Well Gentlemen I have landed my dream job with a 35 year old, private, family owned company with incredible benefits, and hired in at a top tier position, Airboat operator. We cover 90% of Florida's water ways battling evasive, noxious aquatic plants, keeping them under control. It's a massive job. The benefits are too many to list, the hourly pay is a bit low but the benefits and over time make up for it, you can get all the OT you can handle. There is a $1.10 raise after getting the applicator license which I'm hitting the books for now, a lot to learn here. Leaving the house quarter after four in the morning, heading to the lake by five, on the water by seven (depending on what water way we're hitting that day). Driving a pristine 2014 Chevy company truck, pulling 14' airboat with a 350ci chevy V-8 engine, headers, open exhaust, 800 Holly four barrel double pump carb. Travel time paid, fuel paid, daily perdeim on out of town work, hotel stay paid.

Here are some pics of my office, and company vehicle. If you zoom in on the last picture you can see what I get to see on a daily basis. These pics were taken on Lake Kissimmee, a 34,000 acre lake, 56 square miles with three islands. I've seen deer, buffalo, bald eagles, turkeys, gators of course. In the park I've had Doe's walk up close enough to pet.

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You can launch rockets on lakes. Just make one that is waterproof and have a captured air zone so it floats.

Jerry

Wow, that's great! Congratulations on landing this awesome outdoor job.

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Congratulations! Looks like a great office view.

Mike

That IS a dream job indeed! Watch out for snakes.

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Great job!

Maybe someday you can take me out to your office now that I'm a Florida Cracker!

BTW, Does your airboat use a Chevy or an aircraft motor?

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Mine and several others are chevy small block 350's, the others are reclaimed aircraft engines, three and four cylinders opposing pistion. Aircraft engines that are overhauled but no longer air worthy. There are a couple with Subaru engines also. The difference is big, the aircraft engines are more maneuverable, quicker, tighter turns. The V-8's are more powerful, get up on plane quicker and handle better, effortless to drive. All those with V-8's are D nomenclature boats, we refer to them as D for dream boats. These boats are deffinantly not designed for speed or open water, you can feel the slightest little ripples on the water surface. Running from the afternoon storms every day is hairy, rough riding business. They are designed specifically for shallow water running, the shallower the water the smoother the ride.

Driving them is a blast, whole different world from out board engines though, you deffinantly have to be paying attention to whats behind you before you stab the throttle.

__________________
"A truth’s initial commotion is directly proportional to how deeply the lie was believed. When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic."

"The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves."

No worries, when I got rid of my Berm she was 14' and weighed 200 lb's

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"A truth’s initial commotion is directly proportional to how deeply the lie was believed. When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic."

"The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves."

Sounds like a great job.
I have rode in several airboats powered by small-block Chevy 350's, a couple 4-cyl Lycoming O-360's, and one powered by a 6-cyl Lycoming IO-540.
By far the the most entertaining ride was on that IO-540 thing. The small-Chevy ones are not far behind.

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