Crop dusting!

[Waldom]

You will be a more effective ag-pilot if you think of yourself as a farm worker whose equipment happens to fly rather than as a pilot that does ag flying.

On the flying end, don't let your ego outpace your ability. Guess that applies to any type of flying, but a good ag-pilot has a right to be proud. The majority of professional pilots working today don't have the basic flying ability to do this job safely.

Also, remember that knowledge of the chemicals and other materials that you will be applying is every bit as critical as flying ability.

For me personally, compared to other types of flying, ag work provided the highest level of job satisfaction at the end of the day

 

[Way2Broke]

I always thought it would be rewarding to do fire bombing. I wonder how one would go about getting into such a thing? Not that I am even remotely qualified, more of a "what if" type question.

 

[DC4boy]

I always thought it would be rewarding to do fire bombing. I wonder how one would go about getting into such a thing? Not that I am even remotely qualified, more of a "what if" type question.

Now days it is extremely difficult to get into. The USFS terminated 40+ contracts in 2004, and has slowly started to rebuild, with 20 contracts this year. Uncertain times, with lots of qualed people lying around.

The CDF program is Unioned and highly coveted, the resume list is about 600 long....

www.airtanker.com

 

[Ill Mitch]

RightPedal,

I have heard from a few folks that you can really clean up flying crop dusters. They said that on a good day you could make a couple grand.

Is that true?

Well, if you could get a seat during rice season in the Sacramento area, you would make out good. Other than that, it seems to be a dying industry. Where I am at, there were four operators operating a total of 10 airplanes. Now there is one operator with a few Ag-Cats.

Here is an observation to let you know how the industry is.
For the past 11 years or so, I have been driving past this one operator in the Central Valley of California. He started with 1 1340 powered Thrush. As the years went by, I would see another airplane...and then another. At one point he had 4 radials and 1 turbine Thrush. Then, they started to go away. two years ago he had 1 radial and the turbine. Then, it was just the radial. About 4 monhts ago, he got rid of that and now operates 1 Piper Brave.

 

[Geronimo4497]

Are the airplanes going overseas or are they just being parked?

 

[agpilot34]

Some get parted out for spares, some go overseas, some tow banners. There's quite a few on the used market right now.

I strongly disagree with anyone who says this is a dying industry. While it is true there are far fewer operators nowadays, the fact remains that there is no viable substitute for aerial application in alot of cases. Ground rigs destroy crops and cant run in wet conditions, and they're slow anyway. Biotech crops are still not cost effective to grow, regardless of what the tree hugging environmentalists would like us all to believe. The aerial application business has shrunk, that is true, but it will never be completely out of the picture.

 

[mcjohn]

I would enjoy the work. And hopefully stay alive.

 

[RightPedal]

There are a few contractors out there that fertilize the pine forest for the paper companies.
When they work off my strip they takeoff with a five-thousand pound load every seven to nine minutes.
Most of the time they work at the target site and are making takeoffs and landings on ground that some people wouldn't drive a truck on. I've seen guys work daylight to dark and not get out of the airplane but once all day. I'm told that $2500 to $3000 a day is common. They work two to three days and relocate to another site which is most of the time out in the middle of nowhere and sometimes take three days to relocate and set up to work. As for me, it's those takeoffs and landings every seven to nine minutes that turn me on. I like fast pace work.

 

[Ill Mitch]

Some get parted out for spares, some go overseas, some tow banners. There's quite a few on the used market right now.

I strongly disagree with anyone who says this is a dying industry. While it is true there are far fewer operators nowadays, the fact remains that there is no viable substitute for aerial application in alot of cases. Ground rigs destroy crops and cant run in wet conditions, and they're slow anyway. Biotech crops are still not cost effective to grow, regardless of what the tree hugging environmentalists would like us all to believe. The aerial application business has shrunk, that is true, but it will never be completely out of the picture.

Yea, dying was too strong a word. But it is definitely shrinking. I agree that it will never go away completely, but as someone said in this thread and another one not too long ago, it is more of a 911 service than anything else.
I guess about the only steady spraying gigs are the boll-weevil stuff.

I had a gig lined up a couple of years ago in TN for a multi-plane operator. I really wanted to take it, but am glad I didn't as the airplanes sat for most of the season. Last season they sat as well. Hopefully this season will be better as my bros need to eat!

 

[mcjohn]

As for me, it's those takeoffs and landings every seven to nine minutes that turn me on. I like fast pace work.

Ditto. Face paced work keeps me happy. Sitting on my ass at the flight school all day is KILLING ME!