Last month, Graham and I made a trip north to visit an ag-operator in North Dakota and several advertisers in Minnesota. It was a good trip, taking about 15 hours of flight time over four days. One of the advertisers we visited was WinField, a division of Land O’Lakes cooperative. WinField is the manufacturer of a long list of adjuvants that provide drift control, surfactants, oils, water conditioners and utility uses (defoamers, colorants, ph adjust, etc.). The company is not new to the adjuvant business. However, only recently has it begun to market its products to the aerial applicator.
During our visit with WinField, two points were very notable. First, WinField takes a different approach to working with the aerial applicator than some other chemical retailers who provide aerial application services. It desires to partner with the aerial applicator and the chemical retailer to provide a complete service to the grower. Second, WinField has undoubtedly one of the most sophisticated research facilities in the nation, based in River Falls, Wisconsin. Here, the company has several acres of test plots as well as a wind tunnel for testing nozzle configurations. This particular wind tunnel is for ground applications, but much of the research is applicable to aerial applications. For aerial-specific research, WinField partnered with BASF and the University of Nebraska Lincoln to help sponsor the aerial wind tunnel in Nebraska. This wind tunnel is capable of replicating aerial applications for research.
Our host while at WinField was Tony Goede. Many readers will remember Tony from when he worked at BASF. Now, Tony is leading WinField’s entry into the ag-aviation business as its aerial point person. Tony is who you will see in the field and meet at the trade shows. Compared to some of us that have been in the ag-aviation business for decades, Tony is relatively new at this game; but, I have found out that he knows his stuff.
Planes: Fire & Rescue was released in movie theaters last month. It grossed over $18 million its first weekend. I took my eight-year old grandson to see it. I needed “authoritative” feedback before I passed judgement on the movie. My reaction, overall, was for the extensive effort made to be realistic, several key points were missed; pontoons were referenced instead of floats, scooping (only three times in the movie) made flying vertical up a waterfall and overwhelming fire storms. But hey, it’s a cartoon. I tend to forget that, thinking Planes: Fire & Rescue was created to present SEAT ops in a greater and more heroic light.
I suppose for the general public, they would be less skeptic of the movie and believe at least part of the it; that aerial firefighters, and firefighters as a whole, are heroes. They do risk their lives, albeit in a professional and well-calculated manner, not quite as recklessly as Dusty Crophopper.
You know, what I think doesn’t matter. It was the wholehearted endorsement of my eight-year old grandson that proved the Disney folks were right on target with their target audience. If the SEAT and firefighting industry benefitted from it, all the better. Go see Plane: Fire & Rescue with an open mind and enjoy!
On a closing note, my graphics person, Deborah who has been with AgAir Update for over 20 years, pointed out that it seemed an inordinate number of Part 137 accidents reported by the NTSB where the aircraft ended up off the end of the runway after takeoff. I read through the reports and to the credit of the pilots, a significant number of the accidents were mechanical related, e.g. power loss.
It pays to hitch up your pants on every takeoff, thinking 100% about what to do if there is a power loss. The biggest asset an ag-pilot has is the dump handle. Don’t be afraid to use it. Dump and sort it all out later. If you crash the aircraft, the contents in the hopper are lost anyway.
Taking off in a twin engine aircraft is obviously not the same as with an ag-plane. The exception is, both of these pilots must be acutely aware of the consequences of a loss in power. I never depart in our Baron that I don’t go over a contingency plan for losing an engine during takeoff. Something as simple as: “When the hand is on the throttles during roll out, kill both engines in an emergency. If the hand has moved to the gear handle and retracted the gear, fly the aircraft.” It is not always that “cut and dried”, but the point is to clear your head and be ready for the unexpected. I have heard all too often the turbine engine doesn’t quit. And, it normally does not, which causes a degree of complacency. Believe me, a turbine engine will quit. I have had two different ones do it and both times were during takeoff.
Until next month,
keep turning…
