by Bill Lavender

DOWNSTOWN, NJ - In most ag pilots' minds, it would be hard to imagine ag

flying in one of the most populated regions of the United States; an area

where Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

Trenton, Atlantic City and Camden, New Jersey are only a few short miles

away. Even the Big Apple, with its mighty population is less than a

two-hour drive. But, indeed ag flying exist in New Jersey, particularly

"South Jersey".

Actually, New Jersey is something of an agricultural state, the Garden

State, with its cranberries, blueberries, vegetable farms and aerial fire

fighting program. True, there aren't the large rice fields of Arkansas and

California, or the cotton fields of Texas and Mississippi and the peanut

fields of south Georgia.

However, there is enough ag flying in New Jersey to support 19 ag aircraft

operated by seven companies. Of these seven, Downstown Aero Crop Service is

one with its fleet of eleven Ag Cats, seven G164A R-1340's and four G-164

R-985's, and one new Dromader. This doesn't take into account the two

Aztecs used for mosquito control or the two C-182's that are so vital in

keeping an organization like this on track hauling personnel, working as a

chase plane and participating in wildlife and bird counts for the Fish and

Wildlife Service.

For several years, AgAir Update has been trying to point the nose of the

company aircraft northeast for the short three-hour flight to Downstown

Aero. Finally, this summer permitted such an excursion. In the midst of a

severe drought for most of the northeastern United States, AAU found

Downstown Aero alive and well, with bonus work on the books for the Ag

Cats, better known as the "Firecats", doing standby duty statewide for

fires. Even the vegetable and cranberry work weren't suffering due to

irrigation.

Partners, Curt Nixholm, Dick Nixholm and Vern Becker, manage this fleet of

ag aircraft from the ground; although Curt's father, Dick, flies the local

work. Curt's primary responsibility is overseeing the aerial fire fighting

operations, mosquito, local and out-of-state operations. While Vern's

primary responsibilities are the cranberry applications, gypsy moth

control, Fish and Wildlife Service flights and other spraying or

fertilizing operations. This divides fairly well the workload of keeping 16

aircraft airborne ready. Heading up the aviator skills of the organization

is Mike Dix, chief pilot and mechanic.

Downstown, New Jersey is a small crossroads with a privately owned, open to

the public turf airport. The crossroads are located outside of Vineland, NJ

and are only 35 miles to the west of the well-known Atlantic City casinos,

adjacent to Atlantic City's Class C airspace. It is a congested area with

the Cedar Lake VOR on the field, as overhead aircraft make standard

terminal arrivals into Philadelphia, a Class B airspace only a few miles to

the northwest. All this controlled airspace is important in that Downstown

Aero must work with the controllers intensely during its fire fighting

operations.

Founded by Pete Cugino in the mid-40's as a dusting operation, Dick Nixholm

bought into Downstown Aero Crop Service in 1954 operating Piper Cubs. These

aircraft gave way to the more productive Stearman's in the mid-1950's with

the first Mississippi Mist Master with an R-985 to work in the Northeast,

thanks to Mabry Anderson. The first of many-to-follow Ag Cats was bought

in 1963. Over the next few years the Ag Cats replaced the fleet of

Stearmans, the last one leaving in 1970. Then, with a fleet of eleven Ag

Cats, of which only three new ones have ever been bought, a 1999 M-18B

Dromader was added to the fleet, primarily for fire fighting duties.

Vern Becker began working with Downstown Aero in 1967 during high school.

He also worked during the summer months while attending Syracuse University

for his degree in forestry and biology. His responsibilities with the

cranberry work begins in June and continues until mid-August.

The cranberries are grown in laser-levelled bogs. The bogs take on the

appearance of rice paddies when flooded. The bogs are surrounded by a

dike/levee system with a reservoir "upstream". The bogs are flooded for

harvest. A special-design machine picks the submerged, hollow cranberries

from the low growing vines and allows them to float to the top where they

are gathered. The water level is lowered and an application of dry

fertilizer is added for winter nutrition. Then the bogs are flooded to

protect the vines from the upcoming winter's cold. In spring, the water

level is lowered in the bogs to start another season.

There are 3,500 acres of cranberries in New Jersey. They are treated

approximately nine times during the growing season with high volume (30

gallons per acre) liquid applications and five to six dry fertilizer

applications. The liquid applications are typically fungicides applied on a

ten-day schedule. The farms range in size from 100-800 acres. However, one

grower, possibly the largest in the world, farms 1,200 acres of cranberries.

Vern assigns three of the 600 horsepower Ag Cats to fertilizer duty and

three more 600 horsepower Ag Cats for the spraying. Three pilots are

assigned to the six aircraft. The cranberry work is primarily 30 miles to

the north of Downstown near Chatsworth, New Jersey. Typically, three Ag

Cats equipped for liquid applications will leave the base at Downstown,

loaded, if the weather (fog) is favorable. After all the liquid

applications on the cranberries are completed, the three dry outfitted Ag

Cats based at Chatsworth are fired off by the same three pilots to complete

the dry fertilizer work orders. After operations for the day are complete,

the three liquid outfitted Ag Cats are used to return the three pilots to

Downstown. This method of operation saves a round trip ferry to Chatsworth.

