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.

What do crop dusters get paid?

Most crop dusters start out earning about $20,000 per year, but the established and experienced crop dusters can make up to $100,000 per year by following the crops and retaining loyal clientele.

Do farmers still use crop dusters?

Today crop dusting is known as aerial application in the agricultural industry, and it's one of the keys to modern productivity. “Ag” pilots flying a range of turbine and piston aircraft and helicopters skim 10 to 15 feet above fields.

How much do crop dusters make an hour?

The average pay for an Airplane Pilot Crop Dusting is $84,255 a year and $41 an hour in the United States. The average salary range for an Airplane Pilot Crop Dusting is between $59,828 and $104,314. On average, a Bachelor's Degree is the highest level of education for an Airplane Pilot Crop Dusting.

What is crop dusting?

In slang, crop-dusting is the act of moving while passing gas, usually silently, thereby “dusting” other people or an area with the gas.

How and Why I Got Into Crop Dusting

27 related questions found

Why is crop dusting important?

In the early days, aerial applicators were known as “crop dusters” because they worked with dry chemicals, mostly insecticides. Today, aerial applicators deliver mostly liquid products to control pests and diseases and to provide nutrients for American agriculture.

What do you need to be a crop duster?

Answer: To be a crop duster, you must first be trained and certified to fly small airplanes. To do that, you must contact the Federal Aviation Administration and acquire a commercial pilot license. To qualify for a license, it is necessary to pass a medical exam, and to have logged at least 250 flying hours.

Why are crop dusters yellow?

He flies an Air Tractor 301A that, like most agricultural planes, is bright yellow. The color makes the low-flying planes visible to the higher-flying aircraft overhead and, “it's easy to see in the crops after a crash,” Wenzel joked.

Is there a demand for crop dusters?

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.

How low can crop dusters fly?

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.

Can crop dusters fly over houses?

The rule in general allows for them to fly to and from fields at 500 feet or above; if flying over a town, they must fly at least 1,000 feet above the surface. “As much as possible we try to avoid antagonizing anyone, but there are so many houses out there anymore, you just can't avoid them all,” Gustafson said.

Can crop dusters fly under power lines?

Crop dusting pilots are the adrenaline junkies of the farm world. They whizz through the air and fly under power lines to apply seeds and pesticides to farmers' fields. ... Crop dusting pilots are the ultimate multi-taskers. They fly the plane while dodging trees, homes, power lines and on-lookers.

Why do crop dusters fly at night?

The rising cost of pesticides and increasing immunity built up by continuous spraying reduced the effectiveness of spraying in daytime. By implementing night application operations, you can increase kill rates by targeting those insects which travel down in plants in daytime and return to the top at night.

What is the life expectancy of a crop duster?

Crop-dusting, a job that is so much a part of Americana, is graying. The average pilot is about 60 years old, and more than three-fourths of operators have 16 to 70 years of experience, according to a survey by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Can crop dusters get life insurance?

If you are an Agricultural Pilot looking for life insurance or loss of license coverage Travers Aviation can help. Many agents rarely, if ever work with Aerial Applicator pilots. Travers Aviation works closely with several underwriters that provide preferred treatment for Ag pilots or crop dusters.

How many acres can a crop duster cover per load?

And the Federal Aviation Administration regulates the aircraft. Each plane holds about 500 gallons of chemicals and it takes the pilot about 45 minutes to empty a tank. One full tank can be used to spray about 100 acres.

How much do crop dusters charge per acre?

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.

Is crop dusting profitable?

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.

Are crop dusting planes always yellow?

Simple answer no they come in various color's. The yellow ones are more favorable as they are called Air Tractor's and suited better for crop dusting work.

Is crop dusting harmful to humans?

When pesticides drift, they could be inhaled or land on skin or in eyes. Symptoms include eye irritation, nose irritation or runny nose, coughing or wheezing, or rash. ... Some pesticides are not very toxic and cause little or no harm.

What is a pilot's salary?

The median annual salary for the pilot of a large jet is an impressive $121,408. For a small jet, the median annual salary is $104,219. Non-jet aircraft pilots make significantly less. The pilot of a large non-jet aircraft earns a median annual salary of just $79,106.

How long does it take to become an ag pilot?

Links to the magazine's school profiles are provided below. 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.

What is the cheapest plane to buy?

The Most Affordable Single-Engine Planes – Our Top 9 Picks

• Less than $20k. Cessna 150. Ercoupe. Luscombe Silvaire.
• Lower $20,000s. Aeronca Champ. Beechcraft Skipper.
• Upper $20,000s. Cessna 172. Stinson 108.
• $40,000+ Pre-201 Mooney M20.