Aerial Photography Pilot

[FrozenPilot]

http://studentservices.aero.und.edu/f4_Jobs%20and%20Scholarships/view_job.php?JobID=349
http://www.landvue.com/employment.htm

Great first job and/or for those looking to build time to 135 mins. 500TT preferred, not required. Commercial, Instrument, Class II medical required. Base is KUCA, but expect to be on the road 6-7 months at a time, varies. Hotel & rental car paid while on the road.

Examples of the work done can be seen on www.pictometry.com and local.live.com under 'birds eye view' of select cities.

 

[Hadhafang]

Does anybody know anything about this company? Sounds like a possibility for me. Has anyone done aerial survey before?

Thanks.

 

[Flyerjosh]

I never worked for them, but I know a few folks that have... Lots of time flying back and forth in a 172. Essentially this job is to fly at a specified height back and forth at evenly spaced intervals (with guidance from the GPS tied to a nav). Typical photo missions are between 10am and 3pm. Most missions will take you to a destination where you stay for a set period (ranging from days to weeks).

Once you finish the mission, you will fly the plane to the next job. Not a lot of time off, and the flying is pretty tedious. It's pretty much all VFR (from what I hear, not many of the planes are very well IFR equipped), including the ferry flights.

But you do get to fly a bunch. Saw a friend of mine who was doing a photo shoot over DC last month. Pretty cool pictures that she took flying right along the prohibited area around the monuments/white house. At one point she even had to have a Secret Service agent onboard so that they could shoot inside the no fly zone...

I understand it to be a less than desirable company to work for, and the pressure will certainly be there to "get the job done". But it is a very good way to build time quickly and move on, especially if you don't have your CFI.

 

[Check 6]

I noticed that the job requires a commercial MEL, indicating that maybe you would be flying something bigger than a 172.

 

[Flyerjosh]

To my knowledge it's all high wing cessnas. Perhaps the Comm/MEL is an insurance requirement to offset low total times.

 

[pgcfii2002]

I am sure there are a few dozen UND people who will apply for this....

 

[Capt. JD]

2 years @ LAI

I flew for Landcare Aviation for 2 years. It was my first flying job out of college. My solo intent when I got hired was to get my FAR 135 IFR-PIC mins so I could fly freight/charter...
LAI has 2 PA-23-250 Aztecs / 2 C-182 or at least they did when I was there but I never got offer a chance to fly them. There fleet mainstay is the C-172P The pay when I started in 2002 was $24,000 a year, when I left in 2004 it was $29,000 a year... From what I heard pay has gone down considerable. Over all it was a good job but being on the road with no days of in site, no schedule, no multi time, no Pu$$y, etc-etc... gets old!

 

[FrozenPilot]

I shoulda just said PM me for details, I'm still working for them. Not sure why MEL is required, though there is the slightest possibility that you would fly the Aztec. Then again, I'm the senior pilot on the road right now, and I've been offered the Aztec. If it actually happens is another thing.

Otherwise, its a great company to work for, great boss & coworkers, planes are well maintained, and if you ever have any safety concerns they'll be addressed. Capt JD has the description right on, the job gets old. I've been doing this for a year and 4 months, I'm ready to move on, but dont have enough time to yet.

You do work everywhere (BTW- Hi Josh!) and its mostly VFR, though you can and will do some IFR and night while relocating to a new job site. Typically you're in one area anywhere from a week to a month, though thats just an average. I've spent as little as a day and as much as three months in one town!

Flying in the winter months runs from 10a-2p and in the summer the window can run from 8a-4p or longer. The only time you don't fly is when theres precip, low clouds or vis, snow cover, or extreme winds, otherwise you are expected to at least "go up and try it". The skills you learn to "fly the lines" transfers well to flying on instruments. Typical limits are 108kts or 139kts (depending on the photo equipment), 0.024mi (~150') either side of the centerline, +200/-100' altitude, +/- 5° bank, +/- 10° pitch, and +/- 20° crab. Its easy (boring) til you get a turbulent day, then its tiring. Working around air traffic is fun too, especially in approach/departure corridors and around VORs. As you are the sole occupant, you get to run the computer for the photo equipment, which can be as simple as pressing play and letting it run.

Equipment is basic IFR, you'll at least get dual NAV's or one NAV with a GPS (not IFR current). Some planes have a few extras that may or may not work: ADF, DME, LORAN, Navomatic, etc. All charts, plates, and currency are paid for. All are equipped with at least 50 gallon usable tanks, so you can stay aloft 5+ hours if you so wish.

Any more questions?

Almost forgot pay... $375/week for your first 6 weeks (i believe this is unchanged) $450/week thereafter. $20/month cell phone reimbursement.

 

[socal_pilot]

any chance of them taking someone with lower time? or do they stick to the 500tt?

 

[RSixer]

Not an easy job.

I did aerial photography flying, (just as a replacement for the full time pilot), boy after a couple of days you figure out this is a very demanding job. A lot of low level flying near stall speeds, lot of radio talk with ATC, all while your dodging buildings, antennas, etc, and very long days. By the end your dang tired. You'll either find it fullfilling or just hate it, but if your hungry for time it is a good for that, builds confidence as well.