by Pam & Jim Jeffries
“One million acres a year to spray, that’s what I want before I retire.” That’s what 57-year old Manitoba Canada ag-pilot and operator Ken Kane told us. You would perhaps think that would be overly ambitious should some new ag aviation aquaintance have said it. But this was Ken Kane, the man from Minedosa, Manitoba Canada...the operator who has 17 aircraft in his stable of spray planes! He is probably the operator with the most ag aircraft in Canada with the exception of Bob Martindale of Supermarine Aircraft, St. Thomas, Ontario. But Martindale sprays only trees, not crops. Seventeen aircraft. Twelve Air Tractor 401’s, one AT-301, two Cessna 188’s and two Ayres Thrushes. And until 2003, all the Air Tractors were powered radial engines. That’s a lot of rumble in the sky in anybody’s book!
So many times when we look back in time at how an individual operator got started, they all kind of have a parallel story, although in a different part of the country or even a different part of the world. But it seems we never tire of hearing how this one or that one got his beginnings in the business. Maybe it’s because each of us can relate to the other’s experiences, even if only in part. Maybe we can say, “Yeah!...I know what he was thinking then.” or “Yeah, I can relate to that ‘cause I did exactly the same thing...” Whatever the case, there is an unspoken relationship there for the beginnings, or maybe it’s just the age old saying that misery loves company. Whatdaya think?
No matter. Back in the late 50’s and early 60’s, Ken Kane was a young man who could not help but look up at the sky when a plane, any plane, would pass overhead. Anyone who knows anything about Canada knows how important airplanes were to the relatively young history and development of the country, especially any part of Canada over 50 miles north of the U.S.-Canadian border. The Canadian bush pilots and early ag pilots were the heros of many a young boy who would one day grow to manhood to take to the skies. Ken Kane was not so different.
In 1963, Ken was working for a natural gas company in Russell, Manitoba. He knew a then bush pilot/ag flyer by the name of Joe Shemochko. Joe taught Ken to fly. Ken was the first person to solo off the then brand new Russell Airport. That was in 1969. In 1970, Ken bought his first plane, a Champ. Building time and confidence, Ken flew with one eye in the cockpit and the other on Joe Shemochko (the “insitgator” says Ken). Then Ken bought a J-3 Cub and put a belly spray system on it, spraying 985 acres his first year as a fledging ag pilot while still working full time for the natural gas company. In 1975, a Pawnee came on the scene. In 1976 a new Cessna 188B. In 1977 another new Cessna 188B. Now the vision is beginning to come together. “My God! He’s got a “fleet!” Four aircraft!
1982...a new 600 Ag-Cat from Sky Tractor. In 1985, realizing the need for more machines, he went to see Leland Snow at Air Tractor and brought the first AT-301 into Canada. In 1989, the first AT-401. And it just kept going from there. Why so many aircraft today? Ken’s philosophy about his customers is to take care of them when they want the work done. With so many of the customers wanting work done at the same time, there’s only one way to do it: More machines.
Ken now has a partner in the business, his son Dale. Born in 1971, Dale is in love with airplanes. He was flying with his dad before he could even reach the pedals. Dale has been spraying for about 13 years with no slowdown in sight. He has his own planes and manages part of the operation. Dale got his private license at 18 and worked toward getting his commercial. In 1993, he bought his first ag plane, a Pawnee. He flew the Pawnee for a year then moved into one of his dad’s Ag Trucks. In 1996, Dale bought his own AT-401B and another in 1999. In addition to his flying duties, Dale farms 3000 acres.
Kane’s has four late model Row Gator ground rigs that are of the “high clearance” variety, as well as the aviation fleet. “Aerial application of wet or dry material for agricultural, forestry or mosquito control,” states the Ken Kane Aerial Spray brochures. All the aircraft are equipped with Satloc GPS to maintain high levels of accuracy for all types of application.
The field scouting service provided by Ken Kane’s company serves about the same purpose as the “bug men” of the States, but with perhaps an even closer knowledge and relationship with the application company, because they are a part of it. “Quality control by monitoring both prior to and after treatment is very important,” says Kane. Kane‘s. has its own staff of qualified and certified aviation engineers (mechanics) for maintaining their fleet. Primary maintenance facilities are located in Russell, Manitoba.
