GoEagles14

Any one have any info on them? Read some things from awhile ago and wondering if anything has changed in the past couple years? Also if they are looking for anyone, what requirements, etc.

ZippyTWS

If you're referring to the 172 survey jobs, NSA sold that to Ground Imaging out of south bend two seasons ago. I know all the survey jobs are already working and the season is over in a few months but it never hurts to send in an application. People will leave throughout the season once they get atp or 135 mins or realize survey work isn't for them.

Also mins for most survey jobs are commercial single and that's it. Being competitive isn't really cut and dry. If you know someone doing the job who vouches for you as a pilot you will likely get an interview at least. Beyond that all the companies seem to have their own hiring requirements that only the people doing the hiring knows

So check with your flying buddies and apply everywhere.

Season is from roughly Nov-May, companies start hiring around October

BLURCEO

I currently work for ground imaging. We are currently full but I think we we have a guy leaving in the next few weeks. Total of 12 172s very bare bones. Also have some 182s and 206 in Hawaii. No GPS in the panel or DME in some. I’ve done about 300 hours since we started in October. But have done a lot of sitting for weather. Pay at GI is 7.25 a hour, 8 hours a day minimum 7 days a week. They do pay the over time. They cover rental car and hotel. No pir diem. You get a week off work every two months roughly, unpaid. They provide a iPad with foreflight for you to use. Also a company credit card for exapense. You are a W2 employee and they provide healthcare for one person as 75 a month. We stick around the Midwest and east coast. Mins when I hired in were 250 hours with a commercial. Prefrence to multi commercial and High power endorsement. They are part of another company Williams aerial and mapping that does a lot of work during the summer. If you make it with GI they may hire you and they pay a LOT better. If you want know more send a PM.

deftone

I have no Survey experience....but doesnt it require flying quite precise tracks? I would have expected a decent GPS system to be a fundamental requirement?

Gasfiltered

The lines are very precise, after a bit you can keep your lateral deviation to within 10 or 15 feet, even in turbulence. The best way to describe it is flying the last quarter mile of an ILS for 3-5 hours straight. The GPS used for imaging is not an aviation GPS and they usually don't have any kind of point to point navigation functions.

BLURCEO

So for almost all the plans, we get, 150 feet left or right, 200 up or down, up to 4 degrees of roll, 5 degrees of pitch, and 20 degrees of crab. It's not bad most days, but if you have any amount of wind over 20KTS it makes things fun.

And our aircraft we just have two radios with nav. No actual GPS unit other than whats on your ipad for foreflight.

deftone

Interesting! I didnt realize that! I am building towards my commercial so hopefully I will be joining the Survey crowd next season.

El Pilot

I recommend Ground Imaging. I did a season and 1/2 there and got good experience traveling to interesting places

Selfmade92

True, wonder how other survey companies operate though. Are you guys allowed to operate on bad weather days? Meaning Low IFR/IFR days where you can't make it up to 5,000 feet to do survey due to clouds?


Nice thing about my company is, I fly every day and have improved my IFR game a ton! Houston and Texas has been a **** show this year lol.

yrbroom

Houston?? You must be flying for AA