With the 46th Annual Convention & Exposition in the books, NAAA has another blockbuster on its hands. Savannah, The Sequel, the follow-up to NAAA’s hit 2010 Savannah Convention, delivered boffo box office numbers during its Dec. 3–6 run, breaking records for the third consecutive year. Audiences agree that NAAA continues to “chart a confident course” for its conventions, as numbers in nearly every category increased, including:

Attendance: Attendance was better than it’s been for any NAAA convention since 1998, with 1,760 attendees participating in the four-day ag aviation extravaganza. That was slightly more than the 1,737 attendees who attended the 2011 Convention in Las Vegas but a 14-year high nevertheless.

Exhibitors: The number of exhibitors nearly equaled the all-time high set last year with 155 exhibitors in Las Vegas. This year, NAAA had 152 exhibitors, including 10 airplanes and three helicopters, the largest contingent of aircraft seen in years at the trade show. Exhibiting aircraft included the recently FAA-certified Thrush 510G, featuring the new GE H80 turboprop engine, and the Thrush 510P; an AT-502B, AT-602 and AT-802 from Air Tractor; an AT-802F “Fire Boss” Air Tanker; two Bell 47 helicopters from Scott’s – Bell 47 Inc.; and from Chatham County (Ga.) Mosquito Control, an AT-402A and MD 500E helicopter. The NAAA Trade Show marked the U.S. debut of the new PA-25 p3, an entry-level agricultural aircraft from Argentina-based Laviasa that seeks to make inroads in the U.S. ag aviation marketplace by filling a lower-cost niche. Attendees also got to marvel at a J3C-65 Piper Cub manufactured in 1946 and meticulously rebuilt by Dusty Dowd of Syracuse Flying Service Inc. Dowd flew from Syracuse, Kan., to Savannah, in the Cub to share a piece of ag aviation history with attendees. 

Hotel Space: NAAA eclipsed last year’s record hotel allotment. Attendees reserved a total of 3,980 room nights in Las Vegas. This year, attendees reserved 4,108 room nights, boosting its occupancy record by 3.2 percent. 

Auction Proceeds: By raising nearly $370,000 at the Live Auction and close to $12,000 at the Silent Auction, NAAA and WNAAA bested last year’s combined intake of $377,000, which was second only to the $460,000 in auction proceeds raised in 2010. Nearly $200,000 of this year’s amount came from Al and Mike Schiffer of Al’s Aerial Spraying in Ovid, Mich., and Jon Pew of Sarita Aerial Contractors in Coolidge, Ariz., who were the top bidders for Pratt & Whitney Canada’s certificates of credit for OEM parts and maintenance services for a large and small PT6A AG engine, respectively. NAAA would like to thank Pratt & Whitney Canada once again for this unprecedented contribution and for the incredible support the company has shown NAAA and the industry over the years. Special thanks also go to Tulsa Aircraft Engines and all the other generous contributors to another successful auction.

Here are additional highlights from NAAA’s 2012 Convention from a week that had plenty of them.

Kickoff Breakfast

The incomparable Story Musgrave got the 2012 Convention off to a rousing start by sharing stories from his remarkable life. The astronaut with agricultural roots recounted the path that led him from the family dairy farm to the final frontier as an astronaut with NASA. Musgrave was always mechanically inclined and says, “By 12 or 13, I learned how to get the job done”—regardless of what the job happened to be.

By 17 Musgrave was working as an aircraft electrician and engine mechanic in the Marines. He learned to fly with the Marines, and in the 55 years since has accumulated 18,000 hours in more than 160 aircraft. His interest in fixing things extended to people, so Musgrave entered clinical medicine and became a surgeon. It was all the same concept to him. “You fix farm equipment, you fix airplanes, you fix broken people,” Musgrave said. That prompted him to become an astronaut. He started working on NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope in 1975, spent 18 years designing the tools to fix it and served as the lead spacewalker on the Hubble Telescope repair mission.  

Musgrave said all of those opportunities became possible by taking “one little step at a time” and pursuing his passions. He advised NAAA’s attendees to get in the game, focus on what they are good at and to follow their dreams, while keeping their feet planted firmly on the ground.

