If a pilot notices a decreased pressure required for maintaining desired gallons per acre, which component should they check first?

When a pilot observes a decreased pressure while trying to maintain the desired gallons per acre during aerial application, the most logical first step is to check the nozzle tips. Nozzle tips play a crucial role in determining the rate at which the spray is delivered. If the nozzles are partially clogged, worn out, or damaged, this can significantly affect the flow rate and pressure requirements needed to achieve the intended application rate.

Since the nozzle tips directly influence how the spray is atomized and distributed, any irregularities in their condition will manifest as pressure changes. Monitoring and maintaining the integrity of nozzle tips is essential for effective spraying. This makes them the first component to inspect in this situation, as correcting any issues with them could restore the proper operating pressure necessary for the application.

While the other components could also affect performance, they may not have as immediate or direct an impact on the specific issue of maintaining rate as the nozzle tips do. For example, the control system could impact pressure settings, while the pressure gauge measures current conditions, neither of which would directly identify a change in application effectiveness stemming from the nozzles themselves. The spray tank is important for overall operation, but any problems there would typically be identified through different symptoms.