Manufacturer catalog
Air Tractor is a U.S. aircraft manufacturer in Olney, Texas, best known for rugged single-engine agricultural and firefighting aircraft and for the AT-802U military derivative. Its catalog relevance comes from the AT-802 family and the L3Harris/Air Tractor Sky Warden configuration selected for U.S. Special Operations Command's Armed Overwatch program.
2 weaponsLeland Snow's aircraft lineage began with agricultural designs in the 1950s, moved through Snow Aeronautical and Rockwell's Thrush production, and returned to Olney when Snow designed the first Air Tractor in the early 1970s. Air Tractor marked its 50th anniversary in 2024 and describes itself as a leading producer of purpose-built aircraft for agricultural aerial application, initial-attack firefighting, and U.S. Air Force ISR/strike aircraft.
The company became employee-owned in 2008 and continues to manufacture in Olney, Texas. Air Tractor's AT-802 series is especially important to the catalog because the large agricultural and firefighting airframe became the basis for armed, missionized variants including the AT-802U, AT-802L Longsword, Sky Warden, and the OA-1K Skyraider II.
Large single-engine Air Tractor family used across agricultural, firefighting, utility, and armed mission branches, including the AT-802U military model.
Sources: Air Tractor Celebrates Serial No.1,000 AT-802, Aircraft Specifications | Air Tractor AT-802U
U.S. Air Force designation for the Sky Warden armed-overwatch aircraft, an L3Harris and Air Tractor missionized system based on the AT-802U platform.
Sources: L3Harris and Air Tractor Sky Warden Team Selected for USSOCOM Armed Overwatch Contract, Air Force Special Operations Command accepts the first missionized OA-1K Skyraider IIAir Tractor's heritage account says Leland Snow moved aircraft production to Olney, Texas, and established The Snow Aeronautical Company after flying early agricultural aircraft in the 1950s.
Sources: Our Heritage
Air Tractor's 50th anniversary announcement ties the company anniversary to 1974, after Snow resigned from Rockwell and developed the first Air Tractor design in the early 1970s.
Sources: Air Tractor Celebrates 50 Years of Innovation with Founder's Day Celebration, Our Heritage
Air Tractor says it became employee-owned on July 1, 2008, through an employee stock ownership plan.
Sources: Our Heritage
USSOCOM selected the L3Harris and Air Tractor AT-802U Sky Warden system for Armed Overwatch, with Air Tractor building initial airframes in Olney and L3Harris modifying them in Tulsa.
Sources: L3Harris and Air Tractor Sky Warden Team Selected for USSOCOM Armed Overwatch Contract
Air Tractor marked the 1,000th AT-802-series aircraft, describing the 802 series as its largest production single-engine agricultural aircraft line and one used in multiple specialized roles.
Sources: Air Tractor Celebrates Serial No.1,000 AT-802
Air Tractor Holdings acquired the stock of Thrush Aircraft, LLC, while announcing that Air Tractor and Thrush would continue as separate operating entities.
Sources: Air Tractor Holdings Acquires Thrush Aircraft LLC
Air Tractor, Inc. is the Olney operating manufacturer. Air Tractor Holdings is the parent company named in the 2026 Thrush Aircraft acquisition announcement, so corporate-group context is separated from Air Tractor's cataloged aircraft manufacturing role.
Category
Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.
