Purchase Agricultural Aviation’s 100-Year Legacy Book: Agriculture’s Air Force

In 1921, a single crop dusting experiment launched what would become the agricultural aviation industry, an essential part of modern farming. To commemorate the rich history of this great industry, NAAA published Agriculture’s Air Force: 100 Years of Aerial Application, a landmark book chronicling the first century of aerial application.

This richly detailed 268-page hardcover volume includes substantial content from Mabry Anderson’s 1982 classic, Low & Slow: An Insider’s History of Agricultural Aviation and picks up where that classic biography of the industry left off. Drawing on decades of material from Agricultural Aviation magazine, AgAir Update, Low & Slow, and other sources, Agriculture’s Air Force presents a comprehensive and engaging narrative of the industry’s evolution.

Excerpts from the book were previewed throughout NAAA’s 2021 Agricultural Aviation magazine issues, offering a glimpse of what’s inside. The full edition dives deep into the development of the industry, from its pioneering start in the early 1920s, through post-WWII growth, and into the present era of high-tech, precision aerial application.

Far from a dry, academic text, the book is written to entertain and inform. Whether you’re a veteran ag pilot, an aviation buff, or simply interested in how aviation supports global food production, this volume offers a compelling read and a new appreciation for the dedicated professionals who help feed the world from the sky.

Agriculture’s Air Force: 100 Years of Aerial Application is available for $45 (plus shipping) at the AgAir Update Online Store. It is also proudly featured in the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum’s gift shop, an honor that reflects the enduring significance of agricultural aviation in American history.