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(Video) Mississippi Delta Crop Duster pilot
The world of crop dusting cotton in the Mississippi Delta flying a dual cockpit Stearman (Skip to 2m35s for flying part) (vimeo.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
I used to be the flagman when I was in my teens in Alberta Canada.(Early seventies and we never had any umbrellas, good idea though) We started with 15 steps into the field on the first pass and then 20 steps after that across the field. They never sprayed pesticides, only herbicides but the herbicides were mixed with diesel fuel and not water as water had too much drift in the winds we have up here, they needed something heavier. We had a spray company that worked with us that actually flew a piper cub, that crashed one day after hitting trees, no one was hurt, and a Cessna 4 seater (probably a 172). The pilots were incredible and I'm sure the herbicides never nurt me..hurt me...hurt me, oops maybe.
Yes, there are health effects for some. As a teenager I too was doing flagman duties on our cotton farm near Wee Waa (in northern New South Wales, Australia) about 50 years ago, and about 10 years later developed severe sinus infections that needed operations, and at the time the medical complications were blamed on exposure to the sprayed chemicals - 2-4-5-T and Deildrin are names I remember. Back then, nobody knew that there may be health problems, so very few precautions were taken - we waved flags to help the pilot line up on the crop rows, then ran a certain number of rows across the field for the next pass, but we ran to get out of the path of the plane, not to dodge the spray.
The health effects are not what I remember most about that time though, it's the sheer joy I had of flying as a passenger in a single seat Piper Pawnee when it was crop-dusting. Those of you who know that plane will realise how that must've looked when I was sitting on the window ledge with my bum, chest, shoulder and arm outside in the slipstream. It was really good fun, but the OH&S-police would've had a heart attack if they'd seen that.
The health effects are not what I remember most about that time though, it's the sheer joy I had of flying as a passenger in a single seat Piper Pawnee when it was crop-dusting. Those of you who know that plane will realise how that must've looked when I was sitting on the window ledge with my bum, chest, shoulder and arm outside in the slipstream. It was really good fun, but the OH&S-police would've had a heart attack if they'd seen that.
Yes, you are right, we never were worried about the spray hitting you, just the plane. We had one pilot who once in a while would side slip a little to make it look like he hadn't lined up properly and make you stay longer than you wanted to. Then he would straighten up and make you hit the ground. He always had a grin on his face when he got you hit the dirt.
Watching that makes me wonder where those guys are today. Both the pilot and spotter risked terrible health effects.
Must be a selective hazard, as one of my old scooter riding buddies dusted for a guy named Tetter in Texarkana for years, then flew for and retired from Continental nee Texas International and is still riding today in his mid seventies. Must be the exception. And he liked dusting too. These days we just smoke cheap cigars and drink tequila at the hotel after the ride. Somethin to do while we age and maybe it staves off the dementia or makes it worse, I can't remember. It doesn't always have to be good for you if you enjoy it but don't tell that to the PC crowd, as I for one, don't want to live forever in their universe. Love the video too! Tanks Daniel!
What a strange outlook...
Well the pilot died a multibillionaire flying an ultralight in the Tetons 35 years later...