Fly Your Way To A Homesteading Experience

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Charter flying is the perfect job for the would-be homesteader. The work is interesting and infinitely varied. It allows you to [1] survey a great deal of real estate (and choose a good tract for your own homestead), [2] meet many people and learn a great deal about the area, and [31 make money at the same time (anywhere from $3.00 to $25 per flying hour, roughly) ' Here, the full-time pilot is usually guaranteed a monthly minimum.

Remember that charter work may be seasonal in some areas. Often a small company may have a steady need for, say, two full-time pilots during the off-season and additional pilots at other times of the year. Homesteaders, naturally, are in the perfect position to capitalize on this seasonal fluctuation in demand.

MISCELLANEOUS: Odd flying jobs abound. For instance: Various branches of the U.S. Government (the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service in particular) hire pilots, radio and TV stations use aviators to do rush-hour traffic reports and fly reporters to newsmaking events, advertisers employ pilots to tow banners, etc. There are also jobs available involving pipeline patrol, spotting forest fires and schools of fish from the air, and hauling construction workers to remote sites. If you become highly skilled in aerobatics, you may even want to develop a routine and fly the air show circuit (or give aerobatic instruction). The possibilities are endless.

WHO CAN BECOME A PILOT?

Almost anyone in good health can be a pilot. All prospective aviators must pass a physical given by an FAA-designated physician (known as an Aviation Medical Examiner) before they can qualify for a license. Any local flight school or FAA office (check the White Pages under "U.S. Government, Dept. of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration") can furnish you with the names of AME's in your area.

If your goal is a commercial pilot's license (an absolute must if you intend to fly for hire), you'll be required to pass a Second Class physical (cost: about $35) once a year. This involves little more than demonstrating that you have good hearing, eyesight correctable to 20/20, (and no worse than 20/400 uncorrected), blood pressure no higher than 140/90, and sound general health. (If your goal is a private pilot's license, you need only pass the less stringent Third Class physical. Neither the Second nor the Third Class exam is tough to pass, however.)

About the only other qualification needed to become a pilot is motivation. Flying a light plane is surprisingly easy, but learning to do so requires intense concentration and much independent study (especially for certificates beyond the private). The person who lacks motivation and/or self-discipline would be well advised to save his money and forget about flying (or—for that matter—homesteading).

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