Iran Brandolt da Silva, a native of Alegrete in southern Brazil, never imagined how much his life would change when he secured a job flying an Ipanema aircraft for Itaquerê Aero Agrícola in Deciolândia, a small town in Mato Grosso, during his second agricultural season.
Iran had flown one rice season in Alegrete after completing his CAVAG training at Aero Agrícola Santos Dumont in 1999. In Deciolândia, he met Keila Brunetta, whose family operated Itaquerê Aero Agrícola. At the end of that season, they got married.
After their wedding, the couple moved to Alegrete, where Iran flew two rice seasons. However, they both realized that the future of Brazilian agriculture—and theirs—was in the country's central-west region. They returned to Mato Grosso, where Iran worked for various companies in Primavera do Leste, Porto Alegre do Norte, and Sinop until 2006. That year, he began flying an Air Tractor AT-402 for a farm in Diamantino.
In 2008, during the off-season, Iran took a firefighting course with Astor Schlindwein in Botucatu. From then until 2012, he flew on firefighting contracts.
In 2010, Keila’s mother, Terezinha Brunetta, decided to close Itaquerê Aero Agrícola. Its facilities in Deciolândia—including a hangar and a private airstrip—remained unused. By 2013, Iran and Keila decided it was time for him to stop flying for the farm. Combining Keila’s business management experience and Iran’s expertise as an agricultural pilot, they founded Aurora Aviação Agrícola.
They acquired a used Ipanema 202 from Rambo Aviação Agrícola and began operations from the same base where they had first met.
Aurora grew quickly thanks to their knowledge of the region and its producers. By 2015, they added a used Air Tractor AT-502 to their fleet. Iran coordinated operations and piloted the AT-502, while Keila managed administrative and financial tasks. In 2018, they partnered with a local producer to purchase a new Air Tractor AT-402B from AgSur Aviones, and in 2019, they added another used Ipanema 202. Finally, in 2023, they bought a second used AT-402B from AgSur Aviones.
During this time, the couple also significantly improved the Deciolândia base. They built a second hangar, a new office, and a dining facility. In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, they paved 900 meters of the original 1,300-meter runway.
Aurora’s aircraft primarily treat soybean (40%), cotton (25%), and corn (20%), with smaller shares dedicated to pastures (10%) and eucalyptus (5%). Most applications use low spray volumes—less than 15 liters per hectare—thanks to Micronair AU-5000 rotary atomizers. Many liquid applications are ultra-low volume, at 1, 2, or 5 liters per hectare. For higher-volume sprays requested by clients, they use Transland CP11TT nozzles. Occasionally, Aurora undertakes special applications, such as spraying insecticides over pastures with protected tree species, which requires a volume of 40 liters per hectare as the aircraft often flies above the tree canopy. All Aurora aircraft are equipped with Ag-Nav GPS units, flowmeters, and Zanoni agricultural equipment, except one, which uses Travicar equipment.
Between 10% and 12% of Aurora’s operations involve solid applications, including cover crop seeding and fertilizer spreading with boron or urea, using Swathmasters from STOL. Iran was asked to apply 380 kg of urea per hectare on corn in one instance, requiring three passes over the same strip to achieve the volume! Aurora’s support trucks are equipped with cranes (Munck) to streamline loading for solid applications.
The company is transitioning from pickup trucks to a standardized fleet of support trucks for greater flexibility. Aurora operates nearly year-round. After Mato Grosso’s primary season from October to May, one of their Air Tractors is transferred to Roraima in northern Brazil, where the seasons are reversed. There, the aircraft operates on a large farm with three agricultural runways until September before returning to Mato Grosso. Locally, Aurora primarily serves clients near Deciolândia—some so close that their airstrips are visible right after takeoff.
Despite his extensive flight experience, Iran now flies infrequently, usually handling small areas in one of the Ipanemas when no other company pilot is available. He prefers to focus on coordinating and managing the business alongside Keila. The couple works closely together, sharing all business decisions. They describe Aurora as "a small, family-run business looking to grow by prioritizing quality, punctuality, and efficiency." Aurora has a loyal client base, many of whom were previously customers of Itaquerê Aero Agrícola. As Keila says, “We aim to partner with our clients, and that’s why we’ve been in the same location for so many years.”
Iran and Keila are planning Aurora’s future together. They recently visited the Air Tractor factory in Olney, Texas, to explore new offerings for their fleet. They are also considering using drones for smaller applications. Iran acknowledges that the biggest business challenge is finding skilled professionals. To lead by example, he participates in safety and application quality courses, encouraging Aurora’s pilots to do the same.
Reflecting on the challenges faced by the agricultural aviation industry, Iran says, “Those with the right equipment, knowledge, and quality will remain in this sector.” He and Keila are optimistic about Aurora Aviação Agrícola’s future and with good reason. In just 11 years, they’ve grown from a single Ipanema to a fleet of three Air Tractors and two Ipanemas, a testament to their hard work and shared vision.
