Fred0311 Posted October 30, 2011 Report Posted October 30, 2011 I've seen references made to cherry drying as an entry level job but I was wondering if it is as simple as it sounds. Can anyone tell me about it because I would imagine there's more to it then simply hovering over some fruit? Or maybe I've completely missed something? Quote
heli3544 Posted October 30, 2011 Report Posted October 30, 2011 Easy job for sure, just be mindfull of your winds and LTE. Quote
Trans Lift Posted October 30, 2011 Report Posted October 30, 2011 It is pretty much just hover taxiing over fruit. Easy job. As the poster above said, watch the wind but most importantly you must watch for wires! You are very much down in the wire environment and your situational awareness must be kept at maximum. The flying is easy though! 1 Quote
Fred0311 Posted October 30, 2011 Author Report Posted October 30, 2011 Thanks for the info. It sounded pretty self explanatory but I'd never actually heard anything about it. Quote
kodoz Posted October 30, 2011 Report Posted October 30, 2011 Interesting responses. Maybe the flying is "easy", but it's under conditions that I don't imagine many 200-hr pilots have flown in. It's also not a lot of flying. Quote
rotormandan Posted October 30, 2011 Report Posted October 30, 2011 It is easy flying. Any 200 hour pilot could do it especially with a few pointers from some people that have done it. It's not much flying though as kodoz said. If you're not working with a company that has other stuff for you to do then expect to do a lot of sitting around for a few weeks. Even on a real rainy season don't expect more than 20hours for the month. 5-10 would be normal. You might not fly any. Quote
iChris Posted October 31, 2011 Report Posted October 31, 2011 (edited) Cherry-drying duty not the pits for copters; Wenatchee fleet helps Pilot killed in Chelan cherry crop helicopter crash Three crop flying accidents that same day (July 25, 11). All three were Sikorsky ships. Wilton, IA Sikorsky UH-34D N3880J CEN11LA507 Fatal(1)Chelan, WA SIKORSKY S-55B N5663 WPR11FA350 Fatal(1)Brewster, WA SIKORSKY S-55B N855TC WPR11LA356 Nonfatal Edited October 31, 2011 by iChris Quote
apiaguy Posted October 31, 2011 Report Posted October 31, 2011 and another one the week before. Schweizer 300C nonfatal...even training another pilot how to do it.http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20110714X33831&key=1 1 Quote
adam32 Posted October 31, 2011 Report Posted October 31, 2011 It's pretty simple until the engine quits and you're 10ft above an orchard at night with lights that barely work and wires everywhere... 1 Quote
rotorpower Posted October 31, 2011 Report Posted October 31, 2011 I did it this summer up in Washington in a Hiiler 12d and not being able to use lft pedal much due to major loss of Engine and Rotor RPM is not the most fun thing to do on a regular basis. Quote
rotormandan Posted November 1, 2011 Report Posted November 1, 2011 It's pretty simple until the engine quits and you're 10ft above an orchard at night with lights that barely work and wires everywhere... There's no reason to be drying at night (Especially with wires in the orchard and/or with just a land light). You won't have to worry about cherries splitting until the sun starts coming up. If the engine quits 10' up you should be able to walk away but the machine won't make it in the orchard. You are outside the h/v diagram in most helicopters. Either way anytime the engine quits it won't be fun. 1 Quote
rotormandan Posted November 1, 2011 Report Posted November 1, 2011 I did it this summer up in Washington in a Hiiler 12d and not being able to use lft pedal much due to major loss of Engine and Rotor RPM is not the most fun thing to do on a regular basis. Were you flying ed kanes or where you up in orondo? Or mabyein some other hiller I don't know about? Quote
adam32 Posted November 1, 2011 Report Posted November 1, 2011 There's no reason to be drying at night (Especially with wires in the orchard and/or with just a land light). You won't have to worry about cherries splitting until the sun starts coming up. If the engine quits 10' up you should be able to walk away but the machine won't make it in the orchard. You are outside the h/v diagram in most helicopters. Either way anytime the engine quits it won't be fun. Oh I know there's no reason to dry them at night, just like there's no reason to dry them when it's still raining...but, if the cherry owner wants us in the air and is willing to pay, then pull pitch!! 1 Quote
Boatpix Posted November 1, 2011 Report Posted November 1, 2011 In 2007 I sponsored a convention hosted by a professor that did a paper on "cherry cracking" as he called it. The water gets in the stem of the cherry and when the sun hits it the cherry cracks and makes the produce useless so helicopters are used to blow the cherries to relieve them of the water. We had a helicopter nearby and my veteran pilot flat just didn't like the cherry drying. Limited flying with wires at every turn. When the weekend came he said he wanted to go back to boat photo and I thought that was best for all. More fun. More hours. No towers or wires over the water. 1 Quote
jimbo2181 Posted November 1, 2011 Report Posted November 1, 2011 It's probably because he didn't receive a 100 hour transition. 1 Quote
rotormandan Posted November 1, 2011 Report Posted November 1, 2011 It's probably because he didn't receive a 100 hour transition. You win! Post of the day. :lol: 1 Quote
RagMan Posted November 2, 2011 Report Posted November 2, 2011 In 2007 I sponsored a convention hosted by a professor that did a paper on "cherry cracking" as he called it. The water gets in the stem of the cherry and when the sun hits it the cherry cracks and makes the produce useless so helicopters are used to blow the cherries to relieve them of the water. We had a helicopter nearby and my veteran pilot flat just didn't like the cherry drying. Limited flying with wires at every turn. When the weekend came he said he wanted to go back to boat photo and I thought that was best for all. More fun. More hours. No towers or wires over the water. I can't imagine how fun it would be to fly circles around boats.... Every... Single... Day.... Sure sounds.... Boring actually 2 Quote
Fred0311 Posted November 2, 2011 Author Report Posted November 2, 2011 So what is the path to flying the cherry drying jobs? Another who you know thing I would guess. Quote
rotormandan Posted November 2, 2011 Report Posted November 2, 2011 Work with any ag, utility, or flight school in the area of WA, OR, ID. It's not really a job worth chasing unless you're already there. You don't get very much flight time and it's not much money.I've only experienced the Eastern WA part but I'm pretty sure there's cherries in CA also. 1 Quote
Fred0311 Posted November 2, 2011 Author Report Posted November 2, 2011 Was more asking out of curiosity. I dont even start training until next year. Still owe uncle sam a little time yet. Quote
JCM5 Posted November 15, 2011 Report Posted November 15, 2011 I have a friend that does this in Eastern WA - In his privately owned Hughes 500 Quote
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