International

I have lost count of how many different ag aircraft that I have had the pleasure to conduct evaluation flights in over the years. It makes for some very interesting reading in my logbooks. Last year, I was invited by Embraer to make an evaluation flight of its production version...

The energy level of the basic FU-24 airframe has been transformed with respect to its overall performance, as compared to the early 225 and 240 bhp models which we flew during 1955 to mid-1960s. The static thrust produced by the 240 bhp Continental O-470 with its two-blade Hartzell propellor was...

What is a temperature inversion, and how does it affect drift? There are many misconceptions and erroneous opinions. Without an inversion, or under normal conditions, the temperature is highest near the ground and decreases as the elevation or altitude increases. With a temperature inversion, a warm layer of air is...

Here is a very good recipe for barbecuing your turbine engine. Ingredients: • One turbine engine • One low battery • One quart of fuel • 20 seconds of rapid temp rise • 30 seconds of concentration • One quart of your best barbecue sauce The ingredients can be mixed...

By Bill Lavender Smart is more than a name for Steph and Ben Smart’s Smart Air Services based out of Cecil Plains, Queensland Australia. It is a way of doing business - more than just flying over customers’ fields, but being a part of the farming community, as well. Ben...

Simulator in Europe Dale Fehrenbach and Jeff Hauck from Wipaire, the manufacturer of Fire Boss amphibious floats for Air Tractor’s AT-802, visited Air Tractor Europe’s facilities in Valencia, Spain in October of this year to finalize the order for a number of new Fire Boss float kits for Air Tractor...

Deloraine, Tasmania, 20 July 2016 What happened On 20 July 2016, the pilot of a Schweizer 269C helicopter, registered VH-NTZ, conducted aerial spraying operations near Deloraine, Tasmania. The pilot completed spraying one area, and prior to commencing spraying another, overflew it to assess the site. During that inspection, the pilot...

Eight years ago, NAAA established the Kenny Hirsch & Brandon Carter S-2A Airplane Restoration Memorial Fund after Air Tractor President Jim Hirsch lost his 20-year-old son, Kenny Hirsch, in an accident. Kenny and his best friend Brandon Carter both lost their lives in a four wheeler-motorbike accident. The memorial fund...

NZ Agricultural Aviation Activity and Safety Update CHART Around 9,000 fewer agricultural flying hours have been reported for the first half of 2016 compared to 2015 in New Zealand. While some statistics returns are still to be submitted, it’s clear that there has been a significant reduction in activity in...

By Igor Bozinovski, edited for space by AgAir Update. SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 Avialsa, the European Air Tractor Dealer located in Valencia, Spain has entered into an agreement with the Croatian state-owned aircraft maintenance facility Zrakoplovno-Tehni?ki Centar - ZTC (Aeronautical Technical Center), to provide scheduled maintenance for the Macedonian Protection and...