AgAir Update | November 2022

Don’t let your airplane let you down.

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!

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John Murray is the primary pilot for the operation with a second pilot that also works as the operations manager for Forest Air.

FROM THE COCKPIT

Bill Lavender bill@agairupdate.com

Education and Fun Coming Together

Have you made plans to attend this year’s NAAA Ag-Aviation Expo? For the first time, the expo will be in Knoxville, Tennes see. Knoxville is a very convenient location for the vast major ity of US ag pilots. I can’t remember when I visited Knoxville, even though it is a relatively short drive north on the interstate from AgAir Update’s office in Perry, Georgia. I expect many ag pilots from the southern states this year because of this location. I am sure the NAAA staff and board have done an excellent job scouting the location.

I look forward to attending NAAA’s Ag-Aviation Expo and expect to see you there!

On page A8 of this edition of AgAir Update, I noticed in the list of state shows that an overwhelming number of conven tions are being held in January. I’ve been attending state shows for over 35 years and still don’t understand the lack of coordination between states. Maybe it is not significant when two shows overlap dates and long distances separate the locations. However, it does not make sense when the states have joining borders, and their convention dates overlap. Some ag-pilots fly in those overlapping states, and it causes them to have to choose which convention to attend.

There are only a fixed number of days in January (31). Not all conventions can be held during this time. Only four state conventions are scheduled in February 2023, compared to eleven in January; it doesn’t add up. I realize one problem is which state decides to move its convention to February. If a state is suffering attendance due to an overlap with another convention, maybe it would be better for everyone concerned for the lesser attendance state to move its convention dates.

I know that I am not privy to all that goes into scheduling a convention. I also know that overlapping conventions are not suitable for exhibitors and attendees. There would be better participation with better planning. This issue may eventually resolve itself should some states combine their conventions with other states. This would be much better for the exhibitors but could cause travel issues for attendees of the guest state. But, combining state con ventions work for the Mid-States conference, the Pacific Northwest Conference, the Northeast convention, the Southeast Aero Cultural Fair, and the Tri-States conven tion. This means that five conventions have consolidated over 16-17 state shows, which works very well, as attested by their attendance.

I suppose I need to get off my soap box about state trade shows before I offend someone. I’m simply relaying the thoughts of many attendees and exhibitors, including myself. I understand that I am not involved with the efforts made to host a trade show, and thus there could be many holes in my opinion. Please don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the work done for our industry to have firstclass conventions. Kudos to all those who work to be sure of this!

Until next month, Keep Turning…

November 1-3, 2022

Mid-States Ag Aviation Conference

Isle of Capri Casino Bettendorf, IA United States Wes Sharp wes@agritechaviation.com (515) 240-0560

November 15-16, 2022

Colorado AAA Convention Island Grove Event Center Greeley, CO United States

Jessica Freeman 970-217-5239 jessica@coagav.org www.coagav.org

December 4, 2022

Flying in the Wire and Obstruction Environment Course Knoxville Convention Center 701 S Henley Street Knoxville, TN United States 37902 NAAA naaaexpo@agaviation.org (202) 546-5722

December 4, 2022

AXEing for PAASS Fundraiser Craft Axe Throwing 119 W. 5th Avenue- Suite 150 Knoxville, TN United States 37917 NAAREF naaaexpo@agaviation.org (202) 546-5722

December 5-8, 2022

2022 Ag Aviation Expo Registration

Knoxville Convention Center 701 Henley Street Knoxville, TN United States 37902

Event Website: http://www. agaviation.org/convention

NAAA Ag Aviation Expo Registration naaaexpo@agaviation.org 202-546-5722

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

agairupdate.com/calendar

January 3-5, 2023

Louisiana AAA Conference Golden Nugget Casino Lake Charles, LA United States Kim Brown LAAGAVIATION@outlook.com (225) 436-3199

January 6-8, 2023

Arkansas AAA Convention Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort Hot Springs, AR Katherine Holmstrom katherine@araaa.org 501-503-3310

January 9, 2023

Arizona AAA Meeting & PAASS Program Custom Farm Service of Arizona Stanfield, AZ United States

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

January 11-13, 2023

Texas AAA Convention Overton Hotel Lubbock, TX United States Chris Shields cshields@thetexascapitol.com (512) 658-8161

January 12-13, 2023

Missouri AAA Convention Cape Girardeau, MO United States Eric Blair ericb802@yahoo.com (573) 283-5590

January 16-17, 2023

Northeast AAA Convention Wyndham Gettysburg Gettysburg, PA United States Ed Carter businessoffice@northeastaaa.org (609) 820-7987

January 16-18, 2023

Oklahoma AAA Convention United States

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

January 18, 2023

Ohio AAA Meeting TJ Willey’s Tiffin, OH United States Brian Gibbs gibbsaerospray@gmail.com (419) 332-1724

January 19-21, 2023

Mississippi AAA Convention Beau Rivage Resort & Casino Biloxi, MS United States Vicki Morgan vickimorgan@msaaa.com (662) 299-7836

January 22-24, 2023

Association of Montana Aerial Applicators Convention Heritage Inn Great Falls, MT United States Alyssa Stromberg alyssastromberg16@gmail.com (406) 480-3965

January 25-27, 2023

New Mexico AAA Convention United States Sue Stewart dandsaerial@aol.com (940) 864-2456

February 6-8, 2023

Southeast Aero Cultural Fair (SEAF)

Double Tree by Hilton 315 4th Ave North Nashville, TN 37219 Ashley Houston aehouston81@gmail.com 270-293-3843

February 12-14, 2023

North Carolina AAA Convention Hilton Greenville Greenville, NC Leslie Craft ncaaa@ncagaviationassoc.com 252-312-5723

February 14-15, 2023

Tri-State Aerial Applicators Convention

The Lodge at Deadwood 100 Pine Crest Lane Deadwood, SD 57732

Andrea Barber Goebel sdaviation@gmail.com 605-690-3477

February 16-18, 2023

NAAA & NAAREF Feb. 2023 Board Meetings

Hilton Old Town Alexandria, VA United States Lindsay Barber

Lbarber@agaviation.org 202) 546-5722

February 20-23, 2023

Nebraska ATA Convention Kearney, NE United States Taylor Moore taylor@youraam.com (531) 289-8323

March 16-18, 2023

Canadian AAA Conference Regina, SK Canada Shara Tardif ed@canadianaerialapplicators.com (780) 413-0078

May27, 2023

International Crop Duster’s Day United States

October 5-7, 2023

NAAA & NAAREF Oct. 2023

Board Meetings

Radisson Dayton & Dayton Convention Center

Dayton, OH United States Lindsay Barber

Lbarber@agaviation.org (202) 546-5722

Forest Air Helicopters AustrAliA Quality Over Quantity

Story and Photos by Ryan Mason

History

Forest Air Helicopters initially commenced operations in 1988, with current owner John Murray joining the operation in 1992. Murray started the way many in the ag aviation business start - as a loader driver. Having gained his helicopter ratings along the way, Murray progressed to a line pilot, later moving up the ranks to senior pilot, chief pilot, then operations manager for the company; a position John held for a year before being given a chance to purchase the business in 2005 with his wife, Sue.

Aircraft

For their first several years of operation, Forest Air Helicopters operated out of the original business location north of Albury, New South Wales, before relocating the operation and its sister company, Forest Air Maintenance Engineering, to a 40-acre mixed farm/business property with hangar space near the small town of Jindera, located north of the border town of Albury between New South Wales and Victoria in Australia.

Continuing the company's existing operations, Murray took over with a single Bell 206 Jetranger, leasing a UH1H & Bell 206B3 Jetranger from the original owner, and purchasing an additional Bell 206L3 Longranger several years later. Although the fleet has continued to grow over the years, relinquishing the UH1-1H and the B3 Jetranger for the more modern Bell 212, the company still operates the original Jetranger and Longranger today, along with 2 B2 Astar’s (Squirrels) and two Bell 204's to complete their current operational fleet.

Equipment

Being a multi-mission fleet that performs forestry and crop applications, the company uses two GPS systems for their jobs - TracMap for applying granulated fertilizer and two AGNAV systems for forestry/farm liquid application.

Forest Air has an Isolair and a Simplex tank system for wet applications, using Accuflow020 nozzles. They typically apply at around 10 gallons per acre (100 l/ha) when dispersing herbicide for forestry applications.

When conducting crop applications, the aircraft use CP-11s for fungicide/herbicide work at 2.2 to 3.3 gallons per acre (20-30l/ha). John uses Micronair Hydraulic Rotary Atomizers (6) when performing fungicide on forestry or controlling the plague locust population (2). These hydraulic units are believed to be one of few still used for low-volume loads - as low as a half-gallon to the acre or less (5 liters.) The unit delivers a very fine droplet for precise delivery of the product for the customer regardless of airspeed, thanks to the hydraulic system used to expel the product.

Going the Extra Mile

Being committed to the quality of the company's application, John Murray has been steadfast in providing the best service to his customers, which has seen him put all of his equipment through rigorous wind tunnel testing at the University of Queensland in Gatton, Queensland. John explains that with their forestry work, there are 12 to 14 chemical mixes, each of which has been put through wind tunnel testing to produce data that has aided in spray drift prevention. "Put it this way, what's in the manual detailing what you can do with water bears no resemblance to what it does when you put chemicals with it," said Murray.

John Murray is a two-term board member of the Aerial Application Association of Australia (AAAA), which gives him more incentive to do the maximum in crop protection in agricultural and forestry work as one of possibly three companies in Australia specializing in forestry application. "Crop protection is part of our management plan. So we tend

Forest Air Helicopters operates a Bell 206L3 along with several other aircraft in their fleet.

to do as much research and development as we can. Pattern testing is probably one of the most important things we try and do as often as possible."

Forest Air also works with the American company Agri-Spray Consulting to conduct pattern analysis to improve pattern application in the field. ➤

Field Application

As one of possibly only three dedicated forestry applicators in Australia, Forest Air treats over 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) of commercial forestry land, treating Australian timber plantations in New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory. While that coverage may not seem substantial, the company treats just as much farmland in a wet year. It will also provide multiple treatments of forestry land with different products based on the growth stage of the wood, in addition to performing aerial firefighting with its aircraft in the summer fire season in Australia.

"I'm more focused on the quality than quantity of what we do. I only have a select few customers. They are the ones that concentrate on growing trees and replacing what they harvest with a strong focus on environmental and economic sustainability practices,” comments John.

Market Shift

As with any other region, grain prices and seasonal conditions can present challenges and opportunities. For the aerial application market, this year's record rain, plus global events, have increased the canola and grain prices. Australian farmers, who have traditionally relied on ground-based applications, are now looking towards aerial application to increase the yield when not losing crops due to the wheel tracks made by ground application units. Forest Air maintains a steady pace due to its helicopter-only fleet specializing in forestry applications and applications in areas unsuitable for fixed-wing aerial applications.

The Season

With the seasons in Australia flipped from those here in the USA, Forest Air is usually busy from August through July with the combination of wet and dry herbicide/fungicide application, fertilizer application in forestry, and aerial firefighting. However, recent weather conditions have shown that the Australian climate can sometimes be unforgiving. The 2022 season suffered record rain, pushing the ag aviation season long and preventing the start of the forestry application season for Forest Air. That, and with how wet the ground is, will likely mean a very slow, if not nonexistent, fire season for the team for 2022/2023.

Forest Air completes forestry and crop applications in addition to aerial firefighting work.

A typical remote loading operation for Forest Air.

Unique Challenges

Fertilizer spreading for forestry applications in Australia is completed much like aerial firefighting work, with an IMS New Zealand manufactured Ground-Effect bucket capable of spreading 1.2 tons (2700lbs) of material per load. To deliver the fertilizer, Forest Air is provided their product directly by their customer to the reloading point in 1.2-ton bags loaded into a hopper that is then delivered into the bucket approximately every three minutes on average throughout an application.

In addition to fertilizer, Forest Air is responsible for applying liquid herbicide for a pre-planting knockdown and another liquid application for 6-8 weeks post-planting. The company also uses a Dupont spreader for granulated herbicide postplant application and boron (Ulexite Boron) application for trees at the two to four-year mark deemed boron deficient.

Forest Air will also provide remedial fertilizer for older trees and later-age fertilizer for trees nearing the five-year mark before being harvested.

Staffing

Forest Air has a core staff of two full-time pilots, John Murray, and an operations manager who is also a pilot. The company also has an office manager, two fulltime maintenance engineers, two part-time engineers, and a full-time and part-time loader. During the peak fire season, the company can have as many as eight seasonal pilots to fully staff the operation and several on-call engineers that may be sent into the field or used at the company headquarters to keep up with heightened maintenance requirements during the seasonal peak.

Forest Air’s field operations often involve a full-time loader at the application site in addition to the assistance of several family members.

Pilots

The pilot shortage is just as dire in Australia as in other parts of the world for the ag aviation industry, causing significant issues for ag operators, Forest Air being no different. Just like operators in the United States, Forest Air sufferers from not only pilot shortages but skyrocketing insurance costs and the lack of ability to form an adequate pipeline for pilots looking into the ag aviation market. Insurance minimums still require pilots to have 1500 hours of total time, with at least 500 of that being turbine time, which in the Australian market is more complex and harder to find.

The company has grown from three helicopters to seven and will run at the peak of eight pilots during the busy season.

In addition to finding the right pilot with the correct number of hours, CASA, Australia's regulatory body, requires ag pilots to have an aerial application rating, which is only provided by a few operations spread around Australia, most of which are swamped with work. Therefore, the pathway to ag aviation flying is filled with obstacles and requires a dedicated and determined applicant to want the job at hand. John laments that most pilots only last an average of three years flying as a step in their career progression in Australia. ➤

Training

While annual/periodic check rides are conducted inhouse for permanent and contract pilots, John prefers to involve an outside instructor or all flight crews' annual checking and training. Forest Air will bring an outside instructor from Armidale, New South Wales-based Fleet Helicopters, to conduct training and check rides for all the staff. This method ensures that the team is tested externally by someone unfamiliar with the pilots. John believes this provides his pilots with a more stable training environment and a thorough formal check-ride process.

The Future

Forest Air is a family-owned and operated company, with John and Sue Murray running the business. They also have a daughter, Sarah, who assists in many facets of the operation along with her husband, Josh (when time permits from their other careers), and three teenage grandchildren who are actively involved in working in the company where possible. John hopes his grandchildren will one day be interested in flight training. However, he also hopes that they will take a military aviation pathway before returning to the family operation in the future.

John Murray is the primary pilot for the operation with a second pilot that also works as the operations manager for Forest Air.

Groundbreaking Technology Provides Improved Efficacy at Lower GPA Rates for More Efficient Aerial Applications

Helping growers achieve optimal results from their chemical applications is the goal of every aerial applicator. A new technology from Corbet Scientific called Hydrovant® is helping aerial applicators provide those results to their customers. Replicated studies have shown that a combination of Syngenta insecticide Actara® and Hydrovant at 5 gallons per acre (GPA) provided better efficacy than just Actara by itself at much higher GPA rates.

When tank mixed, this new activator-sticker technology increases the efficacy of both contact and systemic pesticides, pre- and post-emerge herbicides and fertilizers. It allows pesticides and fertilizers (and biologics?) to stay on the leaf and work longer by creating a dynamic coating that holds the active ingredient in place and optimizes effectiveness while allowing carbon dioxide and other gasses to flow through to the plant. It’s also used on a per-volume basis at 12.3oz (12.8) per 100 gallons, which makes it work well in any GPA application. The result is more efficient

applications, higher efficacy, and lower environmental impact.

Jeff Summersill of Thomas R. Summersill, Inc., an aerial and ground application company that has served southern Florida for 65 years, uses Hydrovant in both aerial and ground applications. He says he’s observed more effective, longer-lasting applications.

“When you have infestation pressure, timing is critical,” said Summersill. “The faster you can get crops treated with a high-quality spray, the better you can protect your crop. The low GPA when using Hydrovant means we cover more acres in a shorter period with a lower cost per acre. It can also help growers facing a labor shortage. What you can do with one plane in a day might take several ground machines several days. Plus, it is rainfast, so you can do more in marginal weather conditions and still get the desired result.”

In fact, a rainfast trial conducted at Sparks Isotope Lab at Cornell University found that Hydrovant showed 40 percent more pesticide present after 28 days in rainforest conditions.

“We treat the grower’s crop like it is our own,” said Summersill. “Fortunately, we are seeing similar results across the country, which builds trust. In our personal experience, we’ve seen growers who use Hydrovant on a small percentage of acres the first year increases the number of acres where it is applied year after year. Some growers use it on all their acres because it’s so effective and economical.”

Summersill also points out that Hydrovant is a versatile product that can help streamline a grower’s program and eliminate the need for multiple adjuvants. It can be used across various specialty crops. It can also be used in nearly any application type and tank mixes with most active ingredients.

“This technology can be a game-changer for a grower’s operation,” said Tom Zangrillo, vice president at Corbet Scientific. “Through relentless research and countless trials, we’ve developed a product that is effective and versatile. It is patented across the globe. The ag industry hasn’t seen technology like this before.”

Amplify

Crop

Safety Wire … It Can Save Your Life

Loose hardware or components have led to accidents, many of them fatal. Safety wiring, or positive wire locking, is a type of locking device that is the most positive and satisfactory method of securing or safetying cap screws, studs, nuts, bolt heads, and turnbuckle barrels, which cannot be safetied by any other practical means. It is a method of wiring together two or more units in such a manner that any tendency of one to loosen is counteracted by the tightening of the wire.

Safety wire is necessary in areas where a bolt could loosen during vibration. Used properly, it will lock so that the wire remains taut and prevents further movement. Think of it as wearing a belt with your suspenders.

If you notice a piece of hardware on your aircraft with loose or missing safety wire, be sure to ask about getting it replaced. Safety wire must be new upon each application. It is single use and disposable.

You don’t want to lose functionality of an aileron actuation arm, a throttle cable, or an elevator flight control cable while you’re in flight. Make sure any safety wire and/or hardware locking mechanisms are installed on your aircraft properly, and check that they are taut and ready for flight. Ensuring that hardware locking devices are properly installed can save your life!

Fasteners, Wires, and Fast Facts

Safety wire is not intended to take the place of the proper installation of fasteners. Always make sure that the fasteners or components are tightened to the proper torque first, then install the safety wire.

Safety wire should always tend to tighten the bolt, nut, or fastener. When installing or inspecting safety wire, ask yourself, does it pass the “RightyTighty” test, i.e., does the installed safety wire cause the bolt to “Tighty.” If you’re doing owner-performed maintenance, make sure that you know what you’re doing, and get a second set of eyes to look at your work after you’re done.

Here’s some more tips to keep things tight:

• Inspect your aircraft carefully before each flight to check that all fasteners and hardware locking devices are properly installed.

• Safety wire should be tight and maintain a light tension when secured. You should notice about 6 to 8 twists per inch with a good safety wire job.

• When inspecting fiber or nylon locknuts, make sure the bolt or stud extends at least the full round or chamfer through the nut. Turnbuckles should either have safety clips or safety wire.

• Castle nuts require a cotter pin to lock them down.

Keep it Locked

There are three basic methods to prevent the disengagement of hardware or components:

• 1) safety wire, 2) cotter pins, and 3) self-locking nuts.

• Wire: usually stainless steel, used on cylinder studs, control cable turnbuckles, and engine accessory attaching bolts.

• Cotter pins: used on aircraft and engine controls, landing gear, and tailwheel assemblies, www. FAASafety.gov Download All Fact Sheets at bit.ly/GAFactSheets or any other point where a turning or actuating movement takes place.

• Self-locking nuts: used in applications where they will not be removed often; repeated removal and installation will cause the self-locking nut to lose its locking feature.

There are many other parts that require safety wire or other means of locking. FAA Advisory Circular AC 43.13-1B outlines the various locking methods and the proper safety wiring procedures.

