Farmers Air Force

By Justin Kennedy

As an aerial applicator, it never ceases to amaze me how little is known about our line of work, to the point where people may not even know what it entails. Many may question it as a career path, but I am here to tell you it is a viable option, and it has truly been an enriching career.

Growing up, my father was a UH-60 pilot in the Army before transitioning into general aviation. My grandfather, uncle, and many other family members were also pilots. As a result, aviation has been my calling for as long as I can remember. Helping out on the family farm in Colorado sparked my interest in agriculture as well. In high school, I began spending my summers working for an operation in northeastern Colorado as a mixer and loader for my summer job. Around the same time, I started my flight training and quickly began viewing ag aviation as a potential opportunity. During my time there, it became clear to me that ag aviation was a way I could combine flying and farming into one career. Once I had my sights set on aerial application, all that was left to do was determine how I was going to make this dream a reality.

My journey began as a professional flight student at Auburn University’s Part 141 school to obtain my licenses. The COVID outbreak during my junior year caused the flight training program to slow down drastically. Due to this, I chose to switch my degree to Aviation Management and finish my commercial license on my own at a Part 61 flight school. My first big break came through the “Rookie, I want to be an ag pilot” Facebook page where I dropped my info, background, and previous experience, leading to becoming an Operations Manager in NW Louisiana. On my own time, the company allowed me to fly their Eagle DW-1 to gain application experience. A few months later, luck (where preparation meets opportunity) played its part for me. I got thrown into a turbine airplane for my first seat, and I was the sole pilot for this location. Needless to say, I was incredibly busy.

If you had told me a few years ago I would be a lead pilot and flying an Air Tractor AT-602 at the age of 24, I probably would have laughed. Since then, I have also gained time in a turbine Ag Cat, AT-502B, AT-502XP, and the Thrush 710P.

Ag aviation is truly an exciting and rewarding career. Although many may not know, ag aviation is still around and thriving. I’m very thankful for all my friends, mentors, and family members who have helped me along the way, and I hope to use my career and experience to expand knowledge and opportunity for aspiring pilots.