C-47 or DC-3 Topdressers

[Dave Homewood]

Have Dakotas ever been used outside of New Zealand for the purpose of aerial topdressing of fertiliser in the agricultural industry? I've only ever heard of it in NZ where four different companies used the Dakota for topdressing.

If so, where? Do any still do it?

[Bruce]

I used to work with Glenn Thompson, Son of the last ag Dak pilot and now involved with the GAPS project at Gisborne. He said his Dad had visited the USA, somewhere like Oklahoma or Kansas - lots of flat plains with just the odd hill here and there. He mentioned that he flew Ag Daks and the local "Cropdusters" reckoned they had considered using DC3s, but the countryside was just too hilly to be safe. They wondered why he burst out laughing!

[Dave Homewood]

;D ;D ;D

I like that!

I have seen home video of that last ad Dak operation in the hill country of Gisborne, and it was steep hills (like the ones in the film Vigil if you've seen that). It must have been the same pilot I guess. He really threw the old bird around. Wonderful footage. Sadly Dad gave the video away to a model club and I can't trace the guy who got all Dad's tapes now.

[turboNZ]

i'd love to see that Ag-Dak doing it's biz !!
If you ever find that footage, Dave,...chuck onto the Forum Tape # 2.....

[corsair67]

Didn't "Country Calendar" once have a segment about Ag Daks?

I seem to recall seeing it once on TV, and I'm sure it was on that show. I think it was around the time the last Dak was about due to retire from operations.

[Peter Lewis]

The AgDaks were, of course, single pilot.
When times were busy (and remember the pilots were paid a bonus per productive hour) the line pilots did not want to use any of their precious allowable annual hours flying the Daks on positioning flights.
So the operators hired loader drivers who held private pilots licences. These guys were then used to fly the Dak from A to B, where the CPL would take over and carry out the work.
No weight limitations on PPL holders in them days!