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...
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Ten days in Brazil
A couple of weeks ago I visited Brazil where I was a guest speaker at the national Brazilian ag-pilots’ convention in Ribeirao Preto, about 100 miles north of Sao Paulo. Afterwards, I traveled a few hundred miles south to Porto Alegre to visit with my longtime Brazilian friend, consultant and translator, Ernesto Franzen. From Porto Alegre, I traveled about halfway across the country westward towards Uruguay to Cachoeira do Sul to visit with my printer for AgAir Update Latinoamerica and my Brazilian representative, Gina Hickmann.
I’ve made many trips to South America with at least half of them to Brazil, enough to fill a couple of passport books. Brazil is the only South American country to require a visa, if you don’t count Bolivia where they “issue” you a visa upon arrival for a mere $100. Obtaining a Brazilian visa can be challenging. There are tourist and business versions. Ideally, a five-year business visa is the best option, but in the past, I’ve been issued business visas for as short as 90-days. The last visa, fortunately, was for five years, except my passport expired the first year of the visa. So, I was a bit anxious using a current passport without a visa and an expired passport with a current visa. All turned out fine with some explaining.
Brazilian ag-aviation is growing in leaps and bounds. The country is nearly as large as the U.S. and has the potential to have as much arable land as any country in the world, with the exceptions of maybe Russia and China. Farming is very modernized and therefore agricultural aviation is an integral part of it. In years past, piston powered aircraft dominated the ag-aviation fleet. That is rapidly changing as more turbine powered aircraft are being delivered to Brazilian operators.
With this growth comes the need for unity and education. Their national organization, SINDAG (similar to the U.S.‘s NAAA) plays that role. The organization is experiencing some of the problems the U.S. industry had several years ago with safety and drift issues. Like the NAAA, SINDAG is offering courses to educate operators. Although its annual trade show is smaller than NAAA’s, there were over 40 exhibitors and several hundred ag-pilots in attendance.
As my journey continued to Porto Alegre, I was eager to visit with Ernesto. He flew ag for about 10 years before deciding he preferred a different profession. Today, he is a federal highway police captain. He has about 60 officers under his command, patrolling the federal highways between Porto Alegre and Cachoeira do Sul. After an excellent charrascaria dinner (Brazilian BBQ) and a night’s rest, Ernesto drove me to Cachoeira do Sul. Along the way, I was able to visit with some of his officers at one of the Policia Rodoviaria Federal outposts. Because of the potential of encountering some very tough characters, the federal police are highly trained and have sophisticated equipment. I was impressed.
The last phase of my journey brought me to Cachoeira do Sul. To this day, I have difficulties pronouncing the name of the city and won’t even try a phonetic spelling. Gina, my Brazilian rep for at least eight years, lives in the city with her family. She has three sons. One is a dentist, another a lawyer and the third and youngest is in medical school. Her husband, Inho, owns a plumbing supply store.
Fortunately, a very reputable printing company is based in Cachoeira do Sul, the Jornal do Povo (yes, I spelled Jornal correctly). The Jornal has been printing AgAir Update Latinoamerica for about three years. The last printing was a major change for the printer. I requested a different size and type of paper and format with trimmed edges. You can’t imagine the difficulty in working through the differences in English and Portuguese languages. Even though Gina’s “other” job is a grade school principal and English teacher, it is extremely difficult to translate trade terms like “printing to the bleed”. It simply doesn’t translate. Imagine the visual of newsprint bleeding, when it actually means printing to the edge of the paper without a margin.
The Jornal did an excellent job. Now AgAir Update Latinoamerica looks very much like its sister publication, AgAir Update. This new format has been received well in Brazil and other Latin countries, like it was in the U.S. last November when I changed the format of AgAir Update’s English version.
