First, you need to start using the phrase "Aerial Applicator" and do some
google searches. I'm not an applicator, but I hire them, have a wonderful
working relationship with them, and consider them to be great friends. I
got my tailwheel endorsement from one and him and his family have bent over
backwards helping myself and my partners with our Aztec.

Many pilots start as loaders and work their way up the ladder. That means
learning about chemicals and knowing how to safely handle them, not only for
yourself, but for the pilot and the airplane. Most of the chemicals are
actually safer than most household chemicals but you don't want to mix two
things together that with agitation suddenly become too thick to spray,
createing a load in the plane that they can not land with OR spray out.

So the first thing you'll need is a state certified chemical handling and
applicators certificate. Different states have different procedures and
requirements.

You'll need to know Part 137 of the FARS.

You'll need a tailwheel endorsement and some serious tailwheel time and
experience before a 137 operator puts you in his plane. Banner towing is an
excellent example of the type of experience an ag operator will look for
when hiring inexperienced pilots, an example of a pilot making an airplane
do a job for a customer and a boss in a profitable manner.

You may have to get training at a place like SimCom. You'll definetely need
model and equipment specific training and may need a type certificate.

You'll need to be able to get up well before daylight, sleep when it's
windy, and work until dark. The more skills you have, the more valuable you
will be to the 137 certificate holder. Many ag pilots are also A&Ps, AIs,
and helicopter pilots.

Some pilots move with the work. As crops grow and progress on one part of
the country they move towards those crops and work for different 137
operations as the seasons and locations change.

Most of all, you need to get in touch with the ag applicators in your local
area. If you can't find them, ask the larger farmers in Ohio. The best
farmers use the best applicators, we can't afford not to. The best
applicators use the best equipment and maintain it the best, they can't
afford not to.

http://www.agaviation.org is the website for the National Agricultural
Aviation Association

http://www.airtractor.com/ is the major application airplane company

http://www.agairupdate.com/ is an online ag aviation newsletter

Jim



"buttman" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am interested in doing crop dusting instead / in addition to flight
instructing to build hours in order to get a good aviation job. What
kind of experience do they prefer? I know all you legally need is a
commercial liscense (which I already have), so will that be enough? Do
they want more? I know banner towing is a dangerous thing, so its
fairly easy to find a job doing that, is crop dusting the same in that
regard? Is the pay good enought for a single person like me to live off
of modestly? Can crop disting jobs found everywhere, or will I have to
move somewhere remote, like Alaska? (I currently live in Ohio.)

Could someone here who has done some crop dusting chime in here and
give me some info? For refrence, I'm 22 years old, 215 total time,
CP-ASEL-IA, soon to be CFI next week, and eventually CFII along with a
multi rating, and maybe even a MEI. Thanks.