Low-time, head colds and friends

Thus far, it has been a tough season for accidents and fatalities. Almost within a week of each other, the industry lost an AT-602 and an AT-802 and their pilots. I’ll never be judgmental about an ag-aviation accident. However, one point that stands out is both pilots had relatively low application time in the accident aircraft.

Low-time is a euphemism. It’s not a good thing to have in ag-flying, but something all ag-pilots must deal with until they become high-time. The transition from low-time to high-time is built on a series of increasingly more complex aircraft, as well as flying missions. One end of the scale would be applying dry fertilizer in an Ag-Cat, while the opposite end would be spraying low volume in an AT-802. The reason I use fertilizer and low volume analogies is obvious, as well as the aircraft. Dry fertilizer applications are typically flown at higher altitudes, while low volume applications extend the time the aircraft is in the loaded configuration, both which affect the safety of the application; an Ag-Cat is easier to fly than an AT-802. The danger zone is the early part of the transition period to more complex aircraft and mission profiles.

My condolences are extended to the families of these two pilots. They have lost a loved one. I hope we can learn from their misfortune. 

Having a head cold in summer is miserable. It seems about half of the travels I make to South America during our summer (their winter) I come down with something. The first week of August I traveled to Uruguay to attend and exhibit at the Congresso Mercosul Aviacion Agricola. It is an annual convention rotated between three Mercosul countries; Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina. Next year Brazil will be the host country. 

South America, particularly the Mercosul countries, is a budding region for agricultural aviation. It is currently going through the transition from piston to turbine powered ag-aircraft, similar to what the United States did in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I am often asked, “How can an American pilot fly in South America?” The simple answer is you can’t. It’s really no different from a South American PILOT coming to America to fly with the same type of issues, e.g. language, visas, licenses, etc. The more realistic reason is South America does not need foreign pilots. For every turbine ag-aircraft sold in South America, it replaces no less than two pilots of THE smaller version planes. 

AgAir Update’s web site forum (http://www.agairupdate.com/forum.php) is increasing in popularity. Now that we have a way to monitor posts, I am confident it will be a good communications tool for the industry. Some of you will check it daily, while others will get busy and forget. However, with our twice monthly eEdition, you can view a list of the most recent posts and click through the ones that interest you. Your time is valuable and we try to be efficient as possible. Be sure you are subscribed to our eEdition. It is free.

In parting, I ask that you take a minute to appreciate those around you, not only your loved ones, but those who you interact with regularly, or even not so often. This weekend I lost a friend to a heart attack that I did not realize was my friend until he was gone. Trey helped me every Saturday morning around the hangar and the house. I would jab him about smoking, but never realized he had heart problems. At 52, he appeared to be in as good of health as anyone. Now, when I look around the hangar and house, I see things he fixed or took care of. I have to catch myself from thinking, “Trey needs to fix this.” In the big scheme of things, we are on this Earth for a very short time. We should make that time count for something. When you look around, take the time to see and appreciate. 

Until next month, 
Blue Sky and Tailwinds...