Aerial Application
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Many insects, disease agents and varieties of competing vegetation exist that can threaten valuable agricultural crops and forests sometimes requiring control measures involving the use of pesticides.  In many instances it is preferable to apply pesticide products by air, using either fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters to release spray over a target area.  Unfortunately, there is a risk that a small portion of the pesticide spray will not land on the target directly below, instead being carried away some distance by air currents.  Minimizing such off-target pesticide drift is a priority concern for applicators, regulators and the public. 

The direction and strength of the wind is a key factor influencing pesticide drift.  As wind conditions can change by important amounts over short distances (< 1km) and short periods of time (minutes), it is essential to have measurement data that is specific to the area of application.   It is clear, therefore, that the best place to record such local and timely data resides on the spray aircraft itself.The AIMMS-20 is the ideal solution to deliver complete airborne meteorological data.  It is well suited for a wide variety of spray aircraft types, including helicopters, to deliver information essential to reducing off-target drift, increasing efficacy and improving operational efficiency.

Spray Navigation Integration

The AIMMS-20 generates a serial output stream of meteorological data, including wind speed and wind direction.  This information can be integrated with a variety of existing in-cockpit spray navigation systems to provide timely wind condition updates.   New developments in this market include integration of drift model calculations to add actual drift estimates and optimized swath offsets to the cockpit navigation display. 

Satellite Communication Option