Training cropdusters

CLEVELAND, Mississippi — Delta State University has trained its second class of students in its new Agricultural Aviation Operations Career Pathway Certification in the university’s Commercial Aviation Department.

Based at Cleveland Municipal Airport (KRNV), the program prepares graduates to be hired by an aerial applicator business without incurring increased insurance costs, removing one of the largest hurdles for new ag pilots, according to university officials.

The program is the result of university’s collaboration with area ag pilots, the Cleveland Airport Board, Blues Air, and many others. The program is 100% funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., who was instrumental in getting the program off the ground, was present at the ceremony to congratulate the 11 graduates, according to university officials.

“It is a great day to be in the Delta,” she said. “I am so excited about this ag pilot program we have here at Delta State University. To see it come together and to be graduating students today is a huge accomplishment.”

“Mississippi is agriculture, through and through,” she continued. “It’s our number one industry. But for the 2% percent of us that feed the other 98% of the country, ag pilots are very important. We could not do it without them.”

According to university officials, Ike Brunetti of Brunetti Flying Service has been instrumental in organizing the program and has been a mentor for the new pilots and their instructors as the program has developed.

“These 11 young men will fill needs in our industry,” he said. “We are so proud to have Senator Hyde-Smith here as our guest speaker. This program exists because of her passion. She started this 10 years ago, and it has taken a tremendous amount of effort from the community and the university to create this much-needed program.”

Phillip Krasner, owner of Blues Air, explained how the program works: “The students go through the basic ag course while they’re working on their commercial pilot license, then they go to an Air Tractor simulator. After that, they move on to Advanced Turbine Training, which takes them through AT-802 training and completes the program.”

The Agricultural Aviation Operations Career Pathway Certification attests to a student successfully completing hazmat training, FAA instrument flight certification, FAA commercial certification, tailwheel endorsement and a minimum of 100 hours, 25 hours light bar training in a Citabria, 25 hours of light bar aerial application in an AG Wagon (C-188), and a 10-hour type rating and aerial application in an Air Tractor 802.

The Air Tractor 802 is a particular favorite of program graduate Anthony Duffin, who notes that it is “a beast of a plane.”

Duffin, who noted that he’s “wanted to be an ag pilot since I was a kid,” is now flying an earlier model Air Tractor, the 502, at his new job at an aerial application company in Louisiana.

For more information: DeltaState.edu