Question for ag pilots

[fleman202]

I am going into my second season spraying corn and beans in central IL. I had no previous ag time before this job. I am very blessed to have been given it.

 

Advice for someone just starting out, go slow, practice a lot if they will let you, make big turns till it feels natural to make sharp tight ag turns (it will come in time), watch the winds, make sure you can keep your self from nodding off if you are ever in a big field (mile long rows can put you to sleep), watch out for everything, ask questions to everyone you can who has done what your doing, go to conventions and conferences in the off season to meet people.

[Rotorhead84]

Pink tape is hard to see at night time and is very poor at gauging intensity. I use boxes because you can see fire at night and the flames or smoke will let you know how much wind there is. If the pink tape is on the truck when I'm sitting there I can probably see it but those pesky rotors disturb just about everything.

 

When I'm doing herbicide you can have different winds on opposite side of fields on a calm day. I had 4 tires burning once. Hard to see pink tape across the field, a lot of times I'll pull off a pass and get an edge when the wind shifts, smoke is great.

 

 

You must have a very hefty tire budget

 

 

Smoke is also hard to see at night and you must learn how to read it just like you must learn how to read pink tape.

 

Right now I'm picturing your spray tracts looking like Mogadishu in the movie Black Hawk Down

[Rotorhead84]

You clearly are not a pyro. Burning a box is very, very easy.

 

Try using a lighter instead of rubbing two sticks together :-)

 

Its not a question of how easy it is to burn a box. Its a problem with once the box is on fire, everything within view will burn to the ground.

[R22139RJ]

Luckily there are two tire stores that cut up the old tires and give us the sidewalls which ARE legal to burn but not the whole tire. Hard to imagine CA allowing that.

 

Along the lines of Black Hawk Down, the best is when the loaders stack all the tires and light them off about 10 minutes before you get there. So you can see the smoke just billowing. I'm thinking yeah.... greeeeeeat. Let everyone know we're here, we're here!

 

We have it pretty easy in the valley 95% it's NW but as any new AG pilot can see from the discussion, wind is a huge deal. Always keep your nose into it

[avbug]

I've been doing ag for close to 30 years, on and off, and I don't think I've ever seen anyone "burn a box" or burn tires when spraying a field. Ever.

[Radam]

Hey everyone,

 

I just wanted to throw up a post and see if there was anyone out there that might be able to offer me some advice/tips/information on getting into Ag flying out here in the Central Valley, CA.

 

I have my APC and am currently at 900 hrs and still currently working and building more time, but am looking to try and make the jump into Ag. Spraying is the reason I decided to start flying in the first place and has always been my aviation goal. I have done a lot of research and do have an idea of what I would be getting myself into, yet I know there is still a lot to learn.

 

I am looking to find an operation that is willing to give an Apprentice a chance to show his worth and want to start from the ground up. I do have 13 years of ag/field experience from my time running around the valley as an inspector and although I know it doesn't help me a great deal as far as aerial application goes, it does give me insight into ag operations in general.

 

Anyway I'll stop rambling now and just say that if there is any information someone can pass onto me with regards to advice for breaking into the industry or any operations they may know if that would be willing to take on an apprentice I would be very thankful. Feel free to private message me.

 

Thanks

[Rotorhead84]

I've been doing ag for close to 30 years, on and off, and I don't think I've ever seen anyone "burn a box" or burn tires when spraying a field. Ever.

 

Waste of time and a hard way to solve a simple problem IMO.

[R22139RJ]

Well, it's safe to say that you haven't done herbicide and protect a sensitive crop next to the field. Air tractors have built in smokers and there is a smoker on the jet ranger I fly. Core manuals recommend smoke to idendtify inversion layers. I don't know what the point of your post was but it's ignorant and annoying.

 

I learned from a guy who has 60yrs experience, his son of 30 yrs experience and their 20 year pilot. Your experience isn't impressive to anyone. Ever.

[aeroscout]

Well, it's safe to say that you haven't done herbicide and protect a sensitive crop next to the field. Air tractors have built in smokers and there is a smoker on the jet ranger I fly. Core manuals recommend smoke to idendtify inversion layers. I don't know what the point of your post was but it's ignorant and annoying.

 

I learned from a guy who has 60yrs experience, his son of 30 yrs experience and their 20 year pilot. Your experience isn't impressive to anyone. Ever.

If I could "like" your post to an exponential level I certainly would.

[avbug]

Well, it's safe to say that you haven't done herbicide and protect a sensitive crop next to the field. Air tractors have built in smokers and there is a smoker on the jet ranger I fly. Core manuals recommend smoke to idendtify inversion layers. I don't know what the point of your post was but it's ignorant and annoying.

 

I learned from a guy who has 60yrs experience, his son of 30 yrs experience and their 20 year pilot. Your experience isn't impressive to anyone. Ever.

 

Wow. Vitriol.

 

Have you ever flown an Air Tractor? I'm flying an 802 at the moment. Yes, some use smoke for drift or marking a field in place of an automatic flagman, but most don't any more. It's not used for "identifying inversion layers," either. I have operated all over the world, and have yet to see someone burn tires for ag work. Such stupidity.

