Aviation Dream Jobs: Whale Survey Pilot

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Trevor Laue typically flies 1,000 feet above the ocean, mapping grids over the waves at 100 knots. Whenever one of the flight observers catches sight of the crew’s target—a right whale—Laue breaks out of the pattern and settles into a circle around the whale so scientists in the rear seat of the Cessna Skymaster can photograph, identify and collect data on the animal. For the best results, the aircraft has to remain as steady as possible. Tolerances are just +100, -0 feet on altitude and +5, -0 knots.

Once the whale has been identified and data collected, Laue will return to the track line and continue the pattern. In peak season, the survey crew may see between 100-180 individuals a day, which accounts for over a quarter of the entire population of the endangered North Atlantic right whale. The survey flights, conducted by Laue’s employer Avwatch, take place over Cape Cod bay and south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. The flights are contracted by Provincetown Center for Coastal studies and the New England Aquarium.

Trevor Laue is just one of the lucky pilots who contacted AVweb following our “Aviation Dream Job” survey back in June. From flying to fixing, we’re looking for stories about fascinating and unusual GA jobs. Surprise us with the rare aircraft you instruct in, specialized maintenance you do or anything else beyond the average aviation industry workday. Please submit up 500 words about what you do and a photo of you in your work environment to[email protected]. Selected stories will be edited—with author approval—and run on our website. Authors of chosen stories will receive anAVwebbaseball cap.

Whale of a Time

Trevor began his career at the Chatham airport. Once he got his commercial multi-engine rating, he started flying with the company. By his third year, he was their primary PIC. When the previous operator fully retired last year, Avwatch brought Laue on to take over the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies contract and to lead the New England Aquarium contract. He is also the director of maintenance at Avwatch.

For a second-in-command slot on Avwatch’s survey flights, the only rating required is a commercial multi. PIC minimums are very similar to Part 135 requirements, with the addition of hours flown over water and hours flown under 1,000 feet. All of the survey flying is done in strictly VFR conditions with ceilings generally greater than 1,500 feet.

The Aircraft

For surveying right whales, Laue flies one of Avwatch’s three Skymasters. The company has one 337 and two O-2s, the military version of the 337. The aircraft aren’t outfitted with anything out of the ordinary, but the New England Aquarium uses use a belly camera mount on the O-2s to shoot straight down every five seconds or so.

Other than that, there are camera ports in the side windows to shoot out of and a marine radio that is used to establish guard—essentially flight following—with the Coast Guard. Pilots on survey flights stay in contact with the Coast Guard throughout the flight, reporting position and “operation normal” every 30 minutes.

Equipment and Training

Packing the survey plane, on the other hand, does involve some specialized equipment. The survey flights all have a four-person life raft with basic provisions onboard along with a 406 MHz, saltwater-activated emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). They also use Spidertracks—a satellite tracking device—which is always monitored by a ground contact and the Coast Guard. Every five years, pilots are required to complete a two-day training class on aircraft ditching at Survival Systems in Groton, Connecticut.

Uniforms aren’t jeans and t-shirts either. While flying survey missions, Avwatch pilots wear heavy winter flight suits and the scientists wear waterproof drysuits. In the warmer months pilots typically switch to light flight suits and pack the survival suits in the plane. Everyone onboard wears Switlik life vests packed with mirrors, flares, dye markers, supplemental air bottles, individual EPIRBs and seat belt cutters.

Avwatch

Avwatch is based in Plymouth Massachusetts and offers aerial networking, aerial surveys and intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance flying (ISR). The company holds multiple contracts around the country doing ISR work for the government and military. They specialize in aerial visual/infrared imagery using a tracker of their own design that is able to transmit live imagery, text, and voice communication to the ground and then rebroadcast live through various channels.

The company maintains eight airplanes in total. In addition to the three Skymasters used for whale surveys, the company has a Cessna 182, two Stationairs, a PA32R-300 and a Velocity.


For our next installment of Aviation Dream Jobs,AVweb will explore what it’s like to be an aviation photographer. In the meantime, send us your own interesting and unusual aviation work stories at[email protected].

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