At Thrush, we don’t believe good ag pilots are born, we believe they’re made – through training. But all training is not the same. That’s why we conduct our own comprehensive courses, right at the factory for pilots, technicians and mechanics. Whether you’re taking delivery of your first Thrush, or sending a team of new technicians to learn to service an existing fleet, our dedicated training facility has been designed specifically to promote both knowledge based and hands on learning. Plus, students have the benefit of being right on site where their Thrush was built, not to mention the ability to rub shoulders with the people who built it.

Courses Available

Airframe and Maintenance Training

This course is designed specifically to help your team learn how to keep your Thrush Aircraft in peak operating condition. We teach engineers and technicians to perform scheduled maintenance, make repairs, and complete inspections. And we place special emphasis on preventive maintenance to keep your airplane running right, and repairs to a minimum.

Course includes:

This class covers detailed instructions on how the aircraft structure works, how the systems are connected, how to remove and install optional equipment, and how to troubleshoot the aircraft’s systems and structure, as well as how to conduct inspections and perform scheduled maintenance. Every course is tailored to a customer’s specific needs.

Pilot Training

Our training for agricultural pilots is smart, thorough and focused on safety. It includes courses to take students from basic tailwheel work, through turbine transition, all taught by a staff of crop dusting instructors who have been there – from cotton fields in Alabama, to banana plantations in Ecuador– under all types of conditions, including being shot at during DOS operations, or dousing some of the world’s toughest wildfires. You learn from the best when you train at Thrush.

A thorough pilot checkout with every new airplane

Thrush airplane customers are provided a full pilot checkout with every new aircraft purchase. 

This entails a thorough review of the flight manual and other pertinent documents, including aircraft limitations, procedures and performance.  Pilots are also provided with thorough walk around inspection and cockpit familiarization, including preflight procedures, all inspection areas, vents and drains, as well as location and operation of all engine and flight controls. 

Dual – in a true dual aircraft

And only Thrush offers a true purpose-built training aircraft – the Thrush 510P with dual cockpits. It provides crop dusting students an unmatched training experience that’s safe and efficient, and one that builds confidence and real-world experience quicker than any other trainer.

We can assist you with the following training activities:

Tailwheel Actualization

Basic Ag Ground Instruction

Basic Ag Flight Instruction

Turbine Transition