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This is our first season using AEA across a larger chunk of our broad acre crops.
We are organic so there is another challenge with cleanout, etc for us. I have a 1200gal pull behind so I’ve been able to do the early season and beans. I have gotten by doing as little as 10gal/ac for the farther fields to avoid lengthy re-fill times. 15gal works well for my 80ac fields. I have talked to a helicopter outfit and they said they could do more than 3gal, but it would cost more. I don’t think this would be “ideal” but if they could get it on ahead of a light rain or heavy dew it would be better than nothing.
I personally haven’t had any issues with screens plugging from AEA stuff (50mesh). (Exception was when I mixed in too much Solubor, but that was a blend I was doing, not an AEA suggests blend.)
There are a few custom high boys in our area and have been good to work with so far for our later corn passes. However I have had to pre-mix a concentrated mini-bulk tote for them to use rather than have them measure and mix things themselves. Not ideal, but based on the last sap test there was still a crop response, so at least now I know it can be done (I just don’t want the concentrate sitting any longer than needed.) In our area I would say that there definitely is a window though when they are going like crazy to do fungicide and wouldn’t take the time to do my corn. It was from about early-mid July to beginning of Aug.
I think for what you are doing, if you could get 2 AEA passes on based on sap test needs before the sprayers are busy (as in sap test, spray based on needs, sap test, spray based on needs) then you should be setting yourself up for a pretty healthy plant going into pollination unless something else is way off balance. Then you can sap test again during pollination and decide if you want to have a 3rd spray done to help with grain fill.