDUCED! 2013 AT-402B, TTAE 4687, PT6-15, TTSOH 4687, TTSHOT 1229, Hartzell 3-blade, TTProp 4687, Prop Time Since Overhaul 596, BantumGPS with IntelliFlow Gen2, PAR200B Comm, GTX-327 Transponder, ADS-B out, Hatfield Single Point, Reabe Hopper Gauge, Storm Cutters, Storm Shield, Fast Start, Dynon D3 EFIS Synthetic Vision, Fresh Annual, New A/C Compressor and A/C Flush, Midlife FCU inspection. $650,000 A lower time 402 is also available. Contact Jay at 515-961-4026 or jay@agritechaviation.com

New AT-504, PT6A-34AG, Available in May, MVP50, radios, S.P. Fuel.

Contact Farm Air at 877-715-8476 or hcurless@farmairinc.com

March Delivery! New AT-802A, PT6A65AG, 308 fuel, MVP50, Kawak, radios, Falcon/FlowControl.

Contact Farm Air at 877-715-8476 or hcurless@farmairinc.com

2004 AT-602, Aircraft has Air Repair hydraulic gate, G4 GPS, Reabe hopper gauge, new Intelliflow 3 in flow control, new batteries, overhauled starter generator, new tires & brakes. Engine power section overhauled at 7938.3 hrs, fresh hot section, 1st stage PT blades replaced at 5792.6 hrs, PT stator replaced at 6292 hrs, CT blades replaced & guide vane overhauled at 7788.8 hrs. Overhauled prop w/new blades due to prop strike. Landing gear replaced at 5792.6 hrs. $700K.

Contact 530-570-9412 or porterwade@yahoo.com

1994 AT-401, Cascade Turbine

Conversion M601E-11 AFTT: 4,690.6 hrs

Engine TT: 193.6 hrs Overhauled by GE May 2023. Propeller: 193.6 hrs Wing

Spar Modification completed March 2019 at 4,201.3 hrs AFTT 170 US Gallon fuel with Turbine Conversion Single Point Fuel System AgNav Platinum Guidance and Flow Control ReaBee Hopper Qty System 2 sets of booms ASC-A10 Atomizers and CP09-3P. $575K.

Contact 306-786-3345 or Devan@goodspiritair.com

1989 AT-401, Cascade Turbine

Conversion M601E-11 AFTT: 8,662.0 hrs

Engine TT: 1,910.4 hrs shop revision completed by GE May 2023 all ADs and SBs complied with. Propeller: 1,881.5 hrs. Wing Spar Replaced December 2017 at 7,642.9 hrs AFTT. Gear Legs replaced in 2014 at 7,025.7 hrs IAW Air Tractor

SL. 170 US Gallon fuel with Turbine Conversion Single Point Fuel System AgNav Platinum Guidance and Flow Control ReaBee Hopper Qty System 2 sets of booms ASC-A10 and CP09-3P. $475K. Contact 306-786-3345 or devan@goodspiritair.com

2011 AT-502B, PT6-34AG, TTSN7192, TTAE 7192, HartzellHCB3TN-30, TT Prop 7192, TT Since Overhaul 515,Satloc, Fresh Annual, One Owner. $499K.

Contact 318-303-3147 or brandonmulhern@gmail.com

2010 AT-802A, N354FS, PT6A-67AG, 7298 TTAF/E, Satloc G4 w/Flow, Becker comm radio, Vondran 10-inch gate, flashing LED lights on nose and LED nav lights, MVP, load hawg. 390 SPOH with New Blades, 390 Since Starter Generator OH, 390 Since Bleed Valve OH, 1300 Since FCU OH, 1300 Since new landing gear, 0since CT blades with warranty, 0 since PT blades with warranty. Hot Section/power section currently removed for inspection and blade replacement. CT at EOS Miami. PT at Covington Aircraft Engines. Currently in annual with several new components including: New Tires/rotors and brakes, New flap torque tube, New Amsafe seat belt, New rudder trim tab, New elevator trim tab, New mup fuel sensor, Plus painting tail spring, and general other annual maintenance. $1,100,000.

Contact Allen at allen.andersona3@gmail.com

1996 AT-502B, N196PK, S/N 502B-0364, TTAF 12,418.0, P&W PT6A-34AG, TTE 12,418.0, TS HSI 662.5, Hartzell Propeller 5413.3 hrs. Equipped with:VG’s, Spreader, GPS Bantam, Intelliflow, Load Hawg, Bottom Fuel, Lights, Heat/Air Conditioner, Smoker Lane Electric Brake, MVP-50T Glass Panel, Weath Aero Fan, AMSafe Seat Belts. Wing spars replaced 1/18/11, 7798.2 TTA, 9800.0 hrs. life limit, 5180.1-time remailing, Annual 10/3/23 by Ag Air Aircraft.

Contact Danny at Mid-Continent 800-325-0885 or dhelms@midcont.com

New 2024 AT-802A’s for Spring/ Summer 2024.

Contact Dave at Portage Aircraft Specialties 1-204-870-2828 or sales@portageaircraft.ca

New and used 502XP’s available for Spring 2024.

Contact Dave at Portage Aircraft Specialties 1-204-870-2828 or sales@portageaircraft.ca

1998 AT-402B -34AG, 7618hrs TT airframe; 484hrs since hot section, willing to do pending sale. Hartzell 3-bladed prop 784hrs since OH. Brand new spars and fresh annual. SATLOC M3 with booms, pump, and electric brake. $675.

Contact +1 (979) 543-5272 or industinc@gmail.com

1999 AT-602, TTAF 11K, PT6A-65AG, 8886 TTSN, Covington upgrades, FCU 0-since overhaul, new PT blades, new engine mount, fresh spars, 216 fuel, S.P. fuel, Falcon GPS/IF3 flow, wingman, 7 1/2 gate, com radio, AM Safe harness, new gear legs, more.

Contact Farm Air at 877-715-8476 or hcurless@farmairinc.com

2009 AT-402B,N422RD, PT6A-34AG, Cascade Inlet, Smoker, Right-hand boom shutoff, Night work lights, Stainless spray system, AFTT and ETT is 30hrs. $1,200,000.

Contact Neal Aircraft at 806-828-5892 or robert@nealaircraft.com

2015 AT-502B, TTAE 3,940 hrs, P&W-34AG-Includes Reabe hopper gauge, smoker, factory air-conditioning, and ram air induction. OPTIONS: Lane electric pump brake & fan, Satloc G4 w/ Intelliflow, Shadin fuel flow monitor, Vortex Generators, cockpit Heater, LED nose mounted pulse/taxi lights, Storm Cutters. AVIONICS - Garmin GMA 345 audio panel (Bluetooth), Garmin GTR 225 comm radio, Garmin GTX 335 transponder (ADS-B out), ANR helmet/headset power port. ENGINE: 363 hrs SHSI, 363 hrs SMOH FCU, 363 hrs SMOH prop governor. Aircraft current total time, 3940 hours both airframe and engine since new. Aircraft is in excellent condition throughout, with all maintenance records up to date and AD’s complied with. See spec sheet for details. $745K.

Contact Clyde at 956-202-2094 or pat@svatexas.com

2020 AT-802A, N8043F, TT 2,000Optional Equipment: 308 Gallon Fuel, Elec. Brake Gr. Adj, Smoker, G4 w/ Flowcontrol, 5” Air Repair Hydraulic Gate, Stainless Steel Cam Locks, Fast Start, Storm Cutters, Wingman & Single Point Fuel, Fresh HSI and Annual.

Contact +1 (870) 295-6213 or garrett@FrostFlying.com

2015 AT-502B, N3081V, TT 2,800, Hobbs 2,725, Optional Equipment: Stainless Steel Cam Locks, Wingman, Bantam w/Flowcontrol, Smoker, Electric Brake Gr. Adj., & Hatfield Single Point Fuel, Fresh HSI & Annual.

Contact +1 (870) 295-6213 or garrett@FrostFlying.com

Looking for all models of Air Tractor 400, 500 & 600 series aircraft to purchase. The newer, the better but will consider 2006 and newer.

