Crop Dusting with Helicopters

Now THESE are the posts that make wading through the usual "Earn quick
money now!" crap worth it. I love reading the day-to-day exploits of a
career helicopter pilot.

I'm a private pilot working on the commercial rating but that's mostly
just for the added proficiency (and bragging rights, to be honest 8^) )
- I will probably never earn a single shiny simolean flying a
helicopter. So, SelwayKid (and others), keep this stuff coming. I love
it.

This makes me wonder again what happened to Bob Barbanes - he had some
fine stories to tell here but AFAIK he disappeared from the group a
couple years ago.

Dave Blevins

On 20 Jun 2005 05:58:53 -0700, wrote:

Well we had heavy T'storms last night but now it looks good.

..snip.

wrote:

This makes me wonder again what happened to Bob Barbanes - he had some
fine stories to tell here

Yes he has been heard from in a couple of years.

Last I heard through the group he was test flying turbine machines
for one of the manufacturers.

Correct. I talked with him a couple months ago. He is still in the
Pensacola area.
Rocky

Rocky,

Did you live in Portland a few years ago??


wrote in message
oups.com...
Correct. I talked with him a couple months ago. He is still in the
Pensacola area.
Rocky

wrote in message
...
Snip
I'm a private pilot working on the commercial rating but that's mostly
just for the added proficiency (and bragging rights, to be honest 8^) )
- I will probably never earn a single shiny simolean flying a
helicopter. So, SelwayKid (and others), keep this stuff coming. I love
it.
snip
Dave Blevins

If you get into Ag-Flying you won't have any shiny simoleans either, the
sulphur makes them corrode and also makes your wifes delicates smell funny
when they come out of the dryer.
Frank

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" wrote in message
...
wrote:

I doubt there are more than 5000 active ag pilots in the country.
fewer each year in any case. The operators are having a really hard
time finding qualified pilots and I don't know of ANY schools that
I'd recommend to a new ag wannabe.

Well thanks once again for taking the time to tell the group what life
is like in the real world.

That number 5000 at first glance seems like such a high number.

You don't realize how big a country is until you start to look at how
many pilots it takes just to provide the services to such a specialized
industry.

If many of the pilots are approaching retirement age like you are, then
I could certainly see where the operators will have a realy hard time
filling those seats.

There was a guy that used to post here a few years ago that ran a small
business with a couple of fixed wing and a helicopter as I recall.



Can't remember his name but I sure miss his participation.

That'd be Steve Austin wouldn't it?



--
Beav

Reply to "beavis dot original at ntlworld dot com" (with the obvious
changes)

Beav wrote:

Can't remember his name but I sure miss his participation.

That'd be Steve Austin wouldn't it?

Yuppers..... That's the one.

Close by...up in Woodland, and down in Sweet Home during off season.