NAAA wishes heartfelt congratulations to Air Tractor for celebrating its 50th anniversary this week. Late founder Leland Snow dedicated his life to developing and designing quality ag planes for the world. In the early 1970s, after two-and-a-half years of coming up with about 600 production drawings, completing endless engineering reports to obtain FAA certification and the arduous task of acquiring financing, Leland began work on a prototype of the “AT-300.” The AT stood for “Air Tractor,” and the first of the series had a 320-gallon capacity. It was certified on November 30, 1973. 

 

Through March of 1975, Leland’s crew manufactured two dozen Air Tractors and demand continued to soar. He took out a loan to build a 54,000-square-foot factory building at the Olney, Texas airport, which was operational by November 1975. From that point forward, the company grew, and Leland and Air Tractor developed the AT-402B, AT-502B, 502XP, AT-504, AT-602, and AT-802A. The company also sells the AT-802F and the AT-802F Fire Boss with amphibious scoopers for aerial firefighting and the AT-802U for warfare.  

 

 

On July 1, 2008, Air Tractor became an employee-owned company with the establishment of an Employee Stock Ownership (ESOP) plan. Leland and his family felt that Air Tractor employees helped make the company what it was, and the benefit of ownership would drive them to continue to build the business that he loved. Leland passed away in February 2011 at 80 years old.

 

In 2021, the 4,000th Air Tractor was sold to Mike Rivenbark of Moore's Aerial Applicators, LLC in Clinton, NC. In 2023, the company celebrated the sale of the 1,000th model AT-802. According to Air Tractor, 1989 was when Leland began designing a large-capacity, single-engine airplane specifically for aerial firefighting. He believed it would have a positive impact on that industry. After more than two years of design, modification, certification, and manufacture, in 1993, the first production single-seat AT-802A air tanker rolled out the doors. It wasn’t long before Air Tractor produced the single-seat AT-802A for agricultural aerial spraying. As an 800-gallon ag plane, its popularity soared with aerial applicators. The 802 series is the largest production single-engine agricultural airplane in the world. An even larger 1,000+ gallon aircraft is currently awaiting FAA approval.

 

 

Towards the end of 2023, Air Tractor had 415 employees and delivered 200 airplanes. Their 2024 production goal is 218 airplanes.

 

Again, congratulations to Air Tractor and its employees on 50 years of hard work dedicated to supporting the aerial application industry and aiding farmers in producing a safe, affordable, and abundant supply of food, fiber, and bioenergy, protecting forestry, firefighting and controlling health-threatening pests.