Okay peeps, I got a confession to make...

[MrSkyKingRon]

I'll tell 'ya what it is, " it's those Gol-damned, Satan worshipin', crop-dustin' sumsa-bitches is what it is!!"

Glad to hear all you had to say and was grinnin' all the way!

I tip my hat to 'ya. Just don't pee-pee in my Piper!

Blue Skies and Green Fields...

 

[SteveC]

Welcome aboard from the "old man" of the group. (45 this year and still going strong.)
Got a couple of friends that did a lot of ag work years past here in Michigan. In fact I flew with one of the guys last week. I'll tell ya, it's long, hard hours during work months - sunup to sundown +. Not always the safest work either - I think we lost two ag pilots in Michigan last year.

Keep firing that sense of humor gun. We need more of that around here. [/sarcasm]

P.S. - what are your politics? we need some more opinions in the Squawk Box and I think you're verbose enough to get along just fine in there!

 

[agcatman]

[ QUOTE ]

Oh - and - um - TRY to practice a bit of brevity in your posts, my friend.

Brevity is the soul of wit.

BTW - I have a TON of respect for you guys (crop dusters)!!! You have balls the size of coconuts (I speak figuratively, you understand

).

R2F

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I knew it was long. But hey, had a lot to say. And making it short woulda been like trying to put ten pounds of mud in a five pound sack.

Thanks for the welcome.

Stephen

 

[Sprint100]

[ QUOTE ]
but I get the feeling that some of you might perceive crop dusting as being "beneath" you

[/ QUOTE ]

Way to tell it like you mean it agcatman!!!!!!
In all honesty jetcareer regulars appreciate all types of aviation jobs. Even though you may see a joke or two about your profession or any other profession, it's just that a joke. Anyways, welcome aboard and enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[N519AT]

I have to hand it to you man, that Avril laveene thing really made me think you were like a skater kid or something. Anyways, welcome to JC and I have a lot of respect for you crop dusters, flyin at 10 ft at 150 mph you have to have guts.

 

[av8rmsu]

I have an old Fraternity brother that cropdusts. His dad owns a couple of planes and makes some pretty good coin.


Agcat...do any dusting around New Madrid...know some farmers there.

Five months off??????


I think you meant to say, five months of full time duck hunting!

 

[donttouchanything]

SteveC Where in Michigan are you? I left there three years ago for the sunshine of Cali. Hasn't been a day I haven't wished I was back there.

 

[SteveC]

Check your PM

 

[agcatman]

[ QUOTE ]
I have an old Fraternity brother that cropdusts. His dad owns a couple of planes and makes some pretty good coin.


Agcat...do any dusting around New Madrid...know some farmers there.

Five months off??????


I think you meant to say, five months of full time duck hunting!

[/ QUOTE ]

New Madrid eh? Heck yeah man, that'd be in my stomping grounds. Who's your bro?

Gotta be careful, the only thing more protective of its territory than a badger is a crop duster.

I'm ten north of NM. And not much of a duck hunter, although I'll spend some time in a blind quacking. Spend a little more time in a pit honking though.

 

[agcatman]

[ QUOTE ]
I'll tell ya, it's long, hard hours during work months - sunup to sundown +. Not always the safest work either - I think we lost two ag pilots in Michigan last year.

Keep firing that sense of humor gun. We need more of that around here. [/sarcasm]

P.S. - what are your politics? we need some more opinions in the Squawk Box and I think you're verbose enough to get along just fine in there!

[/ QUOTE ]
Heard about the fatals. I usually hear about them pretty quick. There are so few of us that it's pretty well guaranteed that if we don't know another duster personally we at least know of them. One of the deceased flew for a friend of mine, Maurice Quesnel. I've got several good friends up that'a way. You know the Hatfields?


Hehe, my politics? What do you think?

To give you a hint, our former First Lady of the US made it a point when she was First Lady of Arkansas to say to her "greenie" friends something to the effect of:

"We all look forward to the day when there are no ag airplanes flying over the state of Arkansas".

Be advised, there are more ag planes in Arkansas than almost anywhere else in the country. How would you, as a tax-paying, hard-working entrepreneur feel if the manner by which you fed YOUR family were so denigrated?

I'll tell you though, I get pretty politic'ed out. I belong to several international e-mail groups for Mensa members. Suffice it to say the US ain't real popular right now, and most of the US Mensa members are so far to the left they'd have to lean right to slap Lenin.

So I enjoy a respite from the ideological at times.

 

[agcatman]

[ QUOTE ]
I lived, went to school and learned to fly in SE Missouri (Cape Girardeau). I had a commercial student when I was a lowly CFI there who wanted to be a crop duster. Hmmm...I can't remember the name but I wonder if it's you?

Anyway, we're all envious that you get to do some fun stick and rudder flying while us airline types get to drone along endlessly at FL350 flying solely by reference to the autopilot.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well I operate off good old CGI on occasion. Got a good friend and customer who grows rice in East Cape. Now if'n you lived there I KNOW you spent some of your hard-earned dough in the Purple Crackle eh?

But as far as working off the field, man, I hate it. It takes me almost three times as long to turn around and the C-152's flying the 747 patterns KILLS me!

But I never took lessons there. When were you instructing? You go to SEMO? If so, when?

 

[agcatman]

[ QUOTE ]
No there is no snow sticking yet.

Agcatman were are you in Southeast MO. I live in St. Louis and I am down in the Cape area fairly often bringing my sister to and from school at SEMO

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm based at CHQ, but I've got strips all over the place.