NAAA/BASF Agricultural Aviation Scholarship

In addition to Story Musgrave’s address, BASF’s Gary Fellows announced the recipients of the 2012 Agricultural Aviation Scholarship at the Kickoff Breakfast. NAAA and BASF sponsor the three-year-old scholarship program together. NAAA President Mark Hartz presented Justin Mook with a check for $5,000 and Kippy Foltyn received a $2,500 scholarship. Mook hails from Wiggins, Colo., and Foltyn lives in Lansford, N.D. Both aspiring ag pilots will use the scholarship money to further their flight training. To be eligible, applicants had to be sponsored by an NAAA operator. Mook was sponsored by 2012 NAAA Treasurer Kyle Scott of Scott Aviation Inc. in Fort Morgan, Colo. Brian Sturm of Pioneer AgViation Inc. in Minot, N.D., sponsored Foltyn.

Fire Boss Aerial Firefighting/Water Drop Demonstration

Fire Boss brought some extra buzz to the opening day of the convention by putting on a live demonstration along the Savannah River. An AT-802F “Fire Boss” 802F Air Tanker performed a series of water scoops and drops that drew crowds along both sides of the Savannah River, but that may not have even been the most exciting part of Fire Boss’s day. It was an open question as to whether the Air Tanker would be able to fit and pivot through the convention center’s new hangar doors. It did! Clips of the Fire Boss demo and landing entries by many of NAAA’s aircraft exhibitors appear below.

ASABE/NAAA Technical Session

After the Kickoff Breakfast, researchers from the Aerial Applications Committee of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) kick-started NAAA’s educational programming as they customarily do, but this year marked a change in the how the ASABE/NAAA Technical Session was structured. The session was shortened and speakers and topics were chosen by the group to cover current topics relevant to the aerial application industry.

Clint Hoffmann and Steven Thomson with the USDA-ARS provided a description on the basics of AGDISP and an example of how it can be used in an operation. AGDISP is a model that can be used to predict drift distance. Various application factors, including aircraft type, height, speed and droplet size are entered into the program, which then predicts the potential drift from the application. Operators can use AGDISP to examine how changing various factors of their application equipment and operating procedures can reduce their risk of drift.

Spray droplet size was a hot topic this year. Robert Wolf of Wolf Consulting and Research discussed the influence adjuvants have on spray droplet size and drift for aerial applications. He summarized the results of three different trials, and concluded that the various adjuvants do impact spray droplet size and thus drift. Some products work to reduce the small droplets and thus drift, while others may actually increase the risk of drift. This topic was further expanded upon by Brad Fritz of the USDA-ARS, who reported research showing that pesticide formulations also have an impact on spray droplet size. There were differences in the droplet size created by various combinations of an herbicide and adjuvants, but the differences between the solutions decreased as air speed increased past 160 mph. Two nozzle types were tested, and the impact of the adjuvants was different between nozzle types.

Russ Stocker from Bob’s Flying Service reviewed his work in developing a system that measures vibration at the nozzle during atomization in order to determine the droplet size created by a tank mix. This would allow aerial applicators to measure the spray droplet size for each different spray mixture. Greg Kruger from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln discussed research that linked the efficacy of herbicide applications with the spray droplet size created by the spray mixture. Whether or not droplet size impacted efficacy was dependent on the herbicide used and the target weed. It is important to make a droplet size that will provide efficacy for the specific pests you are targeting during an application.

Fritz closed out the droplet size presentations by discussing the ASABE droplet size classification system and why it is used. The droplet classification system is used because there are a variety of equipment types and methods used to measure droplet size, and results can be different between systems with the exact same nozzle setup. Use of the droplet size classification system allows for a valid comparison between droplet measuring systems.

Hoffmann described a new string measurement system for spray pattern testing at Operation S.A.F.E. fly-in clinics. The system is very similar to the current system except that it uses a new fluorometer and the string can be analyzed right on the flightline as it is wound up. The updated software allows the analyst to adjust swaths to account for shifting winds.

Finally, Scott Bretthauer of the University of Illinois summarized research examining low volume applications. To make effective low volume applications, he emphasized the importance of properly setting up your nozzle to make the correct droplet and using an adjuvant that protects the smaller droplet size needed for low volume applications from evaporation.

FAA/Security Session

The FAA/Security Session panel consisted of Carl Johnson, FAA, AFS-802, Acting Assistant Deputy Manager of the General Aviation & Commercial Division; Michael Schwartz, FAA, Aviation Safety Inspector, Commercial Operations Branch; Zach Carder, TSA, Section Chief Airspace Coordination; and Brad Snider, FBI, Special Agent, Savannah International Airport Liaison.

After introductions from NAAA Safety/Federal Aviation Regulations Committee Chairman Ron Cline, the question and answer segment commenced with questions for the FAA’s Johnson about some potential operators being told they were unable to get a part 137 certificate due to personnel shortages in certain areas. He explained in regions where personnel were short, a waiting list is established. Each applicant is placed in the queue and the application is processed as soon as possible in the order they were received.

