Aerial Survey Pilot Jobs / Employer Directory

Aerial Survey & Pipeline Patrol Pilot Employers (U.S. Directory)

Last updated July 3, 2026

A national directory of the aerial survey, mapping, and pipeline/powerline patrol operators FlyTo1500 tracks — 49 employers across 27 states. Survey and patrol flying is a classic low-time way to build cross-country and PIC time.

Find Jobs I Qualify For Requirements & pay

Short answer

FlyTo1500 tracks 49 aerial survey and pipeline patrol employers across 27 states. Many hire commercial pilots in the 250–500 hour range for precise, low-level line flying. Hiring varies by company, aircraft, and project season.

What these jobs typically require

A Commercial Pilot Certificate (single-engine; multi for some fleets)
Often 250–500 hours total time (some accept lower, some want more)
Comfort flying precise, repetitive, low-level lines for long days
Instrument rating and high-wing/Cessna time are a plus
A current medical certificate

Survey and patrol pilots fly for hire, so a Commercial certificate per § 61.129 and a valid medical per § 61.23 are the baseline; log time accurately per § 61.51.

U.S. employer directory

Employers FlyTo1500 tracks, grouped by state. A listing here does not mean an employer is currently hiring — requirements and openings vary by employer, aircraft, and season.

Alabama (2)

Brewton Aviation

Alabama

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Revolution Flight

Huntsville, AL

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Alaska (1)

JAV Imagery

Anchorage, AK

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Arizona (2)

National American Aerial Surveys

Arizona

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Talos Aviation Group

Arizona

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

California (1)

KCSI Aerial Patrol

Bakersfield, CA

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Colorado (2)

Pipeline Air Patrol

Colorado

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

ProStar

Greeley, CO

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Florida (4)

Air America

Daytona Beach, FL

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

GV Air

Florida

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Mosquito Control

Florida

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Pickett

Tampa, FL

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Indiana (1)

Williams Aerial and Mapping

Indiana

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Iowa (2)

Aerial Services, Inc

Cedar Falls, IA

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Optic Air

Maurice, IA

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Kansas (2)

Avco Patrol (Hawkeye)

Ottawa, KS

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

TAC - Technical Applications & Consulting

Topeka, KS

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Louisiana (3)

AJ Patrol

Louisiana

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

SkyLens

Hammond, LA

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Southern Seaplane

Belle Chasse, LA

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Maine (1)

Northwoods air

Old Town, ME

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Maryland (1)

DST Inc

Hagerstown, MD

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Massachusetts (1)

Aeroptic

Massachusetts

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Michigan (1)

45North Aviation

Traverse City, MI

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Mississippi (1)

MARC Inc Flight Services

Mississippi

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Missouri (1)

Meisinger Aviation

Chesterfield, MO

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Montana (1)

Swift Aviation

Sidney, MT

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Nebraska (1)

Volair Aviation

Wahoo, NE

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Nevada (3)

Handel Aviation

Nevada

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Sol Aerial Surveys

Las Vegas, NV

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

USDA - Wildlife Services

Reno, NV

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

New York (1)

Eagleview

Rochester, NY

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

North Dakota (1)

95 West Aerial Mapping

Grand Forks, ND

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Ohio (2)

Kucera International

Ohio

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Midwest Aerial

Ohio

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Pennsylvania (1)

Keystone Aerial Surveys – PA

Philadelphia, PA

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

South Dakota (2)

Eagle Sky Patrol

Nemo, SD

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Fugro

Rapid City, SD

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Texas (8)

American Patrols

Midland, TX

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

American Patrols Inc

Texas

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Barr Air Patrol

Mesquite, TX

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Gulf Coast Helicopters

Texas

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Reynolds Aviation

Texas

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Swift Aviation

Lampasas, TX

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

TAF Aerial Services

Beeville, TX

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Texas Aerial

Southlake, TX

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Utah (1)

JAV Imagery

St. George, UT

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Virginia (2)

Dynamic Aviation

Bridgewater, VA

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Tuck Mapping Solutions

Virginia

Employer FlyTo1500 tracks

Want current openings, not just employers?

FlyTo1500 tracks live listings and matches them to your logbook.

Unlock Current Jobs

How to improve your chances

Highlight any cross-country and long-day flying experience
A tailwheel or high-performance endorsement helps with certain fleets
Apply early — survey hiring is seasonal and project-driven
Be willing to travel and stay on the road for projects
Set up alerts so you catch new survey/patrol openings early

Related FlyTo1500 resources

Aerial Survey Pilot Jobs: requirements, pay & how to build hours
Low-time pilot jobs by state — every hour-building employer near you
All low-time pilot job types and the best jobs to build hours

Official sources referenced

Frequently asked questions

How many aerial survey and pipeline patrol employers are there in the U.S.?+

FlyTo1500 currently tracks 49 across 27 states. This directory lists them by state; whether any is hiring depends on the company, aircraft, and project season.

How many hours do you need for an aerial survey pilot job?+

You need at least a Commercial certificate, and many operators hire around 250–500 hours, though some accept less and others want more. Requirements vary by company, aircraft, and insurance.

Is aerial survey or pipeline patrol good for building hours?+

Yes — both build steady cross-country and PIC time, and some use light twins so you can add multi-engine time. See our guide to the best jobs for building flight hours.

Can FlyTo1500 help me find aerial survey jobs?+

Yes. FlyTo1500 tracks these employers and current openings and matches them to your hours and certificates. FlyTo1500 helps you discover and compare jobs — it does not employ pilots.

Want to know which survey & patrol jobs you qualify for?

FlyTo1500 helps you compare low-time pilot jobs based on your hours, certificates, ratings, and job goals — so you can focus on openings that actually match your logbook.

Find Jobs I Qualify For

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