Ag Flying - what's it like?

[Onan the Clumsy]

I've seen a little here in Texas (in fact they operate from our drop zone)and I've always wondered what it would be like to do.

I can see the positive sides being lots of interesting flying of a type you might not normally get to do, a challenging mission as opposed to just boring holes in the sky, and it seems like a good way to build time.

I've also read NTSB reports and seen that a lot of ag aircraft appear several times but I imagine that worse than that would be the chemicals. Not knowing much about it, I imagine it's not too long before they have an effect on you, especially as by definition it gets airborne.

Also, as a personal thought, I don't know how I'd feel about putting hundreds of gallons of chemicals into the environment.


Anyway it's a genuine question, so I'll await your answers.

OtC (JetBlast refugee)

[Super Cecil]

You don't go into AG just to "Build hours", you have to be dedicated and mad about flying to put those sort of hours in.
In this country it's also the only way in General Aviation to get resonable wages, can vary from minimum of 60K up to 150K in a good productive year.

As far as "putting hundreds of gallons of chemicals into the environment", these are licenced chemicals approved by multiple Government Authorities and applied as recomended.

[currawong]

Hello Onan.

Big plane or small plane whatever role there is an enormous amount of responsibility and self discipline required.

This is magnified somewhat when carrying sometimes tons of product that carries labels such as "deadly".

You be the judge.

[AT502]

ITS THE BEST:ok: :ok: :ok:

Don't worry about the chemicals, they are not the worry. The powerlines are the biggest hazard!

Go and visit some of the operators in Texas near you and they will answer any of your questions!

ST:cool:

[AndyDRHuddleston]

Can somebody tell me what AG actually means? I have been watching this forum for a while and can't for the life of me figure out what it stands for!!

Thanks

ADRH

[Super Cecil]

That's AGricultural, better than the yankee term cropduster.

[skidbiter]

Ag flying is a way of life, its not something you want to venture into if you are bored. Its something I have always wanted to do since I was a kid, same with most of the ag pilots out there.......

[Super Cecil]

Forgot to mention how dangerous the job is, so far this year I've had 3 papercuts from all the crap paperwork we're bombarded with. :8

[AT502]

Gee I always thought the AG was for AGGRO!

Thanks for clearing that up for me;)

Thank God we don't call ourselves CROPDUSTERS.......... maybe it's because we don't actually 'dust crops' at all:sad:

We are very professional pilots, we just don't wear uniforms like the rest of aviation. If you have ever doubted what we do, I dare you to come for a few spray runs:} :} :}

Super Trouper:cool: :cool:

[828a]

Super Trouper:

I can't agree with your remarks about cropdusters being known as Ag pilots. When I did it back in the 1950s it was known as "cropdusting" and even today the general public know it as cropdusting. Andydrhudleston who hails from the UK had no idea what Ag stands for and you will find it is the same in the USA where the term dusting refers to an industry 100 times bigger than Australias'. The pioneers named it cropdusting and cropdusting it should still be.

828a

[currawong]

828a,

For your info, in our part of the world, "crop duster" can be a derogatory term. Generally used to describe a "clown" or "cowboy".

We prefer "aerial applicator" or "ag pilot".

Irony would have it the public is more likely to recognise "crop duster".

As for the folks in the US not using the "Ag" term...

The publishers of "Ag Pilot" and "Ag Air Update" may beg to differ.

Out of interest, what is UK speak for the trade?

[maxspeed]

AGRICULTURAL AVIATOR:ouch:

[Makaya]

Waaoow!

You guys look pretty serious about the way people call Ag pilots.
Honestly, I never thought about it before.

But when you are down to that stage, you can cope with all the cowboys or clown nicknames...

http://62.210.160.29/ImgAlbums2/Images2/30304/flpaUKccS2D20032004075838780175.jpg

Cheers

Makaya

[Loc-out]

What's it like?

Remember this, it can be a very dangerous job. It requires a lot of self disapline, and this comes with experience in most cases. You need and will further develope good "stick and rudder" skills.
It is really a career move and something to be done fulltime or not at all. I have known of some exceptionaly good pilots who have been killed by going back to ag flying part time.