I couldn’t travel from central Brazil to its southern tip without a couple of visits to other ag-aviation companies. One of the visits was to a special charrascaria BBQ at Aero Agricolas Santos Dumont that is a school for ag-pilots. In Brazil, it is a requirement to graduate from an accredited ag-flying school before flying ag. Here, I gave a short speech congratulating the five graduates, of which one was from Angola.
A second visit was to a very progressive flying service, Itagro. This company operates a fleet of Brazilian Ipanema ag-aircraft, but has recently bought a new AT-402B. Its owner, Camargo, is looking forward to operating the turbine powered plane and plans to add more to his operation.
Itagro is a model flying service by any world standard. The hangar is extremely clean and well organized. The loading and fueling areas are immaculate. There is a control center where the operations manager can view incoming ground traffic as well as loading and fueling operations for the aircraft. Camargo’s office is adjacent, with an apartment suite for him and his wife during the busy season. Watch future editions of AgAir Update for more about this excellent operation.
After 10 days in Brazil, I was ready to return home. This was not as easy as it may seem. First, there was a four-hour drive from Itagro back to Cachoeira do Sul, then another three-hour drive to Porto Alegre where I caught the first of four different flights home arriving about 30 hours later. I’m glad I don’t travel that far every month, however, I do head back to Uruguay in August.
Until next time, Blue Sky and Tailwinds...
I’ve made many trips to South America with at least half of them to Brazil, enough to fill a couple of passport books. Brazil is the only South American country to require a visa, if you don’t count Bolivia where they “issue” you a visa upon arrival for a mere $100. Obtaining a Brazilian visa can be challenging. There are tourist and business versions. Ideally, a five-year business visa is the best option, but in the past, I’ve been issued business visas for as short as 90-days. The last visa, fortunately, was for five years, except my passport expired the first year of the visa. So, I was a bit anxious using a current passport without a visa and an expired passport with a current visa. All turned out fine with some explaining.
Brazilian ag-aviation is growing in leaps and bounds. The country is nearly as large as the U.S. and has the potential to have as much arable land as any country in the world, with the exceptions of maybe Russia and China. Farming is very modernized and therefore agricultural aviation is an integral part of it. In years past, piston powered aircraft dominated the ag-aviation fleet. That is rapidly changing as more turbine powered aircraft are being delivered to Brazilian operators.
With this growth comes the need for unity and education. Their national organization, SINDAG (similar to the U.S.‘s NAAA) plays that role. The organization is experiencing some of the problems the U.S. industry had several years ago with safety and drift issues. Like the NAAA, SINDAG is offering courses to educate operators. Although its annual trade show is smaller than NAAA’s, there were over 40 exhibitors and several hundred ag-pilots in attendance.
As my journey continued to Porto Alegre, I was eager to visit with Ernesto. He flew ag for about 10 years before deciding he preferred a different profession. Today, he is a federal highway police captain. He has about 60 officers under his command, patrolling the federal highways between Porto Alegre and Cachoeira do Sul. After an excellent charrascaria dinner (Brazilian BBQ) and a night’s rest, Ernesto drove me to Cachoeira do Sul. Along the way, I was able to visit with some of his officers at one of the Policia Rodoviaria Federal outposts. Because of the potential of encountering some very tough characters, the federal police are highly trained and have sophisticated equipment. I was impressed.
The last phase of my journey brought me to Cachoeira do Sul. To this day, I have difficulties pronouncing the name of the city and won’t even try a phonetic spelling. Gina, my Brazilian rep for at least eight years, lives in the city with her family. She has three sons. One is a dentist, another a lawyer and the third and youngest is in medical school. Her husband, Inho, owns a plumbing supply store.
Fortunately, a very reputable printing company is based in Cachoeira do Sul, the Jornal do Povo (yes, I spelled Jornal correctly). The Jornal has been printing AgAir Update Latinoamerica for about three years. The last printing was a major change for the printer. I requested a different size and type of paper and format with trimmed edges. You can’t imagine the difficulty in working through the differences in English and Portuguese languages. Even though Gina’s “other” job is a grade school principal and English teacher, it is extremely difficult to translate trade terms like “printing to the bleed”. It simply doesn’t translate. Imagine the visual of newsprint bleeding, when it actually means printing to the edge of the paper without a margin.
