Surinam Sky Farmers

Surinam Sky Farmers (SSF) is a Surinamese aviation company specialised in agricultural aerial application — crop dusting, seeding, fertilising and spraying — using specially equipped aircraft. It is the parent company of the charter airline Gum Air and of Eduard Alexander Gummels Airport. The business was founded on 13 March 1964 by brothers Gerhard and Eduard Gummels, starting operations with two Grumman Ag-Cat aircraft. As the company grew, three other brothers joined: two as pilots and one as a mechanic. In 1971 the subsidiary Gum Air was established as a charter operator flying domestically and internationally with eleven aircraft. By its 50th anniversary in 2014 the two companies together employed around 80 people, and in 2015 the group expanded with the helicopter facility Gummels Airport. Over its first fifty years SSF carried out 754,000 flights. The company played an important role in the scaling-up of rice cultivation in Suriname, with its aircraft supporting sowing, fertilising and spraying of crops. It also assisted in controlling water hyacinth at the Brokopondo Reservoir, where herbicide treatment was needed because the Afobaka Dam hydroelectric plant was being disrupted. SSF remains a privately held, family-linked Surinamese aviation group.

Surinam Sky Farmers was founded on 13 March 1964 by brothers Gerhard and Eduard Gummels as a Surinamese crop-dusting air service. Operations began with two Grumman Ag-Cat aircraft, a type purpose-built for agricultural aviation. As the business expanded, three more brothers joined the company — two as pilots and one as a mechanic — giving the enterprise a strongly family-based character. In 1971 the company created the subsidiary Gum Air, a charter airline operating domestic and international flights with eleven aircraft. Over its first fifty years SSF performed 754,000 flights. The company was central to the scaling-up of rice farming in Suriname, using aircraft to sow, fertilise and spray crops. It also took part in environmental control work at the Brokopondo Reservoir, where water hyacinth had to be combated with herbicides because the growth was disrupting the hydroelectric plant at the Afobaka Dam. By the time of its 50th anniversary in 2014, SSF and Gum Air together employed about 80 people. In 2015 the group expanded further with the helicopter facility Gummels Airport, named after co-founder Eduard Alexander Gummels. The company remains a privately held Surinamese aviation group and the parent of Gum Air and Gummels Airport.

• 2015

  Group expands with the helicopter facility Gummels Airport.

• 2014

  50th anniversary; SSF and Gum Air together employ about 80 people.

• 1971

  Subsidiary Gum Air established as a charter airline with eleven aircraft.

• 1964

  Founded on 13 March by brothers Gerhard and Eduard Gummels; operations start with two Grumman Ag-Cat aircraft.

Specialist agricultural aviation operator and parent of a Surinamese charter airline group.

• Agricultural aerial application

  Crop dusting, seeding, fertilising and spraying for Surinamese agriculture, notably rice.

• Gum Air charter flights

  Domestic and international charter services operated by subsidiary Gum Air.

• Gummels Airport helicopter services

  Helicopter facility added to the group in 2015.

1. 1Wikidata: Surinam Sky Farmerswikidata.org
2. 2Wikipedia (NL): Surinam Sky Farmersnl.wikipedia.org