flyin4life

Cubdriver

Welcome to APC, FlyIn4. I am not sure how many aerial applicators or crop sprayers we have here at APC who have time to answer your questions (it's planting time), but the topic has come up a number of times so use the search window at the upper left to dig them up. Another thing you can do is go to the USBLS Occupational Outlook Handbook section on Pilots and see what they have to say, here. I think some crop or aerial applicators also have degrees in chemistry to help them mix the chemicals correctly for the crops the treat, but don't take my word for it.

WalkOfShame

Flyin-

First of all, welcome! I'm not a crop duster myself, but I have a couple friends that are so I know a little. There are a couple threads that talk about this subject that would be worth reading. Use the "Search" link on the blue bar at the the of the page and see if you can find them. Try searching for "cropdusting" or "aerial application".

My next suggestion would be to talk with the guy you know (or if theres another operator in your town, talk to them) and see if you can work for them this summer loading chemical. Growing up on a farm will help too since you're probably already familiar with some of the chemicals used and how the operation works. The crop dusters I know worked there way into the pilot seat loading and fueling the planes. Now there flying a turbine thrush and air tractor!

Last you will need to get your single-engine commercial rating, tailwheel endorsement (if you don't have it already), and a high performance endorsement and build up some tail wheel time. If you don't have the 250hrs yet for the commercial, I would suggest getting a tailwheel endorsement and then building tailwheel time while you get to the 250hrs, that way you have a good amount. Plus most tailwheel aircraft I've seen are cheaper to rent!

Hope this gives you a place to start. Good luck!

Ewfflyer

You don't need a degree to mix chemicals. Just an applicators license(or fall under someone elses).

And as suggested, I would hang around the guy you already know, that's your best resource!

rdneckpilot

Getting a seat flying ag can be frustrating if you do not have an insider helping you get the first job. I would suggest getting your tailwheel and High performance endorsement now and take advantage of any opportunity to fly tailwheel you can while building time for the commercial. Glider clubs are a good place to look for flying opportunities. Many times they use Piper Pawnee and Cessna Ag Trucks for tow planes. Once you get the commercial you can banner tow and do sight seeing flights for the time building. Once again those two missions often involve conventional gear aircraft.

I would also suggest getting your A&P license. It will make you more marketable to operators and if you ever own your own plane it helps keep the cash flow on the positive side if you can do your own wrench turning.

While you are working on getting your certificates you should try to get a job mixing and loading. You will learn lots of good info working on the loading pad and it helps with the networking as well.

Check out this website as well. Spray Plane Forum

Lots of good people in the ag industry there to answer questions. Just remember that the season is rolling in many areas and posts might not get answered right away.

Hope to see you on the loading pad soon.

Cal Varnson

A guy I know just bought a local crop spraying business. He finished up training in Louisiana a few weeks ago and said that while it helped a little, most of what he will learn will be on the job, much like other flying jobs I suppose.

These guys are right, much of it has to do with mixing chemicals and knowing what to spray and what not to spray. You can get sued if you accidentally spray the wrong field or drift into other crops too much. Getting your A&P would help a great deal. You kinda have to be part farmer, part pilot, and part mechanic. Flying is only part of it. You also have to take into account bad years that are out of your control due to weather. Expect to hit a power line or two if you do it long enough, and maybe a duck will get jammed in your elevator and you have to land with the trim. Fun things like that. I talked to him the other night and he said "Man, there's more to this than I thought."

rdneckpilot

As far as i know there is only one school in LA, located in Rayville. I went there as well. Your buddy's impression was spot on. Most if not all of the ag flight schools just teach you basics for flying the airplane low, fast and close to hard immovable objects. The chemical application knowledge required to actually operate as an spray pilot is learned on the job. The operator I fly for wanted to do all of my training in house but the insurance company had other plans. So I ended up having to cough up 6k just to get a part 137 training endorsement for the insurance. When I finished up at the school we still did 95% of the original training planed in house... primarily because it was not covered in the ag school. To the schools credit they train pilots from all over the world and the application regulations vary greatly from state to state plus equipment on the booms and GPS vary. It would be damn near impossible to teach that end of the industry in the school house.

SunDog

what rdneckpilot said is spot on. go see our friends at sprayplane.org, get lots of tailwheel time, and get a summer job loading. having a friend in the business will help you a lot, keep working with him all you can.

as far as i know there are 4 schools: the one in LA, the one in GA, one in Canada, and one in Brazil.

for an idea what you will need to learn, look at this pdf: https://sites.google.com/a/family.co...edirects=0&d=1

SkyStormer6

I've often thought of spraying since I have racked up a good bit of TW time towing banners. More than 1200 I think. I have 65 hrs turbine as well. Might that help me get a leg up or are there some other qualifications that operators are looking for?

SunDog

That'll help a lot, especially with the insurance people, but remember that the job is applying crop protection products, and that is the main part of the job. the flying part is really sort of incidental. That's why most places want you to mix and load for a year or two before flying.

you really have to KNOW your products, the target pests, the target crops, the interaction of the various products mixed in your tank, and how the products will affect other non-target crops, animals, and people around the target area.

Having your state applicators' license ahead of time will help a lot, as will having a CDL with hazmat endorsement.

My point is that Aerial Application is a career choice, it is not the time building gig that most pilots seem to think it is.