An Overview of Ag Pilots and the H-2A Program
Agriculture (ag) pilots play an integral role in America’s farms. Ag pilots, also known as crop dusters or aerial applicators, fly specialized aircraft to perform various tasks on farms such as applying pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals to crops. Some ag pilots might even haul crops after harvest or help plant and apply seed via aerial applications.
Regardless of their duties, ag pilots must be skilled at flying and maneuvering specialized aircraft and also have a thorough understanding of common farming best practices.
Simply put, agriculture pilots and crop dusters must possess a unique skill set and intelligence.
Like many careers in agriculture, sourcing and hiring skilled, reliable, and experienced pilots to meet your seasonal needs can be difficult for ag employers.
If you run a crop dusting or aerial ag service and need skilled employees to expand your services and grow your clientele, hiring pilots through the H-2A program is a great way to ensure you have the employees you need to be successful.
The Looming Shortage of Ag Pilots
Despite their importance to America’s ag industry, there are shortages of qualified, skilled, and interested pilots and that gap might be growing wider in the coming years. In fact, according to a recent ag pilot career spotlight article by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the average age of farm pilots in America is 55 years old.
On top of this, these pilots have a risky, dangerous job beyond normal piloting standards such as:
Flying Patterns: Ag pilots fly low to the ground to apply chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides and this style of flying comes with inherent risks unique to the industry. Collisions with structures, utility lines, and other ag aircraft operating in the same small area are unique to the aerial ag industry.
Tough Schedule: Ag pilots also find themselves working long, grueling days, especially during peak growing and planting season. Ag pilots can easily work upwards of 14 hours per day during planting, growing, and harvesting seasons.
Potential Exposure to Chemicals: Ag pilots are working in close contact with potentially hazardous chemicals present in pesticides and herbicides.
Additional Training: Pilots must also undergo additional ag pilot training to learn various flying techniques, gain experience with ag-specific aircraft, and undergo training for working with various agricultural chemicals. These pilots need a commercial pilot’s license with certain endorsements for ag operations.
These are also reasons why new or aspiring pilots tend to gravitate towards commercial piloting jobs and don’t typically have much interest in farm piloting jobs. Commercial pilots are paid a higher wage and don’t work in a seasonal industry, such as agriculture.
When you combine long work days with intense flight patterns, possible exposure to harmful chemicals, and an aging workforce, it’s easy to see why aerial applicators struggle to find interested applicants for their open pilot jobs.
Lucky for you, there’s a logical solution to these workforce woes.
Hiring Ag Pilots through the H-2A Work Visa Program
The obvious solution to the pending shortage of ag pilots, or any farm position, is the H-2A temporary work visa program. The U.S. government allows ag businesses of all types and sizes to hire temporary foreign ag labor through the H-2A program.
Still, for anyone trying to source a skilled seasonal agriculture workforce, a good deal of work goes into the H-2A process. For aerial agriculture providers, you’ll need to obtain a Temporary Labor Certificate, source qualified pilots, and follow recruiting requirements, just to name a few.
Hiring Ground Crew and Mechanics through the H-2A Work Visa Program
Aerial applicators and crop dusting services need more than skilled pilots and a few planes to run a successful business. Mechanics, ground crew, and skilled pilots are all essential roles in your crop dusting or aerial ag service. The good news is these jobs are all eligible for the H-2A seasonal work visa program.
It’s common for ag pilots to start as ground crew and work their way up to piloting agricultural aircraft. Ground crews can be responsible for various duties including mixing chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides, loading planes with the proper chemicals or fertilizers for application, refueling planes, and maintaining planes and equipment.
Ground crews are like a second set of eyes on your planes, so the trust between pilots and their ground crews is an important aspect of a successful aerial operation.
However, sourcing employees willing to put in the extra time and dedication it takes to work their way up from your ground crew to the cockpit can be a challenge all in itself – that’s where the H-2A visa program comes in.
Classifying Aerial Application Services for H-2A
When you apply for a Temporary Labor Certificate, it’s important to understand the type of agricultural business you’re operating and the types of positions you need to hire. Three main types of ag businesses qualify for the H-2A program – fixed-site crop farms, farm labor contractors (FLC), and custom harvesters.
Aerial applicators are considered farm labor contractors because they perform work on farms, for farmers, and their services are directly related to the planting, cultivating, or harvesting of crops. Farm labor contractors are essential to the ag industry in America.
Whether it’s a well driller, drainage and irrigation specialist, or an aerial applicator, farm labor contractors help America’s farms run efficiently, produce more crops, and free up valuable time so farmers can stay focused on their business.
Of course, a few additional requirements go into obtaining a labor certificate as a farm labor contractor such as providing vehicle information and worksite details and that’s where having a professional H-2A agency in your corner comes into play.
USA FARM LABOR is the Only H-2A Agency Sourcing Ag Pilots and Crews through the H-2A Program
Whether your aerial ag business needs seasonal ag pilots, ground crew, or mechanics, contact the team at USA FARM LABOR and we can help.
We’re the only H-2A agency in the nation that specializes in helping aerial applicators source a skilled seasonal workforce. In fact, we recently partnered with a client to bring a lawsuit against the federal government, particularly for the right to classify your aerial service as a farm labor contractor so you can source a seasonal workforce through the H-2A work visa program.
Our team has the experience and knowledge needed to get your business certified and then help you source skilled, qualified, legal seasonal ag pilots and support crews from the global ag workforce.
Not only do we understand the nuances of the H-2A program, but we also have connections to one of the top ag pilot training schools in the country.
USA FARM LABOR has the connections, insights, and experience needed to help you source a skilled workforce and grow your business. We’re trusted by some of the top names in aerial agriculture and we’d love to help you too.
Contact us today for your 100% FREE, no-strings-attached seasonal workforce consultation. Most times, our knowledgeable associates can get your application started in one short 20-30 minute phone call.
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