The Jornal did an excellent job. Now AgAir Update Latinoamerica looks very much like its sister publication, AgAir Update. This new format has been received well in Brazil and other Latin countries, like it was in the U.S. last November when I changed the format of AgAir Update’s English version.
I couldn’t travel from central Brazil to its southern tip without a couple of visits to other ag-aviation companies. One of the visits was to a special charrascaria BBQ at Aero Agricolas Santos Dumont that is a school for ag-pilots. In Brazil, it is a requirement to graduate from an accredited ag-flying school before flying ag. Here, I gave a short speech congratulating the five graduates, of which one was from Angola.
A second visit was to a very progressive flying service, Itagro. This company operates a fleet of Brazilian Ipanema ag-aircraft, but has recently bought a new AT-402B. Its owner, Camargo, is looking forward to operating the turbine powered plane and plans to add more to his operation.
Itagro is a model flying service by any world standard. The hangar is extremely clean and well organized. The loading and fueling areas are immaculate. There is a control center where the operations manager can view incoming ground traffic as well as loading and fueling operations for the aircraft. Camargo’s office is adjacent, with an apartment suite for him and his wife during the busy season. Watch future editions of AgAir Update for more about this excellent operation.
After 10 days in Brazil, I was ready to return home. This was not as easy as it may seem. First, there was a four-hour drive from Itagro back to Cachoeira do Sul, then another three-hour drive to Porto Alegre where I caught the first of four different flights home arriving about 30 hours later. I’m glad I don’t travel that far every month, however, I do head back to Uruguay in August.
Until next time, Blue Sky and Tailwinds...
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Cooler weather, but hotter flying in Illinois
It’s 9a and the outside temperature in central Georgia has already reached 80°F. Before the day is over, it will be hot and steamy passing into the triple digits; typical summertime ten days early. Last week, about the same time in Illinois it wasn’t near this hot nor humid. Graham and I arrived at Curless Flying Service’s airstrip, IS08, shortly after 11a. It had been a long four and half hour-flight from Georgia, having to fly west to Memphis to circumnavigate a line of thunderstorms. The flight should have taken three and half hours, but an extra hour was better than not making it at all, or having to use the airlines.
The last time I visited Curless Flying Service was with Graham during one of our many annual summer excursions. It was 1994, give or take a year. We were flying a Citabria and making the rounds visiting operators. Graham and I took seven to ten days each summer, while he was growing up, to make these excursions. They were always fun, bonding and I wrote articles about ag-operators during the process.
Lots have changed at Curless Flying Service since the visit in 1994. The purpose of this visit was to attend Open House for Farm Air. Harley and Kay Curless had bought Farm Air from its original founder, Bill Taylor, in January of this year. This made them Air Tractor’s newest dealer, assigned to eight states throughout the Midwest.
I don’t recall how many aircraft Curless Flying Service was operating in the mid-1990s. Presently, the company has a fleet of eight: two AT-802s, AT-602, AT-504, AT-502, AT-402, AT-301 and a Pawnee. Obviously, becoming an Air Tractor dealer with such a large and varied assortment of ag-aircraft, particularly the Air Tractor line, will serve Curless Flying Service and Farm Air customers well.
From Harley’s viewpoint, being the operator of each production Air Tractor built, it is easy for him to look into the eyes of a prospective buyer and from his experience talk about the attributes of any Air Tractor. His recent purchase of an AT-504, with its dual, side-by-side cockpit, is a good example. Curless Flying Service will use the aircraft in its daily operations, not only to spray for its customers, but to mentor a new pilot, as well.
