Flying M Air has been providing cherry drying services in Central Washington State since 2008.
In 2008, we worked as a subcontractor on approximately 12 overlapping contracts, covering approximately 100 acres of cherry blocks at any one time. We returned to Central Washington in 2009, contracting directly with orchardists for cherry drying services. For this season, we reduced the acreage we were responsible for covering to ensure that orchardists would get more prompt and satisfactory service.
Flying M Air’s pilot flies low and slow over tree tops to ensure thorough drying. We average 5-10 feet over the trees, flying 5-10 miles per hour. Depending on the tree density, we’ll fly every row, every other row, or every third row to save time and money for our orchardists. We can also adjust height and speed on request to help prevent damage to more delicate varieties, such as Rainiers.
In addition to our Robinson Raven II helicopter and experienced pilot, Flying M Air offers the following benefits to orchardists and their agents:
- Onsite ground transportation. We don’t depend on someone else to provide transportation for the pilot or fueling system.
- 82-gallon capacity, DOT-approved AvGas fuel system. This gives us a total of 8 hours of flight time.
- Lodging flexibility through the use of a fully self-contained travel trailer. In many instances, we can base our pilot at your orchard to save you time and money.
- Maximum 80-100 acres coverage per helicopter. We won’t spread ourselves too thin to provide the best service possible.
- In-flight cell phone capabilities. Provide instructions to the pilot in flight.
- Two aviation band radios; hand-held radio available on request. Useful in areas with poor cell coverage.
- GPS for quick location of sites. When covering more than one orchard we can move between them quickly by the most direct route.
- Part 135 certificate. Allows us to legally provide point-to-point transportation of orchardists, their employees, or their guests.
For large orchards or multiple orchard blocks exceeding 80-100 acres, we can bring in a second experienced pilot and aircraft to ensure thorough and timely coverage. We are available for cherry drying as early as the beginning of May and as late as August month-end. We can provide services in Washington, Oregon, and California and will travel with the growing season.
Our rates vary depending on the contract. We do, however, require a daily standby fee to cover pilot living expenses, salary, and the cost of taking the helicopter offline for other work. Drying services are billed by the hour; we can dry from 20 to 50 acres an hour, depending on orchard layout, tree size, orchard density, moisture amount, and wind conditions; 30 acres per hour is a good rule of thumb. We generally require a 3-week contract; 2-week contracts are available for early and late season work.
Although our experience is primarily in cherry drying activities, we’re willing to consider any agricultural work that can benefit from the use of a helicopter.
