New 2007 Thrush Aircraft 510 Turbo Thrush prepares for ferry flight to Dole Standard Fruit Honduras. .

Thrush Aircraft increases production

Thrush Aircraft's Production Test Pilot, Jody Bays, recently delivered a new Thrush 510 powered by a PT6A-34AG engine to Dole Fruit in Honduras. Dole Fruit has purchased three new Thrush aircraft in 2007 with one going to Honduras and two to Asia. This is the first one of the three to be delivered. Jody left the Thrush plant in Albany, Georgia on August 1, 2007 and stopped to refuel in Fort Pierce, Florida. Jody made the over 1,000-mile trip from Fort Pierce, Florida to La Ceiba, Honduras on August 2, 2007. Honduras is southwest of Fort Pierce, which made for a six-hour flight over water. Jody’s equipment for the flight included: Garmin 396 GPS (handheld) with a Garmin 295 GPS for a backup. He also used a KX-155 Nav/Com, KT-76A transponder with blind encoder, electric artificial horizon and a directional gyro for IMC and a Sky-Ox O2 system for flight at high altitudes. At 17,000 MSL, the Thrush 510’s indicated groundspeed was 175 mph (154 kts.) with a fuel burn rate of 40 GPH. This provided the aircraft with almost 18 hours of range with both the wings and hopper full of fuel. For this flight, only 200 gallons were in the hopper, which left a 3.5-hour reserve. Higher flight levels offer better radio and radar coverage over the water, as well as a lower fuel burn. Even in the Caribbean, a cockpit heater is needed with the outside air temperature at 28°F at 17,000 feet.

Jorge Lopez of Dole Standard Fruit Honduras took possession of the aircraft in La Ceiba. Dole Standard Fruit Honduras operates four S2R-T34 Thrushes and one S2R- T660 Thrush. The company repeatedly sprays over 18,500 acres of bananas, which produces over 17 million, 40-pound boxes of the fruit each year. The aircraft work out of three company-owned airports, with 85% of the operations flown at night. Dole Standard Fruit has an excellent safety record and abides by very strict safety rules. This record has allowed them to hold ISO14K certification for almost 10 years.

Dole Standard Fruit Honduras has a full time aviation staff of 20 employees, including seven pilots, eight technicians and five agricultural support personnel to sustain their operation. This staff includes technician Eduardo Lincona, who successfully completed the Thrush Aircraft training program for installation of wing spar upgrade kit, CK-AG-41.

Bananas grown in Honduras are for markets in North America, Europe, the Mediterranean and selected Asian markets. Bananas are a good source of dietary fiber, potassium and vitamin C, which is one of the reasons bananas are the most popular fruit in North America.

The Thrush 510 is an ideal aircraft for the Dole Standard Fruit operation with its ability to handle frequent take offs and landings with maximum loads and requiring only minor maintenance. With its low wing loading, the Thrush 510 can turn sharply at high-density altitudes and high-gross weights. Dole Standard Fruit is a loyal Thrush Aircraft customer. The company has a long-standing tradition of utilizing the Thrush Aircraft. Mr. Lopez states, “The Thrush is a tough and dependable machine that everyone can trust.” Dole Standard Fruit will take delivery of their next Thrush in September 2007. The 2007 Thrush 510 features the 29,000-hour wing and are not subject to any reoccurring ADs. New in 2007, Thrush Aircraft has revamped the paint process, changing their paint supplier to PPG for improved quality and dependability. Thrush Aircraft’s next aircraft delivery will be a Thrush 510 to Calima International in Colombia. Thus far in 2007, Thrush Aircraft has sold 20 aircraft, with scheduled deliveries through July 2008.