Phonephag Referencing No.4839776

38.419154N, 77.955344W

https://www.suncommunitynews.com/topics/eugene-kritter/

EAST MIDDLEBURY— Virginia-based helicopter pilot Eugene “Gene” Kritter was the center of attention Aug. 31 when he trucked his U.S.-made Robinson R-44 helicopter on a trailer via U.S. Route 7 on the way to the Middlebury State Airport.

The Eagle met up with Kritter when he pulled off the highway for a coffee break at Middlebury Beef Supply, just prior to delivering the aircraft to the nearby airport.

“I am working in Addison County to spread crop seeds, working with agri-business Bourdeau Brothers of Middlebury,” he said.

The whirlybird seeding program is state funded, according to Kritter.

Kritter, a veteran pilot, is the owner of Kritter Cropdusting of Culpeper, Va.

Helicopter at Midd Beef.jpg

Eagle Photos

“The switch from airplane to helicopter seeding, locally, occurred in 2008,” Kritter told the Eagle.

According to Skip Cray, manager of Bourdeau Brothers, the pilot’s mission locally is to seed winter rye over standing corn.

“He’s really helping our farmers get an early start especially in corn fields on area flood plains,” Cray said. ”Gene is seeding farms here in Addison County and in Franklin County—10 farms here and six farms up north. This includes several 1,000 acres right here in Addison County.

When it comes to seeding, Cray said helicopter are flexible than fixed wing aircraft.

Whirlybirds can hover over spots on farms that are tougher to reach by an airplane.

“Gene hangs a hopper-spreader, by cables, under the fuselage,” Cray noted. “With this device, he doesn’t even have to land to fill it; he simply hovers over a truck out in the field and then fills up the spreader with seed.”

Cray said that Bourdeau Brothers has worked with Kritter for nearly a decade.

“Last summer, during the rains, Gene used the helicopter to apply urea on local cornfields,” Cray said.

Cray said that Kritter may conduct a flying/seeding demonstration for Bourdeau Brothers customers in Middlebury on Sept. 8, but the event is not definite.

Meantime, Kritter put on a flying demonstration for 200 attendees at a Bourdeau’s “field days” customer event held in Franklin County Aug. 31.

This year, Kritter said he that he will have used his Robinson rotorcraft to cast rye seeds over approximately 15,000 acres in Vermont, Virginia and Maryland.