My experience around crop dusters is not good. They are a menace to general aviation. I admire and respect their flying skills, but like this guy, no radio calls. It's a courtesy to other pilots whether the airport is busy or not, and it makes it more safe. There are three or four crop dusters based at the airport where I fly and none of them make any calls (if they even have radios), but worse than that, they do not follow the traffic pattern cutting in or landing against the traffic flow. I have personally witnessed two near collisions and heard of several more close calls.
When I was a wee lad, our local spraying was handled by a couple of guys - one in a converted Piper Super Cub and the other in a Piper Pawnee. (The Cub pilot flew Hurricanes in an RAF Eagle squadron). At very busy times a nearby Stearman would assist. On a good day, those guys would only get a couple of hours spraying done in the early morning hours because that was the only time the wind wasn't blowing. Of course all flagging was done manually. After their retirement, the new guy flew an Ag Wagon, then added a second one. They would often pair up on the same field, performing an aerial ballet. Turbine powered air-frames and GPS technology have certainly changed this industry.
And wouldn’t ya know even this guy’s wife bugs him at work.
ReplyDeletei don't like to fly but watching these guys do this on the fields around the house just fascinates me.
ReplyDeleteI am ok with flying for the most part but watching this makes me wonder if I would be ok
ReplyDeleteAnd they armed em to make the most intimidating plane ever.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/JwpQlMHXUJM?si=ClKDYpa6jvnH88fD
Okay. Now I'm seasick. Tried too hard to find Lance.
ReplyDeleteHe was back at headquarters waiting to eat lunch. No wonder you couldn't find him.
DeleteSee how he is?
Uhm NO.
ReplyDeleteMy experience around crop dusters is not good. They are a menace to general aviation. I admire and respect their flying skills, but like this guy, no radio calls. It's a courtesy to other pilots whether the airport is busy or not, and it makes it more safe. There are three or four crop dusters based at the airport where I fly and none of them make any calls (if they even have radios), but worse than that, they do not follow the traffic pattern cutting in or landing against the traffic flow. I have personally witnessed two near collisions and heard of several more close calls.
ReplyDeleteFritz, Fritz....Your idea of a near collision and a close call is not in the same reality as that of an ag-pilot.
DeleteWhen I was a wee lad, our local spraying was handled by a couple of guys - one in a converted Piper Super Cub and the other in a Piper Pawnee. (The Cub pilot flew Hurricanes in an RAF Eagle squadron). At very busy times a nearby Stearman would assist. On a good day, those guys would only get a couple of hours spraying done in the early morning hours because that was the only time the wind wasn't blowing. Of course all flagging was done manually. After their retirement, the new guy flew an Ag Wagon, then added a second one. They would often pair up on the same field, performing an aerial ballet. Turbine powered air-frames and GPS technology have certainly changed this industry.
ReplyDelete