[Image: Graph showing the number of air tractor aircrafts in Louisiana]The Louisiana Department of Agriculture reported 213 aircraft registered and licensed to operate and apply agricultural products in Louisiana. One hundred sixty-nine of them are fixed-wing aircraft and 44 are rotary. ninety-three companies own all aircraft. Air Tractor Company is the most popular manufacturer (97), followed by Grumman (Ag-Cat) (41) and Bell Helicopters (38). Usually fixed-wing aircraft can be used in a variety of agricultural services, from spraying fungicides in corn and soybeans and insecticides in cotton, to planting and fertilizing rice. Helicopters are mostly used for liquid pesticide application.
The most popular model from Air Tractor Company used in Louisiana is the AT-502 (47), followed by the AT-602 (18). The AT-502 (B series) has hopper capacity of 500 gallons and useful load of 5,403 lbs. Its wingspan is 52 feet, and typical working speed is 120-145 mph. The AT-602 (B series) has hopper capacity of 630 gallons and useful load of 6,900 lbs. Its wingspan is 56 feet, and typical working speed of 145 mph.
The Grumman Ag-Cat (B series) is a slower airplane with a hopper capacity of 400 gallons, wingspan of 42 ft 5 in, and useful load of 3,800 lbs. Typical working speed can vary from 80 to 100 mph. The Bell 206 model is the most popular helicopter in use in Louisiana.