Wilderness North Air Tractor

[Cat Driver]

Feel free to freak out about night VFR now

Why would I freak out about you flying single engine night?

[rum-runner]

So, a few seasons have gone by. Has anyone heard how the AT802 is making out hauling fuel.

Have they been operating at night? There were a few comments on this thread insinuating that single/night/vfr was not really a smart thing to do.

[jamesbay]

There are 2 802's flying out of Nakina, 1 is a tandem config and the other is a single seat I believe, they have been going at it for a few months now I think. They are hauling in the ballpark of 800 gallons a pop.

[kingeddie]

I was in YRL for a couple of weeks this winter in Feb and the 2 wilderness 802's were going non stop .

[tiny]

Maybe I'm just green... if your flying single engine VFR and the engine stops you hit the trees regardless of how bright and sunny it is. Also its not really any harder to navigate with one engine so the chances of getting lost are not less than a twin. So basically what is so unnerving about single engine night VFR?

Tiny

[Chuck Ellsworth]

if your flying single engine VFR and the engine stops you hit the trees regardless of how bright and sunny it is.

There is your answer in red buttercup.

In the dark you can't see the trees.

[Nephilim]

., your sense of humour still makes me laugh.

Nacho, you were never offered the job. And the emergency dump handle evacuates 80% of the load in seven seconds.

That are great to fly at night. Full IFR panel with dual GPS coupled to the auto pilot. The aircraft are not certified for IFR but the pilots are. Best job I've ever had! Except for putting up with assholes like "the champ."

Cheers

[Chuck Ellsworth]

For sure if I ever had to land an airplane anywhere that was less than ideal after an engine failure give me an Ag. plane any day because they are built to protect the pilot in a crash.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Except for putting up with assholes like "the champ."

Who is this local hero that is so often mentioned in this forum?

Is he an icon in aviation that bush pilots want to emulate?

[nacho]

., your sense of humour still makes me laugh.

Nacho, you were never offered the job. And the emergency dump handle evacuates 80% of the load in seven seconds.

That are great to fly at night. Full IFR panel with dual GPS coupled to the auto pilot. The aircraft are not certified for IFR but the pilots are. Best job I've ever had! Except for putting up with assholes like "the champ."

Cheers

I don't know who are you unless you are the same guy that picked me up at the airport in Thunder Bay that day I went to check things out. If you are maybe we spoke two different kinds of Enlgish. ( I wonder how we got to talk about money if that didn't happen)
And FYI 7 seconds to dump is still an eternity!! I was told by the CP(or you if you are the same guy) more than that, at the time it was called a jettison valve, and it's not the same thing.( as a Transland or Airt Tractor fire gate) I hope you never have to dump or jettison during takeoff and it takes that kind of time.

We fly ours here in Argentina at night as well with less instruments than you have, spraying mind you, so no big deal there.

To make it clear to you my comment was not to put things down were you work, I stated some facts and opinions, and I wil say again, If I am carrying fuel in the hopper , which I do when a ferry, I want rid of it in 2 seconds if the shit hits the fan. And If I was to take a job with some degree of risk, which I do, I want to get paid for it very well!

Good luck to you on your job!

Nacho Aguero

[Nephilim]

Nacho, what you say in your last email is true, but you were never offered a job!

That's not to say that we would not consider you in the future, now that our pay scales have increased significantly.

Cheers

[nacho]

Well, then you must be the guy that picked me up at the airpot that day and yes I got the impression I was being offered the job, after all I also got the idea that we could not agree on what a guy should make to get the job done.

I will say it again for others, I liked what I saw around there but had an issue with the jettison valve, that's all.

Clean place , kind people , nice airplanes.

Cheers from really hot Northern Argentina !


Nacho Aguero

[Nephilim]

We have totally remanufactured our AT802’s and dump system which now takes 7 seconds to empty 75% of the load and then can land with full flap at less than 60 kts airspeed. Built like a race car. Sure beats something loaded with drums or onboard fuel tanks in an emergency.

[Driving Rain]

This sounds like a job I would really like. For real

[jamesbay]

If you google "AirTractor 802" , it takes you to the "CONAIR" website briefly describing the modification used to convert to a fuel hauler, they are working in conjuction with Wilderness North monitoring how the tractor performs, now that it landing at near gross weight and operating in winter conditions.

[Cat Driver]

now that it landing at near gross weight and operating in winter conditions.

Does the 802 have a gross take off weight and a gross landing weight limit?

[jamesbay]

Take-off and landing weights are the same at 16,000 lbs. according to airtractor's website.

[Cat Driver]

O.K. just wondered why there was any concern about landing near gross weight.

[jamesbay]

Actually I wasn't expressing concern of landing near gross weight, rather the fact of the normal operations an ag-plane carries out usually doesn't include landing loaded.

[Cat Driver]

Yes I know that.

I was just trying to figure out why anyone would need to know how any airplane that was certified to land at xxx pounds operates.

Anyhow enough of this, because it is not very productive anyhow.