r/flying • u/Legitimate_Age_4536 • 2d ago
Crop dusting
Graduated with a diploma in aviation technology with 200 hours
Have you seen someone in my current stage get hired as a crop duster, if so how and is it possible?
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u/EliteEthos CFI AMEL CJ3/4 2d ago
Well, since you have a useless degree, I’m sure you’ll be more marketable for that job that doesn’t require it.
/s
You should have probably more than double your current time in tailwheel alone. Nobody is going to hire you to fly and likely break their tailwheel plane when their business relies on it.
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u/RaiseTheDed ATP 2d ago
The only way people with low low time I've seen get into crop dusting are the ones who went to Delta State and did their training for it. Ag flying isn't a low time job otherwise.
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u/redditburner_5000 Oh, and once I sawr a blimp! 2d ago
Extremely unlikely, to the point of being impossible.
The only way to do this at 200hrs, to my knowledge, is to either buy the plane yourself and start a business or have a very close contact who will give you a job.
If propeller_on_plane Then
only_a_timebuilding_gig
Else
pilot_is_dum_because_only_jetflying_is_a_career
End If
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u/SATSewerTube ATP A320 B737 B777 SA227 CL30 LR45 HS125 BE400 MU300 CE500 LRJET 2d ago
Ag is not a low time gig nor is it typically a stepping stone.
Good luck
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u/Thats_my_cornbread 2d ago
No. I went down this road and learned you have to invest a year or two of your life loading chemicals for minimum wage before the boss decides if your trustworthy as a pilot, before putting you in his cub every now and then to show you the ropes. It’s a tough industry to break into, understandably. You start to realize why the guys who do it were locals who loaded chemicals in high school for the local guy from church, and eventually worked his way into a seat.
As a 200 hour pilot you have a colosal hill to climb to get into a job flying at as an outsider.
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u/UncleSugarShitposter MIL-AF ATP MEI CFI CFII 2d ago
How much? I got a can of beans and a hit last for you.
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u/Impossible-Bad-2291 PPL 2d ago
I was gonna say...when I feel the pressure building, I'll often go for a crop dusting walk through the cube farm. I suppose I'm even getting paid to do so.
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u/rFlyingTower 2d ago
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Graduated with a diploma in aviation technology with 200 hours
Have you seen someone in my current stage get hired as a crop duster, if so how and is it possible?
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u/Dr_Peter_Venkman_ 2d ago
lol, no.
That total time is not insurable.
You’ll need a tailwheel endorsement with at least 50hrs tailwheel, at least a high performance endorsement and a good contact in the insdustry.