Barry Boyette of Carroll Flying Service executes a pull-up in the company’s brightly painted Thrush with its TPE331-10 engine. The spray is about to be cutoff with a Soft Stop fan brake. Photo by Sandy Boyette.

Carroll Flying Service - Standing out in Louisiana

by Bill Lavender

LAKE PROVIDENCE, LA — I had always wondered what the cross meant on the tail of the TPE331-10 powered Thrush that I’d seen working the northeast Louisiana crops. Knowing it was a Carroll Flying Service aircraft, I also wondered why the company was called Carroll Flying Service when the owner’s name was Lamar Perry. After pondering this for probably more than ten years, I finally got the opportunity to visit with Lamar and his crew to resolve these questions.

The Carroll Flying Service name was easily enough explained, since the company flies mostly in east and west Carroll parishes. You just never know why an operator picks the name he/she does for the company. In this case, it was almost too obvious.

Carroll Flying Service was formed in 1986 when five farmers, including Lamar Perry and Steve Rye, decided to start a flying service. Steve piloted the Cessna Ag-Husky they had bought and continued to farm with his father. By the summer of 1987, business had grown to the point that a 600 Thrush was bought to replace the Husky. Steve’s farming operation had also grown to the point that he wanted to devote all of his energy to that. In August of 1988, a pilot by the name of Barry B. Boyette was hired to replace Steve. One year later, Barry bought out Steve’s part of the flying service. Several years later, Steve and two others bought Monticello Flying Service.

It was 1992 that Lamar decided he would participate in the flying with a 600 Ag-Cat. Bad luck reigned in, and Lamar had an accident in the Ag-Cat. It was replaced by a 600 hp Thrush. Barry was already working a -1 Garrett powered Thrush. The following year, Lamar’s Thrush was converted to TPE331-6 Garrett engine. Barry’s was painted red and yellow, while Lamar’s was yellow trimmed in forest green.

At that time, Lamar was still farming as well as flying. One of his farm hand’s wives offered to paint Lamar’s green Thrush’s tail with a yellow cross and so the cross saga began.

In 1998 Lamar bought out the partners, became the sole owner of Carroll Flying Service and ordered a new G10 Thrush painted white with red trim. Of course, it had to have a cross on the tail. Up to three years ago, Barry’s aircraft had a checkerboard on its tail. But now, Barry’s red and yellow Thrush has a red cross on its empennage.
What does the cross symbolize? “We are not overly religious about it. However, we are a God-fearing company. To us, it sends a positive message to our customers and the community about the way we operate, symbolizing the integrity of Carroll Flying Service. The crosses also separate our aircraft from other ag-aircraft operating in the area,” explains Barry.

Now I know. The flying service’s name and the cross mysteries are solved. Ten years of wondering, that started from when I first met Barry. Today, he is a contributing writer for AgAir Update, having penned several articles, including the one in next month’s edition about the Soft Stop. But, his writing skills are only offered when he’s not busy as chief pilot for Carroll Flying Service. Lamar farms more than he flies, with Barry pretty much at the reins of the flying service, having this seat for 18 years.
Lamar stays busy farming 3,500 acres of corn, soybeans and rice. Over the years, he has bought out three different operations and eventually setting up the base of operation at the Lake Providence airport. The aircraft also fly from another 2,000-foot concrete strip with a hangar on Lamar’s farm where they continue to do all of their own maintenance. Today, the flying service uses two cross-bearing 510-gallon Thrush aircraft, both powered by TPE331-10 turboprop engines.

In 2005, Carroll Flying Service flew every month of the year. Most of the work is flown from the Lake Providence airport, but the farm strip is still used fairly often. The season kicks off in February, there’s a lull in April, is back in full swing by mid-May until a November frost. Burn down applications make up a significant portion of the work, at least 20% and for almost all crop acreage. Rice is about 15% of the flying, while cotton and soybeans each amount to about 30%. Cotton and soybean acreage remains strong, but the rice acreage being treated is down from 12,000 acres in the past to 3,000 acres today, due to poor rice prices, high fertilizer cost and the cost of fuel for irrigation. Each year, there’s more and more pre-emergent corn work at the end of March. Farmers in the delta are fortunate in that they can produce many different crops. Last year, spraying these crops, Barry flew 700 hours and Lamar 200.

Carroll Flying Service has used Satloc’s Mapstar program since it was first offered. Every job generates a log file, which is saved for three years. The program has also allowed them to set up a number of waypoints all across the area they operate. Anytime a pilot is called in to help them during a busy time, these waypoints are loaded into the other aircraft’s Satloc system and the pilot can then navigate direct to the field and begin working. It speeds up the “getting familiar with a new area” considerably. Applications range from as low as 2 gpa to 10, using AeroFlow Check Valves and the Tee Jet flat fan 4020, 4025, 4030 and 4040 nozzle tips. For herbicide applications, the tips are pointed straight back using a spray pressure of 45-55 psi. Insecticide and fungicide applications still use a boom that is setup with CP tips. Dry fertilizer applications are the typical 100-300 pound rates used throughout the Delta.

Barry has his wife, Sandy, helping him with the administrative duties of the company. Sandy has also taken to helping Barry with his AgAir Update articles, putting a new digital Nikon D50 camera to work. Sandy photographed this month’s AgAir Update cover photo, along with others used in this article.
Another element that could be a part of Carroll Flying Service in the not too distant future is Jake Perry, Lamar’s son. Jake is finishing his Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management this summer at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, with a Commercial Pilot’s license and Instrument rating. Jake has been building time in Carroll Flying Service’s Scout. He and his dad are contemplating the purchase of an Ag-Cat to fly next year. He’ll have two excellent mentors with Barry and Lamar.
Editor’s Note: Read Barry’s article about the Soft Stop fan brake in next month’s edition of AgAir Update .