Three 500-gallon aerial applicators are ready and waiting at Howze Flying Service near Robstown, Texas. But until the sky lets loose of some desperately needed rain, those crop dusters are grounded. 

"We're waiting on a rain," said Sheri Howze. "We have not turned a prop this year because of rain. If it would just rain. Everything is lined up perfectly. It's ready." 

Sheri and her husband Scott own and operate Howze Flying Service. Scott, who grew up on a farm near Robstown, is one of two Howze pilots. He's been crop dusting since 2007.  

"He checks five weather apps on his phone," Sheri said. "I wouldn't say hourly, but half-hourly."  

It's been October since the region received significant moisture. Within the last month, corn, cotton, and sorghum have been planted. All that's needed is rain.   

"A 4-inch rain right now or a 2-inch rain would be a game-changer," Scott said. "We're a lot different here because we hold moisture so well. If we would just get something, we could finish a grain crop. It might not be a great one but at least it would make a crop." 

Fuel 

Scott said crop dusters and farmers have a lot in common. A farmer's tools are on the ground. His are airborne. Both care for the crop, and deal with the spike of doing business.  

Sheri and Scott Howze, Howze Flying Service, Robstown, Texas. (Photos by Shelley E. Huguley)

"Fuel is ridiculous," Scott said. "I usually figure fuel at about 25 to 28 cents an acre. Right now, it's probably 80 to 90 cents an acre. So, as far as pricing, I've gone up almost a dollar just to cover fuel, not considering that a prop for an airplane last year was $35,000 is like $50,000 this year… if you can find one." 

In May of 2020, Sheri said they paid 64 cents per gallon for fuel. In 2022, she's received a quote as high as $4.11. "Those 64-cent days, those were the good 'ol days," she said.  

Equipment and parts 

Equipment and parts are scarce and expensive. "Scott has a good relationship with our air tractor dealer, and they'll say, 'Hey these parts are going up or not going to be available.' He could probably build an airplane from the parts he's gotten knowing that they are not going to be in stock or that they are going to have a huge price hike from say $90 to $200." 

"I had to do some engine work this year," said Scott, who spent a day calling businesses to locate one part. "A part that was $8,000 is now $13,000. It was just a large air exit duct. I had to find it from Florida because nobody else had one and mine wasn't serviceable. I had to find one. The guy told me you better buy it now. It's the only one of three that he knows of (in the U.S.). He told me he had three sitting offshore in a ship somewhere." 

See, South Texas crops: Swayed by drought, not tillage practices 

High fuel costs and sparse parts have motivated Scott and pilot Daniel Schawe to evaluate fields more closely before they fly. "If we hurt an airplane, there is no replacement right now. There's nothing. I know a guy who had a brand-new airplane last year, an 802. It had like 60 hours on it, and they hit a wire with it. They waited and waited for a prop. They couldn't find blades. So, they wound up buying a used prop. They took their brand-new prop that had three good blades and two bad ones and ground down their new blades to match the used prop blades to get the airplane going again," Scott said. "That's how tight things are." 

Pricing 

In January, the Howzes had to evaluate their prices and anticipate future hikes. "It's not fair to anyone to change the price throughout the season, so in January we tried to set a price, foreseeing equipment breaking and needing repairs, fuel going up and down and chemicals being hard to find," Sheri said. "Roundup was like $15 per gallon a year ago and now it's $60 a gallon. So, $60 for a 200-gallon tote is $15,000 — for just a tote of Roundup. 

"So, trying to foresee that and still make some money. We don't want to do this for free," she jokes. "We're just trying to factor in all the not-foreseeable expenses and stay consistent throughout the season. We'll reevaluate at the end of the year." 

Labor 

Labor is also a challenge. "There are fewer pilots," Scott said. "What's happening in our business is businesses are combining." 

The Howzes recently purchased another flying service in Ganado, about an hour-flight from their current location. "That's happening all over the place. So, bigger airplanes, bigger equipment, fewer pilots. 

Pilot to pilot: Scott Howze visits with his pilot Daniel Schawe following their flight. 

"A pilot like Daniel, he's a hot commodity because he's got some experience. I know of like five airplanes that sat last year, because they couldn't find anybody to sit in them. I know of two jobs in the Valley right now that are full-time and in need of pilots. That's just the tough part of it." 

Being a crop duster compared to a commercial or private pilot often requires more hands-on work. "It's a dirty job," Scott said. "It's hard to find a person who wants to fly an airplane but doesn't want to look at it as just flying an airplane." 

During the busy season, crop dusters often work daylight to dawn and may have to clean spray nozzles or load their airplane if the other pilot is busy flying. "There's a lot of pilots who don't want to be farmers," Schawe said.  

"We are farmers," Scott said. "My dad's a farmer. I thought I'd farm. My dad and brother farm together. So, I'm still in it, I just fly airplanes. Ultimately, it's a tractor and you've got to look at it that way. The next generation coming up, wants to fly. They just don't want to clean nozzles." 

Sitting still 

Scott is the second generation in his family to fly crop dusters. His grandfather flew in the days of an open cockpit. Having grown up on the farm Scott relates to both the farming and pilot perspective.  

He's the first to admit downtime makes him restless, which is why he also flies helicopters. He gathers cattle, conducts surveys and takes people on hog hunts.  

"I don't sit still very well. Normally, we're working by now. I'm not worried about it because as soon as it starts raining, we'll go to work. For us here, because we don't freeze, if it starts raining in August, I'll have a busy fall." 

He'll also take three to four weeks this summer to fly fields in Iowa.  "I'll know in three weeks whether I need to start making other decisions. I've got a partnership with some guys in the Midwest. I'll send airplanes up there. I'll make my payments and make my living, but it ain't going to be fun.  

"We're in a dry spell right now, but it's always going to rain here… this crop is not too far gone."