Spray planes test equipment during annual clinic

MOSES LAKE - Washington state spray operators had the chance to test their equipment Monday during a national Operation S.A.F.E. clinic at the Moses Lake Municipal Airport.

Six planes were tested during Monday's clinic, and test flights began at 8 a.m. and lasted most of the day.

Operation S.A.F.E. (Self-regulating Application and Flight Efficiency) clinics give spray operators and their pilots the opportunity to test their equipment with a professional trained analyst. The tests determine pattern uniformity and droplet size, and ultimately recommends changes to improve equipment performance.

Clinics are overseen by the National Aerial Application Association and hosted by state associations like the Association of Washington Aerial Applicators, or AWAA.

According to AWAA officials, becoming Operation S.A.F.E. tells customers and the public that spray operators have taken the opportunity to properly calibrate their equipment and ensure a high degree of quality and safety.

Gavin Morse, of the AWAA, said the Operation S.A.F.E. clinics ultimately help spray operators make sure their equipment runs properly.

"It's a really good deal for spray guys around the state, so we can show our customers that we're taking the most professional route to make sure we have a good spray pattern for the efficiency of their crops," said Morse.

Morse said he sprays a lot of fruit orchards in the Mattawa area, and spray operators in the area do a lot of business for local farmers growing corn, potatoes and wheat.

"It's helpful for our members to bring their aircraft in and know what changes have to be made," he said. "So that way when we spray, the planes do what they're supposed to do."

During testing, planes spray water containing fluorescent dye over a line of cotton string, stretching for about 100 feet across the runway. Morse said the string is then run through a computer analyzer which shows operators how well their equipment is running.

He said operators can use information on the size of their water droplets or spray patterns to determine if any changes need to be made in order to spray more efficiently.

Morse said the state Department of Agriculture, Washington State University and University of Idaho took part in the clinic to help test the spray results.

AWAA also invited Big Bend Community College students and some elementary students out to the testing to learn more about plane operations, said Morse.

Morse said getting certified says a lot about the operators who attend the yearly clinics.

"It's telling our producers and growers that we're taking the necessary steps to make sure that what we do is the best possible product and result that they can ask for," he said.

Morse said it is important for growers or other customers to know that their spray operators are AWAA members and Operation S.A.F.E. certified,

If spray equipment isn't working properly, a pilot could spray too little or too much of a chemical on a crop.

"You could ruin that crop, or have a big mess up with bad nozzles and other equipment," he said. "A lot of damage can be done, for instance, with a large potato crop you could cost the grower up to $1.5 million."

Clinics are not currently required for all spray operators, and Morse said being Operation S.A.F.E. certified is a way for some companies to gain the competitive edge.

"It sort of separates the wheat from the shaft," said Morse. "To have an operator take this initiative shows their quality and means a lot more than if everyone was required to do this."