One of the most interesting things, in my opinion, about quite a number of the operators in Canada and especially in the northern regions of the U.S., is the association of these operators with chemical suppliers. They maintain a substantial supply of all the various chemicals needed for his particular area of agriculture. They supply chemicals directly to the aerial application division of their operation on behalf of the farmer.
In Manitoba, this has been somewhat a “bone of contention” among some of the operators. Ken Kane, for instance, deals with several of the “independent” chemical companies who also operate numerous ground spray rigs. When questioned about this practice, Ken Kane said, “one of the biggest reasons we like to work with the independents is that there is only so much that can be done in a short time with ground rigs. When they get behind to the point they need help, we can jump in and help them complete the work and satisfy their customers thus promoting aerial spraying.” Shur-Gro and Munro Farm Supplies are the two largest independents with which Kane works.
The work for Kane’s is pretty consistent in treating about 500,000 acres. All this work is primarily fungicides and insecticides, no dry work. The major crops are potatoes (which represent 60-65% of the aerial work) several varieties of wheat, barley, canola, flax and edible beans (not soybeans).
With a number of airstrips available to
the company, planes can work in 15 to 20-mile radius, but can work out as far as 150 miles if necessary. One of the largest group of customers in the Manitoba area for Ken Kane are the Hutterite Colonies. These are almost a completely self-sufficient colony of communities of hard-working, industrious, religious people. They are of tremendous importance to the Ken Kane aerial operation.
Ken has 17 pilots on staff at any time. He is constantly upgrading his aircraft and equipment to ever higher standards of quality and performance. He has converted, as of this writing, six of his AT-401 aircraft from 600 HP radials to 750 HP Walter Turbine power with the Cascade conversion. When asked why he sticks with AT-401 aircraft as his primary fleet flagship, Kane said, “All my life I have been flying aircraft with a full load that on a hot day they were underpowered. Even with the 600 HP radials, we were flying 320 gallons in a 400-gallon hopper because we were underpowered on hot days. The size of the 401 airframe is the best for our operations, and now, with the fitting of the 750 HP Walter to the AT 401B, the airplane flies as good, empty or fully loaded, even on a hot day. We get more production out of our aircraft, greater safety, better short strip operation and lower maintenance. This is the best way for us to move into the future.” And speaking of the future, what does Ken Kane see for the years to come?
“In my opinion, aerial application is going to become more demanding with increasing problems with insects and diseases on crops and the demand for food increasing worldwide. It is going to have to become more professionalized than any other application industry.” Like many other operators, Ken Kane sees the future of ag aviation changing because of several different pressures, not the least of which is economics. “We will probably see fewer operators in the future, but the operators that remain will be larger with more aircraft and diversified operations,” said Kane.
Ken Kane gives the credit for the success of his company to his employees. Ken says he works very hard to make working conditions good for them. The main office in Minedosa is staffed by General Manager Ken Cameron and two main right hand “men”...Karen who is the secretary and accountant, and Shirley who is the administrative assistant. These two, Karen and Shirley, work full time with two or three more folks hired for summer staff. The office staff strives to be very efficient in taking the orders for work and preparing the daily maps for the pilots on the computers. Ken Cameron takes a lot of the day to day problems off of Ken so he can still visit with customers and do a bit of flying.
Even though Ken Kane credits his people with the success of his business, one has to give the man a hand for his personal leadership and teamwork. The captain of the ship always sets the course for the vessel, but he could not sail the ship alone, especially one so large. But should you visit the operation on almost any given day, it would be hard to tell the boss from the employees, because he is everywhere you look. One minute he will be in his pickup watching part of the operation and talking on the phone. A minute later you would swear he just sped by on a small tractor with a towbar heading for a plane to pull it into the shop. The next minute he’s up on a wing talking to a pilot about a piece of work, and the next he’s passing on a bigger tractor going for another plane!
I guess that’s the way it has to be for the man from Manitoba who wants to do a million acres in a year before he retires. He’s got to be everywhere at once, or at least appear to be. You’ve got to give him an “A” for effort. If he doesn’t make his goal, it won’t be because he didn’t give it a go...