PAASS Presenter 2008-2009

Leonard Felix

Leonard D. Felix, Jr. grew up two miles from where Olathe Spray Service Inc. is headquartered today in Olathe, Colorado. He became a commercial ground applicator at 14 and while driving tractor-pulled sprayers, he watched aerial applicators completing the same tasks in a much shorter time while enjoying flying. The bug had bitten him and he knew his future was flying.

While with the US Army in Germany, still determined to fly, he earned his German Private pilots license and Silver glider rating. After his discharge, he entered the Ag Aviation Academy in Nevada and completed his airplane and helicopter ratings in 1969. Leonard first worked with a Colorado helicopter applicator, then one summer in Kansas flying fixed wing and then he went back to Olathe and is still there today.

In 1971, Leonard joined the Colorado AAA, served in all executive positions and remains a director chairing the legislative committee. He became a member of NAAA in 1972, served as Colorado’s director from 1980-82 and 1994-96, NAAA Vice President in 1993 and received the Outstanding Service Award in 2005.

Leonard has logged over 27,000 hours, 13,000 of turbine ag and 1500 in helicopters, mostly spraying. He is an A&P Mechanic with an Inspection Authorization.

Olathe Spray Service is composed of Leonard and two of his three sons, L. Deven and D. Seth Felix. They operate two turbine Air Tractors, a Piper Pawnee 260 Hutch/wing, and three Bell 47G-3B1’s, of which two are Soloy Turbines. They do diversified applications to irrigated row crops, field crops, rights of way, forestry, mosquitoes, aquatic, and dry fertilizer on mountain ranges. Other operations include FAA 135 helicopter, fire suppression (fixed wing and helicopter), wildlife telemetry, game surveys, predator control, live stock herding and Search and Rescue.

Leonard participated in the first S.A.F.E. Fly-in Clinic and continues to sponsor and attend PAASS and S.A.F.E. Programs. In his third year as a PAASS presenter, he looks forward to bringing safety information and application techniques to the industry!