I didn't say he'd be necessarily
better but he sure as heck wouldn't be worse.
However, what a crop sprayer would bring to the party so to speak is
a prior appreciation of a commercial operation, a greater appreciation of wind and the effects close to the ground during landing and take off, weather issues, esp down bursts and so on.
In short. Real commercial experience. A crop sprayer isn't an inexperienced pilot. You just can't get a start without at least 500 to 1000 hours.
Crop spraying (for one aspect of GA ops) isn't just chucking some chemicals about for a laugh. It's very precise flying dealing with very expensive and potentially dangerous chemicals. If you can fly a turbine accurately at 50' spraying crops, you can fly an ILS with the A/P in too. However, he (or she) will probably have a greater appreciation of how the wind will affect the aircraft during a x-wind landing etc.
As I said, crop spraying (or any other demanding commercial operation) will give the pilot valuable experience that will be of benefit
as well as a year's flying the line.
To be honest, a crop sprayer probably wouldn't do "airlines". They'd be bored. Also, (in Australia at least 10 years ago), they'd make more money in 6 months than an airline pilot would make in 12.
It's not just about flying an aircraft from A to B.
I am not saying a keen enthusiast low houred pilot is a liability, certainly not, they'll learn a lot. Just don't write off a keen enthusiastic GA pilot either or the experience it'll bring.
My point is not dissimilar to FL370 Officeboy's. I just took umbrage at his disparaging remarks about crop sprayers. That is a totally different world to pootling around VFR in a C152 staring out the window enjoying the view.
One could say that blasting around at 50' in a fast jet delivering ordnance is not relevant to multi crew airline ops but just watch the recruiters fall over themselves to hire a fast jet jock.
