Farken Ag Pilot!

[mattpilot]

Notice i used the singular form - i'm not talking about the entire breed

Warning: This is a rant


Today (4/14) i was flying out in the Tulsa area at around 6 pm. My instructor & I decided to head on over to 0F8 to do some landings. We approached from the west at roughly 2500ft (~1600agl) - while doing that we listened to CTAF and figured out that there were roughly 4 guys in the pattern (5 with us soon). About 3 miles out from the airport we notice a yellow plane at around 2000ft (~1100agl), approaching from our left and headed for the airport. He was no more than a mile from us. That farker cut right infront of us. According to the right-of-way rules, we had right of way, but that gung-ho beotch just cut us off.

ANyway, we kinda get behind him and follow him in to the airport. Active runway was 35 with a left pattern. We figured out where the 4 other guys in the pattern where and managed to enter nicely with good spacing. Gung-ho Ag pilot drops to a lower altitude, shoots across the runway while someone else is on short final, makes a left turn for a LEFTpattern for 17 - all very tight turns. So get this - while he is on final, someone else is in the process of taking off , immediately after rotation from runway 35, he sidesteps because this gung-ho ag pilot is on short final. Looked like he would stall out by the "evasive maneuver" he did. Anyway, in the mean time i'm already on final for 35 and the ag pilot just cruises on in like nothings going on and lands right infront of me. So i go around.

And the craziest thing was that jack-arse never even once anounced anything on the radio - i guess he didn't have one. I made the calls for him, letting everyone know where he's at. But gawd, that dude was fooken dangerous with 5 other guys in the pattern.

No wonder ag pilots don't live very long

Anyway - rant over.

 

[Kream926]

huh

i heard the same story from one of my buddies

 

[urflyingme?!]

Your not cool until you take off and see a plane on short final!

 

[YGBSM]

And the craziest thing was that jack-arse never even once anounced anything on the radio - i guess he didn't have one.

Somehow I'd guess that flying into the airspace surrounding 0F8 international airport doesn't require a radio to be installed in the aircraft.

Some of my 65+ year old ag pilot buddies will sure be surprised to hear they don't live very long. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[DC4boy]

Boy you're right! What an Idiot. This guy's out trying to earn a living, helping farmers feed America, and the whole time, he's screwing up one of your bazillion 747 T&G patterns. Oh the Humanity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TOOL

 

[avbug]

I guess you missed the part of 14 CFR 137.29(c) that says,

§ 137.29 General.
(c) The holder of an agricultural aircraft operator certificate may deviate from the provisions of Part 91 of this chapter without a certificate of waiver, as authorized in this subpart for dispensing operations, when conducting nondispensing aerial work operations related to agriculture, horticulture, or forest preservation in accordance with the operating rules of this subpart.


Gotta love that radio. It probably looks for traffic better than you do.

Do me a favor, though. Don't make any radio traffic calls on my behalf.

 

[moving2vegas]

The real a$$ here is you for posting this BS. These guys work for a living (along with americas' most underappreciate worker...the farmer)so you and I have food on the table every night. An ag driver can cut me off anytime, I get paid by the minute. BTW...with 250 hrs TT, you're trying to build time (aka experience) anyway. So write off the whole situation as a learning experience and put an extra couple tenths in the book.

 

[TDTURBO]

I guess you missed the part of 14 CFR 137.29(c) that says,

§ 137.29 General.
(c) The holder of an agricultural aircraft operator certificate may deviate from the provisions of Part 91 of this chapter without a certificate of waiver, as authorized in this subpart for dispensing operations, when conducting nondispensing aerial work operations related to agriculture, horticulture, or forest preservation in accordance with the operating rules of this subpart.


Gotta love that radio. It probably looks for traffic better than you do.

Do me a favor, though. Don't make any radio traffic calls on my behalf.

So bottom line here is avbug is that since the FAR's say it's o.k. it's smart and safe.? Just because he is a crop duster doesn't defy the laws of de-excelleration poisoning at 500 agl. I think what he did was inexcusable regardless of any FAR stating otherwise. If I guy did that to me I would confront him why it was necessary to cut off and ignore standard proceedure and get his side of the story. Let's all work together and put egos aside!


Why can't a crop duster use a handheld? Is their some law against it? I realize it is not required but is it smart!


One more thing, I see the reference you make above that states nothing about deviating from recommended traffic protocols at an un-controlled field. So try and find another one that has something to do with the issue being dicussed please. I think the above reference is for flying below minimum altitudes over rural areas and doesn't give cart blaunch(sp)? to deviate from standard high density traffic area proceedures.

I know it's legal but so what, what's a handheld cost compared to a mid-air and possibly several lives?

I also realize that it states he may deviate from any part 91 rules, what does that exacly mean? Reckless flying is O.K.? He can ignore all part 91? Please enlighten us so we can stay well clear of these operations, if this is the case, they should be NOTAM'ed at the very least.

Don't get me wrong, I think they do an invaluble service and the work is dangerous and under paid, but everything can be improved, so I feel it should be passed along to your fellow crop dusters at the very least.


Flame suit now on with full Kevlar composite aluminum alloy compound.

 

[RideTheWind]

That's pretty farken funny, a handheld in a cropduster, have ta be a farken ANR hanheld.

 

[TDTURBO]

That's pretty farken funny, a handheld in a cropduster, have ta be a farken ANR hanheld.

So?
A lot less funny when it's you in the pattern in a head on isn't it. Maybe equip them with a used KX155 for under a thousand. There is always a way to improve safety, and don't tell me that you should be looking ouside to ensure traffic separation as a 100% gaurentee of traffic avoidance, we all know that doesn't always work, especially when high and low wings mix it up without radios.