INTERNATIONAL
Keeping the Chain Strong by Ted Delanghe An oft-quoted maxim is that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Although this has a literal meaning – picture those huge links on the anchor chain of a large ocean-going ship – the figurative meaning usually applies to the people, technology, or administrative steps in a particular process. If any one of these is not performing up to the level of the rest, reduced productivity will be a direct result. One of the clearest examples of the truth of that maxim has to do with a turbine-powered race car, specifically, the 550 HP P&W powered STP Paxton, designed by Andy Granatelli’s STP Division of Studebaker Corporation. The car was a phenomenal performer, easily beating pistonengine cars on both acceleration and top end. Parnelli Jones, one of the top drivers of that era, qualified the car in 1967 for the Indianapolis 500, earning the sixth-starting spot. In the race, Jones took the lead on the first lap and was never worse than third. With three laps to go, Jones has a 52 second lead over the pack, when a $6 bearing in the gearbox failed, ending the dream of an Indy win for the team. The first “space-age racing car” took three years and millions of dollars to design and build, adopting a wide range of leading-edge technology. But all for naught as the weakest link, in this case, was that $6 bearing. (Interestingly enough, shortly thereafter turbines were banned from the Indy 500). A lot of owners/operators in the ag flying business can relate to this story. On the technology side, there are plenty of examples where links large and small can stop the action. You’ve got a new very expensive aircraft that can cover a lot of ground in a hurry, but the water pump on the mixing/loading rig fails just as you are about to load. The bearing in the fan pump fails the second you open the “money handle”. A tail wheel catches a sharp stone and goes flat. A 22 | agairupdate.com
On the administrative side of things, a work order misses a critical item about the organic farmer next door downwind from the field you are about to treat, with a resulting huge drift claim. And on the people side, fatigue sets in and an incident occurs (hopefully with just minor consequences). I had one of these incidents a few years back when spraying a herbicide in wheat to control volunteer canola. I departed the airstrip for the field, and on my first survey of the field, it looked more like a canola crop than wheat. I rechecked the work order again and it seemed I had the right field. But I didn’t like the looks of things so headed back to the strip with the full load. The landing was no problem as the strip was plenty long enough.
On the people side, fatigue sets in and an incident occurs. Back at the mixer/loader, I told the owner what had happened. He said he knew the field in question, and it was “for sure” seeded with wheat. We even called the farmer who did the seeding and he again confirmed it was a wheat field. So off I sent again back to the same location. I set up my A/B line along the east side of the road that marked the western boundary, started the first pass, and opened the booms. But just for a second! My “Spidey sense” was going off the charts! It just didn’t feel right! Back to the airstrip, I went once again, but this time the owner was pretty agitated. At any rate, after a fairly heated discussion, we decided to drive to the field and meet the farmer there, ➤
