Re: Got a death wish??? Here\'s the job for you...
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Looking for candidates who would be interested in working in Colombia. Position is spraying coca plants as part of the DOS eradication effort under Plan Colombia. Position contengent upon contract award from USG. If interested in placing your name on our call list to be contacted after contract award, please forward your resume. You MUST be an experienced crop duster to apply. Will provide all details on pay/benefits during initial call after contract award. Expect to start interviews March/April 04.
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These are the guys that fly the Air Tractor planes that do the dusting. A separate contractor employs the OV-10 Bronco and UH-1 pilots for the other side of the same operation from the same base.
If you into the $$$$ as much as I am, this ain't a bad job.
The way I look at it, I'm already doing a job where I get shot at when I deploy to the middle east. As a Captain, I pull down about $52K/yr to get shot at. Why not triple that pay for the same risk?
Doug, getting bored with sipping coffee at FL350 yet? Give Little Joey a call too.
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PAE (the company who posted the link for the help wanted) has not gotten the contract for the drug eradication. They're just trying to get their ducks in a row. They have bid on it, and they think they'll get it, but at the present time the contract is held by a company called EAST, Inc. operating out of Patrick AFB and based in the State Department Air Wing hangar. They have traditionally flown the Ayres Thrush like I have only with a PT-6-65 on front, an extra seat added via a stretched fuselage and some strategically placed ceramic armor. The bankruptcy of the Ayres factory two years ago caused the contract for the aircraft to be given to Air Tractor, Inc. who are modding their AT-802's for the mission. They might have a few on line, but the bulk of the work is still done by the Thrushes.
As noted, EAST also uses the OV-10D for the spray mission and they are presently modding an A-10 for the job too. They also fly the helicopters and some light Cessnas for spotting the drugs. Besides the State Dept. employees, EAST pilots are the only ones doing this stuff. Work schedule is 2 weeks on, 2 off. Pay is around $105K/yr with some excellent bennies, including a big ole chunk of life insurance.
Believe it or not the job, while obviously hazardous, is not as bad as it may seem.