A new, more modest chapter in the history of Polish agricultural aviation is being written by crews carrying out firefighting operations. These operations began in 1984, when the State Forests began establishing forest fire bases throughout Poland.
The most spectacular aerial firefighting operation took place on 26 August 1994 near Kuźnia Raciborska in Silesia, where 22 Dromaders were deployed to fight a catastrophic forest fire. An-2 aeroplanes and Mi-2 helicopters with suspended bambi bucket tanks, which can be filled directly from water reservoirs, are also used for firefighting. Polish agricultural aviators carried out forest fire protection services also in Spain, Portugal and Chile. Forestry services continue to be performed – spraying substances to combat pest invasions and dropping meat containing rabies vaccine for foxes.
Insect spraying is also carried out in urban areas, as unlike the substances used in the past, modern agents are completely safe. The traditions of the Polish agricultural aviation industry are maintained by PZL Mielec, which in the first decade of the 21st century, despite production having long since ended, still had the PZL M-18 Dromader in its commercial offer. In the future, there may be a renaissance of agricultural aviation if the character of farming in Poland changes. More large-acreage farms could mean increased demand for agricultural aviation services. The future will show whether new Polish agricultural aviation designs will also emerge.
There are operations whose execution by means other than an aeroplane or helicopter is practically impossible […]. — F. Borodzik, H. Kamiński, J. Krężałek*