Team Falcon Pulls Through for the Win

Highlights from Transland’s Annual Dealer Meeting

By Frances Anne Manning

Who would have thought that bunny ears were the coveted prize during Transland’s trivia game? Definitely not James Frank, the CEO of Transland and that night’s emcee. During Transland’s Annual Dealer Meeting, the dealers teamed up to compete with their friends and rivals. The team names were Spreaders, Fire Gates, Booms, Nozzles, Gate Boxes, and Falcon. The competition was fierce, and laughter abounded. But, just like the Satloc Falcon needed to work out the bugs before pulling through for the win, so did Team Falcon. That group won the golden nozzle trophies, plus the round with the bunny ears.

All joking aside, Transland’s ‘Team Falcon’ is successfully navigating through many difficulties and obstacles to launch the Satloc Falcon during Winter 2022. A considerable barrier involves global supply chain issues. Parts that were readily available pre-COVID no longer exist or are unattainable. Transland staff is constantly searching for parts that will work with our system. In addition, the costs of wires and chips are through the roof, so multiple staff members spend countless hours finding affordable hardware to keep costs

low for the end users. Despite the setbacks, look for Satloc Falcon and Satloc Falcon Pro GPS systems to ship at the end of December and the middle of January.

Getting back to Transland’s Annual Dealer Meeting, it consisted of training the dealers on installing Satloc Falcon and using it. One great benefit from the start for the pilots is the How-To videos that will be available on Satloc’s YouTube channel. Video topics include how-to setup hot keys, booms, flow control, pins, and lightbar. Needless to say, Transland is excited about Satloc Falcon’s launch. ➤

As well as training on Satloc Falcon, dealers learned about Transland manufacturing electric gates and electric Wingmans. Transland’s electric gate box brings the ruggedness and durability that our gates are known for, plus it meets modern-day electric actuation control. The electric gate box integrates an electric actuator with the Satloc controller, which means there only needs to be one screen in the cockpit. In addition, reducing the components reduces the total weight and complexity of the system.

The electric Wingman fits right into the total electric concept. Our engineers exceeded the goal of improving the performance of the electric Wingman over the current Wingman by a 30% increase in auger speed and a 60% higher torque in the electric Wingman over the hydraulic Wingman design. Tranlsand plans to obtain STCs for the electric gate box and electric Wingman.

A tour of the facilities spotlighted the expanded area for Transland’s research and development. This larger space allows the engineers to gain a better understanding and insights into the products. A few goals of this area are to improve existing products, create other products that help aerial applicators become more efficient, and reduce costs for people in the industry.

Other sessions in the training room included Transland’s boom shut-off (50%, 60 % and right-hand shut-off), Meterate, and hydraulic electric gate boxes. Many people might not know that Transland is adding more instructional information to its different websites www.translandllc.com and www.satloc.com. Look for resources on the resource tab, product pages, and YouTube channels. Last but not least is

Transland’s new nozzle website www.cpnozzles.com. We’re incorporating all our nozzle lines into one website. Resources on the website include calculation tools for Accu-Flo nozzles, CP nozzles, and the Tri-Set nozzle. Charts are also available for the nozzles.

Another highlight of Transland’s Annual Dealer Meeting involved Mike Schoenau of Valley Air Crafts presenting Billy Maxwell, a Transland sale team member, with the “DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?” award. A unique benefit of the ag aviation industry is the ability to get to know and build strong relationships with different people in the industry. Unfortunately, Mike and Billy are long-time friends who share different time zones. Billy sometimes forgets the time difference, but not on purpose (we believe…).

The leadership of Transland wants to thank our dealers for their participation in its Second Annual Dealer Meeting and for giving their valuable input. We look forward to another successful year of helping aerial applicators soar.

SAM ROGGE

JET STREAM

& PILOT

MEMBER

25th Season of PAASS Focusing on Wire Strike Avoidance, Using Larger Spray Droplets

By Scott Bretthauer, NAAA Director of Policy, Education and Safety

The 2022-2023 PAASS Program will be the 25th season—a quarter century—of PAASS. Since the first season in 19981999, the goal of PAASS has remained the same—to reduce ag aviation accidents and drift incidents through education to keep increased rules and regulations at bay. The founders of PAASS recognized that the greatest knowledge of ag aviation lies within the industry itself. To enhance the industry’s knowledge about safety and environmental professionalism, PAASS was created as an educational program under the direction of and presented by your peers—fellow ag aviators.

Since its inception, the aerial application industry has seen a 25.8% decrease in accidents and a 26% decrease in drift occurrences. Another indication of the safety benefits of PAASS is that pilots who attended had fewer accidents. For example, between 2014 and 2020, there were 333 agricultural aviation accidents. Of those accidents, 117 involved pilots who had not attended PAASS in the five years prior to the accident; 52 involved pilots who had attended PAASS once in the five years prior to the accident; 41 involved pilots who had attended PAASS twice in the five

years prior to the accident; 39 involved pilots who attended PAASS three times in the five years prior to the accident; 37 involved pilots who attended PAASS four times in the five years prior to the accident and 47 involved pilots who attended PAASS five times in the five years prior to the accident.

PAASS has received support from the U.S. EPA and the FAA and has been touted by the Association of American Pesticide Control Officials. PAASS is presented at state and regional agricultural aviation conventions across the U.S. and the Canadian Aerial Applicators Association’s convention in Canada.

The 2022-2023 PAASS Program will begin by examining agricultural aviation accidents that occurred during the 2022 application season. These accidents will be analyzed by several factors, including the main cause of the accident, the type of aircraft involved and the states where the accidents occurred. Accident numbers will be given for both total ag aviation accidents and fatal ag accidents. For controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accidents, the analysis will include a breakdown of those objects struck. ➤

The 2022-2023 PAASS Program will then move to education aimed at reducing wire strike accidents. Over the five-year period from 2017 to 2021, 51 wire strike accidents involving agricultural aircraft occurred. These wire strike accidents represent 16% of the total agricultural aviation accidents and 24% of the fatal accidents during those five years. PAASS will teach participants about vision science and why it is often difficult, if not impossible, to see the actual wires during an application. There are also numerous illusions that

can cause a pilot to misjudge the location of or distance to a wire. Because of this, wires need to be treated as an invisible hazard. Agricultural aviators will learn how to properly conduct reconnaissance of an application site and identify support structures and hardware to determine the location of wires.

It is critical that situational awareness is maintained at all times while working in the wire environment and that pilots know how to react correctly in their situation. ➤

the first great historical account of

industry—Mabry Anderson’s Low & Slow: An Insider’s

of Agricultural Aviation—comes a new, updated account

application’s history from the National

Association: Agriculture’s Air Force:

history of the

aviation

magazine, AgAir

materials, Agriculture’s Air Force

,

industry’s growth

the boom times after World War II, and on to today’s modern era of high-tech

in

Lessons will be reinforced with interviews of three ag pilots who struck wires and lived to tell their stories.

From 2017 to 2021, in 61% of the wire strike accidents for which it could be determined, the pilots were aware of the wire they struck. PAASS will therefore train pilots on how to keep wires and other obstacles in the forefront of their mind so they do not forget about or lose track of them. Classroom and cockpit instruction from an agricultural aviation school will provide additional lessons on how to scout for wires and apply safely around them.

Lessons will be reinforced with interviews of three ag pilots who struck wires and lived to tell their stories. Two of those stories highlight the importance of understanding that ag aviators can forget about wires they’ve been working around, even when those wires are right in front of them. It’s also important that pilots listen to their gut feelings, which are biological reactions to your subconscious brain sensing danger before you become cognitively aware of it. Ag aviators need to react to this feeling by pulling up out of a field to a safe altitude and resurveying the area for dangers.

The environmental professional program will discuss using large spray droplets to reduce the risk of drift while also maintaining efficacy. It is commonly accepted that small spray droplets provide better coverage while larger spray droplets provide better drift mitigation. However, there is growing evidence that efficacy can be achieved with larger spray droplets. PAASS will focus on an operator who is successfully making applications using a droplet size larger than commonly used in the aerial application industry. His aircraft setup parameters and resulting droplet sizes will be provided so participants can understand how and why he sets his aircraft up to create larger droplets. Participants will also see how the operator inspects and maintains aircraft nozzles to ensure proper atomization during application.

There are several ways an agricultural aircraft can be set up to make larger droplet sizes, including nozzle selection, operating the spraying system at higher pressure, and controlling aircraft speed while making an application and still maintaining flight safety. Participants will see how using the larger droplets reduces the risk of drift. Just as importantly, they will also

see how the application setups that generate large droplets are being used to make efficacious applications. A concern for many aerial applicators is that the use of larger droplets can reduce coverage and thus negatively impact the efficacy of the application. Examples of pest control from the operator, as well as results from a research study conducted by the USDAARS Aerial Application Technology Research Unit, will document success in making effective applications with a large droplet size.

The security segment of the 2022-2023 PAASS Program will discuss an intentional fuel contamination incident that occurred at an operation, causing one accident and one near miss. The incident is a reminder to all agricultural aviators that security is essential for their safety as well as the safety of their customers and the public.

Other topics will include an update on the EPA’s Endangered Species Bulletins that will cover where to find bulletins and how to use them to ensure label compliance with endangered species requirements. In response to some of the streaking issues seen during the 2021 season, particularly on corn, PAASS will provide thoughts on what commonly leads to streaking from aerial applications.

PAASS will also include a question-and-answer session to improve aerial applicators’ knowledge. PAASS will be four hours in length, and time will be allowed during the program for attendee discussions and sharing of experiences involving issues and practices related to their operations.

Participation in the 2022-2023 PAASS Program will teach you about avoiding wire strike accidents and increase your overall safety. It will also help you consider using a larger droplet spectrum to reduce the risk of drift while also providing the same level of efficacy your customers are accustomed to.

PAASS is your opportunity to improve your agricultural aviation knowledge. Register to attend one this fall or winter. Visit AgAviation.org and check the calendar of events to find dates and locations of state and regional meetings offering the 2022-2023 PAASS Program.

LANE AVIATION, INC. ROSENBERG, TX

by Ted Delanghe

Many of us have experienced momentary lapses in awareness while driving long distances. We have difficulty remembering the past few miles driven, have drifted from the proper lane, hit rumble strips, or completely missed an exit. Or you get ‘the nods’ where your head droops forward for a second, and then you get a sudden body jerk back to full awareness. You turn up the radio or open windows to deal with these warning signs, but to no avail. Hopefully, you pull over and take a rest before something serious happens.

The situation is considerably more fraught with danger when ag flying. A few years ago, I was working a field over 40 miles from my home base, meaning there was a lot of transit time between loads. I remember the day was hot and muggy, and as I was flying an aircraft without an air conditioner, cockpit comfort was an uncom fortable 5 points out of 10. We had started around 4:30 AM, and it was coming to high noon as I headed back to home base.

I clearly remember getting ‘the nods’ en route and desperately fighting the urge to have a quick nap when to my surprise, I had one of those body jerks that brought me back to full aware ness just as the airport magically appeared five miles at 12 o’clock. Like the driving scenario, I couldn’t remember the last few minutes and was

completely surprised at how close I was to the airfield.

In another incident, I was flying a Brave when the old ‘nods’ again showed up, this time at spray height. Coming up to a small hill, the wheels firmly hit the ground, giving me a good bounce and scaring the daylights out of me. Luckily, I was applying a pre-emergent treatment with little or no crop growth to snag the wheels. Once I arrived safe and sound back at home base, I headed for the crew trailer to get some desperately needed ‘zzz’s.

The Drowsy Flying Problem

The CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Pre vention) recognizes drowsy driving as a significant problem in the United States regarding automo bile transportation, with the risk, danger, and often tragic results alarming. The CDC character izes drowsy driving as the dangerous combination of driving and sleepiness or fatigue.

Drowsy flying ups the ante, where drowsiness decreases your ability to pay attention to the task at hand, slows your reaction time and affects your ability to make good decisions, all items that can make for a bad day at the office given the extremely low altitudes that are part and parcel of ag flying. ➤

Warning Signs of Drowsy Flying

Microsleep occurs so rapidly that the person involved may not even realize they have fallen asleep.

If you exhibit any of these symptoms or feel that your flying abilities have been degraded, stop flying and find a quiet place to get some wellneeded shuteye. No amount of coffee will get you safely out of the drowsy flying arena.

Preventing Drowsy Flying

Prevent drowsy flying before getting in the cock pit. Get enough sleep – at least 7 hours a day - which is often very difficult given the hectic nature of ag flying with its irregular working hours and often constant demands to get the job done, regardless of weather, fatigue, or other factors. A critically important part is ensuring you have suitable sleeping arrangements to sleep undisturbed. And turn your cell phone off.

Microsleep

One step up (or down, depending on your viewpoint) from drowsy flying is what the National Sleep Foun dation terms microsleep, a condition that is quite common among long-distance drivers. It is when you fall asleep for several seconds. Fine when you’re watching your favorite TV program, not so much when you’re treating a field at a boom height of ten feet.

Microsleep occurs so rapidly that the person involved may not even realize they have fallen asleep. Again, many can relate to a similar experience while driving, where you may appear to be awake, even with your eyes open, but the brain is sitting idle, not processing what is going on. I am confident that’s what hap pened to me when I skipped the wheels of the Brave off the ground I mentioned earlier.

The key risk factor here is that if you are sleep deprived, you are at higher risk for microsleep. It is essential to make sure that you are alert before you climb into the cockpit.

If you feel drowsy, do not fly. One study shows that moderate sleep deprivation produces impairments equivalent to alcohol intoxication.

the study, after 17 to 19 hours without sleep, performance was equal to or worse than that of a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of 0.05 percent. After more extended periods without sleep, performance reached levels equivalent to a BAC of 0.1 percent.

A significant part of the problem is that, as a soci ety, we do not recognize sleep deprivation and accompanying drowsiness in the same vein as alcohol consumption. When was the last time you stopped to think about how much sleep depriva tion affects your ability to fly safely?

Countering the Effects of Drowsiness

how do you deal with the dire consequences of drowsiness and microsleep? One of the major

difficulties is that, for the most part, ag flying involves single pilot operations where you are self-monitoring, which is not what you would call an objective look at things. The tired person is the last person to realize they are tired.

Because of its insidious nature, having several objective signposts alerting you to the gradual onset of drowsiness is an excellent way to start. As the AAU article from October 2020 discusses fatigue, fly outbound at precisely 300 feet AGL, and fly inbound at exactly 500 feet AGL. On every trip, complete the working logbook detail ing times and areas treated. Alternate landings between wheel and three-point. Fly an exact airspeed on final.

Whenever you note you have either missed an item or noted a slide in performance, it’s time to stop flying, take a break, and do whatever is required to get you back into safe and effective operations.

Stay alert. Stay safe. You, and everyone around you, will be glad you did.

AUTHORS NOTE: Several commercial products and apps, such as Fatigue Meter PRO and AlertMeter, also help establish a comprehensive risk management program focused on dealing with fatigue and alertness levels. The prod ucts give users the ability to monitor their own fatigue risk. Maybe one day, such products will be incorporated on a large scale within the ag avia tion community.

Red Willow Aviation & Spraying Inc.

Air Tractor AT-504 Turbine

Pictured (front row, from left) are Todd Donald, vice president of workforce and economic development, Mississippi Delta Community College; Robert McCurdy, former director, Flying Tiger Aviation; Dr. Kent Wyatt, president emeritus, DSU; Mitzi Woods, South Delta Planning and Development (back row) Rob VanNamen, Agricultural Operations Manager; Phillip Krasner, Blues Air Operations Manager; Brad MacNealy, director of DSU Flight Operations; Ike Brunetti, Agricultural Operations Executive Council; Joe Saia, interim chair, DSU Aviation Department; Umesh Sanjanwala, state director, Office of Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith; Dr. E.E. Caston, interim president, DSU; Kirk Povall, Cleveland Airport Board President; Mike Chaney, Mississippi Commissioner of Insurance; Dr. Andy Novobilski, provost and vice president for academic affairs, DSU; and Lara Bowman, CEO, Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce.

Delta State’s Department of Commercial Aviation Awarded $2 Million Agricultural Aircraft Operations Career Pathway Grant to Train Ag Pilots

CLEVELAND, Miss.— Delta State University’s Department of Commercial Aviation was recently appropriated $2 million by the United States Senate to implement an Agricultural Aircraft Operations Career Pathway (AAOCP) program in the Missis sippi Delta.

Requested by U. S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, the funding will establish a partnership-based program to increase the number of safe and insurable agriculture pilots in Mississippi and poten tially other approved states. Currently, this is the only program of its kind in the state with Delta State offering the state university system’s only undergraduate and graduate aviation programs.

“An agriculture aviation education program at Delta State University will give students the opportunity to learn valuable skills that benefit both their vocational prospects as well as the economy in the Mississippi Delta,” Hyde-Smith said.

“I am dedicated to supporting the development of a skilled technical workforce, and I can’t wait to see the great results we get from the new Agricultural Aircraft Operations Career Pathway Program.”

Delta State has been designated as the lead agency for this award and will partner with Mississippi Delta Community College, local WIN Job Centers, Blues Air, Agricultural Flight Operator (AFO) businesses and the South Delta Planning and Development District to develop the pathway leading private pilots to advanced certification in Aerial Applications.

“Delta State, with its focus on community engagement and economic development for all of Mississippi, is in a unique position to facilitate this important partnership to meet a critical need for our agricultural activities,” said Dr. Andy Novobilski, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “This grant removes barriers, both training and financial, that a relatively new pilot would face as they move into a well-pay ing career in agricultural aviation.”

The program is designed to provide farmers with qualified Aerial Applicators to meet their yearly demand by encourag ing and motivating private pilots to succeed in completing a career pathway in Agricultural Aircraft Operations.

The program will target pilots with a Private Pilot Single Engine Land and a minimum of 100 hours as a pilot in com mand.

Dr. Billy Moore, dean of the College of Business and Avia tion at Delta State said the partnership-based program is an example of the university fulfilling its mission to serve as an educational center for the region.

“This is an opportunity to meet a need, and it’s perfectly aligned with our mission to serve as a resource for the Mississippi Delta,” said Moore. “We are excited to have like-minded partners assist us in building this program and the positive impact it will have on our students and community.”

The grant will initially offset the cost to pilots accepted into the program to offer an FAA commercial, instrument rating, turbine engine training and flight training specific to an ag-adapted aircraft.

After completing training at Delta State and from the partner Aerial Applicator businesses, the pilot will take the Agricultural Aviation Exam (AAE) to prove they have the skills to operate the plane while applying chemicals to farm fields safely.

Once the pilot has passed their AAE Exam, they will be placed with an Agricultural Flight Operator and participate in an internship provided by the WIN Job Center and South Delta Planning and Development District.

“We are excited to be able to offer this program to aspir ing agricultural pilots while working with Mississippi Delta Community College and local government agencies,” said Joe Saia, interim chair of the Department of Commercial Aviation at Delta State.

“Our Aviation program will improve existing systems by intro ducing a positive reinforcement approach that gives students immediate, tangible rewards to earn Commercial and Instru ment Pilot certificates. In addition, the program will be used to build bridges, both with local community colleges and the South Delta Planning and Development District,” he added.

Pilots who might be interested in the program will need to be sponsored by an Aerial Applicator business.

For questions or more information about the Agricultural Aircraft Operations Career Pathway program, contact Delta State’s Commercial Aviation department at (662) 846-4205 or cavinfo@deltastate.edu.

NAAA Fall Board Meeting Recap

Courtesy NAAA

NAAA and NAAREF Board Getting the Aerial Application Industry’s Business Done Sooner, Rather Than Later, in Oklahoma Last Week

The National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) and the National Agricultural Aviation Research and Education Foundation’s Board meetings were held last week in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Preceding the meetings on Oct. 5-6, the NAAREF PAASS presenters training for the upcoming 2022-2023 Silver Anniversary of the PAASS Program took place. The General Session of both Boards began Friday, Oct. 7, and included a presentation on the state of the industry and association delivered by Andrew Moore, NAAA CEO.

