In the “git ‘er done” spirit of the heartland, a South Dakota county has granted an aerial application company the right to land and take off on county roads to fertilize local fields. Brookings County has been drenched by storms in the critical first few weeks of the growing season and Isaac Wilde, of Wilde Air Service, has been hampered by soft field conditions on the farms he fertilizes from above. “As you know, it’s pretty wet out there right now. We’ve been getting a lot of requests. In Brookings County, there isn’t a whole lot of airports, and the closer we can get to these fields, the cheaper we can make it for the customer. … The closer we can get to the field, the quicker we can get done, the less fuel we burn, the cheaper it is,” the Brookings Register quoted him as saying.
The practical-minded commissioners apparently agreed and passed a motion that will allow Wilde to set his 1972 Thrush down on roads adjacent to his customers’ fields. The ruling allows Wilde “to operate, take off or land an aircraft on any county road in Brookings County for the purpose of servicing said aircraft in preparation for aerial application of chemical or fertilizer materials.” Flaggers will be in place when the roads turn into runways and Wilde assured commissioners his insurance will cover any incidents.
