Ag Flying - Air Tractor Fuel

[Rarely Dble Amber]

Another quick question for those with AT experience.. the 402 specifically, the 502 would be the same as well i guess.

How low on fuel do you typically go to?.. With the 402, 200 litres is about 1.2 hours worth till exhaustion. However, any less than 200 litres makes me as nervous as a boogy boarder on a flight to Bali.

Ive heard stories of AT's starving of fuel with "heaps" left in one of the tanks?. Has anyone had experience with this? I have no intention of running down to less than 200 (180 to finish a load perhaps) Just curious.

Cheers.

[Turboman]

The lower your fuel gets the more often you should be flicking that left/right fuel gauge switch (at 1/4 tanks I'll be flicking no more than 5 mins apart). You will run a tank dry if you fly it out of balance and don't watch your fuel gauge. Nothing to get nervous about if your watching, but that feeling will help you to not run out.

1/4 tanks is a good rule of thumb, you've still got your reserve (you legally need this, look in your op's manual) and some for the out of balance thing. I have been much lower, but don't make a habit of it as it feels like your Bali flight.

[Lowlevldevl]

The simple trick to getting the most out of your Airtractor is to always fly it in balance. Easy with a 402 and 602. Harder with a 502 and an 802(earlier models anyhow)
It'll turn faster and safer. It'll use fuel at a similar rate out of both tanks. The problem with the Airtractor is that from the 502's down they use same unvented header tank that the 301's had. So if you fly out of balance with fuel in one tank below 1/4, the tank outlet can be uncovered which allows air into the header tank. Because theres no vent there the air can't get out. Eventually that air can get into the fuel lines.There have been a number of instances of AT's with more than required reserves flaming out for this reason.

Can anybody confirm that switching the fuel pump on can exacerbate a low fuel condition because it takes fuel from the header and sends it via the FCU back to the mains faster than it can be replaced. Would probably only be a problem depending on which tank is nearly empty and which is getting the excess fuel. I've heard this theory but it was a long time ago.

In fact does any body know a good Ag engineer we can encourage to join us here to help out with these types of questions?

[Agwaggon]

As these guys have said if you get low in an AT and you are getting out of balance and this is pretty easy to do if you are really in a hurry doing a racetrack, there is a bit of form on the board to suggest you will run one tank bone dry and some machines have failed in this situation.
As turbomann said if you keep flicking between tanks and keeping a very close eye on things you will probanly be ok if you are caught out. And we all have or will be caught out at some stage.
If your Shadin is calibrated well and you know that for a fact, ie by regularly cross checking what the shadin says you have used by what your fuel bowser tell you have when you get home. Then you have another great tool to use to know how you are going. BUT remember you only really know whats left if you know exactly what you started with in the first place.
Another tip with those wings is to remember that if your refueling with a fast pump it does take a bit of time for the fuel to transfer out throught the holes in the ribs to the outer extremerties of the tank. If your groung guys are filling you to tabs, make sure they give you a second spurt or over fill the mark by at least an inch to alow the level to settle back to the mark. Every aeroplane/pump combo is different there and your ground crew will get to know it.
And in this day and age if you have a prang because you have flown below the reserves in your opps manual the insurers may come knocking!!

[Rarely Dble Amber]

Thanks for the replies guys.. good stuff. Nice to see a good depth of knowledge in this forum.

[ground to fly]

Guys,
Great to hear some Ag talk going on. Im about 10hrs away from finishing CPL in Queensland and have an interest in ag flying. Im a little in the dark about because I don't know any ag pilots and theres none at my airport. Work wise fellas, worth doing the rating? And what sort of price range?

Cheers

GTF

[Turboman]

Go and see some operators, if you like what you see get a job loading/mixing, if you still like what you see after 12 months and they like you go get your ag rating. >$12K

[Super Cecil]

Agwagon, if your really in hurry fly in balance it'll turn quicker, racetrack or back to back.

[Agwaggon]

Super Cec. Sorry my mistake. If your really in a hurry then of course you are right.
But if your really, REALLY in a hurry ??
Seriously though my point was that it's easy to do and it has caught people out!!
I've had a few chats over beers on this one and with some modern machinery I personally think it's debateable. Horses for courses a bit. It certainly is the most correct, smoothest, safest and maybe a few other things as well. And in all the old stuff we flew years ago I probably agree. However there is one large modern type I'm sure I get pointing the other way back to back with a tad of out of balance.!!
But it's just my point of view.
And just as a bye the bye, thats WaGGon, two G's pls.