Pilot cars means that you’ve seen them – pickup trucks or cars driving in front of a tractor trailer pulling a very wide load. And the people who drive them are professionals who specialize in that form of driving. You may have thought that those cars and trucks were part of a team, but in fact the pilot car driver is usually someone contracted to get the load through a particular state. So what does it take to be a pilot driver? Read on and find out.

There is a certain amount of equipment your vehicle will require. For instance, you will need a fire extinguisher, a CB radio, flags, and an oversize load sign. It goes without saying that you need a highly reliable vehicle capable of handling long drives. It is important to have the equipment required by the states in which you work. Equipment requirements can vary from state to state

Gathering together the equipment you need is the easy part. The hard part is living the lifestyle necessary to be successful in the industry. The life of a pilot car is very similar to a truck driver in that it requires many hours of driving with limited interruptions. Just like truck drivers, they are paid by the mile. So the more miles you can drive in a day, the more you can earn.

There is one area where these drivers are at a disadvantage relative to their companion truck drivers – the pilot car driver has nowhere to sleep! When the day is done, a pilot car driver must find a hotel. This adds to his time on the road and is an additional expense to consider.

There is also a certain level of danger associated with driving a pilot car. There may be times when quick lane changes or other repositioning is required to accommodate the needs of the wide load vehicle. Timidity is not a trait that will lead to success in this field. Sometimes require aggressive driving.

This type of driving is not something that you should just decide to do with no training. Your best bet to get into the field is to find an experienced driver who will allow you to ride along, and later maybe even drive the vehicle yourself. The wider the load, and the more difficult the situation, the higher the level of training that will be required to drive safely and effectively.

Pilot car driving is not an easy life, and it definitely requires a high level of concentration and determination. But if driving is what you love, and you are willing to live a lifestyle similar to a trucker, then it is a profession that you might find very satisfying.

When an oversize load escort is required, locating qualified pilot cars quickly is critical, and Comdata has your solution. They have developed one of the most comprehensive networks of independent pilot car drivers in North America. With Comdata, your truck is ready to move, accompanied by a qualified pilot car escort, saving you the time-consuming task of tracking down drivers and vehicles.

Now days, anyone can fly. Not only in a commercial plane but anyone with the right frame of mind and desire can learn how to fly themselves. It is not as hard as you might think. There are a slew of independent web sites that can have the wannabe pilot up and running in a very short time.

Most of these online schools cost anywhere from two thousand dollars all the way up to ten thousand. They range from eleven days to several weeks in length. Do some research into what works well with your schedule and decide the best fit before committing to anything. Also make sure they are an accredited school and your license will be much easier to get.

These classes are fun and informative. You start out by learning the technical aspects of flying, including the rules and regulations of airspace. These guidelines are important to understand when learning to fly. Next, you move on to hands-on interaction with certified instructors. You will learn the ins and outs of the cockpit and the entire plane itself. In order to fully know what you are doing, this approach is key. Be safe first and then have fun with your newly acquired skills.

Keep in mind that passing these first tests does not qualify you for flight. Gaining full status to fly is a longer process but a necessary one. A certain number of hours must be completed in the air before becoming a fully functioning member of the airborne, aviation community. Once this process is complete, your work is over and now the real fun begins.

So what can one do with an aviation license? What activities are fun and available to a fully licensed pilot? First is the possibility of owning your own plane. If you own your own plane, the possibilities for recreation are endless.

Where have you always wanted to go but could not because of time constraints and lack of money? When you are the pilot, no where is off limits. Been meaning to go to Ireland? Jamaica? No problem, since now you have your own plane and can fly there yourself.

Not to mention you bypass the headache everyone must face now in going to the airport. Why wait in line for hours and go through security checkpoints when you can take off whenever you want and go wherever you want? Flying can now become a fun, relaxing, educational experience rather than the excruciating pain it is now.

Another recreational activity that can be done with flying is skydiving. Skydiving is enjoyed by thousands of people each year. One of the most gratifying experiences is conquering your fear of heights, getting a rush from the free-fall or just plain doing something new and exciting.

For first time skydivers, tandem diving is recommended. With this method, you do not need to learn how to skydive at all but can still enjoy the feeling. A trained professional is connected to you while you jump and they do all the necessary work as you have all the fun. Sounds like a good combination? It is.

For other more seasoned skydivers, there is always the accelerated free-fall. In this method, a person can move faster towards their goal by completing this as a first jump and getting closer to full certification. This is for serious jumpers that intend to continue skydiving for some time.

So, all of this fun and excitement stems from the wonderful invention and profession of aviation. So many opportunities presented themselves when the first plane was flown. Whether one experiences it first hand by learning to fly and becoming a pilot or uses a plane to take a trip or to participate in a fun activity such as skydiving, everyone benefits from its practice.