{"id":318,"date":"2022-05-16T03:24:53","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T03:24:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thrusttech.com\/blog\/?p=318"},"modified":"2022-06-22T16:28:03","modified_gmt":"2022-06-22T16:28:03","slug":"tta-keeps-agricultural-workhorses-in-tip-top-shape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thrusttech.com\/blog\/tta-keeps-agricultural-workhorses-in-tip-top-shape\/","title":{"rendered":"TTA Keeps Agricultural Workhorses in Tip-Top Shape"},"content":{"rendered":"
TTA Delivers with Effective, Efficient, Safe Solutions that Help Ensure the Safety and Airworthiness of Small Aircraft<\/strong><\/em><\/h6>\n

In this ongoing series, Thrust Tech Accessories (TTA) shines a light on the many different aircraft types presently in service around the world. Join us as we explore the roles they play in the industries they serve and the challenges they may see in performing their important duties day-by-day, year-after-year, all across the globe. <\/em>We also wish to underscore the key role that MROs like TTA play behind-the-scenes in providing overhaul, repair, and modification of engines and airframe accessory components that keep such aircraft flying properly, safely \u2013 and long into the future.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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Helping to keep<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Dusters & Top Dressers flying with expert MRO service and solutions<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

While most airplanes transport either people or cargo, other aircraft are highly specialized workhorses performing other vital roles. \u00a0\u201cAircraft built or converted for agricultural use assure that there\u2019s a strong support for the food that feeds the world,\u201d says Stanley Kowlessar, president and general manager, Thrust Tech Accessories (TTA), a veteran MRO-services company that operates a state-of-the-art facility near Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport in South Florida.<\/p>\n

\u201cAgricultural aircraft are critical in helping farmers assure that their young plants not only survive but thrive from infancy to maturity, harvest and sale.\u201d<\/p>\n

At speeds of up to 140 mph, crop dusters swoop low across fields and from their aerial perch spray fungicides to prevent parasitic fungi or their spores or bugs from destroying agricultural crops. So-called \u201ctop dressers\u201d are agricultural aircraft that also prepare the soil \u2013 fertilizing agricultural land to ensure the growth of strong, robust plants. Some agricultural aircraft also perform hydroseeding or hydraulic mulch seeding.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut whatever their role, our customers\u2019 agricultural aircraft are absolutely critical in the food chain,\u201d says Kowlessar, \u201cand at Thrust Tech we\u2019re working to help keep these aircraft in tip-top condition with expert, timely MRO service and solutions.\u201d With a solid reputation built over a 30-plus-year history, TTA services everything from fixed wing crop dusters or top dressers to select rotorcraft that also perform agricultural work.<\/p>\n

Among the many \u201cag aircraft\u201d that TTA can provide MRO services and solutions for are the Cessna AGwagon, Embraer EMB 202 Ipanema, Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave, Pacific Aerospace PAC-750 XSTOL, and many others. Some are designed to handle humongous jobs such as Air Tractor\u2019s single-engine ag plane, AT-802A with a payload of 9,249 pounds and an 800-gallon hopper. Such aircraft allow agriculturally-focused customers to work faster, stay longer over the fields, and complete more jobs in a single load.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Presently, the most popular unit that TTA supports for many of these very airframes that fly the PT6 engine \u2013 a remarkable engine with more than 51,000 engines delivered to power some 130 different applications \u2013 is the 10-381550-Series -1, -2, -4 & -22 ignition exciter.<\/p>\n

The Early Days<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the U.S., agricultural aircraft use has a storied history. Today in Aviation<\/em><\/a>\u00a0explains that the world\u2019s first crop dusting was conducted on August 3, 1921, under the direction of the Ohio Department of Agriculture by Lt. John A. Macready, a U.S. Army pilot. Yes, in fact, it was actual \u201cdusting\u201d as lead arsenate dust was spread over catalpa trees to kill moth larvae. Macready flew this agricultural mission in a modified Curtiss JN-6 \u201cSuper Jenny.\u201d<\/p>\n

