From left: three Kruk prototypes, M-15, Mi-2R • MLP archive from the collection of Jerzy Wojnar
1925 (10 June) Use of a Potez XV aircraft for forest dusting in the Mścin Forest District (or Uście Forest District) in Pomerania. Calcium arsenate was dispersed against the gypsy moth. The aircraft had two sprayers mounted on the outside of the fuselage, each containing 25 kg of chemical agent.
1925 (13 July) Use of a Breguet XIV aircraft for dusting against forest pests near Nowe Miasto in Pomerania.
1927 (August) Aerial dispersal of a fungicide from a Breguet XIV over sugar beet crops in Leszno, Błoński district, and at the Michałów sugar factory (Greater Poland).
1927 (24–27 October) Forest dusting in the Włocławek Forest District from a Farman F.68 Goliath bomber.
1943 A Luftwaffe “forestry” unit – Fliegerforstschutzverband – carries out dusting of the Niepołomice Forest against insects.
1948–54 (from May 1948) Forest dusting using adapted Li-2 passenger aircraft as well as CSS-13 and Piper Cub aeroplanes from Polskie Linie Lotnicze “LOT” and the Aviation League.
1950 Combating the Colorado potato beetle along the Baltic coast using Aviation League aircraft.
1952–55 Agricultural aviation operations are conducted by PLL “LOT”.
1952 At PGR Leszno (Warsaw voivodeship), PLL “LOT” conduct trials of aerial fertiliser spreading.
1956 Polish crews on CSS-13 aircraft combat forest pests abroad (in Bulgaria).
1957 Agricultural aviation services are taken over by the Aeroklub PRL, which organises the Utility Aviation Squadron in Krosno, using CSS-13 aircraft.
1959 The Utility Aviation Squadron is reorganised into the Utility Aviation Service Group (LZUG). Operations are conducted using CSS-13 and Yak-12 aircraft.
1960 Start of serial production of agricultural versions of the multi-purpose PZL-101 Gawron at WSK Warszawa-Okęcie and the An-2 at WSK Mielec.
1961 Start of serial production of the agricultural version of the SM-1 helicopter at WSK Świdnik.
1962 First agricultural aviation operations in Poland using a helicopter (SM-1Ż type) – trials at the agricultural test range in Jaktorów with powdered DDT.
1966 Polish crews on Polish aircraft provide agricultural aviation services in Austria, Germany, Libya and Tunisia under contract from the Austrian company Agrar-Flug-Gluck.
1967 WSK Mielec, jointly with PUL, concludes contracts for services in Egypt and Sudan.
1967 Start of aerial forest fertilisation. Operations of this kind continue until 1980.
1968 Services in Africa are taken over by WSK Okęcie in cooperation with PUL.
1968 Start of serial production of the Mi-2R helicopter at WSK Świdnik.
1969–90 Activity of the so-called “Bucharest Agreement”, an association of agricultural aviation enterprises of Soviet bloc countries, mainly using Polish-manufactured aeroplanes and helicopters. Exchange of organisational and technical experience and mutual assistance is carried out.
1972 Dissolution of PUL. Aeroplane-based services at home and abroad are taken over by the Agricultural Aviation Services Plant (ZUA), part of WSK Warszawa-Okęcie. PUL’s equipment and personnel transfer to ZUA. Five regional branches and a training centre in Kętrzyn are established in Poland. Foreign contract management is handled by the foreign trade company PHZ PEZETEL. Services expand to 20 countries in Africa, Asia and Europe.
1973 First flight of the first Polish specialist agricultural aircraft, the PZL-106 Kruk, designed at WSK Warszawa-Okęcie.
1973 WSK Świdnik carries out its first helicopter service contract in Iran.
1973 Establishment of the agricultural aviation experimental range of the Institute of Aviation (Agrolot) in Kętrzyn, later taken over by ART Olsztyn. Training of pilots with agricultural aviation specialisation is conducted at this airfield at the ZUA Agro Pilot Training Centre for pupils of the Agricultural Mechanisation Technical School in Karolewo (1975–81) and for students of ART Olsztyn with agricultural aviation specialisation (1980–97). Approximately 200 pilots were trained in total.
1974–75 Construction of the technical base at Benha in Egypt. The base had hangar shelters, workshops, fuel and spare parts stores. Inter-season repairs of aircraft and helicopters operating in Egypt, Sudan and other countries of the region were carried out here.
1974 Construction of the technical base at Hassaheisa in Sudan. An airstrip, workshops, fuel and spare parts stores are built.
1974 First flight at WSK Mielec of the jet-powered agricultural aircraft M-15 Belphegor, ordered by the USSR. Production began in 1976 and ended in 1981.
1974 Establishment of the Aviation Services Enterprise “Aeropol”, providing aviation services for the economy. In subsequent years, “Aeropol” personnel carry out, among other tasks, agricultural aviation operations in agriculture and forestry as well as forest fire patrols.
1975 Establishment of the Helicopter Services Department at WSK Świdnik.
1975 First foreign operations by Mi-2R helicopters – in Iran and Egypt (after self-ferrying the helicopters). Services in Egypt continue until 1995.
1976 Start of serial production of the PZL-106 Kruk, successor to the PZL-101 Gawron. The aircraft was exported to the GDR and other countries.
1976 First flight of the large agricultural aircraft M-18 Dromader, developed at WSK Mielec in cooperation with the American company Rockwell.
1977 Establishment of the Institute of Agricultural Aviation at the Agricultural and Technical Academy in Olsztyn, conducting teaching and research-certification activities for agricultural aviation equipment.
1979 Start of serial production of the PZL M-18 Dromader. The aircraft was exported, among others, to the USA.
1979 The Helicopter Services Department of WSK Świdnik is reorganised into the Helicopter Services Operation Plant (ZEUŚ).
1981–84 Combating a major gypsy moth invasion in forests at home and in neighbouring GDR. At the peak period of 1982–1983, 187 aeroplanes and 21 helicopters were deployed.
1984 Start of forest firefighting services. Under agreements with the Ministry of Forestry, forest fire bases equipped with M-18 aeroplanes, Mi-2 helicopters and patrol aircraft are established.
1985 Start of agricultural services in Iran (lasting until 2005).
1988 Conclusion of contracts for forest firefighting in Portugal and Spain using M-18 aeroplanes and W-3 Sokół helicopters.
1988 Start of production of the Kruk with a Czechoslovak Walter M-601 turboprop engine – PZL-106BT Turbo Kruk.
1988 Participation of 6 An-2 aircraft in a UN humanitarian mission in Ethiopia – transport of food and medical supplies for the starving.
1990 End of agricultural services in Poland and in Egypt after 23 years. Restructuring of ZUA – closure of regional branches except Mielec, where the directorate and technical base are located.
1990 Establishment of Aerogryf Aviation in Szczecin, which takes over, among other activities, the operation of some forest fire bases in the country and conducts firefighting services abroad.
1991 End of PZL-106 aircraft production at PZL Warszawa-Okęcie.
1992 ZEUŚ is reorganised into the Aviation Services Enterprise “Heliseco”.
1997 The Aviaeco company is established, specialising in the reclamation of mining spoil heaps using the aero-hydro-seeding method.
2002 End of An-2 production at PZL Mielec.
2009 End of services in Sudan after 42 years. End of foreign agricultural services. Firefighting services in Polish forests and helicopter services in Spain continue.
