08/05/2025
Professional Aerial Applicators go through so much training and keep striving to do the best professional job and always uptraining. Enormous amounts of red tape, regulations of different gov bodies such as provincial, federal, PRMA,TDG transport canada, Commercial pilot Licence, Ag Pilot training, then Company Training(yearly), mentorship and supervision. Off season is more safety training with new innovation credit sessions all to keep current. All while keeping detailed records of said training and applications.
When applying by air the atmospheric conditions play large roll in getting product on target and ensuring efficacy. R/H temp, wind speed, wind direction, soil temperature, and water plays large roll in how well the product will work.
Calibration of our equipement is done before every new job, and again every 18months is pattern tested to ensure proper coverage and droplet sizes.
Flying aspect of it, Safety is priority #1.
Safety to the crew/pilot and plane. Safety to Environment in and around work area including hazards in and around the field. This is all #1
#2 is weather conditions safe for application?? Correct crop timming, wind and weather conditions. Applying and doing the job efficiently and being productive.
#3 Mitigating noise disturbance to neighbourâs. Our newer modern turbo prop planes have drastically reduced that problem, aircrafts become larger and faster and are at the job site for much less time. Typically a quater section can be done in 23-30 mins. We recognize that some people donât enjoy airplanes over flying and we always determine which way is safest, most effective and efficient way to fly the field. Wind, sun obstacles, trees, power lines, roads and animals all play a factor. I can tell you no ag pilot is gonna spray a field the hardest way possible and want to overfly yards in effort to be a pest to anyone or be there longer than neccessary. Most pilots are paid on piece work, and when airplanes are flying itâs usually a very time sensitive. Most aerial applications calls we get are close to 911 calls of agricultural in order to protect the crops from insects , diease or weeds.
Well If you read this far I will leave you with this;
Ag Pilots love what they do, they love flying, love farming and are very mission orientated, and are passionate about the ag industry. Weâve worked so hard to get away from the old barnstormerâs show offs and bad images of the past.
Pilots are proffessional and are career agPilots not a stepping stone. There is so much invested into this specialized flying and families to go home to.
Keep in mind thereâs seems to be a fad of drones going around. Where every tom dick and harry can go buy one and use them( yes they are supposed to be permitted licensed etc) most are not licensed nor care to do so. As of-this spring there are Zero labels approved for drones to apply with any chemicals that would be used in prairie farming.
Theyâll claim they are doing a great job, but most data is revealing otherwise. Fraction of overhead, fraction of education or experience required. The âbarnstormersâ of the now times, claiming theyâre doing the same job. đ¤ˇââď¸ They are not there ye or close. I personally looked into adding or experimenting with one; to see if it would compliment the small harder to get areas, but decided against it. Check the photo of the drone spraying below and you decide.