Special Agent Snider discussed the matter of shooting at aircraft. He asked the audience how many knew they had been shot at and approximately 15 people held up their hands. Snider reiterated it is a federal offense and the FBI should be notified, but he also suggested reporting it to local law enforcement. In addition, attendees were encouraged to report any instances of a laser being pointed at an aircraft.

Zach Carder described the operation of the TSA’s general aviation security hotline (1-866-GA SECURE) and how reports are handled when someone calls in a report to them. The report made may be of suspicious activity or something more serious such as an incident in progress. Local law enforcement should immediately be notified if there is a safety threat.

The never-ending problem of defining congested areas was brought up to Johnson, who said congested areas are determined by case law. He shocked many in the group by saying there is case law that found that one house or one automobile can be defined as a congested area. NAAA will be investigating these cases.

Johnson was again asked to clarify the issue of OpSpecs for part 137 operators. He turned the subject over to Mike Schwartz, who is the contact between the FAA and NAAA. He firmly stated there are no OpSpecs for 137 and the information requested by the FSDOs is intended to only be used to enter information into FAA’s WebOPSS database. Schwartz is currently writing clarification to the guidance for inspectors which should clarify the issue for them.

Individuals in the audience asked for clarification on several issues including whose 137 certificate is being “operated under” when one operator helps another. The FAA position seems to be that the operators should make a decision on how they are operating, but all paperwork such as carrying of the certificate copy should support this decision. The pilot must produce an acceptable knowledge and skills endorsement given by the operator or his designated supervisor of the company whose 137 certificate is being used.

Carder explained the process by which Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) are created and the considerations of safety to the protected area. One of the most troubling is the presidential TFRs administered by the U.S. Secret Service. The protection detail is tasked with providing safety to the president and they are not willing to reduce his security. Methods for coexisting while maintaining security are being explored.

Johnson closed the program by reminding everyone receiving a request to complete the general aviation activity survey to do so. This annual survey is the only method used by the industry to track aircraft numbers, hours flown and activity. He also reminded attendees that an online site for reporting laser strikes to aircraft is available through the FAA’s website at www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/report/laserinfo/.

Chemical Session

At the Chemical Session, Fred Whitford from the Purdue Pesticide Program talked about the impact of water quality on pesticide applications. The water used as a carrier for pesticide applications has a direct impact on the performance of the pesticide. The pH is a measurement of how acidic or alkaline the water is, and effects how quickly the pesticide will degrade once it is mixed. Most pesticides work best in a slightly acidic solution. Water hardness refers to the amount of various compounds, including calcium and magnesium, dissolved within the water. These compounds can bind with some pesticides, reducing the effectiveness of the application. Whitford recommends reading the label for information related to water quality, checking with the manufacturer and testing the pH and hardness of your water in order to make sure your water source is not negatively impacting your pesticide applications. Following Whitford’s talk, updates on new and upcoming products were provided by Dow AgroSciences, DuPont, Syngenta, BASF and Bayer CropScience.

NPDES PGP General Session Update Advises Risk Avoidance

The General Session on the second day of the convention is NAAA’s signature educational event, and this year’s version, a double-dose of legal and technical advice from some of America’s leading legal and environmental regulation authorities, did not disappoint.

First, in a brief update marking the one-year anniversary of the NPDES pesticide general permits, aerial applicators were advised to stay on their toes with regard to differing state requirements and potential legal risks for the future. John Thorne, senior government affairs counsel for Bergeson & Campbell PC, spoke to the developments and changes since the permits’ enactment on Oct. 31, 2011, and provided a comparison between state requirements as well as legislative efforts being pursued to overturn the duplicative, burdensome requirements.

Thorne stated aerial applicators are automatically covered by the NPDES PGP so long as they are not decision-makers, and therefore have less stringent requirements. However, he cautioned that if they venture into decision making for their clients, they should be prepared to take on and comply with the substantially greater PGP requirements for decision-makers.

He spoke to state concerns with the permits and highlighted several states’ decisions to declare pest emergencies to bypass immediate PGP approval to avoid application delays over the summer months to battle potentially lethal West Nile virus (WNV) and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). This resulted in at least one environmental activist group in Massachusetts filing a petition with EPA’s Office of Inspector General against a public health agency for making an emergency application to combat WNV carrying mosquitoes, allowed under the permit, prior to filing and being granted an NPDES PGP. Thorne indicated that in 2013 and beyond these types of actions and citizen action suits allowed under the Clean Water Act may become more commonplace in regards to the NPDES PGP. He also stressed the Endangered Species Act (ESA) requirements in EPA’s permit that applies in six states and the failed activist petition in Oregon regarding the development of new rules to better address pesticide threats to ESA-protected species that may now lead it and many other states to turn to litigation.

