How to Become a Crop Dusting Pilot
According to Lindsay Byrne, the director of communications for the National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA), an airplane can apply chemicals and pesticides to a field at the rate of three times that of ground-based machinery during the course of a day, while using less fuel and causing no ground compaction or damage to existing crops. That's why crop dusting remains an important part of agriculture worldwide. It will take you some time to learn the trade and to gain the experience to be a crop dusting pilot. If you prefer seasonal work and can handle the stress of long days and technically challenging flying, being a crop duster may be a good career choice.
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Things You'll Need
- Private pilot's license
- Commercial license
- Tail-wheel (conventional gear) endorsement
- Agricultural application training
Instructions
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Training and Experience
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Think of crop dusting as "aerial application" or "ag application," and crop dusters as "ag pilots" or "aerial applicators." The term "crop duster" raises the image of the grizzled old veteran flying a rag-tag radial-engined biplane by the seat of his pants. Today's ag application business is a completely different business, using million-dollar turbine-engined planes, intricate GPS systems for planning the row flights and triggering the sprayers, and well-trained, experienced pilots.
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You can get aerial application training at a half-dozen schools in the United States and Canada. Check school listings in the AgAir Update (see Resources below). One agricultural application program is tied to a 4-year degree at the University of Minnesota. These programs go beyond the airplane flying and application process. You'll learn about pesticides and insecticides, crop management, pests and diseases, and much more.
You will need to earn your private pilot license, a commercial ticket, and a tail-wheel (conventional gear) airplane endorsement, as well as specific agricultural aviation training. If you plan to fly some of the newer turbine ag application airplanes, you'll need an additional turbine engine endorsement. If you've already got your commercial flying license, you can complete an ag flying course in about a month, for between $10,000 to $12,000. Plan to spend at least $40,000 and five to six months for training if you have no prior flying experience.
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It takes time to build up the skills necessary to fly low-level with an airplane heavily laden with chemicals, doing rapid pull-ups and steep turns, often on the edge of a stall. The flying is technically challenging and at times hazardous, so you need to know what you're doing. Many ag pilots start out mixing chemicals and serving as loaders or mechanics for the planes.
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You will find that insurance is expensive and difficult to purchase because of the hazardous nature of the work. Some insurance companies will want to see that you've completed 1,000 hours or more in the agricultural application field before they will insure you. Others will insure you if you've completed specific training courses and passed certain check rides. Plan to start out flying older, less complex spray planes (e.g., Pawnees, Ag Trucks, etc.) and work up to the newer aircraft (e.g., Air Tractors, the Turbo-Thrush, etc.). Show a logical plan of building experience to an insurance agent to get insured as an aerial applicator.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit view across cornfield agricultural landscape image by david hughes from Fotolia.com
