Air Tractor 502xp Cockpit View Spraying

This is the new 502xp that I was allowed to fly during the 2018 crop dusting season. This airplane is a joy to fly and it has the perfect amount of power.

[@eugeneanderson3534]

I love watching crop dusters always wanted to see inside while a pilot was flying

[@rodneyjacob1924]

Making it look easy could watch that all day

[@sawtoothmunitions7307]

Always nice banging out that last 100 gallons in perfect conditions. Good video. I’m looking forward to an air tractor.

[@rohtashkumar6044]

Very good!

[@AlwayzPr0]

This is so interesting!!!!!

[@mitchgirard9655]

Hey mate such a cool video keep uploading loving the plane mate I really want to do this as a job I would like to here from such a good pilot like yourself thank you

[@radialbarulhento.]

COOL, I'M AGRICULTURAL PILOT TOO IN THE BRAZIL

[@b.william481]

Awesome video. That round thing you adjusting is that rudder trim?

[@alanpeterson2160]

Great to see you post more videos. I always thought the spray on/off was on the stick. Perhaps they wanted to keep it separate from the flight controls ?

[@pcohen85]

Some people wire their pump brake into the stick and use that to turn spray on and off. If you use the pump brake the chemical tank will not recirculate. I prefer to use the spray valve because it is a 3 way valve and when it is closed the pump will recirculate the chemical which ensures that there will be no chenical separation in the tank. Using the pump brake is a lazy way to do it and the system is not designed to use the pump brake as the primary way to turn your spray on or off.

[@alanpeterson2160]

That makes sense, agitation and re-circulation are important. Thanks for the reply.

[@19ij]

Thank you for video. Do I need to have a CPL to fly as air tractor pilot?

[@randybettencourt712]

Great video! I was wondering how you operate flight idle vs ground idle in the 802? Some pilots stay in flight idle all the time while others will come back to ground idle when the runway is made. Any recommendations?

[@pcohen85]

I leave it in ground idle all of the time and as far as I know that is the general practice for most 802 pilots that do the same type of work that I do. The fuel cutoff stop is kind of rinky dink and I have heard of several instances when the pilot accidentally cut off the fuel when switching to ground idle. It also makes absolutely no sense to move it to ground while landing because the whole point of flight idle is to keep the engine and propeller spun up while landing which helps eliminate the turbine lag that happens when you add power from the lower rpm range of the turbine.

[@mikestamper2437]

Are you getting a lot of flying time in the XP 502 and how do you like it?

[@pcohen85]

I've flown the XP about 500 hours so far. I like it a lot more than the 502b model.

[@KSRRider]

How do you like the XP? We take delivery of a new one this spring. Looking forward to working it!

[@pcohen85]

Its the best 500 gallon plane I've flown. The big vertical fin makes the 502 platform much more stable and it flies much better than a 502b. Great plane but hopper is still too small 😁

[@cortecmas.a4702]

@@pcohen85 Hello my friend, I follow your channel, I am from Guatemala and I am looking for an academy where I can go to take my agro-applicator course, I want to fly Air Tractor 502, can you help me? I don't speak much English, if there was help in Spanish it would be fine.

[@elner934]

Still has that new airplane smell....

[@pcohen85]

It smells like coffee and cheerios now 🤣😂🤣 475 hours and 2400 take off and landings this season

[@strack350]

Or it smells like farts and beef jerky 😂

[@MajorTom6]

I didn't realise the power was 'set and forget' for the whole process. Interesting.

[@pcohen85]

It's not. I run a higher power setting when the plane is heavy and pull it back as it gets lighter.

[@MajorTom6]

@@pcohen85 Ah. Ok.

[@slinehan4]

How would you recommend someone with their commercial SEL get into AG flying?

[@pcohen85]

Get a job working the ground at a local crop dusting service. Flying the airplane is only 10% of the job, the other 90% is chemical and fertilizer application which is what we are being paid to do. Aside from a commercial SEL you will need a lot of tailwheel time to be insured in an entry level ag plane. I would say you need at least 300 hours of tailwheel time.

[@hencogroenewald8941]

How does the flaps work in the turn? Are they automatic?

[@pcohen85]

The flaps pull the airplane around the turn and allow us to not have to pull it around with the elevator as much. They are not automatic, the switch in this airplane is located on the back side of the stick grip where the trigger would be on a fighter plane.

[@hencogroenewald8941]

Aha.. now I see! Thanks for the reply