 

The smoker on an aircraft is not the same as the notion of burning tires. You're not attempting to burn tires which are attached to your aircraft, are you? Then don't try to make the comparison.

 

Think.

 

I've done a lot of 2,4-D and other herbicide work next to sensitive crops; wind is the chief concern, and that's something one identifies and documents before starting the work, and monitors very carefully while the work is progressing, and documents on the job paperwork. Always.

 

Drift is easily identified in the field by watching the chemical, and yes, a smoke line on the aircraft works for that. One does NOT need to burn tires.

[R22139RJ]

Good luck CHAMP.

[Pohi]

 

Wow. Vitriol.

 

Have you ever flown an Air Tractor? I'm flying an 802 at the moment. Yes, some use smoke for drift or marking a field in place of an automatic flagman, but most don't any more. It's not used for "identifying inversion layers," either. I have operated all over the world, and have yet to see someone burn tires for ag work. Such stupidity.

 

 

Hahaha!!!! You are so full of crap avbug that it's gone past irritating to just funny. Been all over the world and done everything, eh?

 

Well, you apparently need to travel more, because you haven't seen it all yet. None.

 

I bet if RJ said he flew a dozen monkeys you would claim to have experience flying 5 dozen monkeys for the last 20 years. Pathetic.

 

Read your post about professional pilots and try to apply your own advice to yourself.

[Flying Pig]

I've flown with a couple moneys in my time.

[avbug]

 

Read your post about professional pilots and try to apply your own advice to yourself.

 

You don't actually fly anything, do you?

 

Brightspark referred to Air Tractors...yet has he flown one? Doubtful. I just climbed out of one. Absolutely no tire burning involved.

 

All over the world? Absolutely. Everywhere but antarctica, thus far. A wide variety of flying? You bet. Almost certainly a much broader background than you, or our intrepid ag aviator with the burning tires.

 

What's your ag experience, again?

 

None. What do you have to contribute here, then?

[R22139RJ]

Word Vomit Avbug. It's all me, me, me.

 

You're like a boy trying to win a who has the biggest dong contest, but you're a girl.

[eagle5]

There was this girl I met in San Fran...then again never mind!

[Pohi]

 

You don't actually fly anything, do you?

 

Brightspark referred to Air Tractors...yet has he flown one? Doubtful. I just climbed out of one. Absolutely no tire burning involved.

 

All over the world? Absolutely. Everywhere but antarctica, thus far. A wide variety of flying? You bet. Almost certainly a much broader background than you, or our intrepid ag aviator with the burning tires.

 

What's your ag experience, again?

 

None. What do you have to contribute here, then?

You love to ask and answer your own questions, don't you?

 

Yup, you do.

 

Sad, very sad. Your constant fabrication of your experience is moving from funny to simply embarrassing. I feel sorry for you in having to try to impress anonymous people on the internet.

 

I bet you tell everybody at recess that you fly helicopters don't you? Yup. You certainly do. Sure beats pulling the other kids hair or stealing lunch money in order to make friends and impress the other kids.

[Pohi]

I've probably got more time crop dusting farts in Outback than you have in any sort of airframe :-p

[Rotorhead84]

Well, it's safe to say that you haven't done herbicide and protect a sensitive crop next to the field. Air tractors have built in smokers and there is a smoker on the jet ranger I fly. Core manuals recommend smoke to idendtify inversion layers. I don't know what the point of your post was but it's ignorant and annoying.

 

I learned from a guy who has 60yrs experience, his son of 30 yrs experience and their 20 year pilot. Your experience isn't impressive to anyone. Ever.

 

 

Its safe to say you have no idea what you're going on about. I put out herbicides at rates that are in the gallons per acre range in neighborhoods at times.

 

Have fun burning tires cool guy.

 

 

Nobody cares who you learned from or how long they have been doing something the hard way.

Edited July 2, 2014 by Rotorhead84

[R22139RJ]

 

 

I put out herbicides at rates that are in the gallons per acre range in neighborhoods at times.

 

Have fun burning tires cool guy

I don't even know what that means. Are you saying you out out gallons per acre near neighborhoods, or do a wide range of Gpa? Edited July 2, 2014 by R22139RJ

[Pohi]

I think he is saying that he applies pesticides to neighborhoods. Must be some sort of terrorist chemical attacks.

 

It's strange to admit doing something like that.

[Flying Pig]

RJ... besides... what does anybody in your area know about Ag flying anyway?

[R22139RJ]

Is it nothing? Yes; it's nothing.

[avbug]

Such intelligent contribution and name calling; always the hallmark of a brilliant mind, and so full of substance, aren't you?

 

You haven't flown an air tractor, have you? Have you ever flown fixed wing ag? No?

 

Where's your decades of ag experience? Don't have it? Didn't think so.

 

You don't have a solid ag background, and you're burning tires. Hopefully no one is foolish enough to buy into that. Perhaps you should stick to your taco truck and cans of roach spray.

[Flying Pig]

Could we leave the taco trucks out of this discussion please. Its like insulting the Vatican.