State of the Aerial Application Industry

Moore began by delivering statistics from the USDA that food price inflation is at its highest level in over 40 years. It increased by 9% in 2022 and is estimated to increase by another 3% in 2023. USDA 2022 net farm income is projected to be $147.7 billion, up $7.3 billion from 2021, but, when adjusted for inflation, down 0.6%. USDA projects total farm production expenses, which includes aerial application, to be $437.3 billion in 2022—an increase of 17.8% compared to 2021. Moore also stated that the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute think tank at the University of Missouri estimates that farm income will drop to $138.8 billion in 2023 due to an expected decline in U.S. ag exports of $2.5 billion from 2022. This is a result of the high price of the dollar versus other global currencies.

Moore then gave the results from the latest NAAA annual aerial application activity survey showing that in 2022, the number of hours flown per aircraft was 324.5 hours. That’s a 3% decrease from the 334.5 hours flown in 2021. The 10-year average for the number of hours flown per aircraft is 316.1 hours (2022 was 2.6% above that average). In 2022, the average number of aircraft in use per operation decreased by 2%, from 2.56 aircraft per operation in 2021 to 2.51 aircraft per operation. In 2022, 62% of operators surveyed indicated that they flew either significantly more (11%), somewhat more (24%) or about the same number of acres (27%) compared with 2021. In 2021, 80% of operators surveyed indicated they flew the same, somewhat more or significantly more hours compared to 2020. Conversely, 38% of 2022 operators said they flew either

somewhat fewer (22%) or significantly fewer (16%) acres compared with 2021, when only 20% flew somewhat or significantly fewer acres compared to 2020. Some 2022 surveyors were quite negatively affected by drought-like conditions, particularly in the West and Southeast. In terms of attitudes toward next year, 49% of 2022 operators were optimistic about the 2023 season compared to 43% of the 2021 individuals that took the survey.

The subject then turned to policy issues, specifically politics and pesticide registrations. Currently, lawsuits from eco-activists have resulted in the Biden administration’s EPA further restricting pesticide registrations. Lawsuits have been brought against the agency to eliminate and/or rereview the (re)registrations of active ingredients such as paraquat, atrazine, all the organophosphates, sulfoxaflor and glyphosate. Unfortunately, these duplicative reviews by the EPA show its use of Tier 1 of the AgDRIFT atmospheric model, which overestimates actual drift. NAAA has submitted 30 comments alone in 2022 emphasizing the more realistic use of Tier 3 of the AgDRIFT model, which is a more accurate number of acres treated per day by air and common usage of drift reduction technologies in the industry that result in controlling drift. Since 2017 NAAA has submitted a total of 253 comments to support pesticide (re)registrations. Unfortunately, the statutory deadline to review pesticides every 15 years expired Oct. 1. The EPA has only finalized 151 (21%) of the total 726 pesticide decisions due to having to duplicate reviews due to lawsuits and to ensure biological decisions have been made on the effects pesticides have on endangered and threatened species. Ironically, there is a real risk now that the EPA has missed the (re)registration deadline that it will be sued again by eco-activists to cancel all uses that have yet to be (re)registered. Moore reiterated that NAAA’s most important policy issue is to ensure pesticides are labeled for aerial uses and without unnecessarily burdensome restrictions. Toward this end, NAAA has also actively visited senior officials in person at UPL, BASF and Syngenta and virtually with Bayer in 2022 for their aerial registration support and in support of NAAA’s and NAAREF’s industry programs.

Moore then discussed the release of the report by the FAA’s aviation rulemaking committee (ARC) this summer and its recommendations to allow drones to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). The ARC was over-occupied with drone interests from Google’s drone subsidiary, Wing, and Amazon. Its recommendations were completely devoid of any consideration for low-altitude manned aviation safety. ➤

It would increase the weight limit for BVLOS drones to 1,320 pounds. It would not require ADS-B-equipped drones to give right-of-way to manned aircraft not equipped with ADS-B, and it would not require ADS-B technology or giving right-of-way requirements to drones flying in a “shielded area,” which is defined as 100 feet vertically and laterally of obstacles that could include trees, wires, tracks, and towers. NAAA testified against the perilous recommendations in an FAA hearing on the subject and has been in direct contact with the FAA administrator on this topic. The ARC’s recommendations are just recommendations. Now the FAA must take into account its feedback and have an open comment period to write a drone BVLOS rule. Moore emphasized the importance of ag aviation operators submitting their GPS logs to Mississippi State University’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, which is compiling information on how active ag aviators are in low-altitude airspace—something the drone BVLOS ARC did not consider. The information submitted will be washed of any personal identification information. If the data is robust, it could be a great help in promulgating a safe lowaltitude policy for ag aviators. Low-altitude airspace legislation will also be the topic of great debate in Congress this next year as the FAA reauthorization reaches its statutory deadline. NAAA will seek to expand the statute requiring rural towers between 50 and 200 feet to be marked and logged in an FAA database to all towers, including communication towers.

Moore switched gears and talked about NAAA’s public relations endeavors over the past eight months during the ag aviation centennial. From March 21-22, NAAA participated on the National Mall for National Ag Day with 30 national ag groups. NAAA’s centennial exhibit included a Bell 206 helicopter generously provided by Glenn Martin from Helicopter Applicators Inc. in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The National Mall is the most visited National Park in the U.S., receiving 25 million visitors a year. For the event, over 270,000 visitors for four days (including two setup days) were present to view the exhibit. NAAA representatives, including President Perrin, were interviewed by RFD-TV, Agri-Pulse, USDA Radio, legendary broadcaster Max Armstrong of RFD-TV’s This Week In AgriBusiness and the producer/host of Farm Progress America and Max Armstrong’s Midwest Digest daily radio programs, which are carried on more than 140 local radio stations and 100 local commercial television stations. Numerous key public officials also visited the NAAA exhibit area, including Dr. Freedhoff, the EPA’s assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP); Ed Messina, EPA director of its Office of Pesticide Programs; Rod Snyder, ag advisor to EPA Administrator Regan; Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.), and Deb Stabenow, the ranking member and chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, respectively and Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), who also sits on the Senate Ag Committee.

Moore also stated that NAAA again issued its annual ag aircraft advisory press release informing the aviation, agriculture and general news media about being on the lookout and giving the right-of-way to manned ag aircraft that will be sharing the same low-altitude airspace as drones. The news release was picked up by 14 news sites throughout the country and internationally, including Farm Journal’s AgWeb, CropLife News, AVweb, Vertical Magazine, AirMed&Rescue magazine, State Aviation Journal, RFD-TV’s Market Day Report, the Southeast AgNet Radio Network, WOWO News/Talk radio broadcasting from Fort Wayne, Indiana, The Mighty 790 KFGO radio in Fargo, North Dakota, 6 Park News in Colorado, “Farm Life Live” on Farm Life Media’s social media network, and the Australian website Farm Table.

NAAA also continued its “Above All Forms of Crop Care” ad campaign in AgWeb AM, The Scoop and CropLife News, informing readers of the yield benefits and speed of ag aviation in applying crop inputs and directing them to NAAA’s “Find an Aerial Applicator” link on its homepage of agaviation.org, which allows a user to input their location, such as a zip code, to find an NAAA ag aviation operator near them. These three publications have a total circulation of nearly 200,000 farmers, ag retailers and crop consultants nationally.

NAAA also arranged to participate in the Wingnuts Air Show in Tarkio, Missouri, this year. NAAA member Adam Meyerkorth put on a great aerial display as the show’s announcer spoke for 10 minutes about the history, importance, and technological evolution of aerial application over the past century. The Wingnuts show is organized each year by Congressman Sam Graves (R-Mo.), the current ranking member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. This year’s event included Congressman Rick Larsen (D-WA), chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee. NAAA bookended its 100th anniversary at EAA’s AirVenture this year—the world’s largest airshow. Air Tractor brought an AT-802 ag aircraft to the NAAA booth, and Leland Snow’s early ag aircraft, the completely refurbished S-2A, was prominently displayed at Boeing Square—the epicenter of the show—next to NAAA’s Ag Aviation Centennial timeline posters. Over 650,000 attendees attended AirVenture 2022. It was a fantastic closing to a wonderful 100year celebration. The 100th anniversary “ad value equivalency,” a metric that assigns a monetary value to the type of media coverage, earned hundreds of media mentions, with a potential audience reach of 400 million consumers worth $10 million.

Because the 100th was so successful in positively reaching a large external public audience, NAAA conducted a communications audit to gauge how NAAA should direct its communications focus. A healthy majority of 76% believed NAAA communications’ resources should primarily be focused externally, rather than internally, to educate the public, ag

and aviation trade press, and general news media about the importance of aerial application to positively raise the industry’s profile. A plurality of participants, or 42.6%, believe that two-thirds or more of NAAA’s communications focus should be externally based, and over 80% believed that half or more should focus on externally based communications. Some ideas have circulated about working with other publishers in the ag sector, such as Farm Journal or Marsayl Media, to include content about ag aviation in their wider circulation of ag media.

Moore then turned to education and safety issues, stating that the PAASS (Professional Aerial Applicators’ Support System) Program is celebrating its silver (25th) anniversary of educating aerial applicators to augment safety, security and environmental professionalism in the aerial application industry. Moore discussed that the aviation safety portion of the 2022-2023 program will focus on wire avoidance. Wire strike accidents between 2017 and 2021 numbered 51 and accounted for 16% of the total accidents and 24% of the fatal accidents during those five years. The curriculum will focus on vision science and how to properly conduct reconnaissance of an application site and identify support structures and hardware to determine the location of wires. The environmental professionalism portion of the program will present growing evidence of achieving application efficacy with larger spray droplets.

Moore then presented that, to date, there have been 44 accidents in 2022. Sadly nine of those were fatal. To further move the needle in mitigating accidents, NAAA and NAAREF have developed a professional certification program for the agricultural aviation industry called C-PAASS (CertifiedProfessional Aerial Applicator Safety Steward). An NAAA survey of the industry conducted earlier this year showed that 72% favor an industry certification program, and C-PAASS, a completely voluntary program, is that program and will address the need to continue to lower the accident rate, address insurance costs, and unnecessarily stringent pesticide language for aerial applications. The program will be christened in 2023. In that initial year, C-PAASS will require annual NAAA and state/regional agricultural aviation association membership, PAASS Program participation for the past three years and biennial Operation S.A.F.E participation. The focus on education is because participation in industry education programs is proven to work. PAASS has reduced accidents and drift incidents by 26% in 25 years with only a 47% attendance rate. Eighty-six percent of the accidents over the past five years have been from ag pilots either not attending or not annually attending PAASS. Future requirements of C-PAASS, starting in 2024, will include online coursework and testing on aviation safety, security and application efficacy/ environmental professionalism topics on a biennial basis.

Next, Moore discussed the exciting events planned for the upcoming NAAA Ag Aviation Expo in Knoxville, Tennessee, Dec. 4-8. A comprehensive wire safety course will be offered on Sunday, Dec. 4. The Kickoff Breakfast speaker will be Captain Scott Kelly, former NASA astronaut, who holds the U.S. spaceflight record with his 340-day mission to the International Space Station in 2015. Kelly also piloted the Space Shuttle Discovery to the Hubble space telescope in 1999 for a fix. The General Session theme will be “Healthy Public Relations,” with Dr. Stan Musick (M.D., flight surgeon, 20-plus-year aviation medical examiner (AME) and parttime ag pilot) discussing fatigue prevention, being careful of mixing certain prescription drugs while flying and what pilots can do to help their AMEs ensure they get their medical. Michelle Miller, an ag public relations expert also known as the Farm Babe, will speak about her experience myth-busting falsehoods made about ag and positively “agvocating” the aerial application industry to your local community and media. Other great educational sessions—34 in total—including sessions on aerial application technology research, making precision applications, chemicals, ag aircraft on the market, self-testing application systems’ efficacy, and more will be offered. There are 18 states and certified crop advisors offering CEUs for convention educational session attendance, along with a great exposition of 140 exhibitors offering everything ag aviation under the sun along with six aircraft (three rotor-wing and a Thrush and Air Tractor). This year’s auction will also feature a generously donated Pratt & Whitney, Canada PT6A34; an Air Tractor donated and themed golf cart; a two-day Turbine Transition Course, amongst many other great items.

Moore then touched on membership and said that as Sept. 30, there were 556 operator members, 470 pilot members and a total of 1,599 members. He stated that the number of operators in the industry totaled 1,560 operators and 2,028 non-operator agricultural pilots, so NAAA operator and pilot members presently total only 29% of the aerial application industry. NAAA spends $1,592 per member based on $2.55 million in expenses in its 2021-2022 fiscal year. The dues it receives account for only 30.7% of total expenses. Moore also offered that it costs $1.68 per day for operators and $0.71 per day for pilots to belong to the association. He also presented the audited results of NAAA’s 2021-2022 fiscal year, which had NAAA running a deficit at the fiscal year’s end of $16,268. This was primarily due to unrealized losses on its investments of $84,449 due to financial markets entering difficult times due to high inflation. NAAA does have $4,767,261 in assets, and NAAREF has $1,012,533 in assets and ended its fiscal year with a surplus of $126,465.

Moore concluded with a forecast of challenges and opportunities looking forward into the future. ➤

He stated now that the administration’s agency appointees are in place, the all-out push toward stringent pesticide regulation is likely to continue; hence resources must stay focused on continuing to push the more realistic Tier 3 version of the atmospheric AgDRIFT model with the EPA and further establishing the C-PAASS certification program. He also stated that with the infrastructure focus on rural broadband and wind and solar renewable energy towers and panes available from the massive infrastructure and climate policy spending bills, the association and industry must stay focused on tower marking and logging and drone safety policy over the next year as Congress addresses the FAA Reauthorization bill.

On a positive note, he said that agriculture has never been more important in a majority of people’s lifetimes than it is now, with food security being a huge issue due to the war in Ukraine and rampant inflation. That doesn’t appear as if it will change anytime soon, as the United Nations predicts that today’s world population of 7.9 billion is projected to grow to 9.7 billion in 2050 and 10.4 billion in 2080. Moore also discussed the huge growth potential in renewable diesel from soybeans. In 2021 soybean production reached a record 4.44 billion bushels. To meet current renewable diesel demand, production must grow by 3.6 billion bushels by 2030. Chevron, Marathon, ADM and Bunge are making big investments in converting soybeans into fuel.

After Moore concluded his presentation, President Jim Perrin closed the session for the Board and Committee members to attend their committee meetings.

On Saturday afternoon, the committees reported on their business and offered motions for NAAA Board approval. Here are some highlights:

Allied & Convention Committee

The committees discussed Oklahoma City as a potential convention site. If NAAA were to host an Ag Aviation Expo in the city, it would be in 2027 and the main hotel would be at the new Omni, which directly abuts the convention center and two other hotels. It was determined that NAAA move forward to obtain a proposal from Oklahoma City. Other locations in the mix would be Louisville, Kentucky, and Indianapolis, Indiana. Also, the Allied Industry Committee discussed their award, and the 2022 award will be given to Ian McVay of Transland. Future contracted conventions are as follows:

• Dec. 5-8, 2022 – Knoxville (aircraft trucked in)

• Dec. 4-7, 2023 – Palm Springs (aircraft flown in and exhibited outside the convention center)

• Nov. 18-21, 2024 – Fort Worth (aircraft trucked in)

• Nov. 17-20, 2025 – Reno (aircraft flown in)

• Nov. 16-19, 2026 – Savannah (aircraft flown in)

• Nov. 11-16, 2028 – Reno (aircraft flown in)

Awards Committee

The committee reviewed award nominations and determined the following 2022 award recipients, which will be presented at the Ag Aviation Expo in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 8:

• Agrinaut Award – George Parker III

• John Robert Horne Memorial Awards – Hayden DeBlieck and Alex Viger

• Opal and Bill Binnion Memorial Award – Matt Peed

• William O. Marsh Safety Award – Rod Thomas

• Richard “Dick” Reade Memorial Award – Steve Rice, North Star Aviation

• Zoren and Joan O’Brien Memorial Outstanding Service Award – Lee Turnquist

• Allied Industry Individual Award – Ian McVay, Transland/ Satloc

• Evans-Christopher Operation S.A.F.E. Award – Matt Gill

Budget & Finance Committee and Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer Darrel Mertens presented the Treasurer’s Report repeating the results of the 2021-2022 fiscal year NAAA audit mentioned during the General Session above. Treasurer Mertens also mentioned that NAAA’s fixed assets have gone down by about $40,000 due to the disposal of old equipment that the auditor recommended getting off the books. The year ended with a deficit of $16,269 due to expenses incurred for the 100th anniversary public relations blitz campaign to the media and a rough year for association investments due to inflationary pressures hitting the financial markets. The budget did far supersede expectations, with the deficit initially projected to be $114,618.

Regarding the current Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2022, Mertens stated that total NAAA assets to date equal just over $5 million. The net income for this fiscal year, which is now 25% complete, is $277,176.

Communications & Public Relations Committee

Matt Regier, Committee Chair, presented the committee report and reiterated that NAAA continued its public relations blitz to the broader aviation, agricultural and mass media by participating and issuing press releases about its involvement at the 2022 Ag Day on the Mall and AirVenture. In November, NAAA will attend the 2022 Aviation Education & Career Expo in Leesburg, Virginia, to recruit young students interested in aviation careers toward ag aviation.

It was announced that Tom and Amy May (NE) purchased a set of the 100th anniversary panels, which traveled around Nebraska and exhibited at the Nebraska Prairie Museum in Holdrege, NE. The “A Century of Agricultural Aviation: 1921-

2021” panels remain on display at the Nebraska Prairie Museum.

It was announced that Syngenta will be hosting a Leadership Training Program in February 2023 for NAAA, which will allow 10 members nominated by their state associations to participate. The NAAA-only Leadership Training Program will coincide with NAAA’s Spring Board Meeting. NAAA will also still have five spots in Syngenta’s multi-group Leadership At Its Best Conference with other commodity groups held the week after NAAA’s February Board meeting.

Government Relations Committee

Committee Chairman Damon Reabe discussed that Glenn Holloway (MS) and other Mississippi applicators hosted an EPA field day tour at Shelby Air Service in the Magnolia State for senior EPA pesticide policy officials that was quite successful.

The committee discussed the Balmoral wire-marking equipment efforts that have been effective in Australia to attach to wires to make them more visible. This year NAAA worked to emulate similar efforts in the U.S. and will work to develop a presentation that applicators can use to present to their local utilities for possibly equipping wires with the Balmoral wire markers.

Long Range Planning Committee

The committee primarily focused on the future needs of the association, such as the importance of ensuring pesticides will be available and available for aerial use in the future and the collection of data and development of even more accurate application technologies that will need to be available to ensure this.

Membership Committee

The committee reviewed the “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship applications and selected four recipients. They will be honored at the Kickoff Breakfast on Monday, Dec. 5, in Knoxville.

The committee also discussed the generous offer from Jim Mills of Turbines Inc., in which he would like to fund a new NAAA scholarship specifically for turbine transition courses in memory of Charles Stokes. The scholarship would be around $66,000 over ten years, which would equate to two scholarships each year to a turbine transition program priced around $3,300 each.

Museum Committee

The National Agricultural Aviation (NAA) Museum in Jackson, Mississippi, will soon include an ag aviation liquid/dry spraying system for display, and the Snow S-2A will be delivered to the NAA Museum after the Ag Aviation Expo in Knoxville, at which time the engine will probably be taken out, auctioned off and funds donated back to the museum.