In turn, in 1922, Curtiss biplanes were used to dust cotton fields near Tallulah, La, to control boll weevils. The actual first commercial agricultural flight was in 1923 by Huff-Daland Dusters, Inc. \u2013 interestingly, the predecessor of Delta Air Lines \u2013 first in Macon, GA, and then in Monroe, La. Huff-Daland operated a fleet of 18 self-designed, agricultural \u201cPuffers\u201d (as they were affectionately called) to control agricultural insect pests. At the time, the planes sported steel-tube fuselages, wooden wings and all-fabric coverings. They comprised the world\u2019s largest private aircraft fleet.<\/p>\n

Other firms soon joined this new agri-business stream. Today in Aviation<\/em> reports that many firms used surplus World War II trainers or open-cockpit, Stearman biplanes, converted for agricultural use. The \u201cdusting\u201d of the initial phase of the industry was followed soon by use instead of insecticides and fungicides.<\/p>\n

Today, aerial applications designed to control fungi, spores, and insect pests in large agricultural fields spray liquid crop protection in quite small doses. In addition, the United States Environmental Protection Agency provides guidelines for agricultural businesses and aircraft operators.<\/p>\n

Certainly, the father of modern \u201caerial application aircraft\u201d is widely considered to be the late Leland Snow, who was the \u201cThomas Edison of Agricultural Aviation.\u201d In the early 1950s, he built his first crop duster, the S-1, at age 23. Over his career, he built thousands of different agricultural aircraft. Snow died in 2011 and his amazing agricultural aviation career was detailed well in this Flying Magazine<\/em><\/a> story.<\/p>\n

All aircraft come and go. That said, many of the aircraft still operated for crop dusting, top dressing or hydroseeding are no longer in production. In reality, some haven\u2019t been manufactured in decades. Yet, many keep on flying \u2013 proving their mettle. Many also have been customized\/modified. Routine maintenance, repairs and updates are all critical, as is incorporating the latest aircraft avionics and GPS technology for pinpoint precision in crop dusting.<\/p>\n

Keeping Them in the Air<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most notably, \u201ckeeping \u2018ag aircraft\u2019 down-time to a minimum is absolutely critical,\u201d says Kowlessar, \u201cso our skilled experts and technicians will work one-on-one with our agricultural aircraft clients to assure their aircraft receive the repaired parts, new parts or upgrade solutions needed and in a timely manner. Our goal is to help customers get these specialized planes back in the air as quickly as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

What U.S. states rely on agricultural aircraft the most? Certainly, these aircraft go where the farms are. According to Statista 2022, Texas is the top state for most farms \u2013 247,000. Ranked second is Missouri with 95,000, followed by Iowa, Oklahoma, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, California, and Minnesota.<\/p>\n

But much of the U.S. has sizable agricultural operations including TTA\u2019s home state of Florida, the land of citrus, tomatoes, bell peppers and strawberries. The U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s 2017 Census of Agriculture showed that Florida had 474,540 acres of citrus groves, second only to California and 57 percent of the national total.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, wherever the need is, TTA is highly experienced at providing needed parts and shipping those and DER solutions for agricultural aircraft across the U.S. and across the globe. Why not give us a call to discuss your MRO needs? We\u2019re ready to assist in this specialized form of aviation that\u2019s so critical in protecting our national, state, and local agricultural economies.<\/p>\n

About Thrust Tech Accessories<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thrust Tech Accessories supports a number of regional airlines across the U.S., along with overseas air carriers and rotorcraft operators in numerous countries around the globe. To find out more about TTA\u2019s wide-ranging capabilities to support your fleet and to obtain competitive program bids, contact us via email at TTAsales@TrustTech.com or by calling 954-984-0450.<\/p>\n

Read More<\/strong><\/p>\n

Review other articles in our series, including the mission of Rotorcraft<\/a>\u00a0in service to public safety and how they are keeping the world safe. Stay tuned for upcoming features on specialty type aircraft including Kodiak and Pilatus models.<\/em><\/p>\n

PHOTO ABOVE: <\/strong>Tom Hauk<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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