I spoke with Harley about his feelings concerning the AT-504. He quickly explained to me that he could find no appreciable difference in the way it worked except for not having as much room under the seat as the traditional AT-502. Like I realized when I flew it in April of this year, the first thing he noticed, besides sitting off center, is the improvement in visibility; that in itself is a significant safety factor.
Farm Air was formed in 1976 by Bill Taylor and later became an Air Tractor dealer in 1979. With no succession in management at Farm Air and Bill approaching retirement age, he decided to approach Harley about buying Farm Air and assume the Air Tractor dealership. Harley indicated he was interested, but the final say had to come from Air Tractor.
In March 2009, Farm Air received Air Tractor’s blessings for Harley Curless to assume the dealership. From that point on, it has been a busy schedule for everyone at Curless Flying Service and Farm Air to prepare to move Farm Air from Fairfield, Illinois to Astoria, about 200 miles north. The paperwork was signed in January 2010 and Farm Air became a part of Curless Flying Service.
Until next month, Blue Sky and Tailwinds...
The last time I visited Curless Flying Service was with Graham during one of our many annual summer excursions. It was 1994, give or take a year. We were flying a Citabria and making the rounds visiting operators. Graham and I took seven to ten days each summer, while he was growing up, to make these excursions. They were always fun, bonding and I wrote articles about ag-operators during the process.
Lots have changed at Curless Flying Service since the visit in 1994. The purpose of this visit was to attend Open House for Farm Air. Harley and Kay Curless had bought Farm Air from its original founder, Bill Taylor, in January of this year. This made them Air Tractor’s newest dealer, assigned to eight states throughout the Midwest.
I don’t recall how many aircraft Curless Flying Service was operating in the mid-1990s. Presently, the company has a fleet of eight: two AT-802s, AT-602, AT-504, AT-502, AT-402, AT-301 and a Pawnee. Obviously, becoming an Air Tractor dealer with such a large and varied assortment of ag-aircraft, particularly the Air Tractor line, will serve Curless Flying Service and Farm Air customers well.
From Harley’s viewpoint, being the operator of each production Air Tractor built, it is easy for him to look into the eyes of a prospective buyer and from his experience talk about the attributes of any Air Tractor. His recent purchase of an AT-504, with its dual, side-by-side cockpit, is a good example. Curless Flying Service will use the aircraft in its daily operations, not only to spray for its customers, but to mentor a new pilot, as well.
I spoke with Harley about his feelings concerning the AT-504. He quickly explained to me that he could find no appreciable difference in the way it worked except for not having as much room under the seat as the traditional AT-502. Like I realized when I flew it in April of this year, the first thing he noticed, besides sitting off center, is the improvement in visibility; that in itself is a significant safety factor.
Farm Air was formed in 1976 by Bill Taylor and later became an Air Tractor dealer in 1979. With no succession in management at Farm Air and Bill approaching retirement age, he decided to approach Harley about buying Farm Air and assume the Air Tractor dealership. Harley indicated he was interested, but the final say had to come from Air Tractor.
In March 2009, Farm Air received Air Tractor’s blessings for Harley Curless to assume the dealership. From that point on, it has been a busy schedule for everyone at Curless Flying Service and Farm Air to prepare to move Farm Air from Fairfield, Illinois to Astoria, about 200 miles north. The paperwork was signed in January 2010 and Farm Air became a part of Curless Flying Service.
Until next month, Blue Sky and Tailwinds...
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Ag aviation loses Donald Wayne Goodman
Last year while visiting Ag-Flight, Inc. in Bainbridge, GA., Graham and I met Donald Wayne Goodman of Goodman Flying Service. Donald Wayne was an operator in Chase, Louisiana. I didn’t recall having met Donald Wayne before, but all indications pointed towards Donald Wayne being an upstanding member of our industry. As it turned out, Donald Wayne had donated an AT-301 for Ag-Flight to use in its ag-pilot school. During the short visit with Ag-Flight, we also had the opportunity to meet Donald Wayne’s son, Brandon, who was training to be an ag-pilot. See the November 2009 edition of AgAir Update. I was lucky enough to get Donald Wayne and Billy Howell in front of the camera.
