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By Leon Emo

Fifty or so years ago, as the warm glow over the Sierras signaled the coming day, vintage airplanes loaded with sulfur, malathion, DDT and other toxins would take to the air.

Piloted by veterans of World War II, one could say these were bombing missions. Except this time, instead of Germany or Japan, it would be over the fields of Madera County.

Landing strips were created on both the east and west side of state Route 99. Sometimes a county road was used with biplanes dodging trucks and cars while landing to reload and refuel.

Loading was accomplished by hand. DDT and poison liquids were lifted up in 5-gallon buckets to the loader standing in the cockpit. Sulfur, in 50-pound bags, was tossed onto the space between the hopper and cockpit.

Safety gear consisted of goggles and a pair of gloves. After a day of loading thousands of pounds of the yellow dust the empty bags were gathered and set ablaze, sending black pungent smoke into the sky.

In 1965, Rachel Carson wrote a book. A photo of a crop duster was published to promote her writing. The caption read: "Can you believe it is possible to lay down such a barrage of poisons on the surface of the earth without making it unfit for all life?"

Though the country was not suffering from a Silent Spring as depicted in Carson's book, crop dusting, now called "aerial chemical application," came under strict federal guidelines.

According to some, almost overnight, lo and behold, rejoicing in their comeback, birds sang and fish finned, or whatever fish do. It is true the majestic Peregrine Falcon, almost made extinct by the use of DDT, once again zoomed through the skies in search of prey.

Today, there are less than 5,000 crop dusting planes in America. There are only two training facilities in the country for ag pilots. Strict guidelines provide safer, though almost inflexible, chemical application from the air.

Some predict that within a decade the roar of low-flying aircraft above a county field will be a thing of the past. The vision of the daredevil, pioneering pilots of the 1950s, who left a legacy to younger generations, will fade with the sunset of crop dusting.

Leon Emo Columnist, Correspondent, Photographer Contact him at leon_emo (at) yahoo.com The Madera Tribune online subscription To subscribe or log on, CLICK HERE. For more information first, CLICK HERE.