Air Tractor Marks First Factory-Installed SwathPRO® Aerial Spray System
OLNEY, TEXAS – Air Tractor and CapstanAG have marked a significant milestone with the delivery of the first AT-802 equipped with a factory-installed SwathPRO® spray system.
For Oligrow LLC owner Seth Olivier—who operates three Air Tractor aircraft and four drones across Louisiana and Texas—the benefits are already clear. The SwathPRO system is delivering an immediate boost to his aerial application business.
“I think the ability to change boom options on the fly will save us a lot of time down the line,” Olivier said.
The SwathPRO system gives pilots individual nozzle control directly from the cockpit, enabling a level of precision previously unavailable in a factory-standard aircraft. Pilots can adjust swath width and flow rate in flight using pre-programmed settings that activate or shut off individual nozzles while also regulating spray boom pressure.
The result is improved drift mitigation, better crosswind compensation, and increased productivity. In an industry where time is money, that combination is a meaningful advantage.
“The system gives us more on-off precision,” Olivier said. “Being able to control everything from the cockpit makes a huge difference. The boom aerodynamics also help maintain more consistent droplet size and a more even spray pattern.”
Since installation, Olivier has treated several thousand acres and has encountered no issues.
“From both a timesaving and record-keeping standpoint, the SwathPRO system is a big win for our operation,” he said.
The installation coincided with an Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-In at Air Tractor headquarters, giving Olivier the opportunity to test the system, fine-tune settings, and receive a detailed spray pattern evaluation. The system’s accuracy stood out immediately.
“The experience of having the system installed by Air Tractor was fantastic, and so was the pattern testing with Operation S.A.F.E. Adam Madison from CapstanAG was also a big help with follow-up and training,” Olivier said.
Jeff Hemeyer, CapstanAG National Account Sales Manager, noted that the factory installation reflects a strong, ongoing partnership between the two companies.
“Our partnership with Air Tractor is highly collaborative,” Hemeyer said, crediting Air Tractor
President Jim Hirsch for embracing aerial Pulse Width Modulation technology early on. “From the beginning, there’s been full commitment to advancing precision ag and bringing it to the aerial application industry.”
CapstanAG Field Technical Specialist Adam Madison supervised the installation, working alongside Air Tractor personnel to integrate both hardware and software.
“He trained, walked people through the process of installation and collaborated with the mechanics at the factory. Everyone jumped right in and worked together,” Hemeyer said.
Air Tractor Customer Service Manager Jeff Dobbs echoed that sentiment.
“This was a great experience and training opportunity for our crew, and we expect to do many more of these installations,” Dobbs said. “After an aircraft is built and certified, it can be moved to our FAA-certified repair station for installation. Once completed, it’s ready to go straight to work—and in this case, Seth did exactly that the same day.”
With more than 30 systems now operating across the U.S. and Canada, Air Tractor, its dealer network and SwathPRO are expanding support ahead of the upcoming spray season.
“Dealers with operators using this system now have spare parts on the shelf,” Dobbs said. “The Air Tractor factory also has a large inventory of parts that we can pull from if needed, and we have stocked the SwathPRO/Capstan truck with an inventory of parts to have on hand, and the ability to pinpoint and issue and replace parts on the fly if need be.”
“I believe this technology represents the next evolution in aerial application,” Dobbs added.
For operators like Olivier, that evolution translates directly into more acres covered per day — and higher-quality application for customers.
“We’re excited to introduce this technology and challenge operators to think differently about PWM precision aerial application,” Hemeyer said. “The technology is here.”
The factory-installed SwathPRO® system is no longer a concept—it’s operational, scalable, and poised to redefine what’s possible across the Air Tractor fleet.
To learn more about the SwathPRO® system, visit airtractor.com/swathpro.