Like many Americans I want to know what is being done to protect us from crop duster aircraft being used as a weapon of mass destruction. Can anyone buy one? They obviously don’t fly high enough for most radar (might not be true...I don’t know much about it!) and most likely do not have to do the things that regular private aircraft must.
What’s to protect us from this scenario; A man with crop duster rental business is held up by gunpoint, killed and then his crop duster plane is filled with anthrax and flown over large US cities. What’s being done to prevent such an event?
The second case of anthrax was confirmed in FL. Perhaps the whole building is contaminated. They believe it to be a crime. Anthrax is not normally found in FL so someone put it there. My point, anthrax is in our country. We know that the terrorist wanted to use crop dusters. Are we safe? Or, are we going to be killed by the millions with anthrax and a stolen or hijacked or rented crop duster?
Thanks,
Scared
Dear Scared;
You have every reason to express your concerns, but being harmed by aerially applied bio-terrorism is pretty much out of the question. First and foremost, agricultural aircraft (crop dusters) are very specific in nature and difficult to fly. They are not for lease or rent in any manner due to insurance reasons, as the pilots have to be highly and specifically trained in how to start the engine, besides how to fly the aircraft.
You see, ag aircraft have only one single seat, the pilot’s, so there is no way for the terrorist to fly the aircraft except alone. Even with a threat to the pilot, only one person can fit in the cockpit and there is no place for passengers. Knowing that, rest assured, the FBI has contacted every single ag pilot and ag aviation spraying company in the U.S. to procure the names and certificate numbers of all ag pilots, to confirm, NONE are involved with any terrorist group.
To be frank with you, if a terrorist were to try to steal an ag plane, he would simply crash on takeoff, never leaving the airstrip. This is due to the high power-to-weight ratio of an aircraft built for a specific purpose. Even a highly skilled airline pilot cannot fly one without intense training. Also, the anthrax spores cannot live within the confines of the tank of an agricultural aircraft. The reasons are very technical, but true. And, for all the above reasons, that is why the FAA has decided it is safe for agricultural aircraft to once again protect America’s food and fiber.
I hope this answers your concerns.
With best regards,
Bill Lavender
Editor, AgAir Update
(a 27-year veteran ag pilot)
Reprint permission given by AgAir Update, P.O. Box 850, Perry, GA 31069 - an international agricultural aviation publication.
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