Uffdam - -
Welcome to the world of a Google Answers researcher. We can navigate
directly to the answers in some cases and in other cases have to use
‘pilotage’ to get you where you want to go!
Let me start this with an overview. As you’re looking for non-airline
type of applications, the 'charter' categories in the Federal Aviation
Regulations or FARs help define all the different types of activities:
Avweb (Jan. 18, 2003)
"FAR – Air Carriers & Commercial Operators"
Supart A, 119.1
Ferry or training flights;
(4) Aerial work operations, including
(i) Crop dusting, seeding, spraying, and b chasing;
(ii) Banner towing;
(iii) Aerial photography or survey;
(iv) Fire fighting;
(v) Helicopter operations in construction repair work (but
it does apply to transportation and from the site of operations); and
(vi) Powerline or pipeline patrol;
(5) Sightseeing flights conducted in hot air balloons;
(6) Nonstop flights conducted within a 25 statute mile radius of
the airport of takeoff carrying persons for the purpose of intentional
parachute jumps;
There are some articles on the web that cover a wide range of aviation
activities, including this excellent article by Howard Fried, a
well-known flight instructor, that covers 14 different areas of
flying, including charters for express delivery of parts & supplies
and banner towing:
Avweb
"Freight and Specialty Flying" (April 10, 2000)
http://www.avweb.com/news/columns/182228-1.html
Fried misses at least one category - - ferry flights - - but an
interesting article on a Mooney owners’ website describes the career
of Margrit Waltz, a trans-Atlantic ferry pilot who delivers general
aviation aircraft ‘across the pond’:
Mooney Owner Events
"Flying the Atlantic" (Oct. 10, 1997)
http://www.aviating.com/mooney/past/progr4.htm
Avweb includes a number of articles on these specialized areas of
flying, including a detailed article on Mike Fizer, a specialist in
aviation photography:
Avweb
"Mike Fizer" (Dec. 31, 2000)
http://www.avweb.com/news/profiles/182929-1.html
To get more specifics on the three types of aviation use, let’s use
the three terms that you’ve highlighted to see what specifics we can
find using Google. This is exactly what I’ve entered in the search
term window:
1. 'pipeline patrol' + flying - - 5,560 references
2. 'powerline patrol' + flying - - 548 references
3. 'aerial photography' + flying - - 21,800 references
There are excellent references in each search to information on these
aspects of flying, including to seminars and educational courses on
managing the flight. If you’re looking to enter the field, the
instructors for these courses may make good contacts and give you an
opportunity to network your way into the field.
You’ll also find some very detailed information on some of these
searches. As an example, with the 'powerline patrol' + flying search
you’ll find a link to the USDA’s "Operations and Safety Information
for Pilots," which specifies the pilot experience and minimum
equipment list that its sub-contractors must provide:
USDA Forest Service
"Operations and Safety Information for Pilots" (2003)
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/fire/aviation/factsheet.pdf
Clearly the largest category with potential links is ‘aerial
photography’ + flying and so adding additional search terms would
allow you to narrow what you’re seeking. Adding ‘USDA’ to the search
string still yields 525 results - - and excellent descriptions of the
USDA low-level photography programs for checking crop status:
USDA
"Farm Service Agency’s National Agricultural Image Program" (Jan. 14,
2003)
http://www.apfo.usda.gov/usdaplanningmeeting/fy03/APFO_NAIP03.pdf
Depending on the types of additional information being sought, it
would also be a good idea to do site searches on leading aviation
websites, including the following ones that I have bookmarked:
Aircraft Owners’ & Pilots Association
www.aopa.org
Aviation Week
http://www.aviationnow.com/
Avweb
www.avweb.com
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
"ERAU Internet Library Research Tools"
http://amelia.db.erau.edu/irt/public_html/index.html
Landings
www.landings.com
Keep the blue side up,
Omnivorous-GA, PPSEL-IR |
