I hope you enjoy reading in this month’s edition about Thrush Aircraft’s efforts to promote and demo the 510G. I first flew this aircraft in December 2010 and have flown it at least twice since then. The aircraft has come a long way from my first flight when its GE H80 engine had a PT6A-34 style three-blade propeller on it.
Having flown the Thrush more than all other ag-aircraft combined, I find myself very comfortable flying it. Maybe I should say familiar, instead. In any case, I know every single one of those pilots that were given the opportunity to fly the 510G during the first part of the 2015 Thrush Summer Tour had an eye opening blast. It is well balanced and has plenty of power. Heck, I wouldn’t mind flying it again, just for kicks.
Have you ever given any thought to the technique of turning on the spray valve? It approaches that of being an art in itself. Your ability can easily be proven with today’s GPS mapping. Some pilots open the valve with the manual spray handle, others with an electric toggle switch that operates the spray pump brake, while others may even depend on their GPS unit. In any case, most aircraft these days are traveling over 200 feet per second. Some estimates are while driving a car it takes two seconds to respond to an input that requires taking your foot off the gas pedal and applying the brakes. In an ag plane, that would be over 400 feet of travel, longer than an American football field including the end zones.
Anyone that can execute the on-off sequence in that short of a time span during one of the most critical phases of flight, entering and exiting the field, is a pretty well-coordinated individual. Actually, it is remarkable by any standard. However, professional ag pilots do it every day and within a couple of feet of the intended on-off line. Interesting…
When you read AgAir Update, undoubtedly you start to realize Brazil could be one of the fastest growing ag-aviation regions in the world. Just to give you some insight; as of December 31, 2014 there were 2007 registered ag-aircraft in Brazil according to the Brazilian Aeronautical Registry and ANAC (the Brazilian FAA). Most of the fleet is based in the state of Mato Grosso with 467 ag-aircraft. This is the central western region of Brazil with huge hectares of cotton and soybeans. Last May, I was there visiting an operation, Serrana, that had 14 ag-aircraft of which 11 were Air Tractors. The second largest state is Rio Grande do Sul with 420 ag-aircraft. This is a major rice growing region. The following states have: Såo Paulo with 287, Goiás with 239, Maharashtra with 141, Bahia with 102, Mato Grosso do Sul with 100 and the remaining ag-aircraft based in various states throughout the country.
August also brings the first of some exciting upgrades to AgAir Update’s presence on the Internet. The debut of our new, fully interactive online classifieds gives the ag aviation marketplace a well deserved facelift, both in looks and function. The newly debuted classifieds have a wealth of features, from the ability to upload many, many photos, logbooks, spec sheets and video to selling your aircraft or ag aviation item in an auction-style format. Create alerts and compare listings, calculate a loan payment or map the item’s location. Access the new ag-av classifieds at classifieds.agairupdate.com or visit agairupdate.com and click on Classifieds.
One last note, something for those who are in the midst of the spray season; fire is a terrible thing. Your hands are your best survival tool in an accident. They are not much good if the fingers are burnt off. I’ve seen ag-pilots’ hands in just this condition, lucky to still be alive. If you are not going to wear a Nomex flight suit, at least wear the Nomex gloves.
There is another benefit to wearing gloves; the sun and its skin damaging ultraviolet rays. When you are young, you think nothing of this. But sun exposure is cumulative and when you are older the effect can be a killer, literally. Like so many, I did not realize this in my younger days. However, today after two blue light treatments to my face and the “barnacles of time” showing up on my hands, I am all too aware of the sun. I don’t leave the house without sunscreen being applied. My advice to you is wear the sunscreen and the gloves, each can go a long way to saving your skin in your old age and your life today.
Until next month, Keep Turning…
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