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee recommended the following people for the 2023 NAAA Officer team, which will be voted on at the Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022, board meeting:

• President – Craig Craft (NC)

• Vice President – Dwayne O’Brien (LA)

• Secretary – Sam Styron (MO)

• Treasurer – Ray Newcomb (NH)

Precision Agriculture Committee

The committee discussed several items, including autonomous spray systems, potential grant money for the development and testing of an autonomous aerial spray system, and that applicators need to provide their GPS data to the Mississippi State University’s (MSU) Raspet Flight Research Laboratory (RFRL) low-altitude study to help protect manned ag aircraft from errant drones. The Precision Agriculture Committee is also working on a substantive session that will take place at the Ag Aviation Expo that will include a panel of operators who use various precision agricultural technologies.

Support Committee

It was stated that this year’s presentation for the Athena program—the program for agricultural aviation crew—is titled “The Importance and Challenges of Balancing Family, Home and Work.” Chuck Holzwarth is sponsoring the presentation at the 2022 Ag Aviation Expo. The Athena presentation will also be given at ten state/regional conventions.

Convention events for Support include Monday’s event at the Sunsphere—the site of the 1982 World’s Fair. Also, the Relationship Drift seminar will be presented at the convention on Dec. 7, which discusses ways ag pilot/ operators and their working spouses might work better together during times of work stress. There will also be a fundraising booth in Tennessee with great apparel, including 100th anniversary apparel again. The committee reviewed and awarded scholarships for the 2022 Support Scholarship Media Contest, with the first prize essay going to Daxton Swain and second prize to Kelsey Shotkoski. The essay topic for 2023 is “What value does ag aviation bring to your local economy?” and that information will be posted on the NAAA website and other association publications/media. Tiffany Rivenbark will be the next Support Committee Chair for 2023-2024.

Many cowboy hats and oil wells full of business were conducted in Oklahoma City on behalf of the aerial application industry last week, and a return to the Sooner state for the Ag Aviation Expo is hoped for due to the red-carpet treatment and excitement provided by Oklahoma City.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse and Dependence in the Aviator – A Guide to Cockpit Return

By David A. Hardy, DO, MPH

Alcohol and Drug Abuse and Dependence are not uncom mon for Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) to be con fronted with when doing a Medical Certification Exam. For the FAA, both alcohol DEPENDENCE and Alcohol ABUSE (in the last two years) are specifically disqualify ing for all classes of pilots.

The FAA defines Dependence as at least ONE of the following:

• Increased tolerance,

• Manifestation of withdrawal symptoms,

• Impaired control of use, or

• Continued use despite damage to physical health or impair ment of social, personal, or occupational functioning.

The FAA defines Abuse as:

• Use of a substance in a situation in which that use was physically hazardous, if there has been at any other time an instance of the use of a substance also in a situation in which that use was physically hazardous;

• A verified positive drug test result, an alcohol test result of 0.04 or greater blood alcohol concentration, or a refusal to submit to a drug or alcohol test required by the U.S. Department of Transpor tation or an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation; or

• Misuse of a substance that the Federal Air Surgeon -- based on case history and appropriate, qualified medical judgment relating to the substance involved:

• Makes the person unable to safely perform the duties or exercise the privileges of the airman certificate applied for or held, or

• May reasonably be expected, for the maximum duration of the airman medical certificate applied for or held, to make the person unable to perform those duties or exercise those privileges.

Very often, a telltale sign of alcohol Dependence and Abuse is a drunk driving (DUI) conviction. The DUI disposition deci sion-making tool provides information on when it is accept able to issue and when the AME must defer.

If the AME determines he/she cannot issue a medical certifi cate and defers the case to the FAA, we may require the pilot to see a Human Intervention Motivation Study (HIMS) AME. The pilot will need to have several items submitted from both the HIMS and (possibly) a psychiatrist.

If the FAA requires separate psych and neuropsych test ing, they will use the list of items that must be addressed provided in the AME Guide. When I was a Military AME, I worked a few cases where the FAA didn’t require ALL the items above, and some where they required MORE. It is

case-dependent, but the requirements above are ballpark for 90% of the cases.

As an example of when the FAA didn't require everything listed above, I helped a recently retired Air Force pilot who completed the Air Force’s Drug and Alcohol program (ADAPT) and for 10 years ran the local AA meetings on base. He had an Air Force flying waiver since 2009. In this case, the FAA only required his AME to submit driving records, a personal statement, treatment and ADAPT notes, and reference letters from his commanders.

Expectation management is always an important part of dealing with pilots who need a Special issuance, and substance Abuse and Dependence is no exception. The entire process can take months if everything runs smoothly. Once in the program, there is a step-down process that takes years to complete. Of note, many pilots choose to never leave the program, as it motivates them to remain sober. I hope this helps you better understand the process involved in obtaining a Special Issuance for pilots who have substance Abuse or Dependence issues.

Dr. Hardy is the Regional Flight Surgeon of the International, Military, and Federal Region and the manager of the AAM-400 division at the FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute.

CapstanAG® Issued STC for SwathPRO® Aerial Spray System

CapstanAG® National Account Sales Manager Jeff Hemeyer reports the SwathPRO aerial spray system has received its STC from the Federal Aviation Administration. It is now available for sale as a factory-installed option on new Air Tractor aircraft and retrofit installation on customer airplanes through the Air Tractor worldwide dealer network.

“The SwathPRO aerial spray system will revolutionize the way ag pilots accomplish their work. Since it’s debut at the 2018 National Agricultural Aviation Association convention, there has been a tremendous amount of interest in the system, We’re excited to now offer it exclusively through an industry leader like Air Tractor,” says Hemeyer.

The patented individually optimized nozzle spray system has an electronic solenoid at each nozzle station that controls both flow and pressure to adjust for pattern disturbances during flight. “Utilizing the CapView in-cockpit controller, the pilot can push a button to select from as many as 7 different nozzle pattern profiles to adjust deposition characteristics as conditions change while spraying a field,” reports Hemeyer. “All of this is done ‘on the fly.’ There is no need to land and adjust spray nozzle settings.”

Air Tractor President Jim Hirsch says aerial applicators have a new way to streamline their operational efficiency and mitigate drift. “There are numerous benefits to the SwathPRO aerial spray system. It will save pilots time and boost their productivity.” He reports that an Air Tractor airplane equipped with the SwathPRO spray boom system will be displayed in December at Air Tractor booth 603 during the National Agricultural Aviation Association Ag 2022 Aviation Expo trade show. The SwathPRO team will also be on hand to explain how the aerial liquid spraying system helps ag pilots mitigate drift, increase productivity, and precisely apply crop protection products with better accuracy. “This will be a great opportunity to learn and ask questions,” Hirsch adds.

“Multiple Air Tractor test aircraft equipped with SwathPRO aerial spray systems have collectively treated more than two million acres here in the United States during the past four seasons,” Hemeyer reports. “Feedback from those pilots and ag operators who’ve been testing our equipment has been quite positive, informative, and helpful.”

For more information about the SwathPRO system go to airtractor.com/swathPRO, or contact an Air Tractor dealer.

pattern

Bill

Courtesy Arkansas Agricultural Aviation Association

The Arkansas Aviation Historical Society held their Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on November 10 at 6:00 PM at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock. Former AAAA member Bill Miles was one of this year's inductees.

Bill Miles was born September 27, 1930 near Stuttgart, Arkansas. He loved spending time as a boy near J.O. Dockery airport watching planes and getting instruction whenever possible. At 20 years old he joined the Air Force in hopes of becoming a pilot but due to his eyesight he became gunner on B-25s. While in the Air Force he was married to Bea Bitely. Three years later

Hall

they came home to Pine Bluff where Bill went to work at Grider Field as the assistant manager.

In 1978 Bill bought the Grady operation from Ag-Air, Inc. and renamed it Dirty Bird, Inc. In addition to extensive Ag flying, he has instructed many students who became crop dusters, airline pilots, air show performers and military pilots. People still talk about the “Granny Act” at the Pine Bluff airshows. He also was the announcer for the show for some time. When Bill sold his business and retired in 1992, he was 72 years old and had logged over 39,000 Hours, the majority of which was below the tops of telephone poles! Bill is now over 90 years old and lives outside Nashville,

TN with his very accomplished aviator daughter, Rhonda, and her husband who all share a love for aviation.

Mystery Aircraft Revealed

REGINA’S PERSPECTIVE Regina Farmer regina.farmer@chem-man.com

Knoxville, See You There!

The convention season is right around the corner, and I'm looking forward to going to the ones I can. The national convention will be in Knoxville, Tennessee, and I hope to see many of you there! Our industry needs the support, and networking can be a fantastic way to learn what's going on and possible ways to help your company's work flow. It's also a lot of fun! Please bring your family and make a vacation out of it!

Of course, we can all Google' Knoxville,' but I thought I would do some research just in case you wanted to stay a few extra days and enjoy your time before or after the convention. Here are a few things that I've learned.

Knoxville is a city on the Tennessee River in eastern Tennes see. Downtown, the Market Square district has 19th-century buildings with shops and restaurants.

The population upon the 2020 census was around 187,000, but the metro population was over 800,000.

When reviewing things to do, I was surprised that Jerry and I have never visited Knoxville. We're always looking for exciting places to go. There seem to be quite a few things to do!

According to busytourist.com, they have 32 top picks for things to do in Knoxville. Here are just a few.

1. Ijams Nature Center is one of the best things to do in Knox ville for nature lovers, and it has 300 acres completely free to explore with a lot of trails and activities.

2. The World's Fair Park is called one of the most popular and loved Knoxville attractions.

It climbed to fame as the World's Fair host in 1982 and since then has become a common hangout and relaxation location for more laid-back fun. It's also free, which makes it even more attractive!

3. Zoo Knoxville is home to more than 900 different animals from across the globe, with many things to see that make it an ideal spot to take your kids.

The zoo has received awards for its work in the conservation of red pandas and is also home to several unique and exotic animals, including Komodo dragons.

4. The Tennessee Theater was once called a movie palace upon its opening in 1928.

Since then, its iconic nature has only grown, making it one of the places to visit for entertainment and architecture!

There are all kinds of shows and performances, so check out their schedule.

5. Since this article is limited, I want to summarize that there are many museums and a kid's theater performed by kids, a farmer's market, historic downtown with many activities, a beautiful botanical garden, etc.

I would suggest checking out the website busytourist.com to see for yourself!

I'm hoping to schedule a few extra days so we can enjoy our time! Hope to see you there!

Y'all stay safe.

Endowed Scholarship Fund Set-Up to Honor Charles Stokes

The family and friends of Charles Stokes have recently estab lished a scholarship fund. They plan to endow the Charles Garland Stokes Scholarship for Aviation Maintenance at ASU Mid-South.

When fully funded, the endowment will continue in perpetuity and create a lasting memorial to Charles. The purpose of the endowment is to fund an annual scholarship for a student in ASU Mid-South’s Aviation Technology program.

“Charles’ love for flying began at a young age. He obtained his private pilot’s license before he graduated from high school, and later got his commercial license. It seems so appropriate that future aviation students who share a passion for planes will be reminded of Charles’ life. I believe that’s the best possible way we can remember and honor his life forever,” said his father, Tracey Stokes, owner of Stokes Flying Service in Earle.

Charles was born in July 1999. He attended school in Marion and in 2017 graduated from Marion High School. He pur sued higher education at the University of Arkansas studying business. In addition to flying, Charles enjoyed playing and watching football, hunting, and spending time with family and friends.

“We are honored and quite frankly, touched, that his family and friends have chosen ASU Mid-South for this tribute to Charles,” said Diane Hampton, Vice Chancellor of Institu tional Advancement. “What a loving and generous way to turn tragedy into an opportunity to help others. Charles had a passion for being in the air, and this scholarship will allow future students to soar in their future careers in aviation.”

The family has requested that memorials for Charles be given to the Charles Garland Stokes Endowed Scholarship at ASU Mid-South. Memorials may be mailed to ASU MidSouth Foundation, 2000 West Broadway, West Memphis, AR 72301.

The Foundation, which administers over 90 scholarships, also offers secure on-line giving through the College’s website, www.asumidsouth.edu/aboutfoundation/ (click on the Give Now link). The Mid-South Community College Foundation, Inc. is an independent charitable organiza tion created to raise and oversee funds donated to ASU Mid-South in support of the college’s efforts to meet the needs of Crittenden County.

TWENTY YEARS AGO

Laying it on Thick in Deep South Louisiana

by Bill Lavender

JENNINGS, LA — Like so many ag pilots of today, Ronnie Taylor, owner and operator of Deep South Flying Service, began his ag flying career in 1971 ferrying ag planes. In Ronnie’s case, he delivered new and used Ag-Cats for Emery Lyon of Welsh, Louisiana, picking up N3Ns, Stearmans, Pawnees, and the like trade-ins.

Building enough time to land a seat after a year of ferry work, Ronnie began flying for Louisiana rice operator Jack Robertson. Often, he would fly cotton in Mississippi after the rice season in Louisiana. Twenty-two years later, Ronnie went on his own, in silent partnership with his dad, Bob Taylor, and another ag pilot, Woody Tupper. They formed Deep South Flying Service in 1994 on the outskirts of Jennings, Louisiana, in the heart of rice country.

Ronnie and Woody launched the company with two turbine powered Thrush, a 1991 model -34 and a 1992 model -41 bought from Mid-Continent in Hayti, Missouri. Since then, the company has made a few changes. The ‘91 model Thrush has been replaced with a ‘98 model -45 Thrush. This aircraft was on the assembly line as a “drug buster”. It never saw drug eradication service, but still retains the hard points on the wings and a fully functional dual cockpit, with the certified increased airspeed red-line. The aircraft is a little heavier than the standard Thrush, but with a -45 engine, this extra weight doesn’t present a problem.

In addition to the Thrush aircraft, Deep South uses a Mills Conversion PT6A-15 powered Super B+ Ag-Cat. After leasing a 450 horsepower Ag-Cat from nearby operator Ricky Hernandez in 2001, it was evident the turbine powered Ag-Cat would fill a niche for the company. Woody’s son, Chad Tupper, began his first season in the radial engine Ag-Cat, and this year has made the transition to the Mills Conversion Ag-Cat. Chad also swaps

off the pilot’s seat with long-time veteran ag pilot, Melvin Bell.

Adding to the diversity of the Deep South fleet, a Bell 47G4, flown by Woody, primarily handles the 2,4D problem rice fields and industrial work spraying drainage ditches and bayous. Also, the helicopter is used for 2,4D work in nearby Mississippi. When Woody climbs out of his Thrush to fly the Bell 47, Ronnie moves into the -45 Thrush, and Mel moves over to Ronnie’s -41 Thrush, while Chad flies the Ag Cat full time.

Rice flying is demanding. Scheduling is paramount. With GPS, and the shift from seeding pre-germinated rice seed to dry rice seed, life is somewhat easier at Deep South, but even so, office manager West Benoit is kept busy. Ronnie says West is the proverbial “one-man band”, looking after the application schedule, dealing with the farmer, handling ground crews of seven and eight men and ground equipment maintenance.

Pilots gather a quick evening meal at Deep South’s office. (L-R) Al Ritter, Billy Precht, Sr., Woody Tupper and Ronnie Taylor.

This "20 Years Ago" lookback article on Deep South Flying Service is dedicated to the memory of Ronnie Taylor, 1946-2020.

Ronnie’s son, Stuart, assists West with the scheduling and chemical inventory when he is not attending college. However, West and Stuart say working in Deep South’s new office complex makes their job easier, even if they do have to fill the coffee maker several times a day! Deep South’s kitchen area is the farmers’ coffee and donuts stop, beginning at daybreak each day.

All the rice in the work area of Deep South is planted by aircraft. As a matter of fact, applications of fertilizer, herbicide and insecticide are all made by aircraft. The local applicators in southern Louisiana have earned the trust of the farmer with precision applications in a timely manner. Deep South uses the Satloc GPS system to assure their applications are precise. With a 45-foot swath, Deep South is confident their applications for seeding are even. Ronnie says, “This may cost us more fuel, time and money, but once the seed is spread, there’s no backing up. It has to be right.”

Deep South counts on a minimum of five trips over the rice fields. These applications comprise of a combination of seeding, 100 pounds of 33% urea, a Facet and Londax herbicide application at 10 gallons per acre, NPK fertilizer at 200-300 pounds per acre, a blend of 46% urea with 21% ammonium sulfate (33% analysis), 2,4D application at five gallons per acre, and in most years a fungicide with Quadris and/or methyl parathion for an insecticide.

Applications begin in February, peaking in mid-April through May. The early rice (March and April planting) is doublecropped, with only a shot of 150 pounds of urea per acre and flooding needed after harvesting the first crop. Rice work comes to an end in mid-August.

Sugar cane work begins the end of July and runs through midSeptember. Every acre has to be defoliated with Palato to help set the sugar levels in the cane. There is a little rye grass work in October, with some winter fertilizing after planting.

Typically, one Deep South aircraft is airborne at least once a week year round. During the winter, the rest of the aircraft in the fleet are going through an extensive annual with AI Jimmy Le Blanc overseeing the maintenance. The rice work, with its fertilizing and multitude of takeoffs and landings, is hard on the aircraft. As standard operating practices, the tail section of each aircraft is removed, stripped, inspected for corrosion and painted; gear bolts are replaced annually, along with the biscuits in the Thrush landing gear.

Jeffries Airworks balances the propellers in late winter, just before the season gets started. Ronnie tells of one instance where Jim Jeffries noted a spike in one of the turbine engine’s readout while balancing the prop. Jim suspected a problem with the PT disc. Ronnie sent the engine to Covington Aircraft Engines, who was able to make minor repairs before serious problems developed. ➤

Deep South loader truck’s booms hold two bags of rice seed or fertilizer, completely filling the hopper in a matter of seconds.

NAAA Presenter

From the beginning in 1994, Deep South joined the Louisiana AAA and the NAAA. At first Ronnie was, in his own words, “just a member”. Then, he attended the first two PAASS presentations at the Louisiana convention. When PAASS indicated it was looking for volunteers, Ronnie came forward. He attended PAASS’s Train the Trainer program in San Antonio, Texas, which prepared him to stand before his peers and tell his story as an ag operator and how it related to the issues PAASS was presenting.

Ronnie’s interest spread further when he joined a couple of NAAA committees, and became a board member for the National Agricultural Aviation Research and Education Foundation, the parent of PAASS. In 2002, he serves as NAAREF’s vice president.

In Ronnie’s first year as a PAASS presenter, he participated in eight sessions. In 2001, he participated in four sessions. During his presentations, he follows a definite outline provided by PAASS, but is able to relate to his personal experiences as well.

“I’ve met some fantastic people, smart people, through the PAASS program. I know that a fellow crop duster can

deal best with the questions asked at these programs. I try to stress safety, that none of this is worth killing yourself over, ten minutes later and the customer will be calling someone else.”

Ronnie explains serving as a PAASS presenter has helped him in his business. It is not an easy job standing in front of one’s peers, especially those from your home state. However, Ronnie’s easy going style and open honesty make him an excellent presenter. Ag pilots from all over the country have enjoyed and profited from listening to his talks.

“I’m just relaying the message and relating my experiences. I’m no different from any other ag pilot in the audience. I’m simply telling what many ag pilots would like to tell others.

“It’s not official, but accidents are down, the insurance guys like the program, as well as the FAA and the EPA. We must be on the right track,” Ronnie explains.

It’s volunteers like Ronnie Taylor that help set the example for others to follow. Without them devoting their time and efforts, there would be no PAASS program. Without PAASS, ag aviation would be very different than it is today.

WING AND A PRAYER

Carlin Lawrence carlin@agairupdate.com

Eternal Life in God’s Heaven is Secure in Jesus Christ

“Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:33-34).

