Agriculture and Forestry

Herbicide and Insecticide Broad-Acre Application

McDermott Aviation is one of the largest aerial agricultural companies in Australia having carried out well over 35,000 hours since our operation commenced in 1982. With our helicopters that are specifically equipped with custom designed and pattern tested application equipment, we have the solution to your needs.

Depending on your specific requirement, we can carry out liquid applications from 1 litre per hectare through to 200+ litres per hectare, and with varied application equipment including Solid Stream Multiple Orifice nozzles, Hydraulic nozzles and, hydraulic, electric, or air driven rotary atomisers we can ensure the correct droplet size is obtained. These factors ensure our aerial spraying is carried out with ‘best practice’ to ensure no off-target application. Aerial Spraying of Herbicides, Fungicides, Insecticides, and Larvacides can all be carried out safely and cost effectively.

With our solid application equipment we can apply products such as fertilizer and seed mixture from 1.0 kg per hectare to 500+ kg per hectare. Additionally we have custom designed air blast equipment suited for extremely accurate low volume solid application, ideally suited for baiting and mosquito control products where accuracy is essential due to the sensitive environment these products are applied to.

Each aircraft type suited to aerial application has multiple systems, ensuring no contamination from different types of agricultural chemicals.

Our aerial spraying and solid application aircraft consist of the reliable Bell 47, the fast Bell 206L ‘Longranger’, the safe AS355 ‘Twin Squirrel’, as well as our powerful Bell 204 ‘Huey’. All of these helicopters are equipped with the latest GPS technology for precise swath guidance and real time plotting. These units, coupled with flow meters, provide accurate application of the product being applied, and then we are able to provide GIS data of the treated areas at completion, showing exactly where we have flown and treated.

To ensure timeliness and cost effectiveness to our clients, we often utilize our ‘top-loading’ support trucks that are designed to provide a safe level platform off the ground to minimise dust and to give our ground staff an efficient area to mix and measure the chemicals accurately. We utilize chemical transfer pumps and volumetric measures to minimise contact with the chemicals whilst ensuring accuracy of the required mix.

When required, McDermott Aviation supply two or more helicopters to the job site to minimise the treatment time, and take advantage of favourable weather conditions at the time of treatment.

At McDermott Aviation, safety is our Number 1 priority, so all of our aircraft are tracked via “real time” satellite tracking and is monitored from our office, plus all management staff remotely.

Prior to ALL operations, risk assessments are carried out to ensure safety of our crew, our client, and our cargo. Any ‘High Risk’ activities are covered by a site specific Job Safety and Environmental Analysis (JSEA) and Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS).

Seed and Fertiliser Application

As well as the application of herbicides and insecticides, McDermott Aviation are able to apply seed and/or fertiliser blends from a range of application equipment deepening on the application type. we are able to apply various products at a rate anywhere from 5kg/ha t0 500kg/ha.

Lord Howe Island Weed Eradication Program

McDermott Aviation were offered the opportunty to provide the Lord Howe Island Board an effective and efficient method of eradicating specific plants/weeds along the Islands steep cliff faces which other wise were near impossible to reach. We developed a spray lance system for our twin engine AS355 Twin Squirrel to specifically target the weeds individually whilst hovering only feet from the sheer cliff face. The program was so successful, we are now called upon each year to carry out further spraying to assist the Lord Howe Island Board in their task to eradicate the island of noxious weeds. Watch video here.

Support

McDermott Aviation support their Aerial Application Operations with “nurse’ trucks which are purpose built specifically for mixing/loading chemical, and refuelling the aircraft off the ground.They are fitted with a “Heli deck” landing platform, which enables a safer working area for those on the ground as well as requiring less of a ‘prepared’ landing area. It also enables very quick site moving set up time as the unit is completely ‘self contained’ with all mixing and loading equipment fitted to the truck.

Loading times for work being operated ‘on top’ of the Heli deck landing platform on the ‘nurse truck’ can be accomplished in less than 60 seconds.

The mixing system has accurate volumetric measuring vessels, which enable product to be added to the mix tank with minimum handling, and a delivery hose which is fitted with either 2” or 3″ ‘Buckeye’ dry break connections so as to eliminate spillage during loading.