Thorne also warned of a rulemaking forthcoming in 2013 that would expand the definition of “waters of the U.S.,” and advised aerial applicators to be acutely aware of areas treated and the very real possibility of the scope of the PGP being expanded with the new definition. Additionally, he stated that legislative efforts to overturn the 6th Circuit’s decision thus far had been unsuccessful. Despite legislation passed in a bipartisan fashion out of the House and through the Senate Ag Committee, holds by Sens. Boxer (D-CA) and Cardin (D-MD) halted the progression, leaving NAAA and its allies to likely start over again with their efforts in the 113th Congress.
 
Thorne urged NAAA members to continue to stay abreast of NPDES updates via the NAAA website, which provides a litany of information on NPDES permits, including a checklist of compliance activities and sample contract language.

Mock Trial: Aerial Application on Trial!

The second half of the General Session featured NAAA’s eagerly anticipated mock trial. Audience members were riveted by Geff Anderson and Raven Atchison’s gripping reenactment of a case the law firm of Anderson, Riddle and Kuehler LLP had defended three years earlier on an NAAA member’s behalf. Unlike other mock trials, Anderson said the facts in this case were nearly identical to the actual proceedings in which an aerial applicator had been accused of drifting 2,4-D onto a nearby cotton farm and wiping out the majority of the crop.

Another unique aspect was the fact that three mock juries deliberated on the evidence: a jury of aerial application constituents who witnessed the case live at the General Session, and two mock juries that had heard the case a week earlier in a mock courtrooms assembled in Texas.

The case pitted Accurate Spraying Inc. against a cotton farmer who was forced into bankruptcy because of 2,4-D damage to his cotton fields. The presence of 2,4-D on the cotton was indisputable. The only real, undecided matter was the source of the contamination. The farmer suspected Accurate Spraying because two of its pilots had applied 2,4-D to 2,200 acres of another client’s fields a mile and a half from the farmer’s dryland and irrigated cotton fields. The farmer experienced $693,885 in total losses to his irrigated cotton and $99,894 in total dryland cotton losses, resulting in a combined loss of $788,184.

The applicator’s records did not provide the exact time when two of its aircraft made the application. Instead, the pilots’ written records indicated that the application was completed at two different times of the morning. One pilot wrote down 6:55 a.m. as the end time and the other one had the time completed as 9:30 a.m. In either instance, the wind that morning would have been blowing away from the cotton fields.

To compound matters, there was a discrepancy between the pilots’ GPS records and their written reports, resulting in another conflicting point of data between the first and second pilots’ application recordkeeping. The timestamp from the pilots’ GPS systems stated that they started the 2,4-D application at roughly 4:24 p.m., when the wind would have been blowing at 22 mph directly toward the cotton farm. Anderson, who played the part of the plaintiff’s attorney, made the point repeatedly that “the eye in the sky don’t lie” to argue that the GPS system’s sequence of events trumps the pilots’ conflicting written accounts. Accurate Spraying’s owner, played by NAAREF President Rod Thomas, stated the timestamp on the GPS was wrong because the clock on the GPS system had been set incorrectly.

Another key exhibit was a map showing the distance between the fields Accurate Spraying treated and the cotton farm, as well as the dryland and irrigated areas that had been damaged by 2,4-D. A fairly sizeable tract of dryland cotton that had not been damaged was located in between the fields Accurate Spraying treated and the damaged cotton acres.

Jurors were asked to consider three questions: (1) Was Accurate Spraying negligent? (2) what was the loss? and (3) was Accurate Spraying grossly negligent? The prerecorded jury deliberations ran counter to the determination of the in-person mock jury at the General Session, which found for the defendant. Two different mock juries in the prerecorded segments found the aerial applicator not just negligent but grossly negligent, verdicts that subjected the applicator to punitive damages. Both juries awarded the actual damage amount the plaintiff was seeking, and they both awarded punitive damages. Jury No. 1 awarded a total of $3.2 million for punitive damages, and Jury No. 2 awarded $2 million  for punitive damages. 

The damning evidence in the eyes of the non-aerial-application mock juries was sloppy recordkeeping that created the appearance of unprofessional conduct on the part of the applicator. In the real-life case upon which the mock trial was based, the aerial applicator was exonerated, and a key piece of evidence was the undamaged dryland cotton between the two fields, a fact that bolstered the accounts of the pilots that they applied the 2,4-D in the morning.

