The Cameron McIntosh Airport was a hub of activity May 18 as crop-duster aircraft got a much-needed workout.
Battlefords Airspray calibrated their aircraft for inspections, conducted every two years in order to meet government requirements.
Fran deKock, owner-operator, said they were spending the day analyzing the pattern of the spray aircraft normally used in their operations. Battlefords Airspray operates an aerial application service as well as flight training and maintenance out of the North Battleford airport.
The process is one they must complete for federal regulators every 24 months and is part of a certification process they must follow in order to be able to spray certain products. But deKock said it is also done "to deliver the best product possible to our customers."
He said the pattern analysis is something potato growers also request every two years, to make ensure their operation is functioning efficiently.
"It shows us what kind of job we are doing," said deKock, "and if we have to, make any corrections so that we are doing the best job possible."
As part of the inspection they check every nozzle individually so the "flow" is acceptable or equal, and then they fly the planes across a flight line where water sensitive paper is set up. They simulate spraying using water instead of the products they usually apply.
The planes would take off and do a couple of turns before flying directly over top of where the litmus cards were set up, as they would normally do when spraying crops.
The cards are then brought inside the main hangar building to be analyzed by computer. An analysis program tells what the swath width is and what the droplet size is, giving a clear idea what improvements they could make.
Battlefords Airspray brought in a number of University of Saskatchewan students as well as an analyst expert from the United States to conduct the inspections and set up the litmus tests near the runways.
About a half-dozen planes were inspected and tested at the airport Wednesday. As well, deKock said the team is conducting additional similar clinics throughout the prairies.
