That’s what Michael René Davis (pictured here) does. He’s a skilled Cessna 404 pilot who works for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Weslaco, Texas.

He flies the plane for ARS researchers such as Mark Chopping, a remote-sensing scientist. Would taking a sometimes-bumpy ride in an airplane flying low over the land be your idea of adventure? If so, you might consider becoming a pilot for remote-sensing scientists–or going along for the ride, as one of the scientists.

Scientists load equipment on a twin-engine Cessna 404 Titan for a flight over the Jornada Range. There, the airborne equipment will measure visible light wavelengths reflected by ground vegetation and by natural microwaves.