“For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30). The calling, choosing, election, predestination, justification, and glorification of all God’s people is taught from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 God created Adam and Eve, they didn’t create themselves. God called Abraham (Genesis 11-12), even though he was an idol worshipper (Joshua 24:1-4), and an adulterer and liar. God called Isaac over Ishmael; God called Jacob over Esau; Moses was a murder, and God called him to lead the Hebrew people out of slavery. Jesus Christ called all the apostles (John 15:16), and the apostle Paul (Act 9:1-19). God called these people, but they had to choose to follow God’s calling. Jesus said, “Many are called but few are chosen” (Matthew 20:16). Why? Because if you don’t follow God’s calling He will not choose you! God will not violate our free will.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32). We become a son/daughter of God through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we belong to God, and nothing can overrule God’s power. God gives Christians His Holy Spirit to

live within us to defeat Satan’s temptations. Christians are to resist Satan’s temptations and he will run from us (James 4:7). We have God on our side and we cannot lose! “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (John 4:4).

“Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:33-34). When Satan tried to get Peter to use worldly wisdom to keep Jesus from going to the Cross, Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23). Satan wanted to sift Peter out from Jesus’ apostles, but Jesus prayed for Peter so that his faith would not fail” (Luke 22:31-32). Jesus Christ is praying constantly for every Christian (Hebrews 7:25), and nothing overrules Jesus’ prayers.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter” (Romans 8:35-36). A Christian’s eternal salvation in Christ Jesus is based on God’s love for us. No one lives a perfect life, no one’s love for Jesus Christ is perfect; and

we cannot preserve our own salvation—God does that for us. “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day” (2 Timothy 1:12). Christians have an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:4-5).

Nothing can separate a Christian from Jesus Christ’s love for us, not even the worst problems of our earthly life nor the worst sins we commit in our earthly life; not even our physical death. Nothing can break the bond of love between Jesus Christ and His church. Jesus Christ’s love for us is more certain than that the sun will shine tomorrow morning. Someday we will not need the sun (Revelation 21:23, 22:5), but Jesus Christ will still love us. If you ever doubt Jesus Christ’s love for us, just remember, He died for sinners like you and me (Romans 5:6-8).

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Christians will be tempted by our sinful nature, tempted by this sinful world, and tempted by Satan. Christians have physical sicknesses, physiological struggles, family problems, financial struggles, and many other problems. But we come out boldly, living a godly lifestyle and witnessing for Jesus Christ. How? By faith we believe that every problem is refining us and making us spiritually stronger. By faith we yield our earthly body to be controlled by God’s Holy Spirit. By faith we take up the whole armor of God, so we can withstand all the attacks of our sinful nature, this evil world, and Satan (Ephesians 6:10-20). Jesus said, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing” (Mark 14:38, John 6:63).

God kept doing wonders, miracles, and healings through the apostles, and the high priest had them put in jail, but God’s angel set them free and they went back to preaching again. Roman soldiers were sent to bring the apostles before the Jewish leaders and the apostles were told not to preach in Jesus’ name again, and Peter said, “We ought to obey God rather than men…The apostles were beaten, and they went away rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for Jesus Christ” (Acts 5:12-42). Only physical death can stop men and women who are empowered by God’s Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s purposes on this earth. David Brainard, a successful missionary to American Indians from 1743-47, said, “Now let me burn out for God.” He died before age 30 of tuberculosis! David Brainard was more than a conqueror!

SPREADING THE FACTS

Michelle Miller - michelle@thefarmbabe.com

FArming is more tHAn Food

Agriculture is much more than just food on your plate. Nearly everything you interact with daily comes from a farm in some way, shape, or form. For example, think of the clothes on your back, the make-up or lip balm

you may be wearing, and the leather watchband on your wrist, all of which come from agricultural products and byproducts. On top of that, an airplane has interacted with many of these products along its journey.

Byproducts are materials we get as secondary to our primary product. When we harvest livestock for meat, we also get bones, skin, and bodily fluids. Of course, meat is our primary goal for harvesting livestock. Still, we may only get as little as 50% of edible materials from an animal, so we must figure out alternative uses for the remaining parts to reduce waste. A true “vegan” lifestyle is pretty much impossible, considering agricultural byproducts are all around us. Bones can be utilized for supplemental calcium in livestock feeds and can be used to refine other products, like sugarcane, into crystalized sugar. Skins are generally harvested for leather, and this is where the colloquial name for a football became ‘pig skin’ since that is what they were originally crafted from. Bodily fluids sound gross, but they provide so much for our everyday lives. Collagen is harvested from livestock and used in beauty and food products like gummies and jelly. Collagen can make capsules for pills, adhesives, and many other materials. Stearic acid is a component collected frequently from cattle processing and used in things like plastics, PVC, candles, cosmetics, and so much more. Animal byproducts can be found in fertilizer, marshmallows, soaps, biodiesel, fireworks, perfumes, linoleum, deodorant, paper, toothpaste, batteries, and even the roadways and tires on your vehicles! We get so much more from harvesting livestock than meat, which is an integral part of our lives.

Livestock byproducts aren’t the only things hidden in everyday items. We see a lot of byproducts and nonfood items on our store shelves. We think of fiber products, like cotton, as just a non-food items. However, it does produce a food item for livestock! Cottonseed and cottonseed hulls are used as supplemental feed for livestock to increase fiber intake and again to help prevent items from being wasted. Some products grown, like rapeseed, corn, wheat, and sugar, are developed strictly for use in biofuels and will not enter the food systems. Many plants are grown for industrial uses and not for food. Ornamental plants can be developed for plant nurseries, cut flowers, essential oils, or printing ink dyes. Some plants are grown for botanical, herbal, and medicinal purposes. Lastly, some plants are used for building materials, paper, fabrics, padding, ropes, and other construction materials.

All of these products are integrated with agricultural products and materials. These ag items have likely seen a few airplanes over the field during its growing period. Aerial agriculturalists are essential for helping to control pests, applying fertilizers, and sometimes just scouts for pest/ disease damage or even finding livestock in large areas!

Aeronautics is just as crucial to our daily lives as many of the products produced from these ag byproducts would be significantly more expensive without aerial application to minimize input expenses.

Everything you might touch in a day came from farming in some way or another. Using byproducts is a great way to reduce waste and have a use for everything that we produce. I often hear about going back to the ‘olden days’ where we process our own animals and use every part in some aspect of our lives, but that is happening now on a much larger and more efficient scale. Agriculture is integrated into our lives profoundly, from the food on our tables, to the clothes we wear, to the products we use.

LOW & SLOW

Flying Into The Future — Epilogue…

Tremendous changes in commercial agricultural flying have occurred during the 60 years since Huff-Daland Dusters entered the business in 1924.

Most of these changes took place directly after World War II, when great technological strides were made. But it was not until the 1970s and 1980s that the industry began operating almost exclusively with modem, production aircraft.

During the great growth period from 1946 and through the 1950s, operators nationwide depended almost entirely on the surplus military Stearman (Boeing A 75) or on production aircraft like the Piper J-3 and PA-12. These aircraft were easily adapted to the installation of dispensing equipment.

Operators, however, had long realized that better aircraft were needed. But obtaining the large capital investment necessary to convert to newer aircraft was more than most entrenched operators cared to face.

Finally, the old surplus aircraft simply could not continue. Ultimately, their owners were faced with a small, but growing number of competitors who had taken the plunge and upgraded their fleets. ➤

Modern Air Tractor, turbo-powered, spraying. This is the At-400 Model built by Leland Snow.

Mabry I. Anderson An Insider’s History of Agricultural Aviation

Modern Mel ex Dromander, the M 18 with 1000 horsepower engine, currently being manufactured and in use.

Modern Schweitzer AgCat, turbo-powered, on spray run.

The fear of being out-gunned by competition had more to do, perhaps, with the rapid adoption of new aircraft than any other single factor. This changeover peaked in the 1970s and, by 1980, virtually every aircraft operating in the United States was of recent vintage. The time-honored Stearman was virtually retired and aircraft with the two-hole configuration have become collector's items.

Influenced greatly by this move to relatively expensive new aircraft, the entire industry began to change. Large operations were replaced by many smaller units. By the middle of the 1970s, operations with 10 or more aircraft had almost completely vanished.

New operations were springing up everywhere, usually created by experienced pilots who had learned the business while working for one of these larger concerns. These men had developed farmer-clients who "followed" them when they went into business for themselves.

Smaller businesses seemed to be prevalent in the South and Southeast, where cotton was the major crop. Cotton, by its nature, often required up to 20 applications per season. As a result, pilots and farmer-clients often became personal friends. In many cases, the farmer supplied his pilot with the necessary capital to start up the business. Today, most operations are two or three aircraft units with not more than two pilots.

Naturally, some exceptions exist. The rice growing regions of Texas and California, with their 12-month flying season and their tremendous crop and orchard acreage, are the locations of many larger firms.

Advances in aircraft have been obvious. However, similar improvements in dispensing equipment have not occurred.

Dispensing units being built today are more sophisticated from a manufacturing standpoint. But basic principles have changed very little. This is especially true of dry

material dispensing equipment and the spreaders that distribute the material.

In 1931, Finklea Brothers at Leland, Mississippi, was manufacturing a dry dispensing unit that was virtually identical to the ones being built in 1985. The Finklea Brothers units were carefully constructed from sheet aluminum, and were equipped with vaned spreaders, hopper agitators, gear reduction boxes, and fans. Today, the only significant difference is that the tank/hoppers are now made of fiberglass or modem plastics.

Liquid dispensing technology has changed somewhat more rapidly. But again, the basic principles are almost identical to those developed in the 1930s and after World War II. The greatest improvements have been in the quality of materials and workmanship. The pumps, plumbing, booms, spray nozzles, and related items which make up a dispensing unit are much less apt to leak, break down, or cause trouble. Tank leakage, a real problem during the 1950s, has almost been eliminated.

New technology that helps determine effective swath widths, spray patterns, and spray penetration has been astonishingly effective. After World War II, good operators working diligently trying to determine these things, usually using strips of paper stretched across runways over which spray runs were conducted. Dye-infused water was sprayed and a reasonably good record of the spray pattern and droplet size appeared on the paper. A conscientious operator could usually improve his spray patterns considerably after "reading" the results shown on this dye-spattered paper.

This, however, was not really enough, especially when the Environmental Protection Agency became a factor and the general public became greatly involved with pesticide drift on “non-target” areas. As a result, state agencies, land-grant colleges, agricultural aviation associations, and progressive agricultural chemical firms began seriously experimenting with sophisticated testing equipment that could show spray patterns and help correct deficiencies.

NTSB REPORTS Accident Synopses

NTSB Identification: CEN21LA223

Location: Clayton, Louisiana

Date: May 18, 2021

Aircraft: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502A

Injuries: Fatal

On the day of the accident, the pilot had already completed several aerial application flights and was in the process of spraying product on a target field. Witnesses stated that the airplane had just completed a spray pass and was turning around. During the turn, the airplane pitched up and rolled left into a steep bank. One witness stated that it looked like the pilot, “didn’t pull out of a barrel roll.” The airplane “fell out of the sky” and impacted the ground inverted. Data extracted from the airplane’s GPS failed to record the last 30 seconds of the flight, likely as a result of a recording latency. Postaccident examination of the wreckage did not revealed any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot failing to maintain airplane control while maneuvering in the turn at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control.

Although toxicology testing detected diphenhydramine, a sedating antihistamine, in the pilot’s urine, operational evidence of any impairment is inconclusive. Therefore, whether the pilot’s use of diphenhydramine contributed to the accident could not be determined from the available evidence. Probable Cause and Findings — The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot’s loss of airplane control resulting in an aerodynamic stall

while executing a steep turnaround during an aerial application flight.

NTSB Identification: CEN21LA356

Location: Corydon, Indiana

Date: August 4, 2021

Aircraft: Bell 206 Injuries: Serious

The pilot reported that while performing an aerial application flight, he did not see the power lines before descending into the field. The helicopter collided with the power lines and the pilot lost control of the helicopter. The helicopter subsequently impacted terrain and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. A visual examination did not reveal any preaccident failures or malfunctions with the helicopter 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 see and avoid power lines.

NTSB Identification: CEN22LA248

Location: Beaumont, Texas

Date: June 14, 2022

Aircraft: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-602

Injuries: None

The pilot reported that while maneuvering the airplane to set a starting line for aerial application to a field, the airplane’s right main landing gear struck a power line pole. The pilot immediately returned to the airport. Upon landing, the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot did not report any

preaccident failures or malfunctions 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 pole while preparing for a low-level aerial application pass.

NTSB Identification: ERA21LA270

Location: Waxhaw, North Carolina

Date: June 27, 2021

Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO R66 Injuries: None

The pilot reported that he observed several power lines when performing reconnaissance flights prior to beginning spraying operations. He attempted to avoid them as he began applying the fungicide to the corn field; however, the helicopter impacted a green, thin power line “less than the diameter of a pencil” that the pilot had not previously observed. The helicopter began to vibrate and became difficult to control. The pilot initiated a 180° right turn to avoid trees and the helicopter impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot stated that the helicopter had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 powerlines during a low-level aerial application flight.

NTSB Identification: CEN21LA254

Location: Drew, Mississippi

Date: June 4, 2021

Aircraft: AIR TRACTOR INC AT-602

Injuries: Minor

The pilot stated that the airplane had just been loaded with fertilizer for an aerial application flight and that the fuel tanks were about ¾ full. The last memory he had of the event was the start of the takeoff roll. There were no witnesses to the accident.

A ground scar was present along the runway with the left navigation light embedded in the scar. The airplane sustained substantial damage to wings, ailerons, and rudder.

Flight control continuity was established from the control stick to the aileron and elevator control surfaces and from the rudder pedals to the rudder.

The tailwheel lock was found engaged and a functional test revealed no anomalies. Engine control continuity was established from the power quadrant to the engine and allowed for unrestricted movement of the power lever, propeller control lever, and condition lever. No anomalies or malfunctions were found that would have precluded normal operation. The reason for the loss of control during takeoff could not be determined based on the available information.

Probable Cause and Findings — The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: A loss of control during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined.

NTSB Identification: CEN21LA356

Location: Corydon, Indiana

Date: August 4, 2021

Aircraft: Bell 206 Aircraft

Injuries: Serious

The pilot reported that while performing an aerial application flight, he did not see the power lines before descending into the field. The helicopter collided with the power lines and the pilot lost control of the helicopter. The helicopter subsequently impacted terrain and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. A visual examination did not reveal any preaccident failures or malfunctions with the

helicopter 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 see and avoid power lines.

NTSB Identification: WPR21LA162

Location: Hermiston, Oregon

Date: April 17, 2021

Aircraft: THRUSH AIRCRAFT LLC S2R-T660

Injuries: N/A

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the takeoff roll, the left main landing gear tire failed. The airplane veered left, exited the runway and impacted terrain. The right wing and the engine truss sustained substantial damage. The pilot added 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 loss of directional control due to a blown tire, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with terrain.

NTSB Identification: CEN22LA387

Location: Millville, Minnesota

Date: August 16, 2022

Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO R66

Injuries: None

The pilot reported spraying several different fields throughout the day. During the accident spray pass, the pilot sighted a power line and attempted to avoid it by lowering the collective.

The helicopter struck the power line and subsequently impacted terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the main rotor blades and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation and that he should made a more complete reconnaissance of the field.

Probable Cause and Findings — The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The

pilot’s inadequate inflight planning resulted in impact with a power line.

NTSB Identification: CEN22LA366

Location: Maynard, Iowa

Date: August 5, 2022

Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY

Injuries: None

The pilot reported that during an aerial application flight in a helicopter, he experienced a gust of wind that caused the nose of the helicopter to dip and lose altitude, which resulted in an impact with a powerline and substantial damage to the tailboom. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies 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: An impact with a powerline as a result of an unexpected wind gust.

Accident Number: CEN22LA350

Location: Marshall, Missouri

Date: July 31, 2022

Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY

Injuries: None

The pilot reported that, during an aerial application flight in a helicopter, he mistakenly thought a power pole he had observed during an overflight was the termination point of a powerline. He stated that he failed to notice another power pole that was obscured by trees near a small house and impacted the lines between the poles during a spray pass. The helicopter subsequently impacted terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom and main rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter 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 adequately survey a field for obstructions prior to a low-level aerial application pass, which resulted in an impact with a powerline.

TURNING DATA INTO ACTION

Our

CRAYMER’S COUNSEL

Robert Craymer - robertc@covingtonaircraft.com

What If…

Over the past months, I have laid out several important items for maintaining your PT6A engine. We have dis cussed borescope inspections, hot section inspections, engine washing, fuel nozzles, performance, etc. I have been asked, "what are some of the results if we decide not to heed any of this advice?" The underlying question is: what is my risk by not doing maintenance? I have been reviewing some of the past conversations and trouble

shooting items that I have been involved with and hope I can provide an interesting perspective.

What really happens if I don't have a fuel nozzle inspection program? In your PT6A, the atomization of fuel and ignition is controlled explicitly by airflow. The airflow keeps the mixture of air and fuel just right to allow the burning of the fuel to be limited in how long it burns in the engine. The desirable effect

is extinguishing the flame before getting on the "expensive" parts. When your fuel nozzles are dirty, there are opportu nities for streaks to begin in your fuel nozzle spray pattern, causing the air/fuel mixture to change. It allows that flame to extend further in the engine and start to burn those expensive parts. We have seen burning evidence in parts such as the large and small exit ducts. The next part downstream to burn is the compressor turbine vane. Once the vane ring begins to burn, there is no protection for the compressor turbine (CT) blades.

What really happens if I don't have an engine-washing pro gram? Over the past few months, I had multiple calls about engine performance. On several of these occasions, the "fix" that has been discovered was a compressor wash. The engine was starting to surge or stall in several of these cases. Taking care of the air going into the engine is critical with your PT6A. Without air, you are going nowhere; however, performance is not the only thing that can be affected by a lack of washing. I have had a customer who brought his engine for repair. The corrosion on the exterior of the engine was so severe that the gas generator case was rejected. We also routinely must replace inlet cases, reduction gearbox housings and accessory gearbox housings. These housings are not cheap, but many could have been saved with a bit of soap and water.

What really happens if I don't do any inspection after a starter generator event? I haven't written in this forum about elec trical discharge yet, but it is real. We have witnessed several engines that have suffered any sort of starter generator failure, and the electricity has gone through the engine. Interestingly, the failure doesn't occur right away. It seems to happen hours later. I still recall a customer who called and informed us that his engine was making a strange noise when it started and asked if we could come to take a look. When we spun the engine with the starter, there was a terrible knocking sound. Initially, we thought perhaps an accessory had failed and began our investigation at the back half of the engine. As we went through various possibilities, we pulled the oil filter. The filter's pleats were so full of metal that they were no longer visible. The pilot reported he had never gotten a chip light. He did tell us that about 150 hours earlier, the starter generator had failed, and they had replaced it. Upon disassembling the engine and subsequent inspection of the internal parts, we found arcing caused by that starter generator failure.

I am not here to tell you that these types of failures will happen to you if you don't do the suggested maintenance. What I do want to advise everyone is that there are inexpen sive best practice actions that you can implement into your maintenance program. These give you the best opportunity to maintain your engine health. Remember, you have a mainte nance program, even if it is to take no action.

Robert Craymer has worked on PT6A engines and PT6A-pow ered 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 can be reached at robertc@covingtonaircraft.com or 662-9109899. Visit us at covingtonaircraft.com.

Hartzell Propeller Promotes Jon Stoy To VP Sales, Support and Services; Gary Chafin Assumes Consulting Role For Hartzell Aviation Companies

PIQUA, Ohio, Oct. 10, 2022 – After a distinguished 35-year career in technical and sales roles for Hartzell Propeller, Gary Chafin, Vice President of Global Sales and Product Support, has retired. Going forward he will serve Hartzell Propeller and all of the Hartzell Aviation companies, including Hartzell Engine Tech and Hartzell Aerospace Welding, as a consultant responsible for special projects.