On Sunday, May 30th, Donald Wayne succumbed to injuries sustained in a race car accident two days earlier. Just that quick. We (ag-pilots) fly for thousands of hours, under power lines, between trees, low to the ground and then out of the blue God brings you home doing something completely unrelated. We have lost others in similar instances - car and motorcycle wrecks, aerobatics, etc. It doesn’t seem right.
You can be extremely careful in this profession, mitigating risks; you can take care of yourself, eat right, exercise and visit your doctor. However, you can’t stop the fickle hand of fate. There is no truer cliche: “When it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go.”
I didn’t know Donald Wayne Goodman as well as I would have liked. The short time I had with him was good. I have been told he was a strong financial supporter of both LAAA and NAAA. I know he will be missed by his family and friends. My thoughts are with them.
Donald Wayne Goodman (L) and Billy Howell (R)
stand next to the AT-301 Goodman donated to Ag-Flight, Inc.
On Sunday, May 30th, Donald Wayne succumbed to injuries sustained in a race car accident two days earlier. Just that quick. We (ag-pilots) fly for thousands of hours, under power lines, between trees, low to the ground and then out of the blue God brings you home doing something completely unrelated. We have lost others in similar instances - car and motorcycle wrecks, aerobatics, etc. It doesn’t seem right.
You can be extremely careful in this profession, mitigating risks; you can take care of yourself, eat right, exercise and visit your doctor. However, you can’t stop the fickle hand of fate. There is no truer cliche: “When it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go.”
I didn’t know Donald Wayne Goodman as well as I would have liked. The short time I had with him was good. I have been told he was a strong financial supporter of both LAAA and NAAA. I know he will be missed by his family and friends. My thoughts are with them.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Good'ole N6632Q
May was a busy month at AgAir Update, making several trips to visit Thrush Aircraft in Albany, Georgia, three operators in the Delmarva area (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia), Houma, Louisiana for the oil spill and finally to Central Florida Ag Aero in Orlando; logging about 25 hours in the aircraft.
At the end of the month, as usual, we close out next month’s edition for printing. I always read over the proof sheets looking for errors. When I came upon the Featured Classifieds section, I noticed a turbine powered Ag-Cat with the tail number N6632Q. For some reason, the N# seemed familiar. The year model was right, but the engine was different.
I looked on my office wall at photos of me spraying soybeans in 1977 in my new 450 HP B-Model Ag-Cat. Looking closely, sure enough, the tail number read, “N6632Q”! I was amazed to see the aircraft for sale in AgAir Update over 30 years later. I sold the aircraft in 1980 to buy a new Ayres Turbo Thrush with a PT6A-11AG (s/n 001). That was the last time I saw N6632Q. History has a way of coming back to you. South Delta Aviation has the aircraft for sale. It’ll be interesting to see where it ends up.
The ongoing “big story” is the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Now deemed the worst oil spill disaster in the U.S., surpassing the Valdez spill. Finally, after more than 16 years of efforts to become a player in the aerial oil spill dispersal industry, a dual cockpit AT-802 has been permitted to apply dispersal over the spill. The AT-802 is the last effort to disperse the oil before it reaches shore, virtually becoming a hero of sorts. Whatever oil it disperses, is oil that did not reach shore. It is as simple as that. So, any oil dispersed by the AT-802 is a success.
If the oil industry had recognized years earlier the potential of a fleet of properly managed AT-802s (or any large ag plane like the Thrush 660), the success rate could have been greatly enhanced. There is a narrow space between the coverage area of the large tanker aircraft, like the C130, and the shoreline. This area is ideal for the ag aircraft to demonstrate its unique abilities of surgical-like precision dispersal applications.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is a “proof of concept” for the use of agricultural aircraft in dispersal operations. What happens in the Gulf of Mexico with the AT-802 will lay the groundwork for the ag-plane to be a hero in dispersing any future oil spill that has the capabilities of making landfall.
