United States

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2015, the United States was ranked 12th of 78 countries in the world’s production of rice. The lead country was China with 145.8 million metric tons, compared to the U.S.’s 6.1 million metric tons. There are three major rice producing areas in...

OLNEY, TX — Air Tractor, Inc. is proud to announce its expansion into the field of unmanned aerial systems. The recent acquisition of Hangar 78 UAV, and its flagship aircraft, the Yield Defender unmanned aerial system (UAS) will create the foundation of Air Tractor’s development and visionary integration of unmanned...

It’s not just you, everyone will agree that pest management is getting more complicated. In the old days, we often just selected the best pesticide, the most efficacious or the least expensive from multiple options. The pesticide was often very broad spectrum and very effective. The use recommendations were simple...

ALEXANDRIA, VA — May 24, 2016 — The House of Representatives today passed H.R. 897, the Zika Vector Control Act, giving professional, small aerial application businesses the confidence they need to combat disease-carrying mosquitoes, including the public health threatening Zika virus. The Zika Vector Control Act would allow applicators to...

This is a topic that we at Flying Tiger Aviation harp on to the point that it’s just a matter of time before someone shouts, “That’s enough already… I’ve got the point!” And the point is (drum roll please)…ferry at 500 feet AGL! During the last week of June 2003,...

It is getting to be a busy time of year for most ag-operators north of the equator; acres coming in, piling up on the books, getting behind. That brings up a point that most of us don’t think about too much and that is the dangers of a spinning propeller...

“It was a dark and stormy night.” Sounds like the opening line to a third rate suspense novel doesn’t it? The suspense was little old me strapped into a Thrush plowing through torrential rain. Thunder, lightening, wind and dark coming down the slot pointing the nose at blurry runway lights,...

Air Tractor 502XP at work in Arkansas The statement has rung throughout the ag-aviation industry since the days of removing the 220 HP Continental R-670 radial from the Stearman to eventually replacing it with a 600 HP Pratt & Whitney Canada R-1340 engine. Although there are significant advantages to improving...

Another tool in the tool belt, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, commonly known as UAV’s, are finding their way into aviation and more specifically, aerial application. In time, I think drones will have a place in every corner of aviation to some extent. But for now, let’s take a closer look at...

The year was 1990. Ted Stallings was working his AT-400 on a Gypsy Moth contract, as he had done countless times since forming Aero Tech. Back then, grasshopper, gypsy moth, boll weevil - just about any eradication - was Aero Tech’s mainstay. Business was at an all-time high and Ted...