As with past years, in the spirit of the Twelve Days of Christmas, we put together a synopsis of this year’s monthly columns to bring in the Yuletide season. We revisit ideas, tips and techniques others have passed along to improve what we do and how we do it. Complete articles from past issues are available under “Browse Our Archives.”
January – High Fives
At the beginning of the off-season, it’s time to take a well-deserved break in the action and highlight the hard work that went into operations throughout the past year. It’s a reminder of the vital importance of aerial application in e0nsuring bountiful yields and helping grow food for a hungry world. There are many well-deserved “high fives” throughout the industry.
February – Crunching the Numbers
Risk management (RM) has become an essential part of aerial application operations in today’s environment of expensive equipment and soaring input costs. The National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) and the National Agricultural Aviation Research & Education Foundation (NAAREF) websites detail several excellent programs designed to address the risks associated with aerial application work, and the FAA’s Risk Management Handbook 2022 is an excellent source of guidance on the topic.
March – Spring Training
Skills tend to gain a bit of rust during the off-season, and it’s essential to recognize this decreased level of performance, which naturally accompanies a break in the action. Many ag operators have a “spring training” refresher program in place at the beginning of a new season, where everyone takes the time to get reacquainted with the details of their job to ensure all pieces of the puzzle come together smoothly when the rubber hits the road.
April – CAAA President Aaron Trudell
Situated 60 miles from the Motor City on the Canadian side of the Detroit River, Zimmer Air Services Inc (ZASI) has been in the aerial application business for over 40 years, currently running a fixed and rotary wing aircraft fleet. We met with Ops Manager Aaron Trudell in his new role as President of the Canadian Aerial Application Association (CAAA). It’s always exciting and educational to check out the perspectives of the association executive on the many aspects of the industry, from operational issues to working in partnership with the national and provincial regulatory agencies.
May – On the Road Again
Part and parcel of many aerial application operations is the ability to efficiently move from home base to being “on the road” via remote and unfamiliar airstrips. There is a period of adjustment during which we must quickly become familiar with the specific requirements of the new location to ensure safe and effective operations. The article provides a number of guidelines to help adapt to a new location, so the only surprises you get are pleasant ones.
June – Are You Sure
Many ag pilots have found themselves in a situation where the aircraft was accidentally overloaded, the direct result being a compromising situation where takeoff becomes an “I’m not so sure!” event. It’s pretty remarkable how even small increases in load can greatly decrease aircraft performance. If you’re not 100% sure that the takeoff will be without incident, take the time to unload the extra product. Being sure is not an option. It’s a mandate.
July – Blowing in the Wind
Due to the fickle nature of Mother Nature, aerial applicators often are faced with the choice of flying in suitable weather or parking the aircraft when the weather is out of limits and waiting until things settle down. While it’s challenging to choose to shut down with a long lineup of anxious farmers standing in line at the airstrip to get their crops sprayed before they’re toast, don’t press the capricious gods of the skies. It seldom pays dividends and, more often than not, will get you into hot water. Here are a few reminders to help keep your guard up.
August – Into the Darkness
We’ve all been there when our good judgment gets the heave-ho, and our selection of available options is questionable. While armchair quarterbacks can offer sage but baseless advice on what you should have done, decision-making is a very complex exercise, where the diagnosis and situational awareness can be compromised when made in an office moving at over 120 mph near Terra firma in a risky environment. Here are a couple of bases you should cover to keep your judgment safe and sound.
September – The Domino Effect
The aerial application business can get very hectic, with extended hours in the cockpit, minimal sleep, and the ongoing pressure to continue operations even in marginal conditions. Together, those many factors can lead to an accident waiting to happen. It’s the domino effect where you stand domino tiles close together in a line. If one should tip over, it starts a chain reaction, and they all come tumbling down. In the real world, one minor incident can lead to another (and another and another…) and can quickly get you out of the safety zone.
October – Ag Pilots’ Maxims
WWI German fighter ace Oswald Boelcke developed a set of rules for aerial combat that was so successful that the Allies soon adopted them. Over time, those principles became the basis for U.S. and Canadian air combat training. This bit of aviation history certainly rings a familiar tune when it comes to the genesis and growth of aerial application, where the industry has taken great strides in fostering ab initio and ongoing training as part and parcel of standard operating procedures. This article offers some suggested maxims to those SOPs.
November – Einstein and Ag Aviation
But by far, the biggest revolution in modern ag aviation came with the introduction of GPS satellite systems in the early 90s. The satellites broadcast both position and timing corrections to receivers. According to Albert Einstein’s theories, time can slow down depending on the satellite’s speed and position relative to Earth, a phenomenon known as time dilation. If this is not corrected, the system will rapidly become unusable. The next time you set up your GPS, appreciate the genius of a messy-haired physicist named Albert, who revolutionized the science of time and distance, making our jobs as ag pilots much easier.
