T100 vs Helicopter: Agricultural Spraying Cost Comparison for Contractors

Agricultural contractors evaluating aerial spraying capacity face a critical choice: invest in high-capacity drone platforms like the T100 or continue relying on traditional helicopter services. This analysis compares total economics.

Capital Investment Comparison

T100 system (single unit): $55,000–$80,000 including batteries, charging, and training.

Helicopter (R22/R44 used): $150,000–$350,000 plus spray system installation ($20,000–$40,000).

The capital investment gap is substantial: T100 entry cost represents 20–40% of helicopter acquisition cost.

Per-Hectare Operating Costs

T100 operating costs: $8–$12 per hectare including labour, battery depreciation, consumables, and maintenance.

Helicopter operating costs: $18–$28 per hectare including fuel, maintenance, pilot labour, and insurance.

For operations covering 10,000 hectares annually, the cost differential represents $100,000–$160,000 in annual operating expense savings.

Service Rate Competitiveness

Contractors using helicopters typically charge $25–$45 per hectare for aerial application to maintain profitability.

T100 operators can profitably charge $18–$25 per hectare, creating significant competitive pricing advantage while maintaining healthy margins.

Operational Capacity Differences

Helicopter: 200–400 hectares per day depending on aircraft type, refill logistics, and block size.

T100: 50–80 hectares per day per unit; multi-unit operations scale capacity linearly.

For contractors targeting 15,000+ hectares per season, 2–3 T100 units achieve comparable daily capacity to a single helicopter at 30–50% of capital cost.

Regulatory Complexity

Both platforms require pilot licensing, but pathways differ substantially:

Helicopter: Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with agricultural rating requires 150+ flight hours, 12–18 months training, $60,000–$80,000 investment.

T100: Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) with agricultural rating requires 3–6 months training, $4,000–$8,000 investment.

Licensing accessibility significantly favors drone platforms for contractors entering aerial application markets.

Risk and Flexibility Considerations

Helicopter operations carry higher operational risk due to weather sensitivity, mechanical complexity, and safety considerations. Insurance costs reflect this: $12,000–$25,000 annually for helicopter vs $3,000–$6,000 for T100 operations.

Multi-unit T100 operations provide redundancy: equipment failure affects 33–50% of capacity rather than total operational capability with single-helicopter operations.

Market Positioning

Contractors with helicopter capacity serve premium market segments and large-scale operations. T100 operators excel in mid-scale farm operations (200–1,000 hectares) where helicopter mobilization costs are prohibitive.

Market opportunity exists for contractors offering competitive T100-based services to underserved mid-scale operators currently relying on ground rigs or no aerial application.