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How far did I fly my cropduster to work? Question from Katy.

The Australian cattle industry failed in 1974 along with it support industries including aerial spreading of fertilizer, so I went to Queensland and sprayed grasshoppers. This lead to a full time job as a hired pilot on the Darling Downs. Cereal spraying for weeds in the winter and midge in sorghum in the summer ( an insect that feeds on the embryo sorghum seed). That would end about early Feb. From there I was sent to Far North Queensland (800 miles to the north west), about a days flying, remember our ag aeroplanes are not fast cruisers. I’d spray sugar cane for weeds: vines which would climb to the canopy of the crop and cause it to collapse. Very difficult work, small paddocks, considerable hill and gully work plus spraying herbicides which are of detriment to susceptible plants and crops which grow in these tropical areas. I enjoyed working there. Rain. Never seen anything like it. 24 inches in 24 hours and once 84 inches in 3 days. The soil never got boggy because it had a substantial sand content. I’d remain in the north for 2 or 3 months.

The second job entailing a big ferry or positioning was working in East Malaysia. Again as a hired pilot, not my aeroplane. I’d take the aeroplane from Adelaide in South Australia. 11 hours into Darwin and 12 hours to destination which was east of Lahad Datu, which, if you are interested, will find on Google maps.
I enjoyed the first leg because I like the colours in the landscape, the live stock and the outback. For most of the flight I’d cruise about 200 foot. The second leg over the ocean and I wouldn’t enjoy. The main reason was the boredom of endless nothing to see with the exception of 2 locations. The north of Sulawesi where the mountains rose steeply from deep ocean and secondly east of the East Malaysian town of Tawau where the village people lived in the coastal palms. The men would be fishing and kids would run out to the shore to wave to the aeroplane.
During ocean crossings I would keep an eye on the ocean for shipping that may have been handy in the event of engine problems, but in all the crossings I made I saw only 1.
The Malaysian work was spreading fertilizer onto oil palms. I did get tired of seeing palms and would have given almost anything to sit beneath a eucalypt or gum tree. The Malaysians were good people but didn’t do anything too arduous. For these tasks “guest workers” from other Muslim states were hired. Our loaders were Filipino and they were great. Some became Muslims to be eligible for employment.


A footnote. The town of Tully were I did considerable work has an annual rainfall of 160 inches. This was mostly in the wet season, the period when I did this work in Far North Queensland. Other towns I worked from or nearby had comparable. Two had grass airstrips at the time and I’d land where water covered the surface. This took some time to get comfortable with but when I did it was fun. Water would stream from the wheels over the wings and cabin.