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1997 – Eldon H. Sorensen

   April 14, 2025  Posted in Hall of Fame

Eldon H. Sorensen — National Agricultural Aviation Hall of Fame

Biography & Background

  • Born: February 4, 1913, Janesville, Minnesota
  • Died: September 17, 1996, Worthington, Minnesota (age 83)
  • Family Contact: Verda Sorensen (wife), two daughters, two grandchildren

Early Aviation Career

  • Received pilot’s license in 1932
  • Early mechanic and pilot, also worked at Lockheed Aircraft (Burbank, CA) at time of Pearl Harbor
  • Served as aircraft mechanic at March Field AFB, Riverside, CA
  • WWII: Built and flew crop dusting aircraft in Florida and North Carolina
  • Mechanic and flight instructor at Flight Training School, Estherville, IA

Entrepreneurship & Engineering in Ag Aviation

  • 1945: Started Sevdy-Sorensen Aviation in Worthington, MN with Howard Sevdy; offered pilot training, air taxi, and maintenance
  • 1946: Transitioned to designing and building aerial spraying equipment for production aircraft (e.g., Piper Cubs, Aeroncas, Cessnas)
  • 1949: Bought out Sevdy, renamed company to Sorensen Aircraft Co.

Major Innovations & Achievements

  • Developed the Sorensen Belly Tank Sprayer:
    • Initially fabricated for placement inside aircraft cabins
    • Later, engineered as a quick-release, external “belly tank” that could be dropped in airborne emergencies
    • Belly tank sprayers became global industry standard, used not only for spraying but also:
    • Fish stocking (dropping fingerlings into lakes)
    • Auxiliary fuel (set a Cessna 172 endurance world record: 64 days, 22 hours aloft)
    • Transportation of various liquids
  • More Than 400 Spray Units Sold by 1949
  • Custom Equipment:
    • Fitted sprayers to Cessna 170-207, 310, Piper PA-11, PA-18, J-3, Champions, Bellanca aircraft, Aztecs, B-26, Cherokee, helicopters
  • Pioneered multipurpose detachable belly tanks for crop dusters
  • Worldwide Reach:
    • Sorensen Aircraft Co. sold tanks and spray equipment globally, with customers in the US and over 50 foreign countries
  • Fiberglass innovation in ag spray equipment manufacturing
  • Business sold to Dale Molitor in 1970, became Sorensen Sprayers, Inc.
    • The company still operates successfully today

Industry and Civic Involvement

  • Served 5 years on the Minnesota Aviation Trades Association board
  • 15 years on local School Board
  • 30 years on church board
  • 22 years on board at Northwestern College, a Christian college in Roseville, MN
  • 20 years on church camp board

Recognition and Awards

  • NAAA Outstanding Service Award (Las Vegas, 1975)
  • Recognized widely as a pioneer and community supporter

Legacy

  • Almost every ag pilot worldwide started out with a Sorensen belly tank sprayer
  • Many belly tanks still in use today; the company is still a global leader in sprayer parts component distribution
  • Remembered for his profound influence on the development, safety, and practicalities of ag aircraft spraying equipment
Author: NAAHOF