As part of the planned transition, Hartzell Propeller has pro moted veteran aviation sales executive Jon Stoy to Vice Pres ident Sales, Support and Services. In his new position, Stoy’s broad portfolio includes responsibilities for the company’s OEM and specialized propeller sales teams, product support, technical publications, shipping and warehouse logistics, customer service, and advanced air mobility business devel opment and new technology.

“Gary Chafin’s many contributions to Hartzell Propeller and our customers over the years have been enormous. He is leav ing very big shoes to fill,” said company president JJ Frigge. “We are so glad to be able to benefit from Gary’s experience and expertise as a consultant, as Jon Stoy, an extremely capable aviation sales executive in his own right, assumes the important responsibilities of leading all of Hartzell Propeller’s customer facing roles into the future,” Frigge added.

Stoy joined Hartzell Propeller in 2021 as Director of Sales with 14 years of experience in a variety of aviation sales roles. Prior to joining Hartzell, he was General Aviation Business Development Manager for Aeroshell, Director of Aviation Infrastructures & Services for NetJets, and Charter Services Manager for Executive Jet Management.

He is a commercial, multiengine and instrument-rated pilot with over 1,000 flight hours. Stoy has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University in Aviation Management and is an active member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the American Bonanza Society and the Experi mental Aircraft Association.

Gary Chafin’s career at Hartzell Propeller began in 1987, after serving as a crew chief for the United States Air Force. He had increasingly responsible roles in Product Support and OEM Sales culminating as VP Global Sales and Support for

the past nine years. In addition to consulting on special proj ects with Hartzell Aviation, Chafin plans to divide his semi-re tirement between homes in Ohio and Mexico.

About Hartzell Propeller

Hartzell Aviation’s flagship company is Hartzell Propeller, the global leader in advanced technology aircraft propeller design and manufacturing for business, commercial and government customers. The company designs next-generation propellers with innovative blended airfoil technology and manufactures them with revolutionary machining centers, robotics, and custom resin transfer molding curing stations. President JJ Frigge heads the company, which is headquartered in Piqua, Ohio. For more information go to https://hartzellprop.com.

About Hartzell Aviation

The Hartzell Aviation name brings together an outstanding array of firewall forward companies and products under one umbrella, reinforcing the organizations’ core competencies and pursuit of improving General Aviation. The storied brands of Hartzell Aviation include Hartzell Propeller, Hartzell Aero space Welding and Hartzell Engine Tech. In addition, Quality Aircraft Accessories, an authorized MRO facility and world wide general aviation distribution center, is a Hartzell Aviation Company. Hartzell Aviation is committed to innovation and the continuous improvement of General Aviation products and services. The companies are guided by the overriding princi ple of Built on Honor, which reflects a commitment to quality, performance and support. Hartzell Aviation’s website can be found at https://hartzellaviation.com.

Hartzell Propeller Promotes Jon Stoy, To VP Sales, Support and Services; Gary Chafin Assumes Consulting Rol, For Hartzell Aviation Companies

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 needs.Fromagricultural spray systems and bucket spreaders to firefighting systems, forestry grapples and

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 HELICOPTER SYSTEMS 2410 NW BURNSIDE CT. GRESHAM, OR 97030 U.S.A. PHONE: +1 (503) 492 2105

ISOLAIR HELICOPTER SYSTEMS 27600 SE HIGHWAY 212 BORING, OR 97009 U.S.A. PHONE: +1 (503) 492-2105

+1 (503) 492 2756

+1 (503) 492-2756

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Quickly view ads online by scanning the QR code with your phone! Open the Camera app on iOS and Android and focus on code.

Ag Cat

1976 Grumman G-164A, SN1626, N48387, TT 10,906, Last annual 10/1/2019, Engine: R1340 Covington overhaul 7/27/2010, SMOH 891, All ADs current, Governor overhauled May 2017. Prop: HS 12D40, SN33615, Memphis Propeller Service repair Nov 2013, SMOH 326, replaced cylinder and counterweight shaft kit, ADs current. Single point refueling, Wingtip extensions, 300-gallon hopper with Grumman gate, large rudder, locking tailwheel, dry and wet rigs, DynaNav computer with flow control valve. 2018: New empennage fabric, new TW spring, new oil temp gauge, painted gear, new spray system valve. 2019: New Concorde battery, new airspeed indicator. $127K Call or email 260-341-8749 John@ParatusAir.com

1996 Super B Ag Cat6800 TTAF with Fresh Annual, TPE 331-1 with Fresh HSI, GBI, and Compressor Section, 2100 SPOH. Factory 115 Gal fuel with Bottom Load Dry Lock, 400 Gallon Hopper, SATLOC Bantam, SS Booms, Weath-Aero 5 Blade Pump, CP-11TT Nozzles, Swathmaster Spreader, Metallized Wings, Aileron and Elevator Servo’s, Fabric on tail in good condition (Airtech Process), Automatic Flagger, Cockpit bleed air heat, Tinted windows, 29” Tires, new batteries. This is within the last handful of Ag Cats built and has been well maintained. $315,000 message or call Seth at 541-969-2062

Ground up Super B AgCat rebuild Firewall aft complete aircraft. This does not include the power plant or engine STC. The estimated completion date is April 1st. This is as close to a new AgCat complete airframe out there. 400-gallon hopper, Long Range Fuel, Raised Wing, Heavy Gear, and Tail Spring. $355K Call Storm Aeronautics for details 402-367-3213

Special Price for Super A+600 “Queen Cat”. 350 Hopper, TLand 25” Combo, 80-Fuel, B-Cockpit, TST, Zero AF & E&P! Be smart, fly safe, do better work! Bank on 4-wings! List $289K, reduced to $199K. Ag Cat Sales and Service since 1971. 870-2418/2489F frank. kelley@ag-cat.com

Order your Turbine Ag Cat Pen and Ink Drawing from our DeSpain Collection today for only $59.99plus S&H. Call 478-987-2250

Order your B Model Ag Cat Pen and Ink Drawing From our DeSpain Collection today for $59.99. plus S&H. Call 478987-2250

1986 G164B Ag Cat Super B- Mills Conversion, Pratt & Whitney PT6-34, Bantam GPS, 400 Gallon Hopper, Bottom Load Fuel, Metalized Wings, Hershey Wing Tips, Goose Feet, Flagger, Smoker, Weath-Aero Fan. Call Steve at 509-595-3520 for more pics, engine, prop, and airframe logbook. Location: Pullman, WA scott@ cacaircraft.com

Air Tractor

AT-301

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. $250K out of annual or $280K with annual. Call 509-520-8267

1975 Ag Cat G-164B, N8834H R1340, TT 7266+ SMOH 227+ TT3653+ Super clean beautiful Ag Cat. Fresh annual, SATLOC Bantam IntelliFlow, 114 long range fuel, Kawak Throttle Quadrant, Collins A/C, 330 gal hopper, Smoker Sys, New tires, New Comm radio, bottom fuel and load connections. Right boom shutoff, Raised wing kit, Heavy Gear, Dry Spreader. Everything you would want, ready for work. Proud build from Sky Tractor. You will not find another like it. $175K 580-884-0446

Various Ag Cat Spares available. Please contact us for the price at spares@ orsmondaviation.co.za +27 58 303 5261 or visit our website at https:// orsmondaviation.co.za/

Ag Cats In Progress - S/N 566B AgJet TPE-Turbo SB+, 400-gal/120fuel, hi & heavy, TST, 25/38” TL, New Prop/YOUR Engine, $295K, S/N 349B Mills PT6-Turbo B, 350-gal/115-fuel, Std. Gap, New Prop/YOUR Engine, $245K. Both perform/look LIKE NEW! 870-8862418/2489F 870-759-1692 Cell. AgCat Sales & Service since 1971. frank.kelley@ag-cat.com

1981 AT-301A, 11,430 TTSN 851, SMOH 851 SPOH Tulsa R-1340-61

Geared Engine w/ 12:1 Blower. Really Nice & Ready to Work! 23D40 Prop w/7005A blades, Collins A/C, EGT, Bosch Mags, Chip Detector, Spin-On Oil Filter STC, Lane Fan & Brake, 29X11 Tires, 38” Gate, New Throttle Quadrant, SATLOC M3 w/ upgraded lightbar, 40 CP-09s w/AFS valves, SSF Latches, 3 Gal Smoker, All Metal Tall Tail w/ SL196 (no AD!), Turn Windows, Tinted Glass, Com Radio, Dig Tach, CropHawk 7B, John Herr Refurbed Hopper & Door, ATS VGs, Spreader, 126 Gal Fuel. April Annual. Hangared in WY for the last 13 years. Some Spares with Sale. $70,000 OBO 307-331-9147

1975 Grumman Ag Cat 164A, Driven NaN miles, P&W 985 450hp TT 10,954, SMOH 559, SATLOC Bantam, CP-11 Nozzles, Smoker, bottom load fuel, Weath Aero fan, Has speed ring. Good airplane, times will go up until purchase. Price reduced to $73,000 256-590-8030

1977 Ag Cat G-164B, N6699Q, 64-gallon fuel, R985 engine, Airframe 12,000+ hours, Engine 1,300hrs+, Engine Compression all cylinders 70/80 psi, 25” Swathmaster spreader, Factory spray system, Propeller Hamilton Standard 2D30 / AG100-2, Prop balance in 2021, Satloc GPS, $45,000, Contact Wayne at Lake Air Service 337-789-3529

Export Special: G164A+, Fresh AmAg REPAIR w/factory jigged frames, New 335-Hopper, Ext’d/ Metal Wings, 80-fuel, 24V w/ Strobes, E-Servo, GAAC Hybrid Combo, Smoker, Oil Filter, Reassembled w/new hardware, Ready for 1000 hr. service-run. $69K & Your R1340 E&P. CofaW4Ex included. Flyaway or your container. AgCat Sales/Services since 1971, 870-886-2418/2489 Fax, 870-7591692 Cell. frank.kelley@ag-cat.com

Get Serious About Selling Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

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. $118,000 USD. Parkland Aerial Applicators (204) 647-2731, Manitoba, Canada.

1981 AT-301, N2367C, S/N: 301-0412, 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: ZP-104037, 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. $125K Call Neal Aircraft at 806-828-5892

AT-401

AT-402

1995 AT-401B, N6000Y, WALTHERS 601-11E, TIMES TTSN 7562.0, SMOH 916.5, SPOH 421.8, Wings Rebuilt Last October for time limit SB, BOOMS: Aero Flow System AFS extended life coated booms and Y strainer airfoil with CP nozzles, Bantam G4, Main landing gear 8.00X10 tires, Smoker, Storm wire cutters, Hopper rinse tank, Single point fuel fill, 2” dry brake for loading product, Long range tanks 120 gallons. $495K Call Neal Aircraft at 806-8285892

1992 AT-402A S/N 402A-0855 N1534D, PT6A-15AG. TTAF 9498 New wing spar by George’s in 2016 at 7388. TTE 4600, 962 SHOT. Propeller 325 SIRAN, 4030SOH. Bantam w/ Intelliflow II. Stainless booms w/ CP11. Reabe Clear Canopy, Fast start, Garmin GTX335 ADSB out, PAR200A comm, Hatfield Single Point, Dynon D3 pocket Panel, Harbor AC, AmSafe Airbags, Lane brake, LED lights and SS camlocs. NDH and all logbooks. One owner since new. $4 10 K 515-961-4026

1998 AT-402B w/-34AG, New spars in March, prop 784 SOH. Engine TTSN 3800, TTAF 7618, TT Since Hot Inspection 484. $600K Contact Speck/Heath at 979-5435272

2012 AT-402B, N402Z, PT6A-34AG, TTAF: 4,355hrs, TTE: 4,355hrs, Single windshield, Prop TSO: Zero Time, Spars Caps Due: 5,445hrs, SATLOC Bantam and IntelliFlow, Lane Fan and Brake, CP-11 Nozzles, CP Check Valves, TL SS Booms, Hartzell Prop, Garmin SL40 radio, Stratus ADS-B Out, Right-Boom Shut Off, Smoker, AMSAFE, SPFS Hose-Style, Hopper Rinse, New tires, and brakes. Fresh annual in April of 2022. $650,000 Contact North Star Aviation and ask for Steve or Mike. 620-356-4528 Mike@northstarav.co

1993 AT-401/402, 7100 TT PT6A-27 engine, SATLOC Lite GPS, smoker.

Aircraft converted to a turbine using all factory parts. Harbor air conditioning. Flies great. $265,000 Call Mike Schoenau at Valley Air Crafts at 559-731-6401

1996 AT-402B, S/N 402B-0995 N6162B, PT6A-34AG. Engine S/N PCE-57523. TTAE 9877, Complete refurbishment and wing spar AD (done at the factory)at 7649 hours by Southeastern aircraft. 4183 since light O/H. 433 since hot section and power section. Ag pilot X with Intelliflow. Reabe hopper gauge, Lane brake, Kawak throttle quadrant factory A/C and heat, 25” gate, Swathmaster spreader, new hopper in 2021, Storm shield will come with CP-11 nozzles, bottom load fuel. Aircraft is still working so hours will change some. Will sell with fresh annual and hot section inspection. $450K Ryan Alme 701-360-7926

1991 AT-402A, 6800 TTSN, PT6A-34AG, 1825 SOH, 0-SHOT, fresh spars, Bantam/flow, Hatfield S.P., Com, Reabe hopper gauge, Reabe canopy, S.S camlocs, AMSAFE harness, CP’s, smoker, electric brake. $656K. No Trade Call 309-759-4646 Farm Air Inc.

1996 AT-402B, N60998, TTAF 7166, PT6A-15AG, TTE 10,253, Load Hawg, Heat & A/C, Comm Radio-Hand Held, Wing spar due at 8,200 hrs. - 1,034 hrs. left, Light Star SATLOC, Eddy Current due at 7787 TT, New rear spar attach bolts due at 7551.1 TT, Bottom load fuel, Boom w/CP03 Nozzles, Annual 1/1/22. See spec sheet for more details. $425K Mid-Continent Aircraft, Hayti, MO, 800-325-0885 www.midcont.net

AT-502

2012 AT-402B, N3011S, PT6A-34AG, TTAF: 2,857hrs, TTE: 2,857hrs, Prop TSO: Zero Time, Spars Caps Due: 6,943hrs, SATLOC Bantam and IntelliFlow, Lane Fan and Brake, CP-11 Nozzles, CP Check Valves, TL SS Booms, Hartzell Prop, King 196 radio, Stratus ADS-B Out, Right-Boom Shut Off, Smoker, AMSAFE, SPFS Hose-Style, Hopper Rinse, New tires, and brakes. Fresh annual in May of 2022. $675,000 Contact North Star Aviation and ask for Steve or Mike. 620-356-4528 Mike@northstarav.co

2010 AT-502B, 694SV TTAFE 6880 hrs 280.1 since Hot Inspection by Dallas Airmotive, 280.1 since IRAN on prop, Garmin radio, and ADSB out transponder, 560 Aera GPS with GDL 39 for ads-b in. Reabe hopper gauge, heater, 100% all brand new AC parts in 2021. $575,000 Call Brad at 210-265-9594 or email brad@libertyflying.com

1994 AT-502B -34, N394LA, Clean, great flying 502B. 9000 TT, 815 SHOT, 3800 SLOH, new wings, new 4-blade prop. SATLOC Bantam with G4 screen and Intelliflow, Reabe hopper gauge, side load fuel, Kawak throttle quadrant. Storm cutters and windscreen. $495,000 Call Waylon at 308-224-6283 or email at waylon@ woodsaviation.com

1988 AT-502, N1006Y,

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AT-602

2013 AT-502B-34

4-blade Hartzell,

lights. Call for price. Waylon Woods, 308-224-6283.

2011 AT-602, N115AA, PT6A-65AG 3359TT, Fresh Hot with Sale, 403 SHOT, 758 Since Prop IRAN, New Gear installed at 2956TT, New Reabe Hopper Gauge 9/21, SATLOC G4 w/IntelliFlow, Load Hawg, Single Point Fuel. $790K Call 573-934-1023

1999 AT-502B, N73070, PT6A-34AG, Hartzell Prop, Hot section Inspection

2,259hrs, 200hrs since last inspection, Hobbs: +/2,400hrs, Prop IRAN 2,259hrs, Fuel Control repair +/- 600hrs, CP-11 Nozzles, S/S booms, 25” Transland Gate, 25” Swathmaster spreader, Factory heat & air conditioning, SATLOC GPS w/Intelliflow. $360K Contact Wayne at 337-789-3529

1998 AT-602, N5086H, PT6A-60AG, 8800 hours TT, New wings, AFS booms with vortices shutoff, Ag PilotX, ADSB in out Garmin 345, Par200a radio, Storm cutters, Hot section at 8000 hours. Clean west Texas plane runs cool with low NG. Good flying plane. $550K Call Travis at 701-361-5695

2012 AT-502B, TT engine & airframe: 5357 hrs., hot section at 3735 hrs with fuel control, bleed air, low & high pressure pump, prop governor overhauled at that time. New paint at 4600 hrs. CP flat fan nozzles, 12 vane SSF spreader. Prop Iran at 4600 hrs. Price reduced to $690K OBO Contact: Dwayne Bebee at Riceland Aviation in Jennings, LA at 337-824-1567 or 337-224-9918

2006 AT-602, N41588 S/N 6021143, PT6A60AG S/N PCE-RG0116, HC-B5MP-3C S/N EVA2884, 4175 Hours Hobbs and Total Time (August 2022) Annual done February 2022, HSI done at annual at 3931 Hours, FCU new in 2016 at 3477 Hours, Prop IRAN in 2012 at 2325 Hours, Storm Shield Windshield, G4 with Intelliflow, Reabe Hopper Gauge, Com Radio, Dynon Attitude Indicator, NEW Factory AC System, Kawak Throttle quadrant. $720K Located in Holdrege, NE Call 308-991-3432

Best Classified Buy In The Industry. Read By More Ag Pilots Than Any Other Publication. Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

2009 AT-602, N602MW, 8/2022 Very extensive annual, TTAE 5175.7, No damage history, PT6A60AG, Time HSI 4427.6 1/10/20, Starter Gen IRAN 8/2022 Fresh, Hartzell HC-B5MP-3 propeller, TS IRAN 8/2022 fresh, T.T. on Landing Gear: 2,205.2, T.T. Since Spar Caps 1,324.3 Hrs. Remaining. The Main Gear & Tail Gear was replaced at Hobbs: 2,970.5 See spec sheet for more details. $425K Mid-Continent Aircraft, Hayti, MO, 800-325-0885 www. midcont.net

2011 AT-802A-0415, TT 5,803.0 Hrs., wing spar life remaining 5,897.0 Hrs. No engine. $298,000. Call Rick Stone 772-461-8924 cell 772-971-6416

2004 AT-602, PT6-65 Engine 0 time since extensive hot, TT since new 9,430 hrs., Prop time SOH with new blades 3000 hrs. Aircraft refurbishment 3000 hrs. ago with new wing spars, no damage history, SATLOC guidance with flow control, Air Repair VR hydraulic system dry & liquid, 44 extra CP flat fans with 50% electric boom shutoffs, fast start, com radio, Garmin 496 Nav/Weather, Smoker, Load Hawg, Hopper loading system, A/C and Heat, Lane brake and fan. $625K OBO Call 662-719-2200 or 662-398-7833

AT-802

2000 AT-802, 5300 TT, 2300 since Factory Reman O SHS PT6A-65 AR, Fresh Annual. Price reduced to $765,000 OBO. Call Bennett McMillian at 870-672-2012

