United States

Cascade Aircraft Conversions CEO Doran Rogers announced today the receipt of the PT6A-41/42 STC (Supplemental Type Certificate) from the FAA for the Thrush Aircraft. This STC for Thrush aircraft is a 100 horsepower increase over the factory PT6A-34 powered Thrush. The 850SHP upgrade to the 500 gallon Thrush aircraft will...

The 2016 502XP American Expedition, a nationwide tour of Air Tractor's new 502XP kicked off with demonstration flights and bar-b-que at Lane Aviation in Rosenberg, TX. Representatives from Air Tractor, Pratt & Whitney Canada and Lane Aviation were on hand to answer any questions about the new aircraft, and to...

Often a farmer will be faced with a decision as to whether to treat their crop by ground application or aerial application. Aerial Application has a number of advantages over ground based application. These include: Advantages: • Timeliness of operation • Zero soil compaction • Zero disease transfer • Zero...

CD Aviation Services, a leading provider in small turbine engine maintenance, service and support, announced they are celebrating their 8th year of ag field service in 2016. The program was originally started to service agricultural operators in the Midwest and to complete any scheduled maintenance and AOG situations to reduce...

Often, I am asked, "What is it like to be a SEAT pilot?" My reply usually is, “I have the best job in the world”. Believe me when I say that this life is not for everyone. Extended periods of time are spent away from home, and often one wakes...

Fifteen years ago, this month, the unprecedented terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, triggered a series of actions that pushed the agricultural aviation industry and the National Agricultural Aviation Association to the limit. The importance of having a strong national association could not be any more evident than amid those...

By the time you read this, the 2016 summer fire season will be just a few short weeks from being over. Overall, the season has been very slow with both acres burned and the amount of fires well below the 10-year averages. It is hard to show that it is...

The weather forecast was 100% chance of hot with a 50% chance of miserable. The first few jobs were going to be done while the sun was still scowling down on the bone dry Central Valley. The Old Boy was holding some sort of grudge. Even in the last couple...

Aero Spray, Inc. of Appleton, MN entered into the aerial fire-fighting world in 1999 with a MN-DNR “call-when-needed” contract for its AT-802A. Owner John Schwenk quickly discovered that the AT-802 was a highly cost effective spray and fire-fighting aircraft that significantly enhanced Aero Spray’s productivity and bottom line. In 2007,...

The status of Greece’s aerial fire-fighting armada is in crisis after the Hellenic Air Force endured its third major CL-215/415 disaster since 2014. On June 26, 2016 at 11:09 GMT, the piston-engine, fire-fighting aircraft of the Hellenic Air Force, the Canadair CL-215, crashed close to the village of Stefani, near...