Contact 616-837-9428 or ann@turbineconversions.com

1986 AT-301 Airframe Only - Parting Out, Approximately 5700 TTSN. NO ENGINE. AT-301: Wings, Tail Feathers, Airframe, Firewall Foreword Less Engine/Prop, Gauges, Gear leg, Hopper, STD Gate Box, Booms, Boom Hangars, Pump, Valve & Plumbing, etc., Flaps, and Ailerons.

Contact Farm Air at 877-715-8476 or hcurless@farmairinc.com

1981 AT-301, N2367C, S/N: 3010412, TTAF: 15734.8, Tach: 1220.5, Wings: New spars installed by Air Tractor Certified Repair Station (Zero time), Paint: 8 yrs. P&W R-1340-S3H1-G, S/N: ZP104037, TTE: 10353.8, SMOH: 128.8, Propeller: 3 Bladed, Hydromatic Propeller, Manufacturer: Hamilton Standard, Model: 23D40-311, TT: 1220.5, TSOH: 128.8, Miscellaneous, SATLOC M3, Smoker, Night Work Lights. $105K.

Contact Neal Aircraft at 806-828-5892 or robert@nealaircraft.com

Late model, low time, 2018 AT-602. 3600hrs Total Time. G4, center point fuel, AFS check valves, CP flat fans.

Contact 979-541-7864 or tradewindag@yahoo.com

Almost new 502XP, 437 hrs total time. Garmin comm and transponder with ADSB out. Turbine Conversions center point fuel. AgPilotX with flow control. Wingman, Storm cutters. Owner-flown and dealer-maintained.

Contact +1 (979) 541-7864 or tradewindag@yahoo.com

Aircraft – Cessna

1975 Cessna A188B Ag Wagon, TTAF 7410, Continental IO520 TTE 1400, Prop TT 650. Well cared for and maintained Midwest aircraft. Robertson STOL, M3 with 2” flow control, super booms, CP 11 nozzles, winglets, 3 position strobes, full and complete logs. $130,000.

Contact 402-640-9771 or jfickes54@gmail.com

CESSNA AGWAGON‚ $75,000‚ 1972

A188B Cessna Agwagon, 4695TT, 538 since Western Skyways factory spec continental IO-520-D engine install 300HP, Hartzell 3blade TopProp, dropped airfoil super boom, CP Nozzles, Flagger, smoker, Satloc litestar GPS, XP tail wheel, Spreader, new glass, new pedals, new

cables, original logs, northern MN airplane, no corrosion. Must sell.

Contact 701-388-4104 or devries@arvig.net

1976 Cessna A188B AgTruck for Sale. N4881QClean Midwest Aircraft!! Complete log books and history; AD’s Current all up to date; Fresh Annual as of 6/2022 Always Hangared and well maintained. AFTT: 8648.0 hours | PropTT: 1802.6 hours w/ 787.8 since prop overhaul | EngTT: 1194.0 hours on Remanufactured engine | Excellent Compressions. Engine: IO-550-D | Fuel: 52-gal Fuel Usable | Fuel Burn: 15gpa | Hopper Size: 220 Gal | Cruise speed: 120 mph | VG kit installed for better STOL capabilities. The Aircraft interior and exterior are in great condition. Additional Photos available. Spray Equipment: Satloc II, Automatic flagman, Lightbar. $135,000. Contact

Clean northern plane well maintained. Air conditioning, Satloc 99, Agrinautics spray pump, lane Break. $210,000.

Contact Jim Knox 218-289-1999 email jim@agrimaxllc.com

1968 Cessna 300 HP Ag-Wagon, Only

7075 TTSN, 1174 SFREMan in 2009, IO 520, 1350 on New PROP, Lite Star GPS, STOL Kit, Airfoil Booms w /CP nozzles, Crop Hawk 4100, Dual bottom loads, Weath Aero Fan, Fresh Annual. $13000 spent with cables. Ready to make money. Awesome flying airplane. $74,900.

Contact Jacob at 605-661-7525 or 605-661-7525 or jcbhoffner@gmail.com

1974 Cessna 188B, N888BT, SIN 0001782T, Engine IO-520-D11B SIN 1031405, McCauley Prop #D2A34C98 SIN 961474, TTAF 5194.0, Engine TSMOH 1069.8, Prop TSPOH 1263.5. Engine: Factory overhauled on 10/16/15. Comp last annual 60/69/62/62/64/61 over 80, mag sent off in 2022 for 500-hour inspection. Has Airwolf remote oil filter, Starter drive OH in 2019, Starter OH in 2020. Airframe: All Leading Edge skins were replaced in 2023 due to dents, along with a couple of top skins, and the top of RT Airlerium wings were repainted to match. Wings reinstalled with all new hardware. Installed all new Mich lunging gear attached bolts and saddles. Has Trig comm radio, Hydraulic spray pump, 8.50 x 10 tires, Satloc 99 GPS, New side windows in 2022, New tailwheel assembly in 2014, Engine mount was removed and refurbished in 2022 due to surface rust, New left bladder in 2014, new right bladder in 2016. Prop: Overhauled in 2014, Flushed in 2016 due to new engine, Govenor OH in 2016. $125,000.

Contact Aaron Peterson at 870-2538242 or email aaron@advantageagair.us

Cessna 188 AgTruck, List $90K, Floor $75K, Very nice well-maintained and professionally flown Cessna A188-B, AFTT:5648.9 with Hydraulic spray system, Superbooms, Satloc, Crophawk, VGS and more. EngineContinental IO-520-D TSO:961.4. Prop, McCauley B2A34C205C TSO: 961.4. All compressions are good, no issues. Annual will be completed by mid-May 2023.

Contact Zack at Red Willow Chemical at 308-777-2585 or email fuel@ rwaviation.com

Cessna 185, N185HR, Model: A185F, TTAE: 475 original hours. Comes with fresh annual. Make offer. Located in Springfield, Colorado. $575K.

Contact Neal Aircraft at 806-828-5892 or robert@nealaircraft.com

1978 Cessna Ag Truck, 5832 TTAF, 625 TTE, 550 TT on prop, 8.50X10 Clevelands, GPS, field ready. Price reduced to $102,000.

Contact Reggie Odom at 850-336-0554 or ncsflyboy@yahoo.com

Aircraft – Piper

1982 Piper Super Cub. Lowest time Piper built Cub on the planet, 650 hours TTSN, 0 SMOH, Stits Fabric, beautiful paint, Com Radio, L3 Lynx transponder with ADSB in-out with touchscreen weather, traffic.

Contact Clyde at 956-202-2094

Aircraft – Thrush

1997 Thrush S2R-G10, 7,138 TTAF, 9737 TTE, CK-41, 931 OH Prop w/ new blades, 1,198 TSGBI, 226 HOT by TAE, wing tips, VG’s, Kawak hydraulic, A/C, pump, spray valve. CP-11’s, com radio, Auto Cal II, Satloc G4, four battery conversion, fast start, hopper gauge, Hatfield single point fuel, new windows. Clean Aircraft.

Contact 920-849-2199 or Countrysideaviation@gmail.com

1977 Turbine Thrush - Cascade conversion M601E-11 AFTT 6,038 TSMOH 1,400, SB& AD’s completed 08/2023 prop 0 since overhaul 2023, Fuel 192 gal, Hatfield fuel loading system. Air conditioning, GPS Satloc G4 with Intelliflow, Reabe hopper gauge, two sets of booms with atomizers, annual with or without sale. $540,000.

