Fletcher FU24 (ZK-CQB) Aerial Topdressing

Pilot, Lester Mason and Loader Driver, Martin Baxter: Working In Northland.
This video was filmed a few months before Lester retired after 35 years in the agricultural aviation industry.

[@duncanandrew7228]

The growl of that 400 HP flat 8. Could listen to it all day. Music to the ears. Amazing machines.

[@stu290bushrider]

Miss that sound. Loved going upto the strip when I was a kid. Sometimes get a ride.

[@petertaylor2148]

Fantastic This is great video I did the loader job many years ago for Mr Paul Beard he had a Fletcher rego BXZ I loved every minute work for him in this most interesting of jobs .. The pilot's of these aircraft have ball's of steel believe me !!

[@hendricklodewyck7882]

miss that sound...miss that country too...lovely... Say Hallo to all of them in Super Air.. keep up the great job!!!!

[@weheka]

Excellent video, great colour and nice clear footage. Can't beat that sound!

[@randybaumery5090]

I love the simple design of that scooper.

[@andrewhume3090]

My father trained over 30 pilots in one of these for James Aviation it brings back alot of memories for me .

[@bradfordcc3488]

Thank you for this Video cheygally, and that you managed to get your Camera's "Shutter Speed" correct to keep those Prop Blades Spinning - makes watching this Realistic! Reminds me of my growing up days on a Farm (Riverina station) in MaruMaru, Wairoa,HB. Cookson Airspread's Fletchers were a regular visiter to our Farm Airstrip. There was a Farm Garden at the End of the strip, and when the Sweet corn was growing, we kids would crawl in between the Corn rows, so we could see the Fletcher Taking off "head on". Scary but Exciting ! - o to have had a Digital Camera back then. Thanks again

[@jacobkemp1183]

Never seen a 400 in person, but we have a fu-24 300hp that flys regularly down here in pukekawa Waikato, ZK-SFL. Base locally. Apparently the last 300 working in NZ

[@charlievalois7839]

Very enjoyable. Thanks for posting. :)

[@andysaunders3708]

My favorite plane, along with the Sunderland flying-boat. And the Fletcher is the winner every time with the piston engine. That thing could win a few world wars just on scary noise alone. Thanks. Oh, no. You've got a Detroit in your loader, too? My cup runneth over...

[@stephaniekent8483]

I used to fly in one of those with the late Nigel Arkley from airwork and Barr brothers in an Airtruk ... it was awesome :)

[@petertaylor2148]

Air trucks.. was that also called a sky farmer perhaps.. did it have twin tails.. l was a load man in those too around 1982 in Hamilton New Zealand .. Mate those were the day .. Barr Brothers , James Aviation , Robertson's , Air Work Aerial Agriculture and a few other good guy's !! They all hated each other though.. Lol 🤣🤣🤣🤣🛩

[@toast47624]

Good video! Best editing yet I'll even let you get away with the music but for me it would have been better with out it. We moved on to a farm in the King Country when I was 8. I woke one morning at day break to the sound of music. Pulled the blanket off my bed and dragged it across a few paddocks and sat by the fence watched the planes (2 Wanganui Aeroworks) working. Mum panicking found be but I refused to go to school so she left me there all day. Eventually the older pilot gave me a ride late in the afternoon. To this day the 400 still makes me smile. Drove loaders for about a year (20 years ago) but I found that mind numbing flying was all I wanted to do but had no money back then.

[@UZSGAS]

Foardhook I did the same thing as a kid watching ZK-DLS. Would love to sit there all day as an adult if there was a 400hp nearby

[@philipm7054]

I worked at superair as an aircraft engineer for 8 years in the early 2000's. If I see a fletcher topdressing I still stop and watch. Love the sound of a 400.

[@allgood6760]

👍🇳🇿✈️