In closing, now that International Crop Duster’s Day (May 27th) has passed, I hope those of you associated with a crop duster took the time to recognize that person in some way. If not, you’ll get the chance to do it again next year. There are plans to select a more appropriate date. I’ll keep you posted.
Until next month,
At the end of the month, as usual, we close out next month’s edition for printing. I always read over the proof sheets looking for errors. When I came upon the Featured Classifieds section, I noticed a turbine powered Ag-Cat with the tail number N6632Q. For some reason, the N# seemed familiar. The year model was right, but the engine was different.
The ongoing “big story” is the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Now deemed the worst oil spill disaster in the U.S., surpassing the Valdez spill. Finally, after more than 16 years of efforts to become a player in the aerial oil spill dispersal industry, a dual cockpit AT-802 has been permitted to apply dispersal over the spill. The AT-802 is the last effort to disperse the oil before it reaches shore, virtually becoming a hero of sorts. Whatever oil it disperses, is oil that did not reach shore. It is as simple as that. So, any oil dispersed by the AT-802 is a success.
If the oil industry had recognized years earlier the potential of a fleet of properly managed AT-802s (or any large ag plane like the Thrush 660), the success rate could have been greatly enhanced. There is a narrow space between the coverage area of the large tanker aircraft, like the C130, and the shoreline. This area is ideal for the ag aircraft to demonstrate its unique abilities of surgical-like precision dispersal applications.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is a “proof of concept” for the use of agricultural aircraft in dispersal operations. What happens in the Gulf of Mexico with the AT-802 will lay the groundwork for the ag-plane to be a hero in dispersing any future oil spill that has the capabilities of making landfall.
In closing, now that International Crop Duster’s Day (May 27th) has passed, I hope those of you associated with a crop duster took the time to recognize that person in some way. If not, you’ll get the chance to do it again next year. There are plans to select a more appropriate date. I’ll keep you posted.
Until next month,
Thursday, May 27, 2010
International Crop Duster’s Day — May 27
Sometime last year, I picked up a news feed from an Anahuac, Texas newspaper reporting May 27 was Crop Duster’s Day. It was the first time I had heard of such a day. In the article, it described how an older, retired, local crop duster that worked at a local museum came up with this idea to honor the old duster pilots in the southeastern part of Texas.
I did a little research on the Net and was able to place a phone call to this person, Mr. Bobby J. Wheat, who is tagged with the nickname, “Old Duster”. Mr. Wheat and I had a very pleasant conversation that included his early years flying the Stearman in the Chambers County, Texas. He went on to tell me how he implement Crop Duster’s Day through his connections at the museum. He agreed to send AgAir Update articles recounting those golden years of ag-aviation.
While we talked, the idea of an International Crop Duster’s Day was formulating in my mind. I suggested to him to rename the day and I would help him promote it through AgAir Update and AgAir Update Latinoamerica. Neither of us had a plan for implementing this. We simply wanted to get it started.
I’m sure you have read references to today being International Crop Duster’s Day. There isn’t anything special going on today, like a fly-in or convention. The day is being set aside to honor all the old duster pilots and the current ag-pilots. For right now, Mr. Wheat and I would like everyone associated with this business that is not an ag-pilot, or has not been one, to turn to those ag-pilots you know and thank them for the job they do. Today is one for acknowledging this person, giving them a pat on the back, send them an email or better yet, give them a call. It is as simply as that.