Contact Roland Jenson at 306-860-8172 or Rolandjenson@hotmail.com

2005 Thrush 510-34, 7806 TTAF, PT6A-34AG, TTE7806, Since overhaul -

7806, Hot section - 500, Hartzell PropellerHC-B3TN-3D, TTProp 7806, Prop overhaul - 3440, SATLOC G4, Spreader, Booms with CP11’s, Flow Control, Comm Radio, Singal Point Fuel, Shadin System, Extra Prop, Annual Due August 2024. Thrush airframe logbook available upon request. $475K. Contact Dalton Hitchcock at 870-278-7727 or Daltonhmflying@gmail.com

1977 Thrush S2R Radial, TTAF 7500, Engine: P&W 1340-2, 384 SMOH, Prop: 23D40/384 hr., Spring Tail Wheel, 20 inch main wheels, LightStar 5 GPS, 2-12V Dry cell battery, Full retractable lights and turn lights on tips. $50,000 OBO. Contact 760-996-2032 or mstuhr60@gmail.com

1975 Thrush with Garret -10. 500 gallon hopper. Engine total time since new 5038.7, airframe 9910.9. TSCAM 593.9; TSGBI 593.9;TSHSI 593.9; PTSN 593.9 160hrs. since New lower spar caps and upper spar car extensions. Winglets, Vortex generators, AgNav GPS. CP 11 nozzles. Annual due July 2024. Located in central Nebraska. Contact Rex at 308-214-1516 or Rexdkelley@gmail.com

2023 510P with 115 total time. Equipment: Smoker, Leading Edge lights, Micro VGs, Falcon GPS, Intelliflow, Sideload fuel, Garmin GTX 327, Garmin GMA 340, Garmin GTR 225. Contact Danny at Mid-Continent 800-325-0885 or Dhelms@midcont.com

1974 Rockwell International S-2R for Sale. N4224XFabric Tail Feathers!! Complete log books and history; Last Annual: 6/2022 Always Hangared. AFTT: 10,527.1hrs | PropTT: 4935.9 hrs | EngTT: 2287hrs TS: 742 TTO: 43 TC: 1685 FC:2207 | Spar AD: 2,421.1hr left | Engine AD: Due. Engine: Walters M601E11 | Fuel: 192-gal Fuel Capacity | Fuel Burn: 50 gpa | Horsepower: 600hp Tank size: 500Gal | Cruise speed: 125 mph | VG kit installed for better STOL capabilities.The Aircraft interior and exterior are in good condition. Additional Photos available. Avionics:

Satloc M3 Flow Control. Aircraft Extra Info: Single point Fuel, A/C, wing extension, Turtledeck. $180,000. Contact 701-567-2069 or jimrlindquist@gmail.com

1979 S2R-T34-015, C-GMQC. Fuselage Configuration Dual Cockpit / 400 Gallon hopper. Airframe Hours 4558. Engine Serial Number PT6-34AG PCE-56690. Engine TTSN 4506 hrs / 6067 cycles. Engine 4000 hr TSO 1736 hoursCovington. Engine Time Since HSI 0 hours. Propeller HCB3TN-3C TSO 0 hours. Max Take-off weight TCCA LSTC - 9120 lbs. Basic Empty Weight 4597 lbs. Comm 1 Garmin SL40. Comm 2

Garmin SL40. Audio Panel Garmin GMA340. Attitude Indicator RCA2600-3Digital. Transponder / ADS-B L3

NGT-9000D SBAS. Navigation GPS

Garmin Aera 796. Heading Indicator RCA15EK- Electric. ME406 ELT 453-6603. Engine Instruments AnalogUMA Tri Gauge. Cascade Cowls complied with. Kawak Engine Controls complied with. Serv Aero Tailwheel Assy complied with. ATS Vortex Generators complied with. Tail Surfaces Fabric. Dual Batteries

Gill Complied With. Additional Options: Servo Tabs, Cleveland Wheels and Brakes, SB-AG-34 Wing Attach Beef Up, SB-AG-23 Steel Reinforcement Web

Doubler Kit SS2R-FF-002, AG-29 Big Butterfly and Lower Splice Plate Kit, Fresh Hot Section Inspection, Freshly Overhauled Propeller. Contact Paul at 506-654-6834 or pitzner.paul@jdirving.com

1979 S2R-T34-014, C-GMQB. Fuselage

Configuration Dual Cockpit / 400 Gallon hopper. Airframe Hours 4389. Engine Serial Number PT6-34AG PCE-56683. Engine TTSN 4389 hrs / 6047 cycles. Engine 4000 hr TSO 1068 hours-Vector Aerospace. Engine Time Since HSI 643.3 hours. Propeller HCB3TN-3C TSO 532 hours. Max Take-off weight TCCA LSTC - 9120 lbs. Basic Empty Weight 4572 lbs. Comm 1 Garmin SL40. Comm 2 Garmin SL40.Audio Panel Garmin GMA340. Attitude Indicator RCA2600-3-Digital. Transponder / ADS-B L3 NGT-9000D SBAS. Navigation GPS Garmin Aera 796. Heading Indicator RCA15EKElectric. ME406 ELT 453-6603. Engine Instruments Analog - UMA Tri Gauge. Cascade Cowls complied with. Kawak Engine Controls complied with. Serv Aero Tailwheel Assy complied with. ATS Vortex Generators complied with. Tail Surfaces Fabric. Dual Batteries Gill Complied With.

Additional Options: Servo Tabs, Cleveland Wheels and Brakes, SB-AG-34 Wing Attach Beef Up, SB-AG-23 Steel Reinforcement Web

Doubler Kit SS2R-FF-002, AG-29, Big Butterfly and Lower Splice Plate Kit. Contact Paul at 506-654-6834 or pitzner.paul@jdirving.com

1979 S2R-T34-013Thrush, C-GMQA. Fuselage Configuration Dual Control

Cockpit / 400 Gallon hopper. Airframe

Hours 4765. Engine Serial Number

PT6-34AG PCE-56682. Engine TTSN 4765 hrs / 6980 cycles. Engine 4000 hr TSO 1345 hours- Vector Aerospace. Engine Time Since HSI 0 hours.

Propeller HCB3TN-3C TSO 1338 hours. Max Take-off weight TCCA LSTC - 9120 lbs. Basic Empty Weight 4632 lbs. Comm 1 Garmin SL40. Comm 2 Garmin SL40. Audio Panel Garmin GMA340. Attitude Indicator RCA2600-3-Digital. Transponder / ADS-B L3 NGT-9000D SBAS. Navigation GPS Garmin Aera 796. Heading Indicator RCA1510-3 -Digital. ME406 ELT 453-6603. Engine Instruments Analog - UMA Tri Gauge. Cascade Cowls complied with. Kawak Engine Controls complied with. Serv Aero Tailwheel Assy complied with. ATS Vortex Generators complied with. Tail Surfaces Fabric. Dual Batteries Concorde Complied With. Additional Options: Servo Tabs, Cleveland Wheels and Brakes, SB-AG-34 Wing Attach Beef Up, SB-AG-23 Steel Reinforcement Web

Doubler Kit SS2R-FF-002, AG-29.Big Butterfly and Lower Splice Plate Kit, Fresh Hot Section Inspection. Contact Paul at 506-654-6834 or pitzner.paul@jdirving.com

1991 S2R-T34 Thrush, N672EH, 11,349 TTAF, PT6A -42 engine, TSO 3583.6, Load Master 4-blade propeller, Power Pressure Cowling with Quick Change Power Filter System, GPS SATLOC M3, Flow Control, Intelliflow, Spray Pump, Booms, Winglets, New Paint. Contact at 812-877-2587 or turbines@turbinesinc.com

Aircraft – Other

1968 Citabria 7ECA, clean and solid airplane, TTAE - 2,928, time since complete Top OH -

- 1,360 hrs, Last annual inspection09/2023. $62,000.

