Aviation's most demanding missions/jobs

[180]

This phrase came up in another thread regarding the West Coast float operators who fly the Straights during the winter and walk the fine line between marginal VRF and IFR conditions and it got me thinking...

What is/are some of the most demanding missions/jobs in aviation?

A few picks of mine in no particular order would be:

1. Single pilot IFR pilot shooting a circling NDB approach at night in shitty winter conditions.

2. Fixed-wing water-bombing in tight, smoky, turbulent, mountainous terrain.

3. Rotary-wing SAR, doing a long-lining rescue at sea in a storm.

4. VFR scudding on the coast on a glassy, misty, drizzly day.

5. Single-engine ferry pilot crossing the Atlantic.

6. I doubt the Space shuttle is a piece of cake.

7. Wartime everything...

I'm sure there's a hundred others. Let's hear 'em...

[skypirate88]

Instructing in a 152 during a high density altitude day in the summer

[cgzro]

Hovering a chopper a few inches away from live hydro lines while they are worked on hot.

Entertaining people at an airshow on a hot / windy day.

[GoinNowhereFast]

Going along with the airshow theme, Redbull Air Races any day, regardless of weather.

I'm also not exactly sure what marginal VRF is though.

[burninggoats]

Reading some threads on AvCanada.... It's mindboggling and sometimes downright draining, the things you read

Example: Knowing there is an active flight instructor out there teaching students a power first stall recovery.

[Nark]

The most demanding/dangerous mission in flying:

Getting yourself into a position where you don't have a plan to get out of it.

[square]

How about doing training & rides for rampies who haven't flown in 5 years on planes they will fly single pilot :p

[glorifiedtaxidriver]

I'll take a shot at answering this seriously. Out of your list, I would say VFR on the coast. Followed closely, or equal to the waterbombers. And here are my reasons.

1. Single pilot IFR - You have published minimums and routes to follow. You don't like it, you up and fu.. off.

2. Rotary Wing rescue at sea in a storm - I agree it's very dangerous and taxing, however, it only happens once in a while, whereas the glassy water low vis coastal shit is every day in the winter. As are the water bombers in the summer. And they work longer hours. Also, add 40+ knot winds.

3. Single Engine Ferry Pilot crossing the Atlantic - Doesn't happen nearly as often as above in number 2.

4. The Space Shuttle - I'm pretty sure has a pretty slick team backing it up and is not often flown by hand. With some exceptions.

Any of these jobs can be the most demanding at any given point, but day to day, it's the vfr coastal guys and the water bombers that do it day in and day out that have the most demanding work environment.

My 2 cents

[Xander]

Flying experimental test missions like the X-1 and the X-15 has got to be number 3.

Landing a fighter jet on a aircraft carrier by night on a pitching deck has got to be number 2.

The space shuttle has got to be number 1, hands down.

[boogiepilot]

What about medevac flight, in northern Quebec, on a old challenger doing gravel strips and some 4000' runway. These guys fly 24/7 for over 2000 hrs/year combined. I'm sure it's a demanding mission.

[. ._]

My first solo could have been quite deadly.

[fish4life]

I haven't done it but I bet those guys flying the Nav Canada Jet would have a pretty demanding job (although it looks awesome) they probably do 50 approaches in a day

[Luscombe]

I used to fly fisheries and oceans patrols in a King Air 200 for PAL. Glad I don't do that any more. I suppose that would qualify as "challenging". Also flew a BN2 landing on the beach of Sable Island. Although the latter was tricky at times, it was probably the most memorable flying I had ever done.

[iflyforpie]

.

Any of these jobs can be the most demanding at any given point, but day to day, it's the vfr coastal guys and the water bombers that do it day in and day out that have the most demanding work environment.

My 2 cents

For coastal stuff, it has a number of advantages over how I fly VFR in the mountains. They can fly a few feet above terrain at low speed and not worry about hitting anything (remember, this is supposed to be at VFR minimums at least ). They can set their aircraft down at certain points during the 'flight' (I have absolutely no option of doing this). They have easy access to sea-based rescue (I have no such thing).

I think that it is those factors that I listed that makes the coastal drivers push limits to git-r-dun. If a coastal flyer respected the weather limits I follow in the mountains (especially since there are mountains there too), there would probably be a whole lot less fatalities.

"But then we'd never fly!" That's the nature of the beast. I spend weeks without flying and quite honestly I am glad for it. Where is the dividing line between skill and unacceptable risk?



That's why I think that the most difficult thing in aviation is saying no. (Credit for that quote goes to . E). Saying no would probably wipe off half that list of challenging flying.

[KHills]

how about minnow trapping? glassy, tiny lakes, many with only 1 or 2 approaches. some lakes require curved or "J" take-offs. Flying very close to gross. not to mention when you get 'er on the water, if it is windy you got a hell of a hand full to get your traps.

[whisair]

Flying our sngle turbine otter to Antartica, making 8 trips to the pole and getting our asses safely back to BC.

[Rowdy]

Remember folks, this is not a competition nor is it a place to compensate for your lack of "equipment".

[modi13]

Doing anything in Glen Valley, especially when Montair's fleet is out.

[WestCoast]

My vote goes to Heli-Logging as one of the most damanding jobs in Aviation.

[cgzro]

I suspec the NRC test pilots get the occasional bit of unplanned fun in some of the testing and flying that they do. Icing tests and spin testing certification etc must have the odd interesting surprise.

I suspect also that crop dusting in a tight field for hours on end must be pretty extreme too.

[Johnny#5]

Working for a Navaho operator in the lower mainland.

[TG]

Has to be fighter jet night carrier landing!

Landing on the ship at night is like a trip to the dentist, you may get away with no pain, but you just don't feel comfortable.

— LCDR Thomas Quinn, USN.

Add some weather, a pitching deck and what they call "bingo fuel"





Survey flying has its moments

[AEROBAT]

Reading some threads on AvCanada.... It's mindboggling and sometimes downright draining, the things you read

Example: Knowing there is an active flight instructor out there teaching students a power first stall recovery.

Yes...the stall recovery thread, that was a classic. Allmost as amusing is the thread about how challenging flying a taildragger is. Even Transport Canada thinks it is a non-issue, ie no TD endorsement.

[warbirdpilot7]

Depends on the Tailwheel aircraft.........A supercub is alot different than a harvard. As far as TC not having an official endorsement, that might need to change.

[frozen solid]

I haven't done it but I bet those guys flying the Nav Canada Jet would have a pretty demanding job (although it looks awesome) they probably do 50 approaches in a day

They could do the same job in a Navajo. Well, I guess all those taxes have to go somewhere.