Low time Crop Duster?

[ctab5060X]

There is also a small ag school just outside of Monroe, LA in Rayville. Can't think of the name right now, but I know they teach in a dual control R985 equiped Cat and possibly will let you fly a full season in their Pawnee.

Also, there is more to the ag world than just spraying row crops.

 

[avbug]

I don't know anyone in Ohio, but you can check with ag air update online, or the national aerial applicators association for some contacts.

Dynamic Avaition (K&K) has a sterile nsect dispersal program. You may occasionally find a dedicated mosquito abatement program. Bollwevil eradication, tree seeding and fertalizing, and other programs are out there. While not surface agricultural, cloud seeding and weather mod may also be lumped into the category, and of course there's firefighting.

Most of those assignments will be in turbine aircraft and will require a fair amount of experience and flight time....but again, all you can do is try.

 

[SheGaveMeClap]

Avbug hit it right on the head. Ag planes fly differently as the load goes out, they fly differently every pass. I've had several friends get killed playing the ag pilot game. It's dangerous. Know the game and get GOOD at it before you get into it.

Experience counts, don't take it lightly.

 

[ctab5060X]

Dynamic Avaition (K&K) has a sterile nsect dispersal program. You may occasionally find a dedicated mosquito abatement program.

Dynamic also has a spray division that does include dedicated mosquito control aircraft. However, they fly King Airs and generally hire a pilot/mechanic combo as they often are sent out on long duty assignments in remote locations.

As far as dedicated mosquito abatement programs are concerned, it all depends on where they are located. Generally the districts are a single county and they either contract out services for aerial application or run their own equipment. Just because a distict has their own equipment doesn't mean that they do have an airplane as many districts have helicopters. That being said, most do have fixed wing and generally are flying birds like Aztecs and Islanders.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any mosquito control operation that operates single pilot. Most have a spotter in the right seat, and some will hire a low time pilot to gain experince in an effort to train another pilot or a replacent for an older pilot. If you catch it just right, you might be able to actually fly and spray under the supervision of an experienced pilot, thus building your ag time in that fashion.

 

[avbug]

Bear in mind that if you do get into other programs such as mosquito spraying, most ag operators doing timber or row crops won't consider it as ag, and insurance generally doesn't consider it that way, either. Likewise, time spent towing banners or glidrs in a pawnee, even though it's an aircraft that's also used in spray operrations, won't be considered in most cases. It's a chance to get into an ag type airplane, but the flying is so different, and the handling characteristics are so different, that it won't be counted toward ag experience. Conventional gear yes, ag no.

Many mosquito programs are done in nosewheel airplanes, often multi engine airplanes. We do mosquito with an AgCat...it's out spraying right now, actually.

Row crop work and any herbicide work is fairly specialized, and has to be exact. A field treated with a herbicide will show skips in the field if the swath runs haven't been precise, and this earns the operator a bad reputation, and may result in a refusal to pay...one or two of which can result in going bankrupt. Additionally, chemical drift is a very, very, very big issue, and can result in law suits which will put an operator under in a heartbeat. Operators are usually very careful about who they let fly for them for those reasons alone, to say nothing of others that have been already mentioned.

All the same, if ag is really something you want to do, get your foot in where ever you can, and go from there. You need to start somewhere, so pick a point, and start. The hard part is getting someone to hire you in the first place. I've done aerial application in many different forms in aircraf ranging from small fabric covered piston airplanes to turbojet airplanes, to large four engine radial powered airplanes, and I can't just walk into any particular place and get hired.

A quick perusal of Trade A Plane turned up the following:

EAST NEEDS AG or fire suppression experienced pilots to fly the latest AT-802's, the up-graded OV-10D, and the new OV-10G model. Must have 2000 hours of fixed wing hours, of which 1000 hours must be AG or fire suppression time; 100 hours AG/fire suppression in the last 12 months. Also requires FAA Commercial or ATP, FAA CFI, FAA Instrument (must be proficient single pilot IFR), and Class II Medical. Must speak Spanish or be able to learn quickly. Please reference #TAP001 on resume. Fax resume and copies of FAA licenses, current medical certificate, and passport to: FL/(321) 777-1811, Attn: EAST HR or E-mail to: [email protected] No phone calls please. An Equal Opportunity Employer.

That ad, and the following, are currently on Ag Air Update Online (www.agairupdate.com):

Pilot partner wanted, must be ready to work, in Central Valley California, Established business, 50+ years. Ag Cats P&W 1340 Very serious inquiries only. 209-835-2838, or 209-610-2449. Contact John or Chuck (7-07)

Neither are entry level positions. You'll see a lot more positions advertised over the winter and early spring...right now most seats are taken because you're into the spray season.

The traditional method, and really the only method, for getting hired, is to visit every ag operator you can and talk to them in person about a job. It's time consuming, and there's the expense of being off work and traveling, but there's really no substitute. Most operators couldn't care less about your resume, it's paper. You need experience to be sure, but that's just the start. They want to meet you up front and know who you are. I can tell most of what I need to know about a pilot before we ever get to the airpalne to fly together, and most operators can too...you won't snow them. You either have it together or not, and they'll know. That's in your favor; be a good asset who they can use, and they'll know that too, but you have to be in their office, on their ramp, or on their doorstep for that to happen.

 

[TWA]

The timing of this is kind of dumb luck. This next week there is going to be an ag plane (not sure what type) working out of my FBO. I heard from one of the locals that there is a new anti fungal chemical for corn the doubles the yield and can pretty much only be applied by air. Because it only effects this one specific kind of fungus, drift is not a problem. I also heard that because of all this Ethanol stuff, this year has the most corn planted since 1944. This could bring a comeback to crop dusting. Know anything about this Avbug? I'm just goin off what I heard over morning coffee.

 

[avbug]

We were just having a talk about it this afternoon. Some of the AT-802's have been pulled off fire to do Fungicide, and we just had an 802 show up that got pulled off the corn to come do fires.

Doubles the yield would be a stretch, but increases it, definitely. By a considerable margin.

Ethanol is more of a pipe dream; the energy required to produce it makes it a low margin item...not that attractive. Rape seed (canola) and other products, however, do show some promise.

Ag won't go back to what it was. Bigger airplanes requiring more experienced pilots mean less employed pilots because they're doing more acres and using less aircraft. There's enough of a challenge for an inexperienced pilot to get into an AgWagon or other entry level piston sprayer, but really no chance for someone starting out to get into an 802 or turbine thrush.

 

[Princedietrich]

Know of anyone still spraying in Ohio?

The only spray operation I know of in Ohio is Trump Aviation, north of Dayton. But I think it's a one man owner/op show.

 

[TWA]

The only spray operation I know of in Ohio is Trump Aviation, north of Dayton. But I think it's a one man owner/op show.

I kind of inadvertently ran across his website the other day. Not much on it, but he is selling a Pawnee on Trade a Plane.

 

[TWA]

Ok, I'm not sure how this works out, but I'm going to pass on what I just heard anyway.

Right now there is an AT-502 from Evergreen Flying Services out of Louisiana dusting out of my FBO in Ohio. I just spoke with the pilot, and he said he started spraying with 250 hours right when he got his commercial. Except for spraying, I don't think this guy got a whole lot of formal training. He has had the hardest time talking with towers, needed the exact coordinates of the airport for his gps, and wasn't too sure on the use of sectionals. Definitely a country boy used to country flying.