Contact Kevin Jones 662-292-7541 or tunicaair@gmail.com

Southeastern operation in search of a multi/twin engine GPS equipped aircraft set up for mosquito spraying to purchase or lease long term. Must be capable of night operations. Please email your aircraft details, including the cost to blindads@ agairupdate.com Subject: ID#2579

Contact blindads@agairupdate.com

1956 Transland Ag-2, Serial No. 1, Total Time Airframe 1,091 Hours, Pratt & Whitney 1340. This rare and unique agricultural aircraft is the prototype of the Transland Ag-2 and the sole remaining example of only three built. Following many years and almost 1,100 hours operating in Uruguay, it was withdrawn from service in 1993 and subsequently dismantled and kept in storage until it was imported into New Zealand in 2003 where it has since been on display as part of a collection of vintage and collectable agricultural aircraft. The airframe is thought to be complete although the engine is a non-standard geared Pratt & Whitney 1340 that has been installed for display purposes only. The propeller is on loan and will not be sold with the aircraft. It is accompanied with an extensive and interesting library of logbooks and other associated documentation. Available for inspection at Palmerton North, New Zealand. If required, the vendor will dismantle and pack into the purchaser’s container without cost to the purchaser. Download tender documents and photos online at https://premi-air.co.nz/translandag-2/ For sale by tender – bids invited.

Contact Harry Maidment, Premi-Air Aviation Ltd at +64 27 496 5867 or email: harry@premi-air.com

1951 DeHavilland Chipmunk, 340 hours since a ground-up restoration, 1900 SMOH (340 since top) on a 210 HP Lycoming IO-360, 3-blade Hartzell prop, Pitts Cowling. Beautiful airplane. $85,000.00.

Contact Chad Stuart at Airplane Services, Inc. 850-380-6091 or ncsflyboy@yahoo.com

1938 Boeing A75N1(PT17), N54284, TTAF 6080.7, R985-AN-14B, TTE 520.4, Annual 6/2021, Garmin SL-

40COM, Garmin GTX 327 TXP, PS Engineering PM-1200, Installed Oilmatic Pre-oiler, Installed Airwolf remote oil filter, Smoker, Speed ring, total fuel 56 gallons, Redline brakes, Garmin GDL 82 ADSB-OUT.

Contact Danny at Mid-Continent 800-325-0885 or dhelms@midcont.com

Brand new 2022 Laviasa PA-25-235 Puelche. Ready to ship or fly. SMOH 0.0 hrs. TT 0.0 hrs. Lycoming O-540-B2C5. 1A200/FA8452 prop. 180 gallons hopper and complete spray system. 53 gallons center fuel tank.

Contact 54 (346) 246-3488 or aravia@aravia.com.ar

B1-A Callair Manufacturing Rights. Available now is the type certificate, drawings, jigs, tooling, aircraft parts, and property associated with this 300 gal Pratt and Whitney 985 powered sprayer. Start your own aircraft company or expand your line.

Contact +1 (850) 380-6091 or ncsflyboy@yahoo.com

Aircraft – Helicopters

REDUCED $160,000 1969 Bell G4A,11550 ACTT, 468 Since 1200 insp., VO-540 B1B3 508 SOH, with Hi-domes, Brackett filt, No-Bar, Tex. sprag, Fix.Elev, Duals, Jasco Alt. Air Wolf Oil filter, APU, Hooker Har. Bruce custom covers, LED NAV/BCN, “0” Since 300 hr Grip insp. new R/L side door windows with sliders, Specs upon request, too many new parts to list. Includes Isolair B3600 sys. with Hyd. 2” pump, and Agnav Silver with Auto Cal and Int 4900 mix truck with recent: pumps, fuel tanks & filt, trailer available. Contact bell47soloy@gmail.com

Bell 206B and 206L models for sale or lease, spray-ready.

Contact hunter Parker at 561-723-3592 or Brian Parker at 561-723-1991

Engine - Piston

Continental TSIO 520-B - Running when removed due to low compression (60/80 one cylinder) from C320 twin with 1040 SMOH. It has a VAR crank, includes mags, and a complete log. Turbo, starter, and Alternator are available for an extra charge. As is, no warranty, no returns. Will crate you pay actual shipping cost. $3000. Contact 701-388-4104

Pratt & Whitney R-985 & R-1340 Engines in stock. All with new pistons installed. Overhauled by Aero Recip, Covington, Tulsa and Younkin. Contact 661-257-7708

Pratt & Whitney R-985 & R-1340

Complete OHC Cylinder Assemblies OHC in stock, all with new pistons installed and all gaskets and seals to install. We also stock new and overhauled magnetos, OHC carbs, starters fuel pumps, etc. Top overhaul tool kits $250 each.

Contact 661-257-7708

R1340 Engine Overhaul - New pistons, new bearings, mags, ignition harness, carb, with warranty outright/exchange.

Contact Chester Roberts Supply Company at 903-429-6805

R985-AN1-14B Tulsa Overhaul, New pistons, Bosch mags, ignition harness, carb with warranty outright/exchange. Call for more information.

Contact Chester Roberts Supply Company at 903-429-6805

Engine - Turbine

PT6A-34 PCE-57524 For Sale, TSN 8341.4, FSN 15632, SCN 3912, EOS Overhaul.

Contact 817-354-2002

PT6A-34AG Exchange Engine, Part Number 302088, Serial Number PEC-RB0343. Available for immediate delivery. PT6A rotating component service life record is in the pictures. Visit our website, taeaerospace.com, to find out more about our extensive PT6A services. Contact TAE Aerospace at 480-500-6677 or sales@taeaerospace.com

TPE331-6 (Super conversion STC to -511B) SN: P-27069C. Engine has only 372.2 hours Since MAJOR Overhaul!! And only 4830 hours TT Since NEW! - LOW cycles (status sheet below for download). The following work was just completed at TAE Aerospace: 0 Hours Since - Level 3 Prop strike inspection; 0 Hours Since - Hot section Inspection and Gear box inspection; 0 Hours SinceOverhauled FCU/Prop Governor/Fuel pump installation. Ready to ship from Idaho! Asking $400,000 USD and will consider trades of aircraft and engines! ASI JET Specializes in Aircraft Sales, Maintenance, and Parts Support. Please Call for more information! *All specifications are subject to verification upon inspection by buyer. Contact ASI Jet Sales at 320-587-7615

Equipment - Dispersal

New and overhauled Air Tractor and Thrush boost pumps in stock. Delco A4949 motor with 400 GPH AN4101 fuel pump attached. Outright and exchange. We supply these direct to both factories.

Contact +1 (661) 257-7708

Sorenson spray tank made for a Piper Super Cub, 80-gallon tank, fiberglass, and stored inside. $500.

Contact Don Kothe at +1 (308) 692-3315

Hi-Tek Rotary booms and nozzles, eight nozzles per boom, left boom 198” right 195” Generation 1 Davidon’s - Removed from 402 located in

Benkelman, NE. $6,200 OBO.

Contact Stan at 308-883-0047

2012 Breakenridge 14 vane Spreader for standard 802 5” gate with quick attach. $10K.

Contact Stan at 308-883-0047

Multiple 8 Vane Transland spreaders for sale. 38 inch gate. Located in Hillsboro, ND.

Contact Rob at 218-415-0205

For Sale - High quality Stainless Steel booms, pumps and nozzles! On the shelf and ready to ship.

Contact mark@turbineconversions.com

New Zanoni Equipment Atomizers in stock and ready to ship at Turbine Conversions, Ltd in Michigan. High quality, stainless steel, tested, proven, and US operators are loving these atomizers.

Contact 616-837-9428

Cockpit adjustable flow control kit. Manual control or GPS variable rate ready. Integrates into existing hydraulic systems.

Contact +1 (541) 385-5051

AT-802 Hatfield Fire Gate - New Production ready to ship! Original Hydraulic Clam Shell Design, STC, BLM & IATB Approved. Proven reliable design, currently fighting fires in North & South America. Built tough, lighter weight, and affordable pricing available options. Other aircraft models available - STC on All models of AT, Thrush, and M18 Dromader with short lead time.

Contact 616-837-9428Equipment

Transland 10 vane spreader for 38‚ gate, new, $13,000.

Contact 281-342-5451

Transland Spreader, 25‚ Slimline in fair condition. $750.

Contact +1 (478) 494-3757

For sale: Trotter Controls computerized fire gates (4) FRDS GEN I and (1) FRDS GEN II, (2) GEN I available immediately, and 2 GEN I and 1 GEN II available spring of 2023. All systems are complete (less the wire harness), asking $250K for all (5) or $65K each. Systems were removed operational to upgrade to the GEN III system.

