The World’s Bread Basket

America’s farmers and ranchers use General Aviation (GA) to support many of their basic, day-to-day agricultural and livestock operations.

America’s crop yields would drop by 50 percent without the routine agricultural use of GA. To make up for such drastic losses, we’d have to put millions of acres of additional grasslands and forests under the plow, taking away much-needed habitat from wildlife and migratory birds.

Aerial Planting

Agricultural airplanes and helicopters are used to replant and reseed fields and forests from the air. For example, rice and rye grass seed can be planted from the air.

Aerial Fertilizer Applications

America’s farmers also apply fertilizer from the air, allowing them to treat vast areas in response to changes in weather and soil conditions.

GPS-controlled ‘Crop Dusting’

Today, farmers use specialized agricultural airplanes with satellite navigation systems that are augmented by local site surveys of their fields to show them exactly which areas they need to treat.

These modern "Ag Sprayers" link their GPS navigation systems to the aircraft’s sprayer systems, triggering the opening and closing of sprayer valves at the exact spot designated by the local field survey.

These GPS-coupled spraying systems can place products literally within a few inches of the intended start-stop points to minimize drift or over spray.

As a result, farmers can place precisely measured amounts of pest- and disease-control products where they’re needed, which protects crops and the environment and saves money.

Product Distribution

Some farm products can fetch a premium at market if they’re the first to be sold or if they are sold from a location closer to a big city.

So, some farmers will use their aircraft to take these high-value crops to town, where they can get more for the same goods. Part of farmers’ success depends on where or when they sell their products.

Land & Water Management

There’s nothing better than a bird’s-eye view of your land to see how things are progressing as you prepare for the new growing season.

Once the crops are planted, a quick aerial survey will help you identify areas that are getting too much water or need more irrigation.

You also can spot the earliest signs of insect damage or erosion that might go unnoticed for weeks from the ground.

Finding breaks in the fence around a half-million acre ranch is easier and less time consuming from the air. The search might take one day or less using an airplane, but it could take multiple days to drive around the property.

Animal Food Drops

Early winter storms in the mountains can cover grazing lands and prevent valuable livestock from reaching their feeding pens. To save these animals, ranchers will use airborne food drops of nutritionally supplemented hay bales or feed until Mother Nature subsides.

Animal Rescue

If an animal is sick or injured, farmers and ranchers can fly in with the local vet to administer aid. If needed, the animal can be evacuated for more comprehensive treatment.

Weather Forecasting

Farmers and pilots both rely heavily on the weather. As a result, farmers use the same weather reporting and forecasting infrastructure that’s been built to serve America’s pilots.

Your Personal Use of GA

The next time you buy some fruits or vegetables, remember the General Aviation (GA) pilots who helped treat and protect those crops from disease.