AERIAL AGRICULTURAL AIRCRAFT - 1970s

A selection of my photographs of Australian ag aircraft

Cessna A188 Agwagon VH-KVD being loaded with fertilizer at an ag strip near Yass NSW, November 1973

Agwagon VH-CJF at Carnamah WA in June 1970, while operated as a sprayer by John Forrest Pty Ltd

Later model Cessna A188A VH-RIK of Falcon Super Spread, seen at Geraldton WA in December 1973. Red and white

Cessna A188B/A1 VH-EJU at Jandakot WA in December 1974, owned by Ian Chambers' Agspray Aviation. Yellow & white

Agwagons VH-IEV& VH-EYW of Burdekin Aerial Services at home base Ayr, north Queensland in April 1978

Cessna A188B/A1 Agwagon VH-ESB was one of Hazelton Air Services' large agricultural fleet.
Photographed in April 1978 at Cudal NSW, where Max Hazelton built up the impressive HAS operation from his own airfield

A188B/A1 Agwagon VH-EVU at West Maitland NSW in October 1974

VH-EVU conducted spray calibration runs at West Maitland, providing good photo opportunities for our group,
who had arrived on board Lockheed 12A VH-ASV: see 1970s Vintage and Veteran

Another A188B/A1 was VH-SUA of Bunbury Aerial Topdressing Services, seen at Wagin WA
Cessna 180s were still in widespread Australian agricultural use in the early 1970s.
Cessna 180C VH-RGV of Boconnair seen at its home base Moora WA in September 1974. Red, black and white
Here's a hard-worked Cessna 180 VH-TTW crop duster at Northam WA in December 1969, faded paintwork covered in fertilizer.
This 1952 model was owned at the time by Avon Aviation at Northam.

Sprayer Cessna 180F at Parafield SA in August 1973, a few weeks after being delivered to Lloyd Aviation, Adelaide
 after purchase from Bob Couper Pty Ltd at Cunderdin WA. This was previously Mafair's PK-MPF.

Only a few Cessna 182s were used for spraying in Australia.  Here's Cessna 182B VH-CKG at Morowa WA
in September 1974. It had just been rigged for spraying for Perth ag operator Fred Hampton
 

CallAir A-9A VH-MPS at Batchelor NT in October 1975, in faded factory yellow paint scheme

CallAir A-9A VH-MPI at Bunbury WA in September 1971. All over yellow with green titles

VH-MPI at Jandakot WA in December 1976 after a major overhaul for a new life towing advertising banners. White & black

Dunn's Aviation at Ballidu WA owned five CallAir A-9As. Here's their VH-MPB at Northam WA in October 1976

The unique design of the Transavia PL-12 Airtruk is displayed by VH-AGK at Beverley WA in November 1974

VH-AGK at Jandakot Airport, Perth in January 1974, where it was based with Agricultural & General Aviation

VH-SUM was only six months old when seen at Bunbury WA in September 1974

VH-SUO at Jandakot in September 1976 was owned by Agricultural & General Aviation. White and black

Geoff Goodall and Chris O'Neill photographing Ian Blaxell Pty Ltd's Aitruk VH-RAN at Wubin WA in September 1974.
Photo by Roger McDonald

Yeoman YA-1 Cropamster 250s VH-CXS & VH-ENM at Wee Waa NSW in June 1975, owned by Eveready Airspray
Note the spotlights under the wingtips for low-level night spraying of cotton crops, Dambusters style

Sitting in high grass at Pittsworth Qld in June 1975 was Horst Rhode's YA-1 VH-AGL, still wearing the paintwork of its
former owner Eveready Airspray of Wee Waa.  A few months laster it was sold to Emerald Qld

This one-off modified Yeoman YA-1 Cropmaster 250 was a retired ag aircraft, rebuilt in New Zealand as a 3 seater pasenger
aircraft for Ivan Hanes. Designated the Yeoman-Hanes 250, I was pleased to catch it at Hamilton NZ  in November 1977


The final YA-1 operating in WA was VH-CYW, formerly with Air Culture Pty Ltd, Perth whose founder Bill Boulden was a
director of Yeoman Aviation, Sydney and a keen advocate of the Australian-built design.
VH-CYW is seen at Jandakot in July 1973, now owned by Perth spraying operator Ian Chambers

By 1977 VH-CYW was owned by Bill Sutherland of Kalannie WA and repainted in a striking new scheme.
Bill used it for local spraying, based on his farm "Erindale" in the Kalannie district, where it was photographed in May 1977.
It was wrecked in a forced landing near Ballidu WA in August the following year

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