Kev
I know many instances when low time pilots were able to start in ag
being in the proverbial right place/time. Not all pilots or people have
the aptitude for ag work. I've seen several high time airline pilots
who took a fling at ag work and couldn't get within 30' of the surface,
or get the hang of it. Conversely, I've seen the low time guys who took
to it like ducks to water. In my case, I had about 1500 hours when an
ag pilot friend of mine asked if I wanted to do ag work in a Piper
Pawnee. I told him I didn't know squat about ag and he asked again if I
wanted to do ag work? So, I said OK and called a friend of his who
needed a pilot. It went from there and I made the usual stupid
mistakes, got into wrong fields, generally embarrassed myself. But, the
boss hung in there with me and asked me back for the next season. I
think I logged something like 4-500 hours that first year.
I know a young englishman who came to us looking for work as a loader,
or mechanic and was extremely proud of his 65 hours and private license
rotorcraft. The boss took a chance on him as a loader/general mechanic,
and I began to give him some dual on the way to fields. He quickly
learned that he didn't know **** about flying! But, he stuck it out and
by the end of the season borrowed money from his parents to get his
commercial during the winter. He flew with HAI in Concord CA and had
his commercial by the following season. Little by little he gained
experience literally from the ground up and has since been flying full
time in ag mostly flying a Hiller 12. He was also sent to AStar school
by one of the farmers who bought one, and Steve flies it part time as
time permits.
So, its hard to say just how to break in. the apprenticeship is the
tough part with little pay, no benefits and godawful hours. My present
company has been known to take on new pilots but I don't know if they
also did the ground time or not. I can always ask?
Best of luck.
Rocky