Several AgAir Update readers from around the world have asked, “Why May 27.” There is no significance to the date. I believe it may have been a convenient day for Mr. Wheat. There are a couple of thoughts about this date, one being because it is during North American ag-pilots busy season either they are too busy to be acknowledged, or because they are busy they will be. As long as the day remains this time of the year, I believe it will always be just an appreciation day. If the day were to be changed to early spring or late fall, since winter is South America’s busy season, possibly there could be a meeting somewhere. What do you think? Post your thoughts in the comment section of this blog, please.
In conjunction with International Crop Duster’s Day, Mr. Wheat has formed the “International Crop Duster’s Day Society”. Membership is free, simply send him your email address explaining who you are and how you are a crop duster. I believe he is even accepting “wannabes”. You’ll need to check with him about that. His email address is: oldduster@aol.com.
If you did something special for your significant ag-pilot or crop duster today, please send me a photo and/or a short write-up about it.
From all of us at AgAir Update, a big “Thank You” to all crop dusters worldwide! You have a challenging job that requires instant decision making that will determine if the application is completed safely and accurately, as well as the outcome of your flight allowing you to return to your base without incident. The availability of safe, affordable and abundant food relies heavily on your abilities. Your efforts protect forests, wildland habitats and people by using demanding firefighting skills. Your precision application skills protect our world’s food supply. Now, you are taking a role in oil spill dispersal desperately trying to keep the oil from floating ashore. Public health worldwide is improved because of your mosquito control applications. Many do not appreciate the role you play, not realizing you are the green stewards of the land. Your day will come as the world demands more food and more protection from many fronts. Until then, today is your day, International Crop Duster’s Day!
For more about International Crop Duster's Day, written by Bobby J. Wheat, visit this website:
http://www.theanahuacprogress.com/articles/2010/05/26/news/news05.txt
I did a little research on the Net and was able to place a phone call to this person, Mr. Bobby J. Wheat, who is tagged with the nickname, “Old Duster”. Mr. Wheat and I had a very pleasant conversation that included his early years flying the Stearman in the Chambers County, Texas. He went on to tell me how he implement Crop Duster’s Day through his connections at the museum. He agreed to send AgAir Update articles recounting those golden years of ag-aviation.
While we talked, the idea of an International Crop Duster’s Day was formulating in my mind. I suggested to him to rename the day and I would help him promote it through AgAir Update and AgAir Update Latinoamerica. Neither of us had a plan for implementing this. We simply wanted to get it started.
I’m sure you have read references to today being International Crop Duster’s Day. There isn’t anything special going on today, like a fly-in or convention. The day is being set aside to honor all the old duster pilots and the current ag-pilots. For right now, Mr. Wheat and I would like everyone associated with this business that is not an ag-pilot, or has not been one, to turn to those ag-pilots you know and thank them for the job they do. Today is one for acknowledging this person, giving them a pat on the back, send them an email or better yet, give them a call. It is as simply as that.
Several AgAir Update readers from around the world have asked, “Why May 27.” There is no significance to the date. I believe it may have been a convenient day for Mr. Wheat. There are a couple of thoughts about this date, one being because it is during North American ag-pilots busy season either they are too busy to be acknowledged, or because they are busy they will be. As long as the day remains this time of the year, I believe it will always be just an appreciation day. If the day were to be changed to early spring or late fall, since winter is South America’s busy season, possibly there could be a meeting somewhere. What do you think? Post your thoughts in the comment section of this blog, please.
In conjunction with International Crop Duster’s Day, Mr. Wheat has formed the “International Crop Duster’s Day Society”. Membership is free, simply send him your email address explaining who you are and how you are a crop duster. I believe he is even accepting “wannabes”. You’ll need to check with him about that. His email address is: oldduster@aol.com.
If you did something special for your significant ag-pilot or crop duster today, please send me a photo and/or a short write-up about it.
