Current Ag Aviation News
Crop Duster Pete
Crop Duster Pete, a Children’s Book that Captures Daily Ag Aviation
Crop Duster Pete, written by Peter Schellenberger, takes young readers on an enchanting journey through the skies in a tale filled with the daily routine of agricultural aviation. This delightful 22-page children’s book will surely capture young readers’ imagination and leave them yearning for more.
The story revolves around Pete, a humble crop duster and his day-to-day operations in an agricultural spraying service. From the very beginning of the day, Schellenberger captures children’s imaginations as they load the aircraft, taxi, find the field and apply the product.
The book concludes with the standard end-of-workday chores for any operator and brings the children along to see what a busy day is like in the lives of an ag pilot.
The writing style employed by Peter Schellenberger is simple yet captivating for the child’s mind, making it perfect for young readers. The story flows smoothly, effortlessly drawing readers into Pete’s world. Schellenberger skillfully weaves in descriptive language, painting vivid pictures of the countryside and the exhilarating experience of flying through the air. Accompanying the charming narrative are beautifully illustrated pages that add to the storyline.
Crop Duster Pete is published by Christian Faith Publishing, available in both digital and paperback formats.
Lavender, Graham. Aug.1, 2023. Agairupdate.com/2023/08/01/crop-duster-pete-a-childrens-book-that-captures-daily-ag-aviation/
Agriculture Aviation Celebrates its 100th Anniversary in 2021
Celebrating 100 Years
Overview
August 3, 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of an experiment in Ohio when lead arsenate dust was spread over catalpa trees to kill sphinx moth larvae. Under the direction of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Lt. John A. Macready, a U.S. Army pilot, made the first application by aircraft with a modified Curtiss JN-6 “Super Jenny.” The government then utilized aerial application in the Southern states. In 1922, Curtiss biplanes were used to dust cotton fields near Tallulah, LA, to control bollweevils. In 1923, Huff-Daland Dusters, Inc.—the forerunner of Delta Airlines—did the first commercial dusting of crops with its own specially built aircraft.
NAAA is planning a major campaign to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first aerial application flight and the aerial application industry. This includes a short documentary, a complete history book of the industry and a significant outreach campaign to the public and the media. Our industry has a great story to tell. It plays a crucial role in helping farmers feed, clothe and provide bio-fuel to the world. It has evolved remarkably in ten decades. As such we continue to grow as an industry today. Our story is the kind of positive lead that can really help broadcast our industry’s image with the world-at-large.
(*From the NAAA website)