Contact 506-261-5023

Fire Gate Hatfield Hydraulic Drop Door, USFS / BLM approved, Fits Thrush, Dromader, can be adapted to Air Tractor 502 or 802, excellent condition, with streamlined fairings, all controls included. $5,000 Any reasonable offer accepted! Needs to go! S.E.A.T. program is expanding. Pilot/contractor training available.

Contact +1 (530) 345-9919

Various Ag Cat Spares available. Please contact us for the price.

Contact spares@orsmondaviation.

co.za or +27 58 303 5261 or visit our website at https://orsmondaviation.co.za/

New without warranty spray equipment for all Air Tractor models, including

pumps, booms, and nozzles. Call for pricing and availability.

Contact 817-456-5450

SUPERBOOMS, Thrush Servos; Maintenance on Ag & G.A. Aircraft Including Heavy Structural Repairs; Robinson Helicopter Service Center; Machining, Fabricating & Sheet Metal Gurus.

Contact +1 (701) 642-5777

(2)Transland SS 22274 38‚ to 25‚ gate box adapters & 21966 Gate Boxes. $2500 Each or $4000 for both plus shipping.

Contact 620-525-6712

Miscellaneous Items For Sale - 50 brass T-Jet nozzles complete with swirl plates $250. Transland gate box for hopper SS good condition, 25 inch $500. Cal Max Helmet large, very good, complete w/ face plates. Wired for headset. $500. One alternator, new, 100 amp, adapter for P&W engines, electrical parts for night spraying $600.

Contact Al at 208-569-3407

Equipment - GPS

3 - Complete Trac Map Flight 3 systems (lightbar, head unit, cables, antenna etc.)

Miscellaneous Trac Map Flight 3 Parts

- Light Bars, Cables, Wireless Dongles. Satloc - Light bar and cable. Equipment

- Ag Nav - Ag Flow 1 Screens (6 total). Screen and mounting brackets only. Make me an offer on it all or willing to part out separate.

Contact 1 (306) 786-3345

Helicopter light bar now available with the new iPad based guidance systemAgPilotX. Entire system with helicopter light bar is 13 lbs.

Contact Anthony Fay with Insero for details 480-285-4367

Wanted: SATLOC Bantams, G4 Units & Flow Controllers.

Contact Mike at Orsmond Aerial Spray (Pty) Ltd +27 58 303 5261 or email mikep@orsmondaviation.co.za

Equipment - Parts

Thrush H-80STC SA04485CHTop Hat Header Tank Modification. STC solves issues with FCU and extends the factory recommended replacement of the auxiliary fuel pump from 500 hours to 3,500 hours. Currently have 4 spots open for early 2024 delivery. Contact your favorite Thrush dealerfor more details.

Contact Thrush dealer orann@ turbineconversions.com

Tools for reaming attach bolts wing main (Center wing to outboard wing) Attachment joints for Dromader M-18 per repair service bulletin #e/02.170/2000 Available for rent.

Contact ann@turbineconversions.com or 616-837-9428

Reinforced Thrush Leading Edges - Send your leading edges to us, and we will

reinforce them with durable custom extruded aluminum reinforcements. Available directly from Turbine Conversions, Ltd.

Contact 616-837-9428

Pratt & Whitney Engine Cores, Engine Parts Inventories, Cylinders, Starters, Fuel Pumps and Boost Pumps.

Contact +1 (661) 257-7708

Thrush S2R STC battery retrofit kit. 300% longer battery service life. 200% faster starts. Battery replacement costs 25% of the original.

Contact +1 (541) 385-5051

New and overhauled Air Tractor and Thrush boost pumps in stock. Delco A4949 motor with 400 GPH AN4101 fuel pump attached. Outright and exchange. We supply these direct to both factories.

Contact +1 (661) 257-7708

Complete stock of all P&W R-985 & R-1340 engine parts. Also P&W tools, Top OH tool kits, Time Rite kits, engine mounts, Champion & Tempest spark plugs, parts books, OH and maintenance manuals, Mags, carbs, starters, fuel pumps boost pumps. Also, R-1830, R-200, R-2800 engines and parts.

Contact +1 (661) 257-7708

Ag Cat Frameworks, All Models, 4130 weld assys, fixture perfect, ready to install. Struts, wires, hoppers, long fuel, high-wings, dispersal equipment, hardware, all upgrades, components, and spares.

Contact +1 (870) 886-2418

AV-KOR1 Helmets Available Now! The AV-KOR1 helmet is made out of a fiberglass composite, utilizing Koroyd and an anti-microbial comfort liner making it the lightest aviation helmet on the market. Features Fire Retardant trim and a FIDLOCK buckle system. Works with any aftermarket in-helmet communications devices. North Star Aviation is the First Lift Aviation Dealer.

Contact North Star Aviation at 620-356-4528

LA-K-009 Leaf Spring Conversion Kit

PA25 - CTS 1109.21 - Speed increase, large service life, and minimum maintenance. Kit includes spring, brackets, installation hardware, and certs. Made by Lavia SA, manufacturer of the PA-25 Puelche.

Contact +54 (346) 246-3488

Transland Pump Mount.

Contact Billy Maxwell at Transland 940687-1100 or email sales@translandllc.com

Transland Aluminum Boom ClampsLarge & Small.

Contact Billy Maxwell at Transland 940687-1100 or email sales@translandllc.com

Transland 4”‚ Delrin Hopper Vents.

Contact Billy Maxwell at Transland 940687-1100 or email sales@translandllc.com

Transland Grip Steps for AT aircraft. Contact Billy Maxwell at Transland 940687-1100 or email sales@translandllc.com

New Brushless Motor Airframe Fuel Pump - STC kits for PT6 Air Tractor and THRUSH aircraft. Long lasting, solid state, with fail safes.

Contact 509-635-1212

2013 AT-502B Firewall forward parts: Engine mount, cowling and Ram Air filter system. All parts with less than 1400 hours total time. Very clean and well maintained AT-502B.

Contact Cascade Aircraft Conversions for more details 1-509-635-1212

Radial Parts: 2 Fiberglass AT Speed Rings, 1 THRUSH Speed Ring, 1 Radial engine mount with ring. Make offer. Contact 509-635-1212

PT6A-140AG 867SHP STC Kit for THRUSH 510P & 510G AircraftComplete Firewall forward bolt-on STC kits for the 510G and 510P. Thrush model aircraft. Contact Cascade Aircraft to secure the 867SHP-certified upgrade STC kit for your THRUSH 510 aircraft. Contact 509-635-1212

AT-502 sheet metal. Some new, some used, all airworthy. Mostly fwd. lower fuselage. $500 for all OBO. Will box and ship for materials and labor. Contact 530-345-9919

Ayres Thrush ‘Hoerner’ wing tips. Left and right, no damage. $500 for the pair. Contact Gary at 530-345-9919

garyhendricksonn3n@gmail.com

Equipment - Support

Like new portable load pad suitable for an 802. Very little use.

Contact Farm Air at 877-715-8476

Ground Support Engine Driven Transfer Pump, Zanoni Equipment’s all stainless steel construction paired with a Honda 13 HP motor.

Contact 616-837-9428

3” load, mix tank, fully contained and lockable, air compressor and storage complete and ready to go.

Contact Farm Air at 877-715-8476

Help Wanted

2 Canadian Turbine Pilot Wanted

Kinniburgh Spray Service LTD, based in Taber, AB is a proactive organization with over 70 years of service, requires 2 Professional Agriculture Aerial Applicators to fly our Air Tractors 502 and or 802 from May 30, 2024 to September 30, 2024. Job duties: Fly fixed wing Turbine Air Tractor safely and efficiently. Work with customers and ground crew in a professional manner. Be available when conditions are optimum. Perform elementary maintenance and servicing

of aircraft and maintain journey logs following Transport Canada guidelines. Certificates Required: Canadian Commercial pilots license, Alberta and Saskatchewan Aerial Pesticide, Applicator License, Valid Category One Medical license. Skills Required: Min 2500 Hrs Ag Turbine of which 1000 hrs must be turbine Air Tractor, Proficient in speaking, reading and writing English, Capable of operating Satloc GPS systems, Clean Flight Record, Insurable through our insurance provider. Wages/Salary: $95/Hr based on 40hr/week, overtime with remuneration. Wages based on acres sprayed, acres sprayed in season depend upon weather and farm economy. Workers compensation provided. Benefits and relocation expenses provided.

