International

In my novice years as an ag pilot, while discussing the issue of flight safety with someone much more experienced, I asked him what makes a safe ag pilot. He was straight and to the point. It’s a judgment call. Pilots with good judgment tend to make good decisions. Pilots...

AgAir Update Brazil, AgAir Update's sister publication published exclusively in Brazil and in Portuguese, welcomes Ernesto Franzen (known in aviation circles as Franzen) to the team as our South American Editor. Ernesto started flying ag in 1991, and in 1995 met Bill Lavender during a vacation trip to the US....

NAAA launches the first certification program for aerial applicators to increase safety and application efficacy.  Aerial applicators, now more than ever, operate in an environment of competing interests. An ever-increasing demand for timely and effective applications is challenged by factors such as added regulatory burden, rising insurance costs, and stiffer...

Air Tractor pilots who have been flying with the recently STC-approved CapstanAG™ SwathPRO aerial application system say it has helped them achieve superior drift mitigation. Aerial application and crosswind compensation is controlled from the cockpit and optimized on the fly. “It’s given us the opportunity to adjust gallons per acre...

Milestone aircraft delivered to GMS Agronegócios in Mato Grosso, Brazil. Compiled by Graham Lavender with Contributions by Marcos Paulino and Air Tractor. It was 1989 when Leland Snow began designing a large-capacity, single-engine airplane specifically for aerial firefighting. He believed it would have a positive impact on that industry. After...

This is the second of a two-article series on density altitude and aircraft performance, focusing on other factors such as rate of climb, angle of climb and takeoff performance. "I don't get no respect." Comedian Rodney Dangerfield's catchphrase is also apt for the topic of density altitude. It's something we...

Aerial application technologies from the Zanoni Equipamentos gained great international support in 2022. The company increased its production capacity, advanced with aeronautical certifications, presented new developments and expanded its network of partners around the globe. Rotary Atomizers 2022 was marked by the quality recognition of the Zanoni atomizer, following varied...

The importance of aircraft maintenance and inspections cannot be overstated, says Air Tractor President Jim Hirsch. “Practically all machinery requires maintenance to ensure it operates properly,” observes Hirsch. And while they have an excellent reputation of reliability, good maintenance practices are essential for Air Tractor airplanes, too,” he adds. Data-driven...

In October of 2022, AgAir Update, along with Eagle Vistas, traveled to Saudi Arabia after being invited by Sharq Aerospace Industries, the region's leading provider of aerial application services. The visit was a whirlwind tour of the expansive and developing aerial spraying operations that are the vision of Mansour N....

For this particular trip to Brazil, I visited the state of Tocantins for the first time. Tocantins is in a subtropical, northern region of Brazil. It is the newest of 26 Brazilian states. Over 35 years ago, the state used to be a part of Goias. I entered the state by...