Reality TV strikes again — this time with Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Job Interview.
In the first episode, which aired Friday, Jan. 29, we followed Ron Vargas to South Africa. Ron’s goal is to become a bush pilot. He’s in South Africa to train with Milne “CC” Pocock, owner of Bush Air.
The show isn’t just about flight training. In total, the show spotlights “eight of the most extreme and perilous professions in the world.”
“This six episode series (also) follows arborists climbing 200 feet high in the Redwood Forest, extreme heavy haul truckers through America’s heartland, iron erectors hundreds of feet up in the air, construction divers underwater in the depths of the Pacific, volcanologists climbing to the top of the explosive Stromboli, and wind turbine technicians in some of the windiest conditions on Earth.”
While I enjoyed watching the flying scenes, the shots are edited to create drama and make it appear more extreme than it truly is. I fear for the impression this makes on the non-flying public.
They see “death-defying” maneuvers… from a turn around the pattern. That’s not good. But showing aviation realistically isn’t the show’s job.
Peeking behind the curtain a bit, CC (which stands for Captain Crash, according to the show’s website) is a rock-solid instructor and aviator.
Airshow pilot Melissa Pemberton ventured to CC’s South African airstrip/home for training in 2009 and raves about the experience on her website.
Student Ron Vargas retired from the Army and is an “aspiring owner of a bush pilot cargo transport company.” His story is similar to thousands of pilots who seek instruction from top trainers. Ron’s journey to Bush Air makes perfect sense to me. It might even make for good TV, I suppose.
From the entertainment perspective, Deadliest Job Interview is OK. I have to admit, my toes curled a few times watching caver Kevin Hollister crawl through some very tight spaces the length of four football fields. I’d take bush flight training over caving any day. But I suppose that’s a rather obvious statement.
Remember, this show is for non-cavers, non-divers, non-tree climbers and non-pilots. Take it with a grain of salt and enjoy.
This is supposed to be in South Africa, but the plane is U.S. registered with a N tail number.
D Channel makes a great job in creating heroes out of idiots
Discovery needs to stop lying,They need to remember that there is real people in these businesses and No tree climber that works as an employee makes six figures .I call bullshit
No it’s true my cousin works in that field and runs 2 separate 4-6 man crews and makes well over 100K and that the position the guy was trying out for (running a crew).
CC gave a great seminar at Oshkosh on bush and backcountry flying, and has a wonderful book out on it too. If you can’t catch his course in South Africa note that periodically he gives instruction in Arizona. Keep an eye on his website, http://www.bushair.co.za/
.
. Cheers, Rol Murrow
.
So, exactly what rating is Mr. Vargas earning in South Africa that makes any difference in the USA, or shows up on his FAA-Issued Airman’s Certificate?
And exactly how would failing to complete this imaginary “certification” put an end to his hopes of starting a business in the USA?
And exactly what sort of flying business does he expect to engage in with nothing but a private pilot certificate and an imaginary “bush pilot” rating? On a flight for hire, he qualifies only as a stewardess. Best would be to get a FAA Commercial Certificate.
Per faa, an instrument rating and commercial rating are required before the pilot can charge for a flight…a $500 per (bush) flight.
Actually, the Instrument rating isn’t a requirement to fly for hire. But you will be heavily restricted to where it makes little sense skipping it.
Unless they went back to the old days when you could get a restricted Commercial without the instrument rating, I think you need to have Instrument Airplane to get an Commercial SE or ME Airplane Certificate.
In the US, unless you have an instrument rating, a Commercial pilot cannot carry passengers or cargo for hire more than 50 NM from base nor at night.
According to the FAA registry, Mr. Vargas has a private license. It would seem to me that before he tried becoming a bush pilot that perhaps he should get an instrument rating and a commercial certificate. That would hone his skills at home before he tried to jump into the “extreme” world of bush piloting.