 

[agcatman]

[ QUOTE ]
Cropdusters are cool. I never did any dusting unless you count the chem-goo that we dispense from the flight levels. But then again, I'm not supposed to talk about that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Uh oh, you done done it now. You're gonna lose your black helicopter escort you keep on spillin' the beans.

 

[agcatman]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Any chance you can write a perspectives article

[/ QUOTE ]

that is a really excellent idea Shooter!

[/ QUOTE ]

Be glad to do it. In another life I was a broadcast journalist. I flew a helicopter and reported for an ABC affiliate TV station. So I've had some experience along those lines.

Could you point me to some others that have been done so that I could see how ya like it?

 

[Kristie]

if you go to the perspectives area in the menu - that's where some of the other pilots on the site have added their 0.02 cents....

write it as you see it from your eyes - that's what the young ones want to know...

and thanks!!! it's great to have a crop duster in the mix and to spread out to other branches of aviation... PM doug is you have any questions...

 

[Ecl!pse]

well, on a curious note, who is the youngest one here? I am 14 years old, a freshman in high school.I'm not allowed to start lessons til summer because of my parents, but ill get like 1 lesson every 2 weeks in the summer, and then once a month during the school year. Anybody agree/disagree with this plan? Thanks for helping a fellow aspiring aviator!

P.S.- Ive been around here for about a month, but never really introduced myself. My name is Trevor. Again, im a freshman in High School, and have had it bad to fly since I was 3. My family was stationed out at Fort Hood Texas during Gulf War 1, and from my window at my house, I could see the military planes go in and out. I used to watch them for hours on end. Right now im reading a book called Professionial Pilot Career Guide. I've got it bad to fly for US Airways, so if any of you fly there, or did fly there PM please, I'd love to talk to you. Thanks again!

Trevor

 

[SteveC]

[ QUOTE ]
I've got several good friends up that'a way. You know the Hatfields?

[/ QUOTE ]
Nope, 'fraid not. The two guys that I know that used to fly ag here were Clare P. and Jim N. Both in western Michigan. I think Clare is over in Oshkosh now, Jim is still here. Jim was a competitive acro pilot as well, still has his Pitts.

Welcome aboard.

 

[lilrkt]

[ QUOTE ]
You know the Hatfields?


[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know them, but I did fly in there this year on my way to the Muskegon airshow. I had sprained my ankle real bad a few days before that and was limping pretty bad. When I got dropped back off after the show to return to the plane, he (I believe Mr. Hatfield) was just leaving. He was nice enough to give me and my guests a ride back to the plane. Once there we chatted for a bit. Seemed like a really nice guy. It was fun to see some of the plane skeletons he had sitting along his strip.

I also land pretty frequently at Schiffer Acres in Ovid. My mom lives a mile or so away and it is the closest stip for me to land at to go visit her. I have not had the pleasure of talking with them yet, but my mom has (at great lengths I'm sure she's really a talker) and she said the guy was really nice! I guess he loves to have me come in there and land. I had even thought about asking for a job eventually, but it looks like I'm going to try the bush pilot in Alaska route instead. Who knows, maybe I will get into it when I move back to Michigan.

 

[A300Capt]

[ QUOTE ]
Well I operate off good old CGI on occasion. Got a good friend and customer who grows rice in East Cape. Now if'n you lived there I KNOW you spent some of your hard-earned dough in the Purple Crackle eh?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, spent alittle time at the Purple Crackle and had completely forgotten about the place until you just brought it up...small world. Can't believe it's still there. I was at SEMO from 80'-83' and went to Cape Central high school prior to that.

I started my aviation career at good ole' Cape Central Airways there at CGI. Spent a lot of time west of 3 mile hill doing stalls/steep turns and dutchman LOM doing ILS's to rwy 10. I did several x-countries down to Sikeston, Mo. to eat at Lambert's Cafe and getting dinner rolls thrown at us. Got hired by Air Illinois (Twotter f/o)for a short time prior to them going Chap 7.

Do the names..Frank Shelton (aircraft sales), David Little(DPE) or Jeff Henshaw ring a bell with you? Dave did most of my rating checkrides and Frank helped me build time by letting me ferry airplanes around for him.

 

[agcatman]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You know the Hatfields?


[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know them, but I did fly in there this year on my way to the Muskegon airshow. I had sprained my ankle real bad a few days before that and was limping pretty bad. When I got dropped back off after the show to return to the plane, he (I believe Mr. Hatfield) was just leaving. He was nice enough to give me and my guests a ride back to the plane. Once there we chatted for a bit. Seemed like a really nice guy. It was fun to see some of the plane skeletons he had sitting along his strip.



[/ QUOTE ]

They are nice people, all of them. GREAT people. Bill Hatfield is a very talented man and is highly respected for his designs and contributions to both the crop dusting and fire-fighting industries. His gatebox (the bottom of the hopper where the doors that open to dump the water are located) for fire planes (SEATs- single engine air tankers) is considered the best on the market.

For years the big tankers like the modded C-130's, the Mars, etc. and helicopters were considered the only aircraft for fire-fighting. But governments all over realized that they could operate seven or eight single engine converted crop dusting aircraft for less money than one of the big behemoths (which still have their place).

You guys see the video of the Hawkins/Powers C-130 that had the wing spar fail in the center section on a dump a year or two ago? Scary stuff.