Aerial spraying operations are on fast track with Schweiss doors
This Air Tractor carries 500 gallons of product, the pilot says he can be reloaded and back in the air in less than three minutes time. His hangar has Schweiss Bifold liftstrap doors at each end so he can taxi in and out without having to shut off his engine.
Speed is of the essence when it comes to aerial precision crop spraying operations. Not only for the fast helicopters and turbine powered 140 mph planes that zoom over and around the fields dodging buildings and high lines. But just like in NASCAR, when it’s time to refuel and reload the spray tanks, some of which hold 500 gallons of fungicides and chemicals, time is money.
To speed up this process, drive-through hangars with a remote opening hydraulic or bifold door at each end are a perfect combination.
With this setup an Air Tractor pilot can taxi directly into the hangar without even getting out of the cockpit while his one or two-man crew does the refill. In a period of less than three minutes he can be back in the air restocked with chemicals without even turning off the engine. Gone are the days when spray applicators with smaller planes holding 65 to 80 gallon tanks often landed on the nearest road to reload their smaller tanks.
Technology also plays a big part in aerial application. A new Air Tractor costs about $800,000 and is equipped with GPS which provides precise swath patterns plus guiding the pilot from field-to-field and back to the hangar.
One particular Minnesota Air Tractor pilot noted that for his new 60 ft. x 80 ft. wide hangar he chose to place 20 ft. x 65 ft. wide Schweiss Bifold liftstrap/autolatch doors at each end. In his own words: “These Schweiss hangar doors are strong, maintenance free, quiet and totally dependable regardless of weather. The bifold design is a winner in every way you measure doors. I’ve also had a 60 ft. door on my main hangar for 12 years without a single problem.”
Two 20 ft. x 65 ft. wide Schweiss Bifold liftstrap/autolatch doors on each end of this aerial crop sprayer hangar can be opened and closed quickly and locked by remote control all from the Air Tractor’s cockpit. For aerial spray operators, time is money.
This Big Red Shed “Country Style” helicopter hangar has a 40 ft. x 16 ft. Schweiss hydraulic door. The Illinois crop sprayer says the big door lets him easily pull his helicopters set on small trailers for quick access inside the hangar, horse barn building without having to fold or unfold the spray booms each time. The choppers are set on small trailers for quick access to his shop.
An aerial helicopter service operating out of Illinois spends 90 percent of his time spraying fungicide applications on corn and soybeans. The owner is equally impressed with the hydraulic powered Schweiss one-piece door he put on his new 104 ft. x 60 ft. wide horse barn hangar. It has a big 40 ft. x 16 ft. door neatly built into the front.
“We needed a big door so that we could easily pull our helicopters inside without having to fold and unfold the spray booms each time. We set up our choppers on small trailers for quick access to this new indoor shelter shop. The quality and engineering design on the Schweiss door is really good. The hydraulic power unit works smooth and quite fast. The remote control for opening and closing is convenient. The door is perfect,” explained the owner.
He also added that his door “fits like a glove” and seals well at the bottom and edges, is super easy to insulate and keeps heat inside the building.
For more information on Schweiss bifold and hydraulic hangar doors, visit their website at: www.schweissdoors.com
The pilot lands his helicopter on top of a large tanker truck to refill quickly and then fly back to the field.
Helicopters can fly evenly and steady over a corn or soybean field to deliver precise spraying patterns.
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