Happy International Crop Duster's Day!!!
Since it is such a special day that we don't celebrate nearly enough, I thought I would "dust" off the old blog and give a shout out to some of my favorite people on the planet! These guys are right in the throws of busy season and could probably use a little love.
Many of you probably don't know but last October I began a side job as the Executive Director of the Arkansas Agricultural Aviation Association. (Say that 5 times real fast) And YES, I get paid to hang out with crop dusters, plan their conventions, write their newsletters, etc... Repeat, I get paid to hang out with crop dusters!!! Like over a 100 of them!!!
My Papa Cal was really proud of me for a lot of things but I'm not sure he had ever been prouder when my picture and an article about me becoming executive director was published in Ag Air Update and when me, Matthew and some of our friends were featured on AETN's Agri Arkansas on their segment about ag aviation! You can check the video out HERE. Matthew is seriously a SUPERSTAR!
Previously, I was only exposed to the pilots in the central Arkansas County region but now I have crop duster friends across the entire state; from Corning to Lake Village! I get to learn about the dynamics of doing business in their part of the world and we swap stories of growing up around the industry.
I think some of the guys were probably pretty skeptical about a woman taking over at first; however, once I started talking about hopping the wing of my dad old Ag Cat, fueling planes, working crazy hours and learning to drive a stick by taking a loader truck up and down the runway, they were really impressed with my street cred and began to trust me. I also introduced some of them to the concept of swimming in the water truck on a hot day. How have they not heard of this?!?!
One common theme that I've observed with all my new friends is how dang hard they work for our industry and their farmers. We all know that crop dusters work crazy hours and if you remember from previous posts Brother Bear usually gets to the airport before 5:00 AM and sometimes won't leave until 9:30 or 10 that evening... But they are also super technical and highly trained individuals that are constantly educating themselves on safety, security and drift mitigation. So many factors such as 1) wind speed and direction 2) which chemical they are putting out on what crop and what crops are surrounding those crops 3) concentrating on their GPS 4) precisely calibrating their spray equipment 5) making sure they have enough fuel 6) knowing where power lines are located 6) making sure the loader truck driver knows what strip he is supposed to go to and what time to be there 7) etc., etc., etc... See! They have to focus on ALL THE THINGS!! And they do it all in a teeny tiny space while flying only a few feet off of the ground! Pretty impressive if you ask me....
Crop Dusting (or Ag Aviation, which is the politically correct term) has come a long way since my Papa Cal started AufderHeide Flying Service. Cal passed away a week ago today and while my heart is still broken, I've been looking back at all his old pictures and have a new appreciation for his hard work and dedication to the business and his family. It's also fun to see how things have evolved from the earlier days at AufderHeide Flying Service, to when my dad was flying and to where it is today with my brother.
I hope you enjoy this pictures below and if you run across a crop dusters be sure to thank them for all their hard work in providing a safe, abundant and affordable food supply to the world! These guys really are the best!
Early Pics of Cal in the 40's & 50's. What a Stud!
Whatever is in that barrel, I doubt the EPA would be cool with it today!
Papa is on the left... This is after one of his many wrecks in the early days. Not a scratch on him but he sure doesn't look too happy. (Also, can we talk about that short sleeved sweater?!?... What is that about?)
My dad, Mark, as a little boy and papa Cal at the flying service.
Today the flying service is doing great. Matthew and Lonnie are our two pilots and they do a great job for our customers. Matthew just got a new Air Tractor 602 and he's madly in love with the new plane! My mom is out there to run the books and boss the boys around. She probably isn't as charismatic as the old secretary but she gets there on time and is much more professional! Also, the place has gotten an entire makeover... New paint, new floors, new toilets, new sinks, new windows and new air conditioners... Why could this not have happened back in 2000?!?1
I'm so thankful for my time working at the flying service and that I was able to learn from the best! My papa and daddy both instilled in me the importance of hard work, customer service and dedication to family. They both loved our industry and I'm so thankful that Matthew will continue their legacy!
