How to become a crop duster

Crop–dusters spread fertilizer, insecticides, fungicides and weed killers. Some farmers even seed from the air. Skilled agricultural, or “ag,” pilots typically make from $60,000 to $100,000 a year, and those who own spraying businesses can earn much more.

Training and License

To start a crop dusting business, you need a commercial pilot’s license, as well as knowledge of the industry, experience in crop dusting or aerial application of chemicals, and understanding of the type of chemicals used, such as herbicides and insecticides.

82 deaths, 64 per 100,000 FTEs

Commercial pilot specialists, such as helicopter pilots and crop dusters, face dangers from low-altitude flying, including a higher risk of collision with power lines and birds. Crop dusters may be exposed to toxic chemicals, and typically use unimproved landing strips.

To work as an AG Pilot, you need to be a minimum of 18 years old with an outstanding high school education in the areas of Maths and the Sciences. You will need to be able to pass an airman’s medical and hold a PPL (Private Pilot’s License) and have 250 hours flying experience.

Ag Aviation School specializes in flight training for pilots in agricultural aviation. Our ag pilot program consists of 40 hours of flight time and 40 hours of ground training plus self-study material. The ag program takes about 3 to 4 weeks to complete.

The life span of crop dusters has extended greatly over the past 30 to 40 years. Agricultural Pilot Position Description For many professional pilots, the ultimate job is to be an airline captain.

Crop dusters are literally a dying breed. Ten to fifteen years ago there were around 4,000 crop dusting pilots and the Environmental Protection Agency says the average age for these flyers is now about 60. Today, crop dusting pilot numbers are down by twenty percent.

Is Crop Dusting Dangerous? Yes. Despite technological advances and the aviation industry becoming highly monitored and safety conscious, crop–dusting remains a ‘dangerous line of work’ for its pilots. In 2017, there were 67 incidents involving agricultural airplanes, with 7 of these resulting in a fatality.

Over congested areas crop duster planes cannot fly below 1000 feet. Over rural land, they may operate at a minimum of 500 feet. While spraying crops, pilots have to do their best to reduce drift of the chemicals, which means flying as low as possible. They can then fly down to about 8 feet above the crops.

Crop dusting is the act of farting on the move. It might seem rude to fart and run, but it’s every man for himself in this world, and if you can get out of where you are quickly, you won’t have to deal with any of the aftermath. Farting is kind of like murder or organized crime in that way.”

Crop dusters fly in small planes that cost anywhere from $100,000 to $900,000. These planes are outfitted with special containers and dispersal systems that carry 100’s of gallons of liquid chemicals.

(Sentinel photo by Magdalene Landegent) With a spraying speed of 180 mph, Jeff Summersill, a crop duster from Florida, says he’s always on the alert when spraying Iowa’s corn and soybean fields. He’s spent most of this week in the Le Mars area up in the air.

Cost is not a minor factor for the crop duster. Even though the farmer almost always furnishes all the materials, it’s up to the crop duster to keep his equipment flying. Mark stated that it is less expensive to fly the biplane, saying.

On average, officials said crop dusting costs between $15 to $25 per acre. Spraying corn fungicide, for example, is on the top end of the scale.

Ag pilots are in high demand.

Thanks to the recent farming boom, aerial application is a hot field. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, hours flown by crop–dusters rose 29% from 2003 to 2007.

On average, aircraft fill up with an estimated 3,500 gallons of jet fuel, costing an estimated $7,070. However, price can vary from $4,040 on the low end to $14,140 on the high end.

1. Robinson R-22. Considered by many to be one of the world’s most economical helicopters, the R-22 carries a base list price of about $250,000 brand new. There are also plenty of excellent deals to be found on good-quality used R-22s, usually starting from around $100,000–$150,000.

Many costs factor into the economics of small aircraft ownership. On average, a $75,000 financed Cessna winds up costing $200 per hour, if flown 100 hours per year, with $80 going toward fuel, oil and maintenance. Similar aircraft may be rented for about $125 per hour.

It really depends on what kind of flying you like to do and how much you want to fly, plus how much enjoyment you’ll get out of “pride of ownership.” If you like to go on long trips or want/need a plane that’s not something you can rent (like a twin, experimental, etc.) then yes, owning is worth it.