A certain lifestyle
Many would-be airline pilots try
their luck with an application to
the geophysical survey operators
although their value in terms of
background and future viability
are considered limited. However,
some of those pilots certainly have
graduated from a couple of years on
survey work with the coveted 2400
hours of additional f lying in their
log books. As an hours-builder,
survey f lying can be hard to beat.
The typical survey pilot is a
younger male with few ties at
home. The required nomadic
lifestyle is an attraction to this
demographic in many ways.
However, there have been a
number of female pilots join the
survey roster from time to time,
and their data has proven just as
saleable to the most scrutinous
of clients. Unfortunately, their
participation has not been
common. There are also quite
a number of older male pilots
who remain regular members oftoday’s remote field crews. Some
have family at home while others
continue to lead the solitary life
that they began many years prior.
The survey pilot must be adept
at working long hours alone but
must also fit into a working team
while at the base strip. With survey
shifts extending up to eight weeks
or more in duration, all members
of the aerial geophysical survey
team have to be resilient against the
rigors of surviving one anothers’
personality quirks and differences.
They must also be conscious of
dampening their own in return.
Prickly and opinionated crew
members are soon weeded out
from the ranks.
Living primarily in motel
rooms of varying quality, these
f light crew inevitably become
accustomed to a life lived from
suitcases and toiletry bags. They
are able to pack and move at a
moment’s notice in the event
of mechanical issues with the
aircraft or in the face of extreme42 Survey Flying
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or 0415 072 498fine accuracy along
an assigned survey
line for numerous
hours is a marathon
of substantial
proportion.
However, once
that dexterity
is confidently
gained, the process
becomes one of
second nature.
Career
geophysical
survey pilots
are worth their
weight in gold
to the average
survey company
and their clients.
By the end of their career they
have travelled, partied, and
f lown a great deal more than
just about any other member
of the community. However,
family life can quickly become a
major casualty whilst leading the
airborne survey lifestyle.Good radiometric
images are often the
result of accurately-
lown survey lines.GEOSCIENCE AUSTRALIA