DANGER USING WET SUPERPHOSPHATE IN AERIAL TOPDRESSING

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 38, 18 May 1965, Page 10

DANGER USING WET SUPERPHOSPHATE

IN AERIAL TOPDRESSING

The Director of Operations and Technical Services in the Department of Civil Aviation, Mr L. F. P. Tayior, has drawn | attention to the apparent i lack of co-operation of some farmers, with his efforts to achieve safety in aerial topdressing operations. Conditional upon a pilot; being able to jettison his load ' within five seconds, the department permitted j him to carry a quantity of j superphosphate in exeess of i norma! weight, explained j Mr Tayior. This dispensa- 1 | tion was given with a viewj to reducing the farmer -s ! costs and generally improving the economics of this I vital industry. If superphosphate was damp it would not jettison when a farmer did not supply a suitable weatherproof bin in which to store the bulk super, he was I endangering the iife of the pilot working for him. j This situation was not! new; indeed it was a recur-j ring menace and could havej been responsible for several deaths of pilots who were J unable to reduce their load 1 due to wet super failing toi

jettison in an emergency. The fauit did not lie with the fertiliser manufacturer, said Mr Tayior, but appeared due to the faulty or Careless storage of superphosphate on farmers' landing | strips. Although the onus j i was on the pilot to refusej to use wet fertiliser, such dampness was not always apparent. The department was worried about the situation and wanted to emphasise j that the conditions of stor-- ! age should be such that all | superphosphate stored for aerial topdressing was kept dry. There was an addition- j al danger wher-e wet, caked super remains in the ' air- ! craft hopper and the nexti }

: load was inadvertenth droppcd . on top. creating ai extremely dangerous over | load situation. . The department again emphasised that the life of the pilot must be the first 1 consideration of any aircraft operator and the farmer for whoni he was working.