PRODUCT REVIEW OF THE AIR ROTARY 16 AND AIR PRO 13
by Charlie Jurney

Properly training dogs is a time consuming and labor intensive proposition. It has been virtually impossible to train a dog by yourself until the last couple of years when the use of remote launchers came into the market.  I have used these units in our training program and have been quite impressed with the flexibility they offer. I have not been a big fan of launchers in the past but now believe you could cover virtually every drill needed to produce a finished dog by your lonesome using the new Air Rotary 16.

Both models were designed and patented by an engineer, who is a bird hunting and retriever-training enthusiast. The units are completely remote and are capable of throwing multiple ducks, pigeons, large/small bumpers, or popular dead fowl trainers. They consistently toss small bumpers  (60) yards, pigeons (40) yards and ducks  (30) yards. All of the throws were with very high arcs and extremely visible to the dogs. Not only do they throw all day, these models hold from 13-16 birds or bumpers of your choice so you do not have to reload after each series.

Imagine the possibilities. The remote controls offer a range of 400 yards and set up of the units is both safe and simple. They are lightweight and rust free of aluminum construction. Both launchers are powered by 125-PSI compressed air and a 12-volt DC rechargeable battery pack. The air tanks will support up to 50 birds/bumper tosses before needing to be easily refilled. There are no operating costs of primers, propane, oxygen or rubber band replacement. The air tanks are safe to operate and offer no danger for explosion during storage and/or transportation. Diversion drills, honor drills, schooling marks, multiple marks (doubles/triples/quads) and cheating singles can be mastered easily with no help from anyone else. 

The Air Pro 13 has a frame design with a magazine holding up to 13 ducks, pigeons, bumpers or dead fowl trainers. It will throw these in one direction with very little variance in the landing zone. Set up is simple. Spread all three legs, drive one anchor stake in the ground and you are ready to start loading the launcher for training. The remote controller has two buttons. Button A will load the object to be thrown from the storage magazine onto the launching arm and if desired, sound an attention buzzer for the dog. Button B activates the air cylinder and launches the bird or bumper. The Air Pro 13 weighs approximately 28 lbs and folds flat for easy transportation and storage. Folded dimensions are 6” X 12” X 84”. 

 The Air Rotary 16 is my favorite, offering endless training opportunities. It has a cylindrical aluminum pipe with three anchor legs and supports a rotating throwing arm. It holds approximately 16 birds/bumpers and rotates to up to 240 degrees. Button A on the remote loads the bird/bumper on to the throwing arm and if desired, sounds an attention buzzer for the dog. Button B activates the air cylinder and launches the bird. Button C rotates the throwing arm clockwise while button D rotates the throwing arm counterclockwise. We used the Air Rotary 16 in training to throw triples by rotating the throwing arm between throws and it was very impressive in its performance. The Air Rotary 16 is 81" x 12" x 18" with wheels that transports easily and weighs 35#. Diversion drills, honor drills, schooling marks, multiple marks (doubles/triples/quads) and cheating singles can be mastered easily with no help from anyone else. 

An attractive option of sound can be added on to the unit. If you need a shotgun blast, duck call, or attention getter of any type, this can be produced on demand from your remote control and a waterproof speaker mounted on the air tank. Add a white silhouette of a person for the field trailer or a camo holding blind for the hunt test trainer and you are in business
 For the amateur, you can now train by yourself and master all the skills needed to compete with the pros. For the professional, you can utilize your manpower in a more economical fashion and have a much more efficient training day. It is nice to see a new item on the market that offers a true edge in training.

I use the Air Rotary model every day in our training program and can honestly say it is the most valuable piece of training equipment I own. All of our dogs have dramatically improved their abilities to mark because of this unit and I highly recommend it to you whether you are an amateur or professional trainer. It opens up endless possibilities and maximizes your training time. 

BUY ONE AIR PRO LAUNCHER 13

BUY ONE AIR PRO ROTARY 16

About the author:
Charlie Jurney owns and operates Beaverdam Kennels that specialize in retrievers for the field or competition.
An active participant in the United Kennel Club's Hunting Retriever Club. In the past, he ran the North American Hunting Retriever Association program and have placed many dogs on the NAHRA all-American team.
Beaverdam Kennels has produced seven NAHRA 1000 point dogs and more Grand Master Hunting Retrievers and Master Hunting Retrievers than any other facility in North America.
An accomplished breeder, trainer, writer and member of the Innotek pro staff.

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