International

It all started with a conversation with Bill Lavender at the 2017 SINDAG Convention in Rio Grande do Sul (southern Brazil). "...Let me introduce you to the Hatfields." by Lucas Zanoni At that time, the second generation of the Zanoni family was not yet active in the company and was...

OLNEY, Texas – Air Tractor, Inc. is the world's top producer of general aviation turboprop airplanes, according to the General Aviation Manufacturing Association.  "In recent years, the demand for Air Tractor aircraft has steadily risen, particularly internationally,” said Jim Hirsch, Air Tractor president. “We are proud of our contributions to...

Five aerial topdressing operators have left the industry and one was recently placed in liquidation as a lean few years and soaring compliance and maintenance costs take a toll on the sector. Bruce Peterson, the chairman of the NZ Agricultural Aviation Association, said while business is slowly picking up, the...

Find your blind spots! Keeping your left eye closed, hold both thumbs together and vertically at arm's length straight ahead, covering something like a clock or light switch on the wall. Slowly move your right thumb to the right while maintaining your right eye focused on the object.  Once you reach...

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...

Electric and telecommunications wires litter the landscape of Australia wherever there is human settlement. They are inherently difficult to see and are a major cause of aircraft crashes and aircrew deaths. They are the ultimate test of flight planning and human performance for those who have to fly at low...

The downturn in the farming sector - especially sheep and beef - is having a detrimental impact on the agricultural aviation sector. Flying hours for aeroplanes are down from 5,800 hours in the third quarter of 2020 to 3,725 hours in the same quarter in 2024. Tony Michelle, executive officer...

Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil, has a long history of firsts in Brazilian agriculture. Due to its temperate climate, it was favored by the European settlers who brought modern agricultural techniques to the country in the 19th century. The first aerial application was made in Rio...

Embraer is celebrating the 20th anniversary of ANAC, Brazil's civil aviation authority, certifying its Ipanema EMB-202A to use ethanol as fuel. Originally issued on October 19, 2004, this certification made the Ipanema EMB-202A the first civilian factory-built aircraft to use ethanol as fuel. In fact, as early as 1985, the...

by Ernesto Franzen, as told by Lucas Zanoni and Ann Hatfield-Grahek Take a look at the world map. Crops—and the ag aviation operators who care for them—are already well established everywhere except in Africa. Africa has the most potential for agricultural growth, as it still has vast tracts of arable...