Day 136
Cropdusting
August 9th, 2010
I'm walking across America.
That's the idea, at least. I'm walking westward from New York City for nine months or so. If everything goes according to plan, I'll be in Oregon when the clock runs out. If nothing goes according to plan, maybe I'll end up in Peru or Mongolia or Pennsylvania. You can read all about the details of my trip if you're so inclined.
Email me at matt@imjustwalkin.com
Subscribe to my email list
Here's my progress so far:
Crop dusting pilots are incredible. It doesn’t show it here, but in case you’ve never seen them, they fly as low as 6 feet above the crops then can pull straight up to avoid barns, etc. Amazing.
Matt
Did you get the Mattmobile dusted off while you were next to the crop duster? Hope you had everything secure as the pilot nosedived by the Mattmobile.
I wonder if these planes are also used to fight fires?
No.
Do doubt that the pilots would be up to the challenge, but unfortunately the planes lack the load capacity needed to fight fires.
Crop-dusters are amazing pilots… our area farmers have started using them and are they fun to watch!
dont breath….hope your cart stays healthy and green.
I was thinking the same thing….Yikes! Does Matt have a mask?!
Do I see Cary Grant hiding in there?
First thing I thought too. The iconic scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller North By Northwest. At least this crop duster didn’t intentionally try to buzz and spray Matt.
It’s always the “high wires” that I worry about when I see those pilots maneuver…or is it manure, well sometimes it is very scary…sorry about that…(not really, I just like those two words together they are close…look it up)…
It made Matt stop and take notice…I don’t think anyone who was near ignored this plane…one of those things that stops you and “makes” you watch…
Watch out Matt! Could be that zombie spray their releasing…
i live in NYC… what are the crops being dusted with? thanks!
Looks like corn.
You don’t want to know. Can’t be good, whatever it is.
Near the top of the list for the all-time most egregious lies is “they wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t safe.”
Probably an insectiside.
Or a fungicide (Seems that corn does suffer from rust disease) or fertilizer.
fertilyzers, pesticides, and fungicides…nothing that you would want to take a deep breath of.
thanks!
Are you on a dusty crossroads – and have you been mistaken as a murderer?
It looks like sweet corn & it most likely is being sprayed (dusted) with a liquid pesticide to control insects.
Very cool shot! I like how it’s off-balance visually. I tried gardening this spring and summer. I would have starved if not for my local IGA Minimax. Bless the farmers of America!!
Old saying about crop dusters… “There’s two kinds – them’s that’s crashed, & them’s that’s gonna…”
Wow! Cool shot! But I hope you didn’t get sprayed while standing that close!
When I lived in Colorado, I remember seeing a ton of cropdusters out flying over the corn crops. It was amazing to watch and very cool. This is an awesome shot!
Oh boy … we pilots love such a shot … gotta catch some corn stalks in your landing gear to be a real aviator! Thx for the shot, Matt!
Love it. How awesome is that?! I too worried that you got some of that dusting breathed in. Not good. The stuff is necessary for large crops such as this but not good if you’re standing in it while it’s being released I would think. How lucky for you to be experiencing all this.