The sun is just peeking over the horizon, sending golden shafts of light
over the endless wheat fields. Most people are still snug in their beds, but
Minnesota crop sprayer Donald Wander is already airborne.
"The actual flying is the greatest thing you will ever feel," he says.
"At sunrise, you come across the country. You look down and can see deer running
through the fields. You can see coyotes. It is the most relaxing thing to
be up there."
When the crop sprayer reaches the designated field, he flies low over the
crops so that the pesticides, seeds or insecticides will fall on target. "You've
got to be half-crazy to want to do this," jokes Rick Lee, a crop sprayer.
"You are flying at extremely low levels, as low as six feet over the ground."
Lee says that aircraft working the bush or over rougher terrain stay further
from the ground. "You fly just over the tree tops," he says. "There are a
lot of obstacles when you are flying, which can be dangerous but exhilarating."
Lee adds that crop sprayers can't fly in windy or adverse weather
conditions. "You are flying in the most perfect conditions, and so you always
get the best flying experiences," he says.
Obstacles such as high wires and buildings pose a danger to crop sprayers.
But in the past, the actual aircraft used for spraying also posed dangers
to the pilots.
"Nowadays, the planes are real powerful and can take the stress of the
work," says Wander. "The accident rate is way down, and [accidents] usually
only happen when pilots bang into stuff."
Because crop sprayers fly airplanes, they can travel great distances to
find work. "You can go wherever you want," says Wander. "You pick your destination."
Cheryl Denesowych is a former director of an aerial applicators' association.
She says that this work can be difficult. "You have to work very intensely
for eight to 10 weeks of the year."
She says this time can be difficult for both men and women in the field.
"At that time, you have no family life, you just work, work, work." Of course,
the pay makes it worth the effort for many.
"Some jet pilots take a leave of absence from their jobs, and do the work
for a short while," she says. "It can be an excellent second income."
All crop sprayers must be licensed pilots. "It's not an easy entry
occupation because of the expense to get licensed," says Denesowych. And once
hired, crop sprayers starting out may pump fuel and load pesticides before
they get a chance to work in the air.
"But after you get some experience, you can do well," she says. Wander
adds that there aren't many young people working as crop sprayers in
the U.S. But he hopes that youth will look into the career.
"There are a lot of spray jobs out there for pilots," he says. "The best
thing to do is just go out there and visit the companies."
Wander says that he has been able to see many different areas of the country
through his work. "It's a fun way to meet people," he says. "You walk
into a town that you've never been to before, and you can stay there
for a while."
Of course, he hasn't enjoyed all of the destinations. "Down in the
southern states it's just too hot," he says. "I couldn't take the
humidity."
Wander has also worked in Texas, where temperatures can be extreme. "It
was a dry heat and it was much easier to deal with."
Wander also spent some time on the West Coast working near Spokane. "I
liked getting up in the morning to work there," he said. "I would fly over
and see the hills and mountains, the river valleys and the orchards down below.
It was easy to want to do my job."