Email resume including references to info@kinniburghspray.com. Only successful applicants will be contacted

2 Professional Turbine Ag Pilots for the 2024 spray season. Operating Thrush 510P aircraft from May 15, 2024 to October 15, 2024. Job duties include providing aerial application on fields primarily in Saskatchewan and possibly other provinces. Must be insurable on Thrush 510P aircraft, and capable of operating a Satloc GPS system or able to learn it. Must be able to speak, read, and write proficient English. Accident-free flight record is preferred. Housing and vehicle can be provided if needed. Wage is $50/ hour, 40 hours/week. Performancebased bonus is offered. Workers compensation provided. Call Justin Farr at Farr Air Inc. 306-861-6675 or 306-848-1044.

Call Justin Farr at Farr Air Inc. 306861-6675 or 306-848-1044

A&P IA Needed: Established FBO with over 40+ years of experience looking for an A&P IA to manage the location. $80K annual base salary with 15% annual profit sharing. Must have experience in Turbine maintenance, strong character, the ability to mentor and manage people, and a driven person willing to grow with the company.

Call Cleo at 208-293-7848

A&P, A&P/IA: FAA Part 137

Operator, looking for new A&P’s and experienced A&P’s. Air Tractors & Bell Helicopters. “Aircraft Type” experience not as important as: Conscentious, organized, willing to learn, get things done, team players.Will perform/ participate in Sheduled/Unscheduled Maintenance & Inspections. Maintain support equipment/shop.Full time/ Year Round. $23-$32 hr DOE. Some Benefits & Vacation. US Citizen or Valid Work Visa.

Send Resume: DOM@trirotorllc.com

Aerial Crop Duster: We require one pilot for the 2024 season, full time, seasonal, May-September, to work in the Kindersley Saskatchewan

area.Must have a valid Commercial Pilot’s License, valid Saskatchewan Aerial Pesticide License, Turbine Transition Training, valid medical certification & English proficiency. Must have experience flying 510P Thrush or similar. Expected to have 5 years or more experience with a minimum of 1000 hours turbine ag experience. Training bonds may be offered but will apply to minimum 2 years employment. Should have S.A.A.A. and C.A.A.A. memberships.

Duties: to fly fixed wing turbine aircraft safely and efficiently with SATLOC GPS flight computer, to work with customers to create spray orders, to work in a professional manner with ground support crews, to perform daily checks on turbine powered aircraft, to keep work logs in an orderly fashion, to be available to work when conditions are optimum, to keep current their licenses and to mentor junior and first year pilots.Essential Skills: reading, document use, numeracy, writing, oral communication, problem solving, decision making, critical thinking, job task planning and organizing, computer use, significant use of memory. Salary: $80.00 per hour 40-60 hours per week. Please apply by email to advanced. aviation@sasktel.net

Looking for Ag & King Air Simulator Instructors. Instructors are 1099 contractors. Work is on a per-student basis. 1-3 day courses and paid by the day. Work one one-on-one with the students. Classroom and simulator instruction. Days are 9-5 with no weekends. Lodging fees are covered for instructors who travel to our location to teach. Flight instructor certificate is not needed. Looking for someone who has an Ag pilot background/experience. Turbine experience is a must. Could be active or retired. Must have an interest in teaching and passing on their knowledge to others in the industry. Please include a resume when inquiring. Ad ID#153. Contact +1 (478) 987-2250 or blindads@agairupdate.com

Ag Pilot Wanted: Looking to hire a long-term Ag Pilot for a wellestablished business with 45 years located in central North America. Must have experience and turbine time. This is a great opportunity if you are serious about the Ag Aviation business. Diverse crop-based, primarily fungicide, insecticide, and dry work. Pay and benefits are negotiable based on experience. Work is from mid-April to mid-September. Please email your resume or a list of total times to blindads@agairupdate. com. Subject: ID#1239

AT-602 Pilot Wanted in Mongolia: Thomas Air LLC Mongolia is looking for an experienced fixed-wing turbine

pilot for forestry flying in Mongolia. From the end of May through September for 3-4 months. Lots of adventure and bush piloting spray jobs in different locations. Throughout the summer.

Contact info: burenkh@gmail.com, mobile number +976 8888 1369

AT-802 Timber pilot needed for rotation mid-January through mid-May. AT-802 Corn run pilot needed from mid-June to mid-August. Minimum experience - 500 hours 802 time or high-time 502 or 602 pilot.

Email resume tocropdoctoral@hotmail.com or call/text 870-510-6882

Experienced Pilot Needed: Flying a new Thrush 510 P2+ Great base pay, $20,000 year-end bonus, and acre pay. Benefits include health insurance, vision insurance, 401K, 401K matching, and company-funded HSA. Must be willing to relocate to Nebraska/Kansas. Serious inquiries only. All inquiries must include a resume.

Email blindads@agairupdate.com

Subject: ID#3043

Looking for an ag pilot: To fly 41 powered Thrush. The season runs from mid-May through August. The main application is fungicide/insecticide maybe a little herbicide depending on canidates experience. No travel required. Call or email for details. 719-349-9622 kevin.ebsen@gmail.com

Looking for experienced pilots to fly our well-maintained AT-502s. This is a full-time turbine position in the Upper Midwest, spanning from May to midSeptember. We spray a large variety of crops with fungicide and insecticide with some herbicide, along with cover crop spreading. Must have herbicide experience. We offer competitive pay adjusted by experience. Be willing to travel the Midwest in-season. All inquiries must include a resume or list of total times.

Email blindads@agairupdate.com, Subject: ID#327

Experienced Engine & Component Technicians Needed: TAE Aerospace is a global aerospace company, servicing commercial and defense customers worldwide. We create value for customers through innovative thinking, premium quality products, and services in aerospace engineering, manufacturing, turbine engine, and component MRO. Located across the globe, our maintenance facilities in Australia and in America are the leading provider of quality general aviation, aerial agricultural, turboprop engine, and component maintenance. Right now, we are looking for experienced Engine and Component Technicians to join our teams in Adelaide, South Australia, and Scottsdale, Arizona. If you have proven TPE331, PT6A or GE H80 experience or have worked in a similar role, and looking for your next challenge ‚ we want you! Find out more about joining our team.

Email: hr-support@taeaerospace.com or phone: +61(0)881500200 or visit: www.taeaerospace.com

Experienced Pilot/Manager: North Dakota aviation operation looking for an Experienced pilot/manager to co-manage FBO, Airport, and Aerial spraying operation. 802 and Turbine Thrush. Season runs mid-June through September. Potential opportunity to partner/purchase operation in the near future. Start putting your time and efforts into your building your own operation!! FBO and Airport management provide steady income streams to help make it through the slow seasons.

Email resume and references to luke@ ltenterprisesnd.com

Experienced Turbine Pilot: Seeking experienced turbine pilots in the Midwest for the upcoming season and beyond (Air Tractor and/or Thrush). June through August mainly, but possibly a couple of weeks of work in the Spring.

Email resume or total times to blindads@ agairupdate.com Subject: ID#2754

Full-Time and Seasonal Pilots Needed: Growing multi-location Kansas operation seeking full-time and seasonal pilots. Herbicide experience is a huge plus. Benefits and guaranteed salary for the right candidates/full-time positions.

Email your resume or list of total times to blindads@agairupdate.com Subject: ID#2757

Full-time Pilot position North Dakota: Looking for an experienced pilot to fly AT502/602. The season runs from mid-May through September. The main application is fungicide/insecticide; herbicide experience is preferred. The position may include some travel during the season.