2012 AT-802A -65, 5700

TTAE, Recent prop IRAN, Recent prop gov, Recent FCU, Recent extensive Hot done addressing all issues, Gear replaced 400 hrs ago, New SATLOC G4 w/Intelliflow last annual, New Lane fan/ brake last annual, Fresh paint last annual, Extensive annual before last, 10” Transland gate/Vondran controller, New AFS t-boom, booms, check valves this past April, New 10 vane Transland spreader last year, Led strobes, nose lights, Wingman, Stainless tail gear guard, Garmin Comm/Transponder, Reabe hopper gauge. Call Airstrike Corp. for pricing at 870-572-9011 or email sales@agairstrike.com

1999 AT-802 -65, 7.5 Gate, G4, Flow Control, Wingman, 9400 TTAF, 7900 TTE. $650,000 For more information, call Neal Aircraft at 817-791-2375

1998 AT-802A, Aircraft Total time 10,535, PT6-67AG Total time 3,860. Time since Hot section 561, Prop Total time 3,860, 1542 since Prop overhaul. Has a fresh annual. $675,000 agaviationinc@gmail.com

WANTED- Dual Seat AT-802 Must have float fitting and -67F engine. Contact kcook@buffaloairways.com or call 867765-6029

1998 AT-802A, N5094H, TTAE 12152.6, PT6A-65AG, Hartzell Propeller 2000.0 SPOH, Reabe digital hopper quantity & spray boom pressure, E-TEC Inc. fast start system, Comm radio, Hemisphere G4 GPS, Right side boom shut off, Smoker, Hydraulic gate A/C, Wipaire vortex generators, Wingman, Annual 1/10/21. See spec sheet for details. Mid-Continent Aircraft, Hayti, MO, 800-325-0885 www.midcont.net

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Alternators, Carburetors, Fuel Boost Pumps, Fuel Systems, Generators, Hydraulic Pumps, Magnetos, Propellers (Hamilton Standard

Hartzell),

Governors (Turbine

Radial),

Starter

1974 Cessna 150, N3011V is a nice Cessna150M that flies straight and true, and even though the engine is over TBO, it still runs strong. This aircraft would be a good time builder. 5470 TT, CONTINENTAL O200A, SMOH 2100, Cessna MX300 Nav/ com, Narco AT-50 Transponder With encoder, Two place intercom, Annual Completed: 5/25/2022 $40,000. Call Danny at 573-359-0500

1964 Cessna 310I, TT 5253, Continental IO-470U engines TSMOH LH 573 RH 249, McCauley props TSPOH LH 573 RH 670. Nice twin, true 6 seater & heavy hauler. It’s a clean northern airplane with no corrosion, new tires, new heater & fresh annual. Paint and interior are both prob a 5 out of 10. Basic radios. Would be interested in trade for Piper Cherokee 6, Saratoga, or Lance. $55,000 Call Tanner Sotvik at 701-520-0229 or 701-662-4416

Get Serious About Selling

Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

Dromader

1978 Cessna Ag Truck, 5832 TTAF, 625 TTE, 550 TT on prop, 8.50X10 Clevelands, GPS, field ready. Price reduced to $112,000. Call Chad Stuart, Airplane Services, Inc. Call 850-336-0552

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Order your M18 Dromader Pen and Ink Drawing from our DeSpain Collection today for only $59.99. plus S&H. Call 478-987-2250

Piper

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 Aravia S.A. at +54 11 5273-2224 or visit our website http:// www.aravia.com.ar/

Best Classified Buy In The Industry. Read By More Ag Pilots Than Any Other Publication. Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

1966 Piper PA-25-235, N4484Y, TTAF 3513.0, Lycoming 0-540-B2B5 SMOH 780.0, Bantam GPS, Intelliflow, Smoker, Spreader. Very clean Western airplane. See spec sheet for details. $120,000 Mid-Continent Aircraft, Hayti, MO, 800-325-0885 www.midcont.net

1978 PA-36-300 Piper, N3787E, TTAF 45590, Lycoming Engine TIO-540, TTE 1851.0, Hartzell Propeller TT 1946.0, Spreader, Boom & Nozzles, 86 Gal Fuel, SATLOC GPS, Time left on wing spars 3656 hrs. Annual 4/1/21. See spec sheet for details. Make offer! Mid-Continent Aircraft, Hayti, MO, 800-325-0885 www.midcont.net

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. $150,000 Call Sun Valley Aviation 956-421-4545

Get Serious About Selling Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

1976 PA 36 SUPER BRAVE 400 HP - 3965

Total Time, 66 since Overhaul engine, 66 since IRAN Prop, 4040 hours remaining on wing spar caps, 275 gal hopper, Agrinautics pump and fan, dropped streamlined booms with CP nozzles and check valves, 2” left side load, extended wings, 90 gal fuel with new fuel cells, crop hawk, automatic flagger, pistol grip, nav/ strobe/instrument/landing/taxi and night working lights, left entry step, good paint, tires and glass. Price reduced to $185K or OBO. Contact Johnston Aircraft Service at 559-686-1794, info@ johnstonaircraft.com or visit our website at www.johnstonaircraft.com

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Thrush

April 2023 510P2 Slot available through ASI!

Currently a Single Cockpit Base model equipped 510P2 with PT6A-34AG motor. Choose your options! Trades considered! Photos are file photos. ALL specifications and information are subject to verification upon inspection by buyer. ASI JET is a Factory Authorized Thrush Aircraft Dealer, Service Center, and Parts Distributor. Specializing in New and Used aircraft sales, Please Call ASI Jet Sales at 952-941-6255 for more information!

Best Classified Buy In The Industry. Read By More Ag Pilots Than Any Other Publication. Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

February 2023 710P Slot available through ASI!

Currently a Single Cockpit Base model equipped 710P with PT6A-65AG motor. Choose your options! Trades considered! Photos are file photos. ALL specifications and information are subject to verification upon inspection by buyer. ASI JET is a Factory Authorized Thrush Aircraft Dealer, Service Center, and Parts Distributor. Specializing in New and Used aircraft sales, Please Call ASI Jet Sales at 952-941-6255 for more information!

1994 Ayres Thrush S2R

- G6, 6,300 hours Total Time Airframe. 700 hours since Fresh New paint, All new Stainless Cam locks, Lower spar caps replaced, and reinforced leading edge STC done in 2018! (Wings have roughly 4700 hours remaining before spar AD compliance) 3 blade Hartzell has 1500 hours Since major overhaul (priced with overhauled Prop $10k value). Garrett -6 motor with 1000 hours Since Hot Section (SUPER 6 with 0 hrs SHSI option available! Ask for details and Pricing) ALL Times are Approximates. 510 gallon Hopper, Satloc M3 GPS with intelliFlow, Fast Start (4 new Delco Batteries), Single Point Fuel, Stainless Steel Super Booms with CP nozzles, Electric Fan Brake (new), Smoker, ATS Vortex Generators, Air ConditioningRight boom shut off, Polished Spinner and Exhaust stack, New seat covers, Fresh Thrush Service Center Annual, ready for the 2023 Spray Season! Open to Trades and Offers! ALL specifications and information are subject to verification upon inspection by buyer. ASI JET is a Factory Authorized Thrush Aircraft Dealer, Service Center, and Parts Distributor. Specializing in New and Used aircraft sales, Please Call ASI Jet Sales at 952-941-6255 for more information!

2013 S2R-H80 Thrush, N3046NAirframe only! 3600.0 TTAF Make an offer, very motivated! Mid-Continent Aircraft, Hayti, MO 800-325-0885 www.midcont.net

1989 S2R-T34 Single Cockpit, N3097K, Serial number T34-115, 17,000 TTAF/engine, OH Prop 5/22, 12-9-2016 Century Wing Spars installed, 9/10/18 Micro Vortex, Generators, 2020 Paint, Load Hawg, Engine work done by R.T Turbines at 14,799.3 hours, 2020 R.T. Turbines new V-ring, blades. $350K Call Kent Croom at Croom Aviation, LLC at 229-524-1134 croomaviation@gmail.com

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. www.cascadeaircraftconversions.com info@cacaircraft.com 509-635-1212 or 800-716-2550

Best Classified Buy In The Industry. Read By More Ag Pilots Than Any Other Publication. Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

1973 Thrush S2R, TTAF 10,100 hrs., Walter M601-E11 0.00 SIRAN, Avia V508EAG Prop 0.00 SIRAN, March 2022 annual. 2700 hours remaining on Wing Spars. 1000 Since Eddy Current. Metal Tail, Harbor AC, Smoker, SATLOC Bantam w/ G4 screen, Single Point Fuel, CP flat fan nozzles, AFS Check Valves, Transland Pump with electric brake, Shadin Fuel Flow, New Tires, and New Front Windshield. $275K Call John Lott at Souther Field Aviation at 229-924-2813

1974 Rockwell S2R-600 Geared 1340, AFTT: 7,785hrs, Engine TSMO: 960hrs, 485 TS Master Rod Process, Prop TSO: 150hrs, SATLOC Bantam 9” Screen, SATLOC IntelliFlow, Single Point Fuel, Smoker & Flagger, Collins A/C, New SS Pump, New Fan Brake, New Fan, SS Booms and more. $165,000 Contact North Star Aviation and ask for Steve or Mike at 620-356-4528

1992 Thrush S2R-G6, N449AT serial #G6-105, TTAF 6185, TTE since IRAN at CD Aviation 945 hrs., VG’s, night lights, 510 gal. hopper, A/C & heat, cool seat, Garmin GPS, smoker, right boom shutoff, long-range fuel tanks, comm radio, new spar caps installed 35 hrs. ago, recent prop overhaul by Maxwell Aircraft. Aircraft is in great condition, side load fuel, concord batteries, SATLOC M3 GPS, Intelliflow control, SS boom hangers, booms and center section, CP11 TT nozzles, Lane fan on the pump, Reabe hopper gauge w/side display. $450K OBO Serious inquiries only! Call 701-489-3558

Aircraft - Other

1998 Citabria - American Champion 7GCAA, 185 Hours Since New!! No damage history, Garmin GNX 375 ADSB Transponder/GPS, Garmin GTR 225 Com. Like new, in and out. Currently in annual inspection. $135,000 Pat: 956-873-2992

Helicopters

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Engine - Piston

Special R1340 Offer: 0 SMOH Tulsa Delexe w/new pistons. Includes OHC Carb/Mags/New Plugs. $66K and get it today. 870-886-2418/2489F, Cell 870759-1692 Carb gravity or pres. frank. kelley@ag-cat.com

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. Contact our experienced sales team today at sales@taeaerospace.com or visit our website, taeaerospace.com, to find out more about our extensive PT6A services.

PT6A-34 PCE-57524 For Sale, TSN 8341.4, FSN 15632, SCN 3912, EOS Overhaul. For pricing call Paul at 305-825-2001 or email preeves@ jsamiami.com

2022 Thrush 510P, Make offer! Mid-Continent Aircraft, Hayti, MO, 800-325-0885 www. midcont.net

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. Call for details. Airplane Services Inc. 850-6751252, 850-380-7268, 850-3806091.

Pratt & Whitney R-985 & R-1340 Engines in stock. All with new pistons installed. Overhauled by Aero Recip, Covington, Tulsa and Younkin. For more information call Sun Air Parts 661-2577708, Fax 661-257-7710 or email info@sunairparts.com

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. Call Sun Air Parts 661-257-7708, Fax 661-257-7710 or email info@ sunairparts.com

PT6-15AG For Sale, Fresh gear box, overhaul, 0 since hot section. Call Bill Kingrey for cycle times and price. 979-257-6695

Turbo Cat Kit ready for installation this winter. Kit includes new firewall forward, Hartzell propeller, EI-MVP, custom built fiberglass cowlings and much more. We can supply a new PT6A-15AG or -34AG for a great price with the kit. Includes a “Fly Safe - Transition Program” Contact ann@turbineconversions.com for pricing and additional details.

2004 Thrush 550, TTAF 8093, with PT6-60AG 0 shot, 0 time fuel control, Bleed valve, and High pressure pump, 0 SMOH prop, Hyd. gate box, SATLOC G4, booms and spreader. Sale with fresh annual. $420,000 Call 979-257-6695

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Weatherly

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1938 Boeing A75N1(PT17), N54284, TTAF 6080.7, R985-AN14B, 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. Call Mid-Continent Aircraft, Hayti, MO, 800-325-0885 www. midcont.net

2006 Beech G-36 Bonanza, 880 Hours since new, Garmin 1000/WAAS, Factory Air, Leather. This airplane is like new. Price reduced to $550,000 Call Sun Valley Aviation, 956-421-4545

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Order your Stearman Pen and Ink Drawing from our DeSpain Collection today for only $59.99 plus S&H. Call 478-987-2250

R1340 Engine Overhaul, New Pistons, New bearings, mags, ignition harness, carb, with warranty outright/exchange. Call Chester Roberts Supply Co. at 903429-6805

R985-AN1-14B Tulsa Overhaul, New Pistons, Bosch mags. Ignition harness, carb, with warranty outright/exchange. Call Chester Roberts Supply Co. at 903429-6805

R-1340, Zero Time Since Overhaul By Covington, $85,000 Lane Aviation 888995-LANE / 281-342-5451 or FAX 281-232-5401

Best Classified Buy In The Industry. Read By More Ag Pilots Than Any Other Publication. Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

Engine - Turbine

PT6A-34AG PCE-57373 For Sale/ Exchange - TSN: 514:33 CSN: 373 Fresh repaired light overhaul. See spec sheet for details. Call or email Sujan Ghimire for more information at 925-699-7246 SUJAN@ NATIONALAEROGROUP.COM

PT6A-34 PCE-RB0139, TSN 2394.9, FSN 2628, SCN 264.4 For pricing call Paul at 305-825-2001 or email preeves@jsamiami.com

Complete Engine Package! TPE3316 Engine, 537 Since Cam, CD Aviation Hartzell Propeller HCB3TN-5M/ 537 Since New, Starter Generator 23047-007, 25 Hours Since Overhaul, Beta Tube Included. $177,000 Call Lynn Johnson at 701-360-5966 or 701-352-3700

(3) PT6A-34AG Engines For Sale, TSO’s 0.0. Visit our website for spec sheets. Or call or email Jay Streb at 812-877-2587, jay@turbinesinc. com

PT6A-60AG, 6500 hours TT, Fresh Hot Section, O/H Fuel Control Unit, O/H Bleed Valve, O/H Starter Generator. $295,000 For more information call Bill Kingrey at 979257-6695

Equipment - Booms

NEW never used alm. 502 booms brass nozzles, Used 12 vane Breckinridge spreader, good shape. Misc. Ag Cat parts. All must go. Rich 870-253-8242

Tsla Center Boom 59105 (AT401402) $1200. Please call Peg at Sky Tractor 1-800-437-5319

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

SUPERBOOMS, Thrush Servos; Maintenance on Ag & G.A. Aircraft Including Heavy Structural Repairs; Robinson Helicopter Service Center; Machining, Fabricating & Sheet Metal Gurus; Tri-State Aviation, ND 800642-5777 or tsa@tri-stateaviation.com www.tri-stateaviation.com

Equipment - Nozzles

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 Mark@ turbineconversions.com for more info. www.turbineconversions.com

Best Classified Buy In The Industry. Read By More Ag Pilots Than Any Other Publication. Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

Equipment - Parts

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. Please contact Mario at 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. Call 530-345-9919

Vondran Hydromax Fire Gate - One year old. $60,000 Call 409-656-5998

Transland Grip Steps for AT aircraft. Call Billy Maxwell at Transland 940-6871100 or email sales@translandllc.com for more information.

Transland 4” Delrin Hopper Vents. Call Billy Maxwell at Transland 940-6871100 or email sales@translandllc.com for more information.

3 Hatfield Fire Gates. Air Tractor, vented lids for a 502, Transland quick attach. Make a Reasonable offer. Call 204856-9422

Equipment - Pumps

65113 Agrinautics Hyd. Pump - Used $600 Call Peg at Sky Tractor 1-800437-5319

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. Call Sun Air Parts 661-257-7708, Fax 661-257-7710 or email info@ sunairparts.com

502B spray pump Agrinautics 38” Gate Strut Assembly and complete bottom installation ready to go (Electric brake) second 502B spray pump with all bottom installations (electric motor for fam feather) see pictures of both pumps. Note: they are used pumps. You have to pick it up. $3,900 870-930-5729

EquipmentSpreaders

Transland Swathmaster Spreader, 24 foot wide, ferry time only. Price reduced to $17,000 Call Chuck at 806-7781418

Transland spreader 25” 9 vane stainless, slimline, like new. $1,500 USD Call 863-467-4000

10 Vane Transland spreader, new in the box. Part #23537 $12,160.31. Contact Rick Stone at Southeastern Aircraft Sales & Service at 800-4412964 or mail@southeasternaircraft.com

(2)Transland SS 22274 38” to 25” gate box adapters & 21966 Gate Boxes. $2500 Eachor $4000 for both plus shipping. Call 620-525-6712

Transland 10 vane spreader for 38” gate, new, $11,000; Lane Aviation 281-342-5451 or FAX 281-232-5401

Equipment - Support

3” load, mix tank, fully contained and lockable, air compressor and storage complete ready to go. For more information call 309-759-4826 or email hcurless@farmairinc.com

GPS - AgPilotX

Helicopter light bar now available with the new iPad based guidance systemAgPilotX. Entire system with helicopter light bar is 13 lbs. Call Anthony Fay with Insero for details 480-285-4367

GPS - SATLOC

2 Year Old SATLOC G4 GPS System for sale, like new. Also have various used GPS systems. AG PILOTX DEALER. $13,000 Call Tanner J. Sotvik at DEVILS LAKE AERO SERVICE 701520-0229 or 701-662-4416

(2) SATLOC G4 GPS w/IntelliFlow. $14,000 each. Call Ed at 361-9477891 or 361-387-9090

Help Wanted

We are looking for experienced Piston Ag Pilots for the upcoming 2023 Ag Season and beyond. We are a small company with strong core values, a great work environment, outstanding quality of work for our customers, and we take pride in our operations. We offer competitive wages and have living areas available. We are looking for someone who works well in a team environment, is insurable, and has Ag experience. Please contact our office at 1-306-8677725 for more information or email your resume to cloud9airspray@gmail.com.

We are looking for experienced 502 Pilot for the upcoming 2023 Ag Season and beyond. We are a small company with strong core values, a great work environment, outstanding quality of work for our customers, and we take pride in our operations. We offer competitive wages and have living areas available. We are looking for someone who works well in a team environment, is insurable, and has Ag experience. Please contact our office at 1-306-8677725 for more information or email your resume to cloud9airspray@gmail.com.

Air Tractor is seeking qualified candidates for the full-time position of test pilot. Candidates must have a minimum of 2000hr total time with 1000hrs of ag and 1000hrs time in Air Tractor turbine-powered airplanes. A commercial pilot certificate with high performance and tail wheel endorsements is required. Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen. Candidates must have the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Desirable skills include Air Tractor approved flight instructor, CFI, experience interfacing with FAA, A&P license, and chemical applicator license. Must be able to work with people well. This is a hands-on pilot job that includes performing various hands-on activities with tools in hand. Duties: Moving airplanes on the ground, initial setup, and rigging of the airplane, making the first flight on planes, and completing the production test flight according to published procedures. correcting discrepancies, coordinating with production planning, sales, production leads, and quality to help synchronize flight test schedules. For more information, email: valperez@ airtractor.com

Multi-rated pilot needed for Southeast operation. Must be able to fly fixed or rotary-wing aircraft. Experienced preferred. Must be willing to relocate for year around seat. Email resume and references to blindads@agairupdate. com Subject: ID#3833

CDL Drivers Wanted! Need something to do in the off-season? Oligrow Trucking is looking for responsible CDL drivers. No time commitments, commissionbased pay. Average $2,000/wk. Call 318-439-5670

Want to make an impact on the future of aviation? Join our team of instructors & maintainers! Hiring those who have a passion for flying - both in the air and on the ground. Please see our website to apply! https:// www.agflight.com/join-our-team CFI Requirements: 250 Hours, CFI (CFII Preferred), 2nd Class Medical. Additional Information: We offer free (optional) on-site housing for all employees, just a couple of yards away from the tarmac and hangars. Large-studio-style apartments offer privacy while maintaining the sense of community at AG-Flight Pilot Training between instructors, maintainers, and students. Each apartment has a full kitchen, bathroom, living room, bedroom, and closet space with free internet, and utilities included.