Curt Nixholm was born into Downstown Aero Crop Service, spending his youth

learning the business while attending Cumberland College for a business and

aviation technology degree. For the past 20 years, Curt has served as a

trained structural/wildland fire fighter. Although Curt has his own set of

responsibilities at Downstown Aero, as does Vern, this is not to say their

activities within Downstown Aero don't overlap, often one helping the other

as needed.

Fire fighting begins in March and usually lasts until mid-May. This year is

an exception due to dry conditions and the likelihood of a fire outbreak.

The New Jersey State Forest Fire Service awards a statewide contract every

three years. Downstown Aero has had the contract since 1968, over thirty

years. The contract requires a working intimacy between the state employed

fire fighters, air traffic controllers for the congested airspace over New

Jersey and Downstown Aero. The 12-month contract bid period contains a

working window of 42 to 52 days in March, April and May. Work can be done

outside of that window under the current contract provisions, as such was

the case in August.

Downstown Aero assigns nine Firecats, eight of their own and one

plane/pilot leased from Merv Lewis of New York state. Ten fire fighting

pilots are assigned duty with an additional pool of 10 part time pilots on

standby for fill-in if needed. These aircraft are strategically based at

nine locations throughout the state, with the Dromader "floating" between

the fire bases.

Each aircraft is guaranteed one flight hour per day and is on standby from

10:00 to 18:00 the full 42 to 52 days. The response time requirement for

the Firecats and the M-18B is immediate dispatch. The response time outside

the active 42 to 52-day time window is thirty minutes to one hour. The

Firecats are loaded with 300 gallons of water containing one-half gallon of

Firetrol foam additive. The Dromader is loaded with 600 gallons of water

containing one gallon of Firetrol. The aircraft are warmed up first thing

in the morning and periodically warmed up again during the day. On

unusually cold days, oil heaters are used.

The Firecats typically log 25 actual flight hours each during the fire

season. The implementation of the big M-18B is new for the 1999 fire

fighting season. Downstown Aero purchased the M-18B at the request of the

New Jersey State Forestry Service. The Service felt there was a need for an

aircraft with multiple drop capabilities. The M-18B was already qualified

for federal requirements to participate in fire fighting and receive

additional federal funding. So far, the 75-plus hours it has flown have met

the expectations of Downstown Aero and the state of New Jersey. While AgAir

Update was visiting Downstown Aero, flight control servos were being test

flown and preparations were being made to install VG's.

Downstown Aero's fire fighting pilots are alerted by one or more of the 23

fire towers located throughout the 185 mile-long by 70 mile-wide state,

excluding the out of service urban areas. These fire tower observers team

up with Downstown Aero's nine Firecats and M-18B Dromader protecting 3.5

million acres of forest in New Jersey. From the ground, the Firecats are

assited from the State with over 80 specially-equipped 4X4 power wagons and

plow units. When a fire tower operator sites smoke, he draws a bead using a

protractor to establish the heading from the fire tower to the smoke. If

there is enough smoke, a second fire tower will do the same, establishing a

crossing of the vectors. The fire tower operator, from experience,

estimates the distance to the smoke from the tower. This information is

relayed to Downstown Aero, where it is plotted on the fire base's wall

maps. From this information, the Firecats are launched to begin the initial

SEAT assault on the fire in coordination with the ground unts.

The Firecats utilize the standard Grumman dump gate with modified venting.

This allows the aircraft to salvo its load in 2.5 seconds. The dumps are

total volume, complete exhaustion. The Firecats are also equipped with 99

Channel VHF/high band radios and VHF aircraft com radios, along with

loran/gps nav units.

The Dromader is outfitted with a hydraulic, electronic-operated Transland

fire gate, model 50065. It also has a full-span of radios, i.e.

transponder, gps/com, Techsonics VHF radio and even an ELT.

Downstown Aero has developed a working relationship with its fellow

competitors in the state. If any operator needs an aircraft, they can call

on Downstown Aero to provide it, no questions asked; while these operators

extend the same courtesy to Downstown Aero.

If there is one particular item that stands out about the ag operators of

New Jersey, it is their cooperation with each other and their ability to

work with the communities in their area. It is not uncommon for Downstown

to operate from the Atlantic City International airport with priority

status, even if it means closing down a runway for their use. Penetration

of Class B airspace, if needed, meets no resistance. Downstown Aero pilots

are exempt from having to call Philly Approach, but work directly with the

Philly tower when entering the Class B airspace from their low vantage

point. When applications for Gypsy Moth and mosquitoes require flying over

heavily congested urban sites, the operation goes on without any undue

problems.

It is a feather in the cap of these New Jersey ag pilots who can work

within the system, get the job done and at the same time be respected and

appreciated by all involved, both on the ground and in the air.