Call or email for details. 701-339-8799 gravesen.chad@gmail.com

Full-time mechanic needed, A&P or IA preferred: Though we will consider previous experience and facilitating training in the future. 60% new aircraft with annuals and routine maintenance filling in the rest of the workload. Steady work all year, full insurance and retirement benefits, clean and modern facilities. Competitive pay depending on experience. Please email resumes tologan@laneav.com

Helicopter A&P mechanic: Jones Aviation is looking for a full time, experienced helicopter A & P mechanic. We are located in northern California. Maintenance will be performed on site. Experience with UH-1H would be preferred. We would be willing to help with relocation costs. Needs to be a team player but not afraid to lead. Overtime might be required during seasonal times of year.

Contact Chris (530)321-1253

Helicopter Spray Pilot: B&S Air Inc. is looking for an experienced Helicopter Spray Pilot for the 2023 season. 1000 Hours of Turbine Spray time on forestry work is required. Work will be guaranteed from April-November of 2023, with the possibility of a long-term seat.

Please contact Chase Gibson directly at 228-860-2375 to discuss the seat.

https://www.bandsairinc.com/

IA and A&P mechanics needed: Salary depending on qualifications and experience.

Call 870-295-6213

Level 1 Seat Pilot: Looking for a level 1 seat pilot for 2024 and beyond for an exclusive use contract.

Contact Patrick Mertens at 970-571-0871

Long-Term Experienced AT-402: Pilot Well established company in Ohio looking for a long-term experienced AT-402 pilot - 2023 and beyond. Housing is available. Fungicide, insecticide, fertilizer, seeding work on corn, beans, wheat, and some vegetables. Send resume to chadniese@ embarqmail.com.

Call Chad at 419-235-4182

R44 Ag Pilot: Looking for an experienced R44 Ag pilot for the Midwest this season that can move into turbine rotor in the future. Also seeking experienced fixed-wing turbine pilots. SATLOC GPS would be helpful. Please provide your resume and references via email. Pay is determined by the applicant’s experience.

Email all inquiries to blindads@ agairupdate.com Subject: ID#42

Long-Term, Experienced AT-502B Pilot: Well-established company in California looking to hire a long-term experienced AT-502B Pilot. Insecticide, Fungicide, Seed & Fertilizer. Crops include Orchards, Rice, Vegetables & Row Crops. E-mail resume and references toblindads@agairupdate.com Subject ID#2095

LIFT AVIATION, Marketing Assistant Job:

Lift Aviation is looking for a motivated person to assist with brand marketing and sales initiatives in conjunction with trade shows, brand building, and sales generation. Job Type: Full-time, Onsite Only, Hourly Pay, Travel possible. Email resume and references to Todd Lentz at todd@liftaviationusa.com

Mechanic Wanted: FAA maintenance facility is seeking a skilled mechanic to join the maintenance team at an industry-leading aviation center. Qualified candidates must have Airframe & Powerplant Certificate with at least five years of experience working in Ag Aviation. Must be able to stand, stoop, squat, or kneel for eight or more hours on concrete, lift up to 65 lbs., follow inspection checklists, and fix discrepancies. Self-motivated individuals should be able to see the end goal at the early stages for the maintenance process and be a team player. Competitive pay, 100% employer-paid health insurance with vision and dental options, 401k, paid holidays, vacation, and sick time. Interested parties should return a completed application with a current resume. Contact Joe Risner‚ Director of Maintenance for more information. 800-325-0885 | joe@midcont.com

Mix Truck Driver/Helicopter Loader: QUALIFICATIONS: Class A or B CDL

required with tanker and hazmat endorsements. Experience in related field is helpful; clean driving record, must pass regular drug and alcohol screenings; must be willing to travel and work outside in the elements, and some heavy lifting may be required. Immediate permanent relocation is not necessary. JOB DESCRIPTION: Our company provides silvicultural services for many types of customers throughout the US South and Midwest. This job offers workers a chance to travel and interact with many different types of leaders in the forestry industry. This is a great opportunity to advance with our company or to meet other persons in the industry that may help to further your career. This job will require you to be on the road from March-end of October with off time November-February. Our helicopter crews often work long hours and 7 day work weeks. Duties include: Driving mix truck from one spray location to the next with the help of the crew leader for navigation and filling the helicopter with chemicals. Necessary training will be provided to complete these tasks. Stays at hotel required while working out of town or at company owned apartment when working near our office. Ideal candidate will be willing to work hard with a positive attitude, work long hours and work as a team to help make the crew productive.

PLEASE CONTACT CHASE GIBSON DIRECTLY at 228-860-2375 or email resume to chase@bsairinc.com

Pilot: California, Central Valley Operation looking to hire fixed wing, and Helicopter Pilots. Turbine Trushes, Air Tractor 802’s, Huey’s, and Bell 206’s. Night Flying is prefered.

Please Call Debbie Burgos at 559-816-7244

Pilot Needed in North Dakota: A 2018 AT-502XP pilot is needed to cover up to 122,000 acres. Experience is needed. Travel required.

Call for details. +1 (701) 321-0767

Pilots Wanted: Looking for a few good pilots to fly 400-turbine Air Tractors. Willing to help with the turbine transition for the corn run. Perfect opportunity for a piston pilot.

Call or text Craig at 815-499-4704

Tabula – Regional Aviation Business Development Team Members for the Canadian Market: Due to continued growth in the United States, Tabula is hiring a new Regional Aviation Business Development Team Members for the Canadian Market to focus on our AirVision System. In return, we are offering a role that has the opportunity for growth and development, a base salary of $60k, plus a generous commission and bonus program that will reflect your skills, knowledge, and overall experience, with total earning potential being well over $100k. To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to recruitment@tabula.live

Tabula – Regional Aviation Business Development Team Members for the Southern Central United States: Due to continued growth in the United States, Tabula is hiring a new Regional Aviation Business Development Team Members for the Southern Central United States

region to focus on our AirVision System. We are seeking someone with experience in the Agriculture Aviation Sector. ABOUT THE ROLE:The Business Development Team is responsible for maintaining our existing sales, growing new business, and technically supporting our products within the Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture and Utility industries. In return, we are offering a role that has the opportunity for growth and development, a base salary of $60k, plus a generous commission and bonus program that will reflect your skills, knowledge, and overall experience, with total earning potential being well over $100k.

To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to recruitment@tabula.live.

Tabula – Eastern United States Regional Aviation Business Development Team

Member: Due to continued growth in the United States, Tabula is hiring a new Regional Aviation Business Development

Team Members for the Southern Eastern United States region to focus on our AirVision System. This position will be based out of our Melbourne, Florida location. ABOUT THE ROLE: The Business Development Team is responsible for maintaining our existing sales, growing new business, and technically supporting our products within the Agriculture, Mosquito, Forestry, Horticulture, Fire and Utility industries. We are seeking someone with experience in the Agriculture Aviation Sector. In return, we are offering a role that has the opportunity for growth and

development, a base salary of $60k, plus a generous commission and bonus program that will reflect your skills, knowledge, and overall experience, with total earning potential being well over $100k.

To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to recruitment@tabula.live

Position Wanted

Experienced Ag Pilot Seeking Seasonal

Seat: Experienced AG pilot with over 8,500 airtractor time seeking seasonal seat with housing. Wanting to see what’s available before I commit within my network. I just got my medical back. Yesherbicide experience, Yes - 802 time, No accidents or claims, ever. Licensed in Oklahoma, SD, ND, and California. Email inquiries to blindads@agairupdate.com

Subject: ID#3509

AK Bush Pilot Looking for AG Pilot Slot

Alaska: AK Bush Pilot Looking for AG Pilot Slot - 25 yrs AK bush. Central America Missionary pilot. 7500 TT, 1250 DHC3, 250 DHC3T. Train me so I can spray for you. See resume for details or email Will at whframingconsultant2@gmail.com

Experienced AG Pilot looking for Seat

Georgia: Experienced AG Pilot looking for Seat, 7500TT, 4300AG, flown all Air Tractors

models and Trush planes. Resume available on request.

