Crop Dusting with Helicopters

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.

So do you see a day when the last Bell 47, Hughes 300 etc. bites the
dust, and what will replace them..... Bell 206 turbines or similar.??

Speaking of turbines.

Are there operators out there who operate turbines as apposed to piston
jobbies.

I realize that operating costs would be higher, but would there be a
higher payload that would offset this.

FINALLY ..... What sort of jobs lend itself to rotary as apposed to
fixed wing spraying.

I imagine location and obstacles like those pesky wires would be a
major factor but are there other factors where one is more practical
than the other.

Who could spray more in an hour.... helicopter or fixed wing.

I'll bet my money on the helicopter.

Although I got to admit that some of those AG Cats like the
801 model on amphibs sure look nice.

But I did take my Harley from San Diego to Fairbanks on the ALCAN highway
when i came back from Korea/Japan in 1956. Wouldn't fo it again on a
bet but wouldn't exchange the experience either.

Hey I spent ten years up in the Yukon in the sixties.

I can remember driving the ALCAN highway on more than one occaision.

I could tell some stories about some of those trips.