There is an old saying in AG aviation "if the flying doesn't get you, the chemical probably will" I did ten years of it in many countries. Now the flying didn't get me, so the chemical probably will. That's the price that has to be paid. If you are working with chemicals, you will take a certain amount into your system, whatever precautions are taken. Some chemicals stay in your body for life.

Have to disagree with super trouper on the dangers of the chemical. Insecticides are designed to kill, period. Insecticides and to a lesser extent herbicides, will kill you too, if you take enough of it in over a period of time. Just because it is legal doen't mean to say it is safe. You can catch a fish mid Pacific and it will have traces of DDT within it. That is a fact. With insects and weeds, we are dealing with nature, therefore weeds and insects become very resistant to the chemical very quickly indeed, in some cases. Millions, if not billions are spent on overcoming this resistance. How much is spent on research on the effect on these chemicals on the enviroment? Not much, believe me.

[Onan the Clumsy]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll see if those guys at our local place are still in operation. I think they might be because I've see their truck parked on 17-35 lately :ooh:

and I for one never doubted it was a professional position :ok:

[828a]

currawong;

I dont know why you insinuate that cropdusters are known as cowboys. A number of the men I knew who were engaged in the early days of cropdusting were ex wartime pilots and they certainly were not cowboys. Perhaps it's your generation that has produced a flock of your so called cowboys and if this be the case then I understand what you are saying.

828a

[prospector]

If you go far enough back in NZ the favoured name for Ag Pilots was "Dung Dusters".

Our local pub was renamed "Dung Dusters Arms" and there was a lot of elbow bending in there when the weather was crook.

Prospector

[currawong]

828a,

Maybe I was not clear, it is the term, not the profession.

No where did I say "crop dusters are cowboys".

That would be a little short sighted, given that I am an ag pilot/crop duster/aerial applicator.

By and large, the rough ones have been regulated out of the industry. Some linger on. Unfortunately, some are operators, that do all the hiring and firing. Need I say more.

:ok:

[AT502]

828a - don't take offence. Australia is the capital of politically correct terms, more so then the USA. A 'cropduster' here is a bad thing - we are out poisoning the environment! However the term 'aerial applicator' is much more accepted, people don't spit on you straight away:p


Loc-out.............. things are a HELL of a lot different now days! Not even going to bother going into it all. But I would not be doing this job if I was worried about my health. Your in more danger at home with your can of fly spray in your hand squirting the poor bugger until he dwons in the $h*t!!:}


ST:E

[Fly Better!]

Out of interest, what is UK speak for the trade?

LOL its history in the UK anyhow, but crop spraying or dusting would be used.

Just about the only things still in use are helicopters spraying spuds for blight. There just arent any chemicals left that can be applied by aircraft. The fields are generaly smaller in the uk and spray drift is a problem.

Low ground pressure and high clearance machines have taken over as they make a (dare I say this) more accurate and efficient use of the chemical.

[currawong]

Thanks Fly Better.

What about the rest of Europe?

Just out of interest, our regulator here has found 75% of spray drift problems originate from ground based equipment, in spite of the huge amount that gets done by air.

Some operators here specialise in vege work, small fields, maybe even 2 Ha small.

I suppose population density and proximity would make it quite difficult in your part of the world.

Thanks again.

[Fly Better!]

Not sure about Europe.

It is a population thing here in the UK coupled with high hedgerows and masses of cables everywhere. Although there are bigger fields round Norfolk area and Lincolnshire.

At the end of the day if chemical isnt approved for arial application your stuffed :( The rules for ground application are very tight too. If I recal correctly you cant spray in nil wind conditions! 4mph wind is required so at least you can predict any drif direction, surrounding houses need 24 hrs notice too (chuff knows why).

[GodisMyCopilot]

How difficult is it to get into crop dusting? would an outfit take on a low hours pilot?

is there a specific rating required apart from a CPL?

Cheers

[currawong]

GMC,

Depends, where you try. It certainly is not getting any easier.

It generally is a specific rating.

Some outfits will take a new Ag rating/CPL, if they know you.

Key is to get involved in a ground role first to get known.

I got a start with only 400 something TT. Some are a lot quicker, some slower. Down Under, anyway.

Good luck.