802 pilot with rice experience needed. Rice herbicide experience is a must.Call Cole at 870-830-1585

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 228860-2375 to discuss the seat. https:// www.bandsairinc.com/

Large Midwest operation looking for AT-502, AT-802, and -42 510 Thrush pilots for the 2023 season. Pilots must have 500 hours of Turbine Ag time. Also, a Multi-engine turbo prob experience would be a bonus to fly our Piper Cheyenne for business trips throughout the year. Slobs and princesses need not apply, only hardworking pilots with a good work ethic. No time to babysit! Email resume and references to blindads@ agairupdate.com Subject: ID#3769

Need pilot for 602/65 immediately for IL corn run for next 3-4 weeks. Potential opportunity for cover crop work in August thru September as well. Contact Michael @ 309-532-1720

Pilot needed immediately! 2-4 weeks for Illinois corn season. Flying a turbine thrush 510-34. Call Brandon at 334268-2993

Needed Immediately! AT-402 -34 pilot with turbine experience. Fungicide and insecticide run, now thru the end of August. Big fields and 1 to 2-gallon applications. Call Rod for more details. 701-321-0767

Want to be part of the growing Thrush family? We are looking for our next Chief Test Pilot! Our Flight Ops team handles everything from Production and Certification test flights, pilot training to customer demos. They also perform and organize domestic and international ferry flights, champion industry mentoring and safety initiatives and help take care of Thrush Operators around the world! Send your resume to humanresources@thrushaircraft. com. Requirements for position: Have 1,000+ hours in a turbine Thrush. Be willing to relocate to Albany, GA. Be able to represent Thrush at conventions and trade shows. Have all applicable licenses current as well as clear medical. Recommended but not required: Have other ag or firefighting aircraft experience as well. Certified Flight Instructor. Spanish and English proficient. Willing to occasionally travel domestically and internationally. Send your resume to humanresources@thrushaircraft.com

Mix Truck Driver/Helicopter LoaderPLEASE CONTACT CHASE GIBSON DIRECTLY at 228-860-2375 or email resume to chase@bsairinc. com. 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.

Get Serious About Selling Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

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 phone: +61(0)881500200 or visit: www.taeaerospace.com

Well-established Midwest company looking for an experienced A&P. The position has growth potential within the company and includes a benefits package. You will be working under an experienced IA. Excellent insurance, partially employer-funded, and HSA contribution. Excellent work environment. Please send a resume and references or a list of qualifications to Whitney Rothwell at rothwellwj@gmail.com.

LIFT Aviation – Sales / Marketing Assistant Job Opportunity. Lift Aviation is looking for a motivated person to assist with brand marketing and sales initiatives in conjunction with tradeshows, brand building, and sales generation. Previous experience in marketing/sales is preferred. This position requires an excellent work ethic. Candidate will aid in sales, marketing, and tradeshow initiatives. Overall objective – assist in all facets of sales/marketing. For responsibilities, required skills and experience, go to http://classifieds.agairupdate.com/ details.php?id=3641. Competitive Wage, Health / Dental / Optical insurance, PTO, Paid holidays, 401k, Job Type: Full-time Email resume and references to Todd Lentz at todd@ liftaviationusa.com

Well established company in Ohio looking for a long-term experienced AT-402 pilot - 2022 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

Canadian Turbine Pilot Wanted - Kinniburgh Spray Service LTD, based in Taber, AB is a proactive organization with 70 years of service, requires Professional Agriculture Aerial Applicators to fly our Air Tractors 502 and or 802 from May 30, 2022, to September 30, 2022. Job duties: Fly fixed-wing Turbine Air Tractors 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 pilot’s license, Alberta and Saskatchewan Aerial Pesticide Applicator License, Valid Category One Medical license. Skills

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.

Pilots wanted for 2022 spray season in the Midwest for an 802. Must have a good work ethic. Email resume and references to. Email resume and references to blindads@agairupdate. com Subject: ID #3547

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 on one with the students. Classroom and simulator instruction. Days are 9-5 with no weekends. Lodging fees are covered for instructors that travel in to our location to teach. Flight instructor certificate 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. Email resume and references to blindads@agairupdate.com Subject: ID#2710

Large midwest aerial application business looking for A&P and IA mechanics. Must have Air Tractor and PT6A experience. Starting salary is 7080K if qualified. Must supply a resume and three references. Send resume and references to blindads@agairupdate. com, Subject: ID#2234 or fax to 478352-0025

North Dakota aviation operation looking for an Experienced and “PASSIONATE” A&P/IA and pilot to fly/maintain/rebuild turbine Thrush and North American AT6 aircraft. Flying season runs from June through August. TPE-331 and sheet metal experience preferred. If you do not love aviation, and enjoy maintaining and flying airplanes, please do not apply. Email resume and references to Luke at luke@ltenterprisesnd.com

Due to expansion opportunities, we are looking for experienced 402- 802 pilots and an A&P. Must have knowledge of the latest GPS units. This is a full-time turbine position in the Upper Midwest. Historically from May to October. We spray a large variety of row crops. Mostly fungicides, insecticides, and micronutrients no herbicide work. We also do dry fertilizer and cover crops. We are looking for team players willing to grow with us. A pilot with a strong work ethic is desired. Also looking to add another A&P. Please reply with a resume to Agpilot502802@gmail.com

IA and A&P mechanics needed. Call 870-295-6213 Salary depending on qualifications and experience.

Miscellaneous

3” Crophawk - $2500 Call Peg at Sky Tractor 1-800-437-5319

1111XLA Lane Brake - Used $700 Call Peg at Sky Tractor 1-800-4375319

164-22202 Cleveland Brake (new) for your AT-602 $798 Call Peg at Sky Tractor 1-800-437-5319

Gentex HGU Flight Helmet for Fixed Wing, Large w/carrying case, See attached sheet for details. $800 Firm 608-393-4926

Used Items In Stock at Sky Tractor: Agrinautics: 66450 Fan $250, 65113 Hyd. Pump $600, 65217 Pump $700. Transland: 21066 Hyd. Pump $800, Hub Assy Weath Aero $500, 21992. Pump & Lane Brake $1200. Lane: 111XLA Brake $700, 111FA Fan $550. Weath Aero: 5 Blade Fan, Transland $700. Call Peg at Sky Tractor 1-800-437-5319

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. Call North Star Aviation today at 620-356-4528.

Ag Cat tail spring A1590-1 $1200. Please call Peg at Sky Tractor 1-800437-5319

Christmas Trump Shirt - Short and Long Sleeve. Youth small through 4XL. Contact Storm Aeronautics at 402-367-3213 or send email to parts@stormaeronatuics.com to place an order.

Trump Shirts “Keeping Ag Aviation Great”. Three different designs featuring an Ag Cat, Air Tractor and Thrush. Colors are Gray, Black, and Red. Sizes Range from Youth medium through 4XL. Shirts cost $25. Contact Storm Aeronautics at 402-367-3213 or send email to parts@stormaeronatuics.com to place an order.

Toy plastic model Air Tractor. 12” wingspan, removable stand. Great toy for the kids or desktop model. $15 + s/h order online at www.takeofftoys.com or e-mail trevoredwards@sw.rr.com

Keep your drink hot or cold in this insulated 16oz Air Tractor Tervis Tumbler. $14.99 plus S&H Made in the USA, Makes a great gift. For more information call 478-987-2250

Vino? They do say ag pilots age like wine. Place your favorite wine in these high quality Rolf wine glasses etched with an ag plane, sold as a Set of 4. $49.99 plus S&H Makes a great gift. For more information call 478-987-2250

Specialty belt buckles, show your pride in style. $39.99 plus S&H Makes a great gift! For more information call 478-987-2250

Aviator Backpack and matching coin purse (sold separately). For more information call 478-987-2250

New from our DeSpain Collection, Pen and Ink Thirsty Stone Coasters. These high quality coasters will look great on any desktop or table. Set of 4. $29.99 plus S&H Makes a great gift! For more information call 478987-2250

Get Serious About Selling Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

DeSpain Collection Customizable Note Cards featuring your favorite Pen and Ink drawing. $19.99 plus S&H For more information call 478-987-2250

Operations For Sale or Wanted

Established aerial application business for sale, operating in NW part of US. This modern, clean facility includes a single hangar 50 x 64 with Schweiss bi-fold door, a good cement pad, with loading bay. Fully insulated and heated office, apartment, bedroom with bath. The season runs from April to September and the operation services a diversified crop mix of dry land, irrigated, and pasture. This operation is well established with great customers and customer base. The operation is run from a paved municipal airport with an excellent opportunity for ownerpilot operation. 1975 Cessna Ag Truck included with the sale along with the FAR 137 certificate. Available as a turnkey ready business or the owner will assist with the start-up. Email inquiries to blindads@agairupdate. com Subject: ID#3809

Parts - Airframe

(2) Sets of Ag Tip Winglets for a Thrush or Air Tractor. $2,500 plus freight. Price per set. Call 210-844-4074

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 Guillermo at aravia@aravia.com.ar call +543462-463488 or go to our website www.laviasa.com

AT-502B Wings, as removed from 2005 AT-502B, Long Spars, 2660 hrs remaining on spar caps, $25,000. Call Chad Stuart, Airplane Services, Inc. 850-380-6091

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. Call 530-345-9919

Ayres Thrush ‘Hoerner’ wing tips. Left and right, no damage. $500 for the pair. Call Gary at 530-345-9919 garyhendricksonn3n@gmail.com

Blue anodized aluminum windshield washer replacement cap with handle. $65 Available online only at www. ambericandesigns.com Questions ambericandesignsllc@gmail.com

Air Tractor Bolt In Step Extension - CNC cut anodized aluminum step extension that bolts into existing step for more footing and traction. $125 Available online only at www.ambericandesigns. com Questions - ambericandesignsllc@ gmail.com

CNC cut anodized aluminum spray mirrors. $275 with mirror online only. $275 www.ambericandesigns.com Questions - ambericandesignsllc@ gmail.com

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 ann@ turbineconversions.com or contact our favorite Thrush dealer for more information.

Ag Cat Factory Frames - (All Models) fixture perfect, ready to install. Upgrades, hoppers, long fuel, hi-wings, heavy struts/wires, components, hardware, and dispersal equipment. AgCat Sales & Service since 1971. 870-886-2418/2489F, 870-759-1692 Cell, frank.kelley@ag-cat.com

1960 Piper Comanche Wings Complete with Gear, Paint Fair, No Hail damage. Also have fuselage. $9,000 Call Tanner J. Sotvik at DEVILS LAKE AERO SERVICE 701-520-0229 or 701-6624416

Super “B” Ag-Cat Wings, fresh paint, metalized, big fuel. $50,000 Call Bill Kingrey at TURBINE YELLOWJACKET PARTNERS LLC. 979-257-6695

AT-402 airframe sandblasted, primed and painted. Comes with belly skin and Turtle deck. Also includes tail spring and tires. Includes tail but needs left elevator. $35,000 Call Bill Kingrey at TURBINE YELLOWJACKET PARTNERS LLC. 979-257-6695

Smokers/Driftfinders - Minimize your off target drift risk. FAA/PMA’d and STC’d for installation on most Agricultural aircraft. 44 years in business and over 6,200 units in service. For more information Please call Compro Aviation, Inc. 785-899-2294 or visit us on the web at www.comproaviation.com

REBUILT 29” THRUSH LANDING GEAR IN STOCK & we can REPAIR / REBUILD yours to LIKE NEW STATUS. Johnston Aircraft Service, INC. 559-686-1794 / Email parts@ johnstonaircraft.com or visit our website at www.johnstonaircraft.com

Best Classified Buy In The Industry. Read By More Ag Pilots Than Any Other Publication. Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

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

Parts - Engine

Cleaning Hangar Out - 502 Engine Mount & Air Box $3,500 Call 210844-4074

AgJet TPE SB+/SC+/A-B ConversionsInstalled or assembled Kits with Heavy Ring-Mods. Allied/AmAg Ag Cat Center 870-886-2418/2489F, 870-759-1692 Cell frank.kelley@ag-cat.com

Radial Parts: 2 Fiberglass AT Speed Rings, 1 THRUSH Speed Ring, 1 Radial engine mount with ring. Make offer. Cascade Aircraft Conversions. 509-6351212. info@cacaircraft.com

-34 Cascade Inlet System. Firewall FWD for S2R Thrush. $35,000 Call Bruce’s Flying Service at 229-7254150

Ground Support Engine Driven Transfer Pump, Zanoni Equipment’s all stainless steel construction paired with a Honda 13 HP motor. Special introductory pricing orders received by January 31, 2020. Contact Mark@ turbineconversions.com for more info.

Parts - Other

Two Air Tractor Gen II fire gates for sale, well maintained and available starting mid-October. Please call 970-5710871

Two AT-802 Hatfield Fire Gates - 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 ann@turbineconversions.com

Weath Aero Fan 5 Blade - $1000 Call Peg at Sky Tractor 1-800-437-5319

Transland Pump Mount. Call Billy Maxwell at Transland at 940-687-1100 or email sales@translandllc.com for more information.

Transland Aluminum Boom ClampsLarge & Small. Call Billy Maxwell at Transland 940-687-1100 or email sales@translandllc.com for more information.

Cleaning Hangar Out - S2R Thrush Main Landing Gear $3,500 Call 210844-4074

Sky Tractor LLC

stock the

need

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. Call Sun Air Parts 661-2577708, Fax 661-257-7710 or email info@sunairparts.com

602 Wingman System. Call for Price: 870-672-2089

Air Tractor Gen 2 Firegate, Complete system, Fairings, wire-harness. Call For Price: 870-672-2089

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. Call Cascade Aircraft Conversions for more details 1-509-635-1212

Cockpit adjustable flow control kit. Manual control or GPS variable rate ready. Integrates into existing hydraulic systems. More info at Kawak Aviation Technologies 541-385-5051 www. kawakaviation.com

Thrush S2R STC battery retrofit kit. 300% longer battery service life. 200% faster starts. Battery replacement cost 25% of original. For more information call Kawak Aviation Technologies at 541-385-5051 or visit www. kawakaviation.com

Propellers

Hamilton Standard 12D40 Prop with AG 100 Blades, 0 SMOH $20,000 Call Bruce’s Flying Service at 229-7254150 for more information.

Hamilton Standard 12D-40-6167-12 Propeller. 102” diameter, FAA approved for R-1340. $5,000 also Hamilton Standard 2D-30-6167-12 100” diameter. $4,500 Call 530-345-9919

12D40-6101-12 Propeller, Overhauled with 8130 Form. For more information call Chester Roberts Supply Co. at 903429-6805

Hamilton Standard Propeller 23D40 with 6511-12S Blades Overhauled Completely includes 8130-3 form. For more information call Chester Roberts Supply Co. at 903-429-6805

Hamilton Standard 22D40 Hydromatic Propeller 6533 blades overhauled complete with distributor valve and prop, Governor. For more information call Chester Roberts Supply Co. at 903429-6805

23D40 with New Blades 6511A-9 installed. Completely Overhauled Propeller. With 8130-3 form. For more information call Chester Roberts Supply Co. at 903-429-6805

QUALITY Propellers For Sale 33D50-6601A18 OHC..........$30,500 23D40-6601A18 OHO..........$29,500 22D40-6533A12 OHO..........$28,500 12D40-AG100-4S 375-SOH..$19,500 12D40-AG100-2 828-SOH....$17,500 2D30-AG100-2 OHC.............$23,500 Call AmAg, 870-886-2418/2489F frank.kelley@ag-cat.com

Hartzell Prop HC-B3T10-3D, Blades T10282N +4, Prop Assy, Buckhead, Spinner, OSTMOH Prop. $28,000 Call Bruce’s Flying Service at 229-7254150

Best Classified Buy In The Industry. Read By More Ag Pilots Than Any Other Publication. Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

Seat Wanted

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 are attached. For more information email cerionidiego@gmail.com

Experienced pilot looking ahead for the 2023 season and beyond. I am a highly proven and productive 802 driver with the numbers and references to support it. I’ve worked 15 seasons, no crashes, looking for a professional well-managed operation to sink my teeth into and earn my living. Feel free to email me at: apotter15@gmail.com

Experienced pilot looking for a corn/wheat seat. Twenty-three seasons of experience, 12,000+ hours of turbine Air Tractor 402 through 802, and some turbine thrush time also. Rice and row crop experience, owned and operated business for almost 20 years. I sold my business in 2019 and was able to help the new owners with the transition. Resume available upon request. Email blindads@ agairupdate.com, Subject: ID#3825

Get Serious About Selling Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

Ag pilot looking for a long-term position in Northeast Louisiana or Southeast Arkansas. I’m a real team player that gets along with almost anyone. No slouch will do whatever is needed to be done. Experience in liquid and dry application. Herbicide experience but would like to find a seat somewhere that is willing to help out to perfect herbicide work. Total ag time 2,200 every hour has been turbine. The majority of the time being in a 510 Thrush but have 802 experience and other aircraft times. Other info is available on request. colemckee309@ yahoo.com 318-376-6993

Looking for wheat work, preferably in North Dakota or South Dakota, but open to anywhere. Must be before the corn run. Call David at 870-8667636

Service

Jeffries Airworks Dynamic Propeller Balancing with Chadwick Helmuth engine printout equipment. Jeffries Airworks, Dynamic Balancing, Vibration Analysis. Much more than just a balance. Call Jim Jeffries, A&P/IA, 985-507-9981, Nationwide service on your location.

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 PA25/235 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 Eagle Vistas LLC 772-285-5506

Riggin Flight Service, flight school offering private, commercial, instrument, Ag, multi-engine, tailwheel, etc. We tailor our courses to meet your needs. www.RigginFlightService.com (605)256-9774.

Best Classified Buy In The Industry. Read By More Ag Pilots Than Any Other Publication. Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

Best Classified Buy In The Industry. Read By More Ag Pilots Than Any Other Publication. Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-3520025.

Vehicles

We build loader trucks to your specifications.

Stainless Steel Straight and Fold Up. Mild Steel Straight and Fold Up. Mild Steel Hopper w/Stainless Steel Tube. Been in loader truck business since 1980. Call Pat Ballard Office:870-697-2004 Fax:870-6973568 185 Hwy. 42 West, Hickory Ridge, AR

1999 Dodge Ram 3500 Diesel Auger Truck, manual transmission. 5 speed, 500-gallon fuel, stainless tube, Honda fuel pump, scales, 210,318 miles. Ready to go to work. $32,500 Located in Charleston, MS Call 662-647-8773 office or 662-515-8391 cell

Fertilizer Loader Truck - F350 fertilizer loader truck, steel bin and 10” tube. Cab rusted but dependable $5000 Call Dave at 509-520-8267

Get Serious About Selling Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.

1984 GMC Black Tank Truck, 4 compartment units for fuel in tank with pumps. Formerly Texaco engine 454, five speed transmission, 2 speed axle. $2,700. Buyer pick up item after sale. 979 219-9351

Wanted to

Contact Mark@turbineconversions.

Looking for a secondhand Hatfield Gate 40” for a 402

Tractor. Contact Alex McDonald alex@ namagri.com. Thanks.

Pratt & Whitney Engine Cores, Engine Parts Inventories, Cylinders, Starters, Fuel Pumps and Boost Pumps. Call Sun Air Parts 661-257-7708, Fax 661-257-7710 or email info@ sunairparts.com

Best Classified Buy In The Industry. Read By More Ag Pilots Than Any Other Publication. Classifieds Starting at $19.99 478-987-2250. Fax: 478-352-0025.