Contact Matt at IFlyag66@gmail.com

Experienced Tail Wheel Looking for Seat

Utah: Experienced Tail Wheel. Most of my time has been in Turbine and Radial Ag Aircraft. Currently flying corporate and have a flexible schedule.Have a clean and safe record. Looking for ferry or contract flying opportunities. Located in Salt Lake City. Call Ty at 801-232-5777

Helicopter Pilot Turbine/Piston Tennesse: Helicopter pilot turbine/piston 7000+ flight hours looking for opportunity. Willing to work as a loader and hangar to earn a seat. Hardworking and committed to delivering high-quality results. Reliable and dedicated with an excellent safety record and work ethic. Available on short notice. I appreciate your time. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Contact Steve via call, text at 901-586-7322 or email at stbrown77@gmail.com

Looking for 2024 Seat and Beyond

Georgia: Looking for a 2024 seat and beyond. Willing to travel. Total time 20,200. Turbine time 18,471. Total Ag time 1,255. Licensed in Georgia. Completed NAFA in January 2024. Call Hale Ellis for more details at 678-779-4726

Looking for Ag Pilot or Ground Crewman Position: Mature and teachable Ag Pilot, seeking to learn from other professionals. Either as an Ag Pilot or a ground crewman. Extensive farm and aviation maintenance background. Four seasons loading and Ag pilot experience. Flight time is as follows, 1240 TT, 645 Ag, 40 Turbine. A&P mechanic. Thank You.

Please email Mark at AgAir41@outlook.com

Looking for Long-Term Seat in the US Cordoba: Looking for long-term seat in the US. I have an interesting combination of Aviation Engineering, Flight Training and Flight Experience, both Rotary Wing and Fixed Wing. Currently flying Thrush 510, Robinson 44, Robinson 66 and King Air C90. Experience in liquid application, aerial seeding and aerial fertilization. I am also URT (Upset Recovery Training) and aerobatics flight instructor giving instruction for more than 80 pilots already including AG pilots on how to recover airplanes form upset attitudes. Pilot Licenses: ATP, IFR Helicopter, CFI, TT Rotary Wing 1,500 hours. Resume and references will be provided. For more information email Diego at cerionidiego@gmail.com

Pilot Louisiana: I am looking for a break in seat. I have 506 TT and 360 tailwheel. I have 7 years of chemical experience from spraying with ground rigs, buying chemicals, talking to consultants and

SOUTHEASTERN AIRCRAFT SALES

running a crew spraying and spreading. I have a commercial and 2nd class medical with the appropriate pesticide licenses.

Call Morris at 318-439-8914

Plane & Pilot available from July to August for 4-6 weeks. 510 Thrush. Experienced owner/ operator. Quality work. Shapefile proficient.

Email contact information and operation location to blindads@agairupdate.com

Subject: ID#3384

Subcontract for Corn Run South Dakota: Experienced pilot with AT5, 6, or 802 SATLOC/flow control, extensive SHP time.

Contact WARREN AG AVIATION at 701-541-0102

Looking for a Seat Missouri: Experienced Loader, CFI - Working on my second year loading now. Trained with Eagle Vistas over the winter on AG with John Becker. Some Ag-Cat and Pawnee time, 25 hours ag, 850 total, 150 tailwheel. I have my CFI, multi, and instrument. Looking for a seat in a plane, willing to load for the right company.

Contact Joseph Dittrich +1 (417) 763-7675

Operations For Sale

Established Southwestern US Ag Aviation Business for Sale: Very established with a solid customer base. Nice, private facilities/ airstrip. Turnkey operation with two clean Air Tractors, both equipped with Bantam Satloc/ Intelliflow, ADSB & Comm. Season runs April-October. Owner/Pilot available to help as needed. Room for expansion. Currently offer ground spraying services but this is optional for the buyer.

Email blindads@agairupdate.com

Subject: ID#2291

RETIRING - Ag operation for sale in West Texas: Established in 1987 with little competition. Cotton, wheat, corn, peanuts & peppers. One AT-502 & one AT-602. All equipment needed for operation. Chemical dealer with a large hangar for warehouse. NDA will be sent to all inquiries.

Email inquiries to blindads@agairupdate.com

Subject: ID#3242

All inquiries must include a phone number.

Ag business for sale in Texas: Located on the city airport, 3900 ft paved runway, two big drive-thru hangars, 502B Air Tractor, forklift, and loading equipment. Crops are dry land and irrigated and also brush and pear. There is very little traffic at the airport. We can stay and help if needed. The business

was started in the early 70s, and we have owned it for over 35 years. Business is well established. Will not owner finance. Only serious inquiries. Must include contact information.

Email inquiries to blindads@agairupdate.com

Subject: ID#486

Midwest Multi-Plane Operation for Sale: Long-term, stable customer base of independent retailers and large growers.Corn, soybeans, cover crop.No herbicide. 175-200K acres per season. Serious inquiries only.

Email blindads@agairupdate.com

Subject: ID#2371

Turnkey business for sale in southcentral Washington. This has been a well-established, one-airplane aerial application business for many decades at the same location. The area has a diversified agriculture and a great potential for expansion. Please contact me by email atagpilot54@gmail.com

Propellers

HartzellHC-B5MA-3D/M11691NS

Propeller, Propeller S/N: HBA2418, 443 hours since new. Located in Arkansas. $95,000. Contact Andy at 870-261-8992

12D40-6101-12 Propeller, Overhauled with 8130 Form. Contact +1 (903) 429-6805

Hamilton Standard Propeller 23D40 with 6511-12S Blades Overhauled Completely. Includes 8130-3 form. Contact +1 (903) 429-6805

Hamilton Standard 22D40 Hydromatic Propeller 6533 blades overhauled complete with distributor valve and prop, Governor. Contact +1 (903) 429-6805

Hamilton Standard 23D40 Propeller with new blades 6511A-9 installed. Completely overhauled with 8130-3 form.

Contact +1 (903) 429-6805

QUALITY Propellers For Sale

33D50-6601A18 OHC $31,500

23D40-6601A18 OHO $29,500

22D40-6533A12 OHO $26,500

12D40-AG100-4S 375-SOH..$21,000

12D40-AG100-2 828-SOH $19,000

HC-B3TN-5M 106 OHC. .$27,000

Contact +1 (870) 886-2418

Jeffries Airworks Dynamic Propeller Balancing with Chadwick Helmuth engine printout equipment. Jeffries

Airworks, Dynamic Balancing, Vibration Analysis. Much more than just a balance. Nationwide service on your location.

Contact Jim Jeffries, A&P/IA, 985-507-9981

Hamilton Standard 12D40-Ag100. As removed. $13,500.

Contact Chad Stuart at Airplane Services, Inc. at 850-380-6091

Training

AG Pilot Minimum Standards at Eagle Vistas: From 0 time or pilots only needing Ag Pilot training.

Planes in our Ag Program: Dual Ag Cat GR164A, Dual Cessna 305/ L19, & Pawnee PA-25/235 Single for Solo/Dump/Spray. Private all in Tailwheel, Tailwheel Proficiency, and UpSet/Spin recovery.

Commercial Pilot and Instrument rating available. SATLOC Bantam, TracMap, & AgNav GPS. Ag Aviation Consultants for Ag Operation Certificate part 137. See videos at www.eaglevistas.com

Riggin Flight Service, flight school offering private, commercial, instrument, Ag, multi-engine, tailwheel, etc. We tailor our courses to meet your needs.

Contact +1 (605) 256-9774

Vehicles

We build loader trucks to your specifications. Stainless Steel Straight and Fold Up. Mild

When it comes to PT6A Service & Support, there’s unmatched strength in the POWER

OF ONE.

For more than 50 years, Covington has remained true to the power of one. We are one family. Servicing engines from one manufacturer. With one guiding commitment: To build our company one relationship, and one engine, at a time. And, as the one and only family-owned Pratt & Whitney Canada factory-designated overhaul facility, no one knows the PT6A better, nor delivers more uncompromising support. All with a level of trust and compassion you simply won’t find anywhere else. Call or visit us today. It would be our privilege to put the power of one to work for you.