Bailey Flying Service

Wingwalking way to do business

by Bill Davidson

Don't look for any snap decisions out of Bob Bailey. He's a man who takes

time to look over every detail before he makes a move. But when he does,

it's usually the right one. Maybe it's in the genes. In 1975 people thought

Bob's dad Mike and Uncle Jack were crazy when they bought an A-Model Ag Cat

to start their ag business. The talk among the farmers was they'd never

make enough money to put fuel in the 600hp engine, which gulped down 35-40

gallons per hour. Now in addition to their Dalhart location, Bailey Flying

Service has an operation in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, an operation in Wilcox,

Arizona, and is doing quite well, thank you.

Bailey Flying Service's fleet is composed of two turbine Thrushes, two Air

Tractor AT-602's, and an Air Tractor AT-402. "I'm a believer in the old

wingwalking way to do business," Bob says. "Never let go with your left

hand till you've got a real good grip with your right. Before we change

anything - people, planes, or processes - we spend whatever time it takes

to make sure we're doing the right thing. We don't change just for the sake

of change, either. We also believe in 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.'

That's why the switch from Thrush to Air Tractor was so difficult for me.

We work our airplanes hard, so reliability is tremendously important to us.

I grew up on Thrushes in the business, and old habits die hard. I think the

Thrush is an exceptional airplane. But, we needed a bigger plane and

couldn't wait any longer. So we took a long look at the 602, and it seemed

the right move. We've got about 500 hours on it now, and we just bought

another one. So I guess it's working out."

Walk into Bailey Flying Service's headquarters at the Dalhart Municipal

Airport and you're immediately impressed with the attention to detail and

the attitude of the employees. The airport was a bomber training base

during WWII, so there's more than enough ramp and hangar space. In his

office Bob's already on the phone, drumming up business, consulting with a

customer, or talking to a supplier. Bob's available 24 hours a day, and

urges customers or prospective customers to call him immediately whenever

they have a problem or question.

Tom Smith, Bob's brother-in-law, runs the Arizona operation with the

AT-402, working chili peppers, cotton, corn, and a variety of other

vegetables.

John and Jason Ely run the Oklahoma operation, in addition to helping out

in the Dalhart operation during their busiest times.

Bailey Flying Service owns four 8,000 gallon and three smaller loading

trucks, which are dispatched out of the Dalhart office as needed. In

August, their busiest month, they work all four of the larger aircraft -

plus whatever else they can get their hands on. Farmers have been raising

more and more corn in their area during the past few years, increasing the

size of the ag market. As a result, Bailey also uses the services of six

independent field consultants to help make sure every job is planned down

to the last detail, so the customer will get exactly what he needs.

"In a thirty day period we'll apply more than a million dollars worth of

Capture 2EC insecticide/mitecide," Bob says. "Most of the fields are

one-quarter mile pivots, with more and more one-mile pivots being put in,

which was why we needed a bigger payload, and one of the main reasons we

opted for the 630-gallon Air Tractor." "What will we do next? I've got a

few ideas. But I'll guarantee you one thing. Before I let go of what I've

already got, I'll have a darn good grip on something better."