From all of us at AgAir Update, a big “Thank You” to all crop dusters worldwide! You have a challenging job that requires instant decision making that will determine if the application is completed safely and accurately, as well as the outcome of your flight allowing you to return to your base without incident. The availability of safe, affordable and abundant food relies heavily on your abilities. Your efforts protect forests, wildland habitats and people by using demanding firefighting skills. Your precision application skills protect our world’s food supply. Now, you are taking a role in oil spill dispersal desperately trying to keep the oil from floating ashore. Public health worldwide is improved because of your mosquito control applications. Many do not appreciate the role you play, not realizing you are the green stewards of the land. Your day will come as the world demands more food and more protection from many fronts. Until then, today is your day, International Crop Duster’s Day!
For more about International Crop Duster's Day, written by Bobby J. Wheat, visit this website:
http://www.theanahuacprogress.com/articles/2010/05/26/news/news05.txt
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
AT-802 makes history over Deepwater Horizon oil spill in Louisiana
Today, Graham and I flew our A36 to Houma, Louisiana to meet with the AT-802 oil spill dispersal group. With the good graces of BP, the U.S. Coast Guard and the AT-802 operating company, we interviewed the principals of the operation. Yesterday, an AT-802 made the first single engine aircraft oil spill dispersant application, 14 miles offshore of Louisiana, that followed the mandates of the North American oil spill management industry. The effort was a culmination of 16 years of work to bring the single engine tanker ag-plane to the oil spill environment. As unfortunate as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is, located in the Mississippi Canyon of the Gulf of Mexico, it has provided an opportunity for a “proof of concept” for using aircraft like the AT-802 to disperse the oil.
During our visit, everything I witnessed pointed toward a massive, joint effort to resolve the problem. BP has literally “pulled out all the stops”, so to speak, to get this monster under control. The role of the AT-802 is a surgical strike procedure just before the floating oil makes land. Its maneuverability and speed allow it to work close to shore, following the guidance of the spotter aircraft flying above and behind it.
It all boils down to the AT-802 stopping the oil that gets past all other efforts, which are many and varied, from burning to skimming, to large tanker aircraft spraying dispersant on wide open areas.
After I write and finalize the article, you can visit agairupdate.com to read how the diversity of ag-aircraft continues to help protect the environment. Which reminds me of a t-shirt I saw at a state ag-av convention that stated, “We have always been green.”
In closing, until now it has been an inalterable safety rule in the oil industry to use only multi-engine aircraft with two pilots on board for oil dispersal spraying. Even though there are two pilots in the dual cockpit, the single engine AT-802 with its dependable Pratt & Whitney turboprop engine, steps outside of these limits. BP’s willingness to allow the AT-802 to attempt to stop the oil from going ashore demonstrates the company’s all-out effort to protect the environment. I have full confidence in the aircraft and its pilots’ abilities to do the job at hand.
During our visit, everything I witnessed pointed toward a massive, joint effort to resolve the problem. BP has literally “pulled out all the stops”, so to speak, to get this monster under control. The role of the AT-802 is a surgical strike procedure just before the floating oil makes land. Its maneuverability and speed allow it to work close to shore, following the guidance of the spotter aircraft flying above and behind it.
It all boils down to the AT-802 stopping the oil that gets past all other efforts, which are many and varied, from burning to skimming, to large tanker aircraft spraying dispersant on wide open areas.
After I write and finalize the article, you can visit agairupdate.com to read how the diversity of ag-aircraft continues to help protect the environment. Which reminds me of a t-shirt I saw at a state ag-av convention that stated, “We have always been green.”
In closing, until now it has been an inalterable safety rule in the oil industry to use only multi-engine aircraft with two pilots on board for oil dispersal spraying. Even though there are two pilots in the dual cockpit, the single engine AT-802 with its dependable Pratt & Whitney turboprop engine, steps outside of these limits. BP’s willingness to allow the AT-802 to attempt to stop the oil from going ashore demonstrates the company’s all-out effort to protect the environment. I have full confidence in the aircraft and its pilots’ abilities to do the job at hand.
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