Picked up an interesting book the other day on aircraft losses in the SW.
Goes from pre WWI -70s.
What caught my interest was that a Cessna Agwagon crashed near Bridgwater, Somerset, in the early 70s. Pilot was OK.
Didn’t realise that ag aviation came this far down the UK so wondered if anyone had some details of the extent it was used in the SW?
By: Ian Quinn - 23rd May 2006 at 23:04
I guess the relatively smaller field sizes and amount of arable grown in the SW didn’t make it as viable as in the E and NE.
Thats what I thought..was surprised that any ag aircraft were down this way.
Thanks for the replys everyone.
Does anyone know of any books about Ag flying in the UK.
I have some that were written by Kiwi pilots who spent seasons over here but there doesn’t seem to be any books on the scope of UK flying.
By: GASML - 23rd May 2006 at 16:36
I guess the relatively smaller field sizes and amount of arable grown in the SW didn’t make it as viable as in the E and NE.
I spent a few teenage vacations holding marker poles for I think, Farmair Pawnees (or were they Rush Green aeroplanes?). I also remember some hilarious attempts to get overladen Hillers to fly on hot days!
This picture of Bill Bowker in action in Hertfordshire appeared on the ‘how low’ thread a while ago. It certainly sums up some silly flying before the cheaper tractor rigs took over.
By: Newforest - 22nd May 2006 at 20:33
Didn’t realise that ag aviation came this far down the UK so wondered if anyone had some details of the extent it was used in the SW?
Farmair Aviation operated Super Cubs from Southampton (Eastleigh) airport about 1960 for a couple of years.
By: T6flyer - 22nd May 2006 at 17:27
Further down in the South West, I can remember a Bell 47 cropspraying at Callington in the early 1980s and a Pawnee used to operate out of a field in the village in which I live circa 1980-81.
Martin
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May 22, 2006 at 4:42 pm