Really Interesting Old School Crop Dusting Video

[duramax]

hey jimaire, how many times have you had to "get back on the horse"? good friend's dad was an ag pilot (same one you worked for wingman) and he told me a couple of stories where he was running the loader and watched his dad crash (once coming in ran out of fuel or engine issue and once leaving after dumping load, still didn't work out) and both times he went to pick him up at the end of the runway and his dad made him take him straight to the hangar to "get back on the horse" before he had too much time to think about it.

i've also seen pics from crashes, that judging by the wreckage, you wouldn't think that there's any way the pilot survived but miraculously most still walk among us....that's a stout little cage protecting them!

I think the fact they are rarely are very high, nor going going terribly fast, changes the statistics over traditional aircraft accidents. Plus they generate so much lift with those wings, they can glide better than almost any other plane out there if the engine dies. That being said, it's still a super dangerous profession to be in. The reaction time of a crop dusting pilot probably doesn't hurt in the even something goes wrong to pull of the safest possible landing.

[booger]

Amazing flying, thanks for posting this up. About a year ago a Huey helicopter was spraying some pines near me. The guy flew it just like a crop duster, end of the row, turn a hard 360 and back again. I couldn't stop watching.

What's really amazing is that this Ducksouth crew can't figure out who is the pilot in the video!!

I was certain it would turn out to be a member, or a relative of a member old so-n-so who doesn't post much.

[slayem]

My boss didn't know who it was either.

[flyhi2]

My daddy didn't recognize anybody in the video either. He's been doing it 37 yrs. Turbine engines have been the best thing to happen to ag aviation. They are way more reliable than the radial engine.

Btw, we're usually ferrying at 500' and working at 140 mph. That altitude doesn't allow for much gliding.

[Deltamud77]

Have the new, more sophisticated spray rigs put any sort of dint in the business available and/or profit margin of the ag pilots?