ANAC Agricultural Pilot Airplane (PAGA) flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

PAGA licence

The Brazilian agricultural pilot licence endorsement issued under RBAC 61/137, requiring specific theoretical and practical training in application techniques, toxicology and low-level flight, plus recurrent proficiency checks.

Agronomic prescription

A document issued by a licensed agronomist specifying product, dose, target area and application conditions; no aerial pesticide application may be flown without it.

RBAC 137

The Brazilian regulation governing agricultural aircraft operations; it sets operator authorization, manual, crew, equipment, record-keeping and application requirements for aerial application.

Application record retention

Logged data including pilot, aircraft, product, batch, dose, area, date and weather must be kept for the period set by regulation and made available to inspectors.

Hopper load limit

The maximum product weight certified for the hopper; exceeding it exceeds maximum takeoff weight and invalidates the aircraft's certification basis and performance data.

Nozzle VMD

Volume median diameter, the droplet size dividing spray volume in half; it determines coverage and drift, with finer droplets drifting more and coarser droplets reducing drift but lowering coverage.

Boom and nozzle check

Pre-flight inspection confirming no leaks, no blocked nozzles, correct pattern on the ground, accurate pressure gauge and a functioning master spray shutoff valve.

Hopper agitator

A mechanical or hydraulic device keeping suspension formulations mixed; without agitation the product settles, causing dose stratification and nozzle blockage during the run.

Density altitude effect

Higher density altitude reduces engine power and lift, lengthening takeoff distance; roughly 120 ft increase per degree Celsius above ISA at constant pressure altitude.

Hopper and CG

The hopper sits near the centre of gravity, so load changes mainly affect weight and stall speed rather than balance; added equipment must still be reflected in the weight record.

Stall speed with load

Stall speed rises with the square root of the load factor; a heavy hopper at low altitude and high bank leaves little margin above the stall.

Soft-field landing

Technique for unpaved agricultural strips: touch down at minimum safe speed, keep weight off the nosewheel and avoid braking to reduce the risk of nose-over.

Single-pilot workload

In agricultural flight one pilot flies, monitors the spray system and watches obstacles; the priority order is aviate, navigate, then manage the spray system.

Commercial pressure

The urge to complete a field despite weather, fatigue or load limits; countering it requires pre-briefed personal minimums and a no-go decision made before departure.

Fatigue in ag operations

Long seasonal days and repeated short flights degrade vigilance and reaction time; duty and rest limits must be respected and logged as a safety control.

Verbal self-check

Standardized spoken callouts replacing a second crew member, such as 'hopper empty, valve closed, turning', to build a reliable self-check habit.

Temperature inversion

A stable layer with temperature increasing with height that traps droplets and prevents vertical mixing; spraying under an inversion concentrates drift downwind until it breaks.

Delta T

The difference between temperature and dew point; a small delta T indicates high humidity and persistent fine droplets, a large delta T indicates rapid evaporation and drift.

Wind limits for spraying

Application is avoided in calm or gusty conditions; typical limits are a minimum of about 3 km/h and a maximum of about 10-15 km/h, per label and local rule.

Rainfastness

The rain-free interval after application defined on the label; rainfall sooner washes the product off the leaf, so the forecast must be checked before spraying.

Swath width

The effective treated width determined by nozzle spacing, boom height, droplet size and wind; the number of runs equals field width divided by effective swath width.

Lightbar guidance

A GPS display showing the aircraft's position relative to the planned swath; it reduces overlaps and skips but the pilot must still scan for obstacles visually.

Obstacle survey

A field map plotting power lines, towers, trees and fences with heights and distances, briefed before the first run and used for every subsequent pass.

Refill site planning

Selecting the loading point for wind direction, distance from water and dwellings, and safe approach paths; it becomes the navigation hub for the mission.

Application height

The height of the boom above the target, typically 2-4 m for field crops and higher for orchards; it must match the label and droplet size to control drift and coverage.

Spray valve discipline

Open the valve only after aligning at application height inside the field; close it before the boundary, before any turn and before any climb.

Wire strike avoidance

Never fly under a wire; cross only at surveyed crossing points with known clearance, and mark every line on the field map before the first run.

Emergency dump

Jettisoning the hopper load to reduce weight and stall speed in an engine failure or forced landing; dumping over people, dwellings or water is prohibited.

Engine failure at low level

Establish best glide speed, choose a forced-landing field ahead, dump the load if the procedure requires, and transmit MAYDAY with position and intentions.

Spray system failure

A pump failure, burst hose or stuck valve is handled by closing the master valve, reducing power and landing; cockpit chemical contamination requires ventilation and immediate return.

WHO hazard class

A toxicity classification communicated on the label by signal word and colour band; it guides PPE selection and handling precautions for the pilot and ground crew.

Cholinesterase inhibition

Organophosphate and carbamate poisoning causing miosis, salivation, sweating, bradycardia and weakness; symptoms after exposure mean immediate removal from duty and medical care.

Buffer zone

A mandatory no-spray distance protecting watercourses, dwellings, apiaries and sensitive crops; the distance is set by the product label and local environmental rules.