Crop dusting and banner tow
05-02-2007, 08:23 AM
#12
Moderator
Joined APC: May 2006
Position: ATP, CFI etc.
Posts: 6,056
Originally Posted by learav8r
If you were towing a banner at stall speed that you were doing something wrong.
Care to elaborate on that a little?
SuperCub with a climb prop is 100% safe at or near stall speed, saves fuel since rpm is minimized, and spends more time exposing the banner. Normally you would fly a little faster for peace of mind, but it isn't necessary and actually is a great way to keep your senses attuned.
I know it can be done, I did it, I had fun, and I know you are mistaken here. You say elsewhere you towed banners...what plane did you use?
There's no old bold pilots but Cubs are the most docile aircraft ever invented. You have my blessing to take one out and do a stall.
Last edited by Cubdriver; 05-02-2007 at 03:34 PM.
05-02-2007, 08:50 AM
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Posts: 919
[QUOTE=learav8r;158759]$175,000 crop dusting? don't think so....
You would be very surprised at the pay a working Aerial Applicator (PC term for Crop Duster) could make. If youi are willing to follow the crops (peas in Michigan in the summer, Citrus in FL or CA in the cold months, Rice in TX, cotton, etc) you can make what senior captains at GOOD airlines (legacies, FedEx, etc) make. Of course you are going to work much harder and the flying is dangerous, no pass priveledges, etc. You can make a lot of money though. Many pilots will work different seasons - 4-6 months and that is it - they can make $75 to $100k in that amount of time.
You would be very surprised at the pay a working Aerial Applicator (PC term for Crop Duster) could make. If youi are willing to follow the crops (peas in Michigan in the summer, Citrus in FL or CA in the cold months, Rice in TX, cotton, etc) you can make what senior captains at GOOD airlines (legacies, FedEx, etc) make. Of course you are going to work much harder and the flying is dangerous, no pass priveledges, etc. You can make a lot of money though. Many pilots will work different seasons - 4-6 months and that is it - they can make $75 to $100k in that amount of time.
05-02-2007, 03:30 PM
#14
Piper Commander
Joined APC: Aug 2006
Position: PA44 - Right
Posts: 302
Originally Posted by usmc-sgt
*from the aerialmessage website*
so...250 hours per month. If you flew 30 days straight you would be flying 8.3 hours per day....sounds reasonable to me! What a great statement
I also like the pay scale....that is a pretty impressive range I believe the 12 dollars but I have a feeling the 28 is a mythical made up number...
so...250 hours per month. If you flew 30 days straight you would be flying 8.3 hours per day....sounds reasonable to me! What a great statement
I also like the pay scale....that is a pretty impressive range I believe the 12 dollars but I have a feeling the 28 is a mythical made up number...
05-04-2007, 02:13 PM
#15
Line Holder
Joined APC: Dec 2005
Position: B737
Posts: 80
You say elsewhere you towed banners...what plane did you use?
Towing a sign and stalling for fun is stupid, save it for training.
You can make a lot of money though. Many pilots will work different seasons - 4-6 months and that is it - they can make $75 to $100k in that amount of time.
There's no old bold pilots but Cubs are the most docile aircraft ever invented. You have my blessing to take one out and do a stall.
Last edited by learav8r; 05-04-2007 at 02:19 PM.
06-04-2007, 09:13 PM
#18
Line Holder
Joined APC: Sep 2006
Posts: 36
Van Wagner is a great company. I flew for them all last summer. New hires get topped out at $40/hr now.
I was towing well over 100 hrs a month, flew a ton of xc, saw lots of the country, and still have opportunities to fly for them when I have the time off. Sometimes I wonder if I should just tow banners for the rest of my life... then I remember what it was like to **** in a bottle all day while sitting in a windy box 3 ft away from the open pipes for 12 hrs a day.
Towing a sign and stalling for fun is not stupid. It is a non event. You generally tow close to stall speed anyways and should be very comfortable there. As if a stall in a cub wasn't benign enough all you have to do is get a big old banner tied to the back to make it even less exciting.
Check your hook.
I was towing well over 100 hrs a month, flew a ton of xc, saw lots of the country, and still have opportunities to fly for them when I have the time off. Sometimes I wonder if I should just tow banners for the rest of my life... then I remember what it was like to **** in a bottle all day while sitting in a windy box 3 ft away from the open pipes for 12 hrs a day.
Towing a sign and stalling for fun is not stupid. It is a non event. You generally tow close to stall speed anyways and should be very comfortable there. As if a stall in a cub wasn't benign enough all you have to do is get a big old banner tied to the back to make it even less exciting.
Check your hook.
06-07-2007, 11:11 AM
#19
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Posts: 919
I don't know much about the crop dusting industry but I do know that they do NOT make $175,000 like the other guy said.
You admit you do not know much about the Crop dusting industry, but then you state conclusively that you KNOW they do not make $175k.
What you are failing to realize is that you are wrong. Some of the current Ag planes cost upwards of $1.1-1.5 MILLION dollars. If it wasn't lucrative, how do you think the operators could swing the note on that airplane, plus the gas, plus the maintenance, and still make huge profits. You really should not put out information as conclusive within the same statement you admit to knowing little about a given topic - it tends to kill credibility.
Here is a site to educate your self on the equipment and costs - www.airtractor.com
You admit you do not know much about the Crop dusting industry, but then you state conclusively that you KNOW they do not make $175k.
What you are failing to realize is that you are wrong. Some of the current Ag planes cost upwards of $1.1-1.5 MILLION dollars. If it wasn't lucrative, how do you think the operators could swing the note on that airplane, plus the gas, plus the maintenance, and still make huge profits. You really should not put out information as conclusive within the same statement you admit to knowing little about a given topic - it tends to kill credibility.
Here is a site to educate your self on the equipment and costs - www.airtractor.com
06-07-2007, 11:46 AM
#20
Line Holder
Joined APC: Dec 2005
Position: B737
Posts: 80
You admit you do not know much about the Crop dusting industry, but then you state conclusively that you KNOW they do not make $175k.
What you are failing to realize is that you are wrong. Some of the current Ag planes cost upwards of $1.1-1.5 MILLION dollars. If it wasn't lucrative, how do you think the operators could swing the note on that airplane, plus the gas, plus the maintenance, and still make huge profits. You really should not put out information as conclusive within the same statement you admit to knowing little about a given topic - it tends to kill credibility.
What you are failing to realize is that you are wrong. Some of the current Ag planes cost upwards of $1.1-1.5 MILLION dollars. If it wasn't lucrative, how do you think the operators could swing the note on that airplane, plus the gas, plus the maintenance, and still make huge profits. You really should not put out information as conclusive within the same statement you admit to knowing little about a given topic - it tends to kill credibility.
Since you guys are all pros when it comes to crop dusting, I am out of this debate. Obviously I have nothing to add that is credible. Seems to me that if the job paid $175,000 a year than more people would be doing it. Every ag pilot I ever met wasn't making near that amount so you must be special.
I was talking about pilots not operators.
As for you guys towing signs that want to go out there and stall the airplane for fun at 500ft off the beach good luck (no big deal). PM me your name and I'll call Jimmy Butler for you and see what he thinks.
You want to be professional than act like it.
