Crop Dusting...

[be76pilot]

Hey, has anyone ever heard that the airlines don't hire past crop dusters, because of their "reckless" type of flying? I have always been told this by my instructors, and want to clear up the mystery. Is this a good begining job to build hours, or should you look elsewhere? Thanks for the input.

 

[avbug]

First of all, build experience, not hours. Don't even get me started on that.

Second, was your instructor an ag pilot? If not, then he probably didn't have a clue what he was talking about. If he was, then had he any experience interviewing for airlines with an ag background? If not, he still probably didn't know what he was talking about.

Yes, an ag background carries with it a certain stigma. Not the least of which is the fact that if you spray long enough, you're probably going to wrap up a powerline one day. Or a tree. Airlines like a clean flying history. I don't know any old ag pilots who don't have a few mishap stories...doesn't matter how good you are, or how experienced. It only takes once, and there are many opportunities when performing ag work for it to happen that "once."

Ag flying is not entry level work. Airline flying is more entry level, but ag flying is not. Most operators won't touch you without at least a thousand hours of ag, and therein lies the catch 22.

Cowboys? Not hardly. I don't know any cowboy ag pilots; but I do know a lot of ag pilots who are dedicated professionals, and who can fly the living tar out of an airplane in a safe, dedicated, professional manner.

Flying ag you had better know how to fly, because you have everything already against you. You're low, you're slow, you're loaded to the gills, you have no additional power or performance, and you're up against obstacles, winds, etc. And the work is extremely precise. Being off by a foot or two can spell the difference between lawsuits or refusal to pay, and the survival of the company. Very precise work, with long hours.

I worked with an ag pilot I know to get his instrument rating the year before last. He has been spraying most of his life, but has been putting off the instrument rating...no need. A need came up, and I talked him into getting it. He was intimidated, but I've never seen someone who flew the airplane so naturally, or who took to flying instruments so quickly as he did. It was intuitive.

It's worth noting that the test which the State Department uses when screening applicants to fly ag airplanes against certain illegal substances in the southern hemisphere is an instrument test, in an ag airplane. They want pilots who fly exactly and precisely, and who have ample ag experience. If you ever have the opportunity to sit among a crowd such as might gather there, or elsewhere, you'll quickly come to realize that it's no group of "cowboys" at all, but a group of professionals who operate in a little different manner than you might. But professional none the less.

Pilots with an ag background do get hired by airlines, and other parts of the industry, too.

If you're looking to ag as a time building gesture, then give it up right now. Go flight instruct.

If you're willing to learn about chemicals, insects, and husbandry/farm work, then go for it. If you're prepared to work on the airplanes (you break it, you fix it), if you're prepared to do what it takes to get the job done, and if you're prepared to do what it takes, go for it. It's not easy to simply walk right in and go to work. The industry is shrinking, dying in a sense. The work is still there, but today it's often being done by larger, faster airplanes, with fewer and fewer openings being made available. Of those openings, very rarely is one given to someone without substantial ag experience.

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

Hey, has anyone ever heard that the airlines don't hire past crop dusters, because of their "reckless" type of flying? I have always been told this by my instructors, and want to clear up the mystery. Is this a good begining job to build hours, or should you look elsewhere? Thanks for the input.

My uncle was a duster for years before working for Continental. He's now a B777 Captain, I think that is totally false.

As far as a beginning job, they are rather tough to get your hands on. And don’t fool yourself in regards to crop dusting; one thing I heard from all the dusters I’ve met is most of them know someone who’s been in the power lines.

Fly safe,
TA

 

[bugchaser]

Good post Avbug. Like he said, Ag flying is not really a time builder type of job. You have to be dedicated to what you are doing in order to get anywhere in this line of work. The industry has changed a lot from the cheaper recip airplanes to very expensive turbine equipment. You really have to earn the confidence of an operator before he will turn you lose with his business and livelyhood in your hands. Flying the airplane must become secondary to performing your primary role of applying product to the proper place. In order to do good work, you have to be able to fly the airplane without giving it much thought. That kind of comfort in an airplane only comes from sitting in there for many hours. Most of us are much more comfortable in the airplane than we are in our pickups. I have been flying the same airplane now for about 1000 hrs and love the feeling that you get when the airplane is one with you. I have not felt that comfortable doing any other type of flying. I think it comes from spending so much time right on the edge. That is one of the things that I love so much about this kind of flying. I have also noticed that when I give dual to an ag pilot, they seem to have a good comfort level in whatever they are flying and usually can pick up on most skills rather quickly. Following a gps lightbar and staying within 5ft of your track all day at 150mph helps quite a bit with your LOC tracking ability. I personally do as much instructing as possible during the winter and try to do as much instrument work as I can. There are a few opportunities here and there for the right people, but they are few and far between.

As for the airlines hiring Ag pilots, I personally know of a few that are now flying for major carriers like SW who got the majority of their time in an ag airplane. Learning to make decisions and take care of expensive equipment is good experience in most peoples book. Like Avbug said, those that know anything about this industry realize that it is not like years past. The reckless daredevil image of the local cropduster is being replaced with that of a professional who is well trained and skilled at what they do. I don't know what all airlines think about it, but for me I know that all the hours sitting in a high performance turbine airplane, flying it right on the edge of its performance envelope makes me a better pilot, whatever I fly.

 

[bugchaser]

You guys keep mentioning power lines. I forgot to add that if you fly ag for long, you will hit one sooner or later. You either have or are about to. In addition to power lines, there are many other obsacles out there to ruin your day. One of the harest thing about this type of flying is that you have to stay sharp and on your toes for the entire time. That means hand flying without any mistakes at all for up to 15 hrs at a stretch. Sometimes 7 days a week for weeks on end. Fatigue is what will get you. It would be about the same as shooting ILS approaches to mins for hrs. The hardest and most rewarding flying that I have ever done.

 

[be76pilot]

Thanks a lot for all of your inputs on my question. Very good posts.