On the long flight from Reno back home, I had time to contemplate some of the comments made during NAAA’s 47th annual convention. I can’t recall all that was said, but a few things stuck with me.
During a sit down conversation with one operator, we talked about increasing safety in the ag plane. He explained to me how one of his high-time pilots pancaked the aircraft into the ground on a dark night. The pilot was not injured, thankfully. His point was there should be some type of checklist in the aircraft to give the pilot an opportunity to evaluate whether the impending flight could be done safely. He referred to a military checklist system that required the pilot to question himself.
We both agreed it would be a good thing if GPS manufacturers designed a customizable checklist screen that required touching to advance through each item on the list. After that, the unit would fully boot up. Of course, the feature would need to have a password for its owner to disable if desired and to prevent the pilot from bypassing it.
The point would not be to go through a redundant checklist that every pilot already knows. The effect should be a subtle and subconscious one that causes the pilot to think about what he is about to do. How many of us use a memorized checklist that invariably is out of sequence and as we start rolling down the runway the thought crosses our mind, “Did I forget something.”
Don’t say it does not happen. There have been too many load hoses broken and aircraft having to return early for forgotten fuel. How much of an inconvenience could a five-point touch screen checklist be, that could be done in a matter seconds? In doing so, the pilot could focus on the job at hand instead of being unsure, glancing back at the load valve or the fuel gauges during takeoff.
There were two remote controlled helicopters on display in the exhibit hall outfitted with a 15-gallon spray system. I watched a video for a few minutes with one of the units making an application. I wondered how the flow was regulated, as it did not appear to have a GPS with a flow control unit. Surely, the droplet size of the spray could be increased from the aerosol spray coming from the booms. However, that would most likely increase GPA needed for the application with an already limited chemical tank.
A fellow visited with me who was in the film making business. He explained to me he was developing a family-friendly move about agricultural aviation. The theme of the movie was about two competing flying services where the son of one fell in love with the daughter of the other and how all that would eventually play out. He assured me that his intent was to promote agricultural aviation. I hope that is the case. Our industry has already experienced one poor representation on reality TV. Thank goodness for Plane’s Dusty Crophopper. That aircraft has done worlds of good PR for our industry.
A Pacific Northwest operator explained to me how he used Patternators on his aircraft. It took me a few minutes to realize exactly what he was talking about. The Patternator has four pilot controlled switches that can turn off select nozzles. This operator had things figure out. Even though he had a flow control unit with his GPS, he pointed out that to be sure the rate is accurate the flow was increased by changing the pressure, which in turn affected droplet size.
With the Patternator, not only was he able to change his flow rate with minimum pressure change, he was able to “move” the nozzle set up by four nozzles from left to right on the aircraft. When going downwind, he would turn off a predetermined number of outside nozzles and when reversing the swath to upwind, he would turn on another predetermined number of nozzles on the opposite boom.
Yes, it is a bit hard to visualize, but keep thinking about it and it will come to you. He’s assisting the flow controller by the number of nozzles spraying. As a bonus, when he repositions the nozzles that are spraying, he is reducing them on the outside of the upwind side boom. Depending on the direction of the wind, usually the upwind wing’s vortex causes a greater risk of drift. Interesting stuff.
We live during exciting times in ag-aviation and the future promises to be even more so. In some ways, it is a pity that beginning ag-pilots, in many cases, will miss sitting behind a radial engine; trying to figure without GPS where the next swath should go in a wheat field planted round and round with a grain drill and to never explain to a flagger how to walk across that wheat field in a straight line.
Every year, I see more ag-pilots starting out or transitioning into turbine aircraft. I don’t believe that to be a big problem, providing it is done correctly. One operator I talked with didn’t see the value of attending a school’s turbine transition course. He assured me that he wouldn’t let a pilot start or fly one of his turbines without fully checking him out. I suppose in some cases that would work. However, a pilot cannot have too much training on something that is foreign to him. It has to be better to be checked out in a dual cockpit turbine aircraft before launching out solo without that advantage. I prefer to err on the side of caution.
I will be talking with a lot more of you in the coming months at state trade shows. I hope that you continue to stop by AgAir Update’s booth and tell me these things. It is challenging stay caught up with an ever changing industry. Our one-on-one sessions at the booth, or in the bar, help me to stay in the loop.
Until next month, Keep Turning…
