Ag plane "hard landing" - West TN

Blades turning at impact. The time from the moment she burped to the moment she hit must have been short.
 
“Being a crop duster, generally when they’re working, they work in close proximity to the ground. Sometimes, they don’t have enough time to glide somewhere to put it down, they have to put it down the best way they can,” Chief Turner said.
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If only there was a single word that meant "in close proximity to the ground."
 
Crop dusters live a very different life.

Mexico MO, many years ago, a duster with a fresh load in his converted Stearman, took off on the grass parallel to Highway 54, and just as he cleared the fence, a cylinder blew. He left it wide open long enough for a row end turn back, landed, and rolled out to the chem truck.
The mechanic came around with the pickup truck with a boom like a small tow truck, hooked on, and disconnected everything. Into the hanger, came back with another engine, hung it and connected everything.
The duster fired it up, turned it around, did a full throttle runup and prop check, released the brakes, and took off. ONE HOUR LATE.

I talked to him while the mech was loading the next trip, and he said engine failure was not unusual, as all their engines were past TBO, but top overhauled as required to keep them running.

One of my wife's class mates was a crop duster before he went to the airlines. As a Captain, he rarely complained about the food or hotels when away from home. "My worst day beats crop dusting's best day".
 
“The only power issue we had was to one residence,” Chief Turner said.

The homeowner said he’s never experienced anything like it before.
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At least it doesn’t happen every day.
 
geezer said:
Crop dusters live a very different life.

Mexico MO, many years ago, a duster with a fresh load in his converted Stearman, took off on the grass parallel to Highway 54, and just as he cleared the fence, a cylinder blew. He left it wide open long enough for a row end turn back, landed, and rolled out to the chem truck.
The mechanic came around with the pickup truck with a boom like a small tow truck, hooked on, and disconnected everything. Into the hanger, came back with another engine, hung it and connected everything.
The duster fired it up, turned it around, did a full throttle runup and prop check, released the brakes, and took off. ONE HOUR LATE.

I talked to him while the mech was loading the next trip, and he said engine failure was not unusual, as all their engines were past TBO, but top overhauled as required to keep them running.

One of my wife's class mates was a crop duster before he went to the airlines. As a Captain, he rarely complained about the food or hotels when away from home. "My worst day beats crop dusting's best day".
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Either he worked for much better airlines or really bad spray companies. My experience has been nothing like his... two anecdotal data points that don’t prove anything other than life is unpredictable.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
Either he worked for much better airlines or really bad spray companies. My experience has been nothing like his... two anecdotal data points that don’t prove anything other than life is unpredictable.
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I know there are still some operators that are basically flying a tractor with wings and treat it accordingly, most of the ag operators I know today are flying new turbine sprayers that are well maintained. Around here even a lot have transitioned into helicopters because of the reduced travel time to reload.
 
midwestpa24 said:
I know there are still some operators that are basically flying a tractor with wings and treat it accordingly, most of the ag operators I know today are flying new turbine sprayers that are well maintained. Around here even a lot have transitioned into helicopters because of the reduced travel time to reload.
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Market forces have driven most of those guys out of business. Thankfully.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
Market forces have driven most of those guys out of business. Thankfully.
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I can tell you this. If I ever experienced a moment of temporary insanity and became a crop duster, I would definitely want to work for one of the pro operators. That type of flying is dangerous enough by its very nature. Adding a half maintained worn out aircraft to the risk assessment would be a show stopper, no matter how crazy I was.
 
midwestpa24 said:
I can tell you this. If I ever experienced a moment of temporary insanity and became a crop duster, I would definitely want to work for one of the pro operators. That type of flying is dangerous enough by its very nature. Adding a half maintained worn out aircraft to the risk assessment would be a show stopper, no matter how crazy I was.
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You don’t have to be crazy. I mean I’m not crazy. At least I don’t think I am.

What you do get really good at is risk management. There is such a thin margin at the beginning of the operation there is very little tolerance for additional risk factors and still having the desired outcome. Sounds like you’re already headed down that rabbit hole.

It is very rewarding work.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
You don’t have to be crazy. I mean I’m not crazy. At least I don’t think I am.
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The crazy ones never do! ;)

Honestly I'd love to fly an Ag Tractor. I have a little turbine time, and some tailwheel time, but no turbine tailwheel time. However I'm not sure my risk tolerance would allow for the required tasks. Maybe I could be a ferry pilot.

Honestly if I was younger and crazier, I'd probably be interested in SEAT work. At this point in my life, I don't think I'm up for the lifestyle though.
 
midwestpa24 said:
The crazy ones never do! ;)

Honestly I'd love to fly an Ag Tractor. I have a little turbine time, and some tailwheel time, but no turbine tailwheel time. However I'm not sure my risk tolerance would allow for the required tasks. Maybe I could be a ferry pilot.

Honestly if I was younger and crazier, I'd probably be interested in SEAT work. At this point in my life, I don't think I'm up for the lifestyle though.
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Most SEAT slots are filled by former ag pilots. If you want to get into fires without ag first the bigger equipment is probably a better path. I went to school for the SEAT program but never could find the right job. The huge variations in income were what turned me off. I have found the ag to be more stabile from year to year.

Despite my efforts to get away from ag and be a respectable (airline) pilot I keep finding myself in the utility aviation sector. It could be worse. :)
 
midwestpa24 said:
The crazy ones never do! ;)

Honestly I'd love to fly an Ag Tractor. I have a little turbine time, and some tailwheel time, but no turbine tailwheel time. However I'm not sure my risk tolerance would allow for the required tasks. Maybe I could be a ferry pilot.

Honestly if I was younger and crazier, I'd probably be interested in SEAT work. At this point in my life, I don't think I'm up for the lifestyle though.
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Its a form of migrant farm labor. Spoke to an operator a few years ago, his accountant was giving him grief that '17 of his 18 employees are giving the office as their residential address' which is apparently an issue for the state tax office. Another Ag pilot I knew received his mail at the hangar, he didn't even have a place to live. While doing ag work, the company put him up in hotels an during the SEAT season, he lived in a truck-camper at the respective base. And he was in his 60s, so it doesn't require 'young and crazy', only 'crazy' ;-)
 
weilke said:
Its a form of migrant farm labor. Spoke to an operator a few years ago, his accountant was giving him grief that '17 of his 18 employees are giving the office as their residential address' which is apparently an issue for the state tax office. Another Ag pilot I knew received his mail at the hangar, he didn't even have a place to live. While doing ag work, the company put him up in hotels an during the SEAT season, he lived in a truck-camper at the respective base. And he was in his 60s, so it doesn't require 'young and crazy', only 'crazy' ;-)
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It helps to start out on the younger end of age spectrum. I wouldn’t want to start at 60.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
It helps to start out on the younger end of age spectrum. I wouldn’t want to start at 60.
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That's my thing. I'm not terribly old yet, but am married and settled down. The nomadic lifestyle just isn't an option for me at this point in life. Maybe when I was younger...
 
midwestpa24 said:
That's my thing. I'm not terribly old yet, but am married and settled down. The nomadic lifestyle just isn't an option for me at this point in life. Maybe when I was younger...
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Oh, no worries, you wouldn't be married for long once you start that lifestyle :)
 
My CFI has 25,000+ hours total time. 6,000+ in a spray plane . He owned his own company . Interesting fellow . He's still married to his first wife .
 
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