I had the day off of work yesterday, so I holler at a retired riding buddy of mine and we dicided to head out early for a little ride before it got too hot to be fun....

We met for breakfast @ the Route 66 Diner in Rockwall, TX at 7:00 AM. After a tastey breakfast and the requisite caffine injestion, we were ready to roll. We headed out 66 for a while and began "aimlessly wandering" out into the country. It was really nice, before it heated up and away from city heating. We rode a couple hours winding through the curves and hills (at least what we have in TX) just enjoying the morning. As we rode, somewhere NE of Dallas, I began watching an airplane off in the distance. At first, it looked like someone practicing manuevers for an show, as I'd see him flying along, then drop out of site, then appear again shooting striaght up, and then make a hard 180 and come back down then shoot off in another direction, disapear and then do the same thing over again. It was really kinda fun to watch and I could not help but imagine being in that plane and what it would be like.

This went on for about ten minutes as we curved our way through the cool morning countryside.

As we got closer, and I could see the plane better, I realized what he was really doing. He was dusting his crops. Then, my thought process changed quickly. It went form thinking.... "Wow, that's cool" to "Oh ****, we're gonna get dusted with chemicals by that f'er!".

I was following Tom and watching the plane as we continued to get closer. I could tell that Tom was beginning to pay attention to it too. I was beginning to smell pesticide and we were getting closer and closer. As much as I tried to watch where he was, he would disapear below the tree line and then pop up again at the end of his field. We were finally getting close to the inevitable..... We rounded a right hander, with a tree line on the right side of the road. I could see this guy (probably locked on to the damn bikers riding through is crop fields), and he was coming at us @ 90 dergees from the right, still above the trees. As we got within about 50 yds of an opening at the end of this tree line, the plain dropped below the line in preparation for his next pass.... Tom & I NAILED it and BLASTED past the end of that tree line JUST FEET BEFORE that damn plain did! I could hear the plane motor OVER my blasting FatCat!

Holy Crap!!!! I know what an insect feels like as he merrily eats Tarmer Ted's crops and gets blindsided by poison....

WOW.... what a RUSH! Never experienced anything like that before. All was well.

225 miles later, we were home before the real heat set in....

Just one of those things to remember years down the road.

Sorry for the long-winded write-up, but I was just looking back now and laughing about it & felt like sharing...

[sm=alien.gif]

 

[:-]

 

Ive found when being attacked by aliens a large caliber handgun comes in handy!

 

Now that ya mention it... together, we probably could'a took him down!

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Crop dusters are fun to watch from a distance......amazingly skilled pilots. Did you know they have one of the most dangerous non-military jobs? Not only do they have to deal with the hazardous chemical side of the occupation, but their flying skills must be practiced.........some make fatal mistakes every year. These guys are typically adrenaline junkies, though they won't admit it. You'd be surprised at the G-forces they encounter.

 

Phil I think as soon as I smelt the pesticide I would of turned back [:-]

 

Now that's some s$it!!![:@]

 

Now that's something you can tell your grandkids....."My ole hawg was so fast, I even had to dodge a plane once"......


nogood o~`o

 

This happened to me way back in '79. I was working on a rural construction site and the guy was dusting the field next to us. We happened to be lined up perfect for one of his runs and got drenched with the poison. But I guess it didn't affect me. But I gues it didn't affect me. But I guess it didn't affect me. But I guess it didn't affect me. DUH..... What were we talking about?

 

Had a similar experience in July while riding through lower Delaware. The crop duster was coming at us from the right side. All I could see was this plane (and prop) heading right at us. We sped up just in time so we didn't get dusted.[sm=crossbonesgif.gif]