NAAA thanks Geff Anderson and Raven Atchison for organizing the mock trial, Senior Litigation Consultant Alison K. Bennett for assembling the prerecorded mock juries, and all the participants, including Rod Thomas, Dennis Gardisser, Doug Davidson and Mary Beth Schwaegel, for their Tony Award worthy performances!

Helicopter Sessions

Two sessions of particular interest to helicopter operators and pilots occurred at the convention. The first was a company session by Scott’s – Bell 47 Inc. The company now owns the Type Certificates for the popular Bell 47 helicopter which is a valuable part of the ag industry. Scott’s is providing Original Equipment Manufacturer level customer support and services.

The company reported on two rather important events pertaining to the continued use of the Bell 47s. The first is the announcement that Scott’s has contracted with IAC Ltd. to produce new composite main rotor blades instead of aluminum construction. The blades will have a custom designed airfoil which it said will give improved performance. As an added bonus, they hope the replacement life may be double the current 5,000-hour aluminum blade life expectancy.

Lycoming has announced they are going to discontinue support of the VO-435 which will lead to a shortage of parts for that engine. Solutions are currently being explored to obtain PMA parts to continue viability of this engine. Much effort is being expended to find engine conversions such as the Soloy to provide power for the 47s.

The second session of interest was the Helicopter Roundtable, again ably moderated by Jeff Reabe of Wisconsin-based Reabe Spraying Service Inc. Reabe explained he had realized the need for air conditioning in their Bell 47s during hot weather conditions. He believed one of their pilots became ill from flying with the doors removed, a situation that could be remedied by installation of an air conditioner. He searched around for an electrically powered air conditioner unit that was light enough to have a minimal effect on the load carrying capability and, at the same time, not overload the limits of the electrical system.

He settled on a portable pilot-installed Arctic Air unit manufactured for use in light aircraft. The unit weighs about 50 pounds and can be set to limit the electrical consumption to an acceptable level depending on the helicopter’s electrical system. His company has operated these air conditioners for one season and the results have been exceptional.

After representatives from Scott’s recapped their company session, the remainder of the session was spent discussing other topics including training new pilots for the aerial application industry. The various companies in attendance said they usually do the training within the company. This session is a valuable asset to the helicopter industry because of the wealth of knowledge shared between operators and pilots in attendance.

Compaass Rose Sessions (Advice for New and/or Wannabe Ag Pilots)

Due to its popularity, NAAA schedules two Compaass Rose sessions at the beginning and end of each convention. Compaass Rose grew out of the PAASS Program and is led by PAASS presenters as a way to help educate new pilots entering the aerial application industry. Attendees run the gamut, ranging from people with no experience who want to learn about the industry to highly experienced pilots and operators who give of their time and experience to assist those wanting information.

The first Compaass Rose session took place Sunday, Dec. 2, along with the CD Aviation and Pratt & Whitney Canada engine seminars in what amounted to a soft opening for the convention. The second session was held Dec. 6. PAASS presenters Doug Thiel and Barry Joe Wilson led the Sunday session, while Gaylon Stamps and Leif Isaacson facilitated Thursday’s information exchange. The two sessions collectively drew more than 120 attendees.

Before they opened the floor to questions from new pilots in the audience, Thiel and Wilson touched on some of the things an operator looks for in a potential pilot to start their session. A majority of the new pilots were willing to relocate to an area where they can find a job. Most were willing to take a job working on the ground if they felt it would lead into a flying job. New pilots were cautioned that being hired was many times a case of being in the right place at the right time. Therefore, they should not be discouraged easily.

The presenters asked attendees to think about how much money they expected to make as an ag pilot. Operators generally agreed that a job applicant who asks about money first is probably not the one they would hire. The ag pilot primarily must have the desire to fly and higher earnings will naturally come along with progression in experience.

Attitude, loyalty and a willingness to share in the stakes associated with hiring and training a new ag pilot were key themes that emerged in the Thursday Compaass Rose session. There’s a lot of risk in taking on a green ag pilot, not to mention a considerable investment on the operator’s part, but none of that seems to matter to some new ag pilots, an instructor in the audience lamented. Nowadays he estimates that approximately 80 percent of the students who go through his school and land a seat only stay with the operator who initially trained them long enough to land a “better” seat that pays a few cents more per acre. If that sounds like a criticism, it wasn’t directed at anybody in the room. Far from being critical, all of the advice was offered in the spirit of counseling.

As one operator put it, having some “skin in the game” proves a prospective pilot is serious and willing to share in the risk, and there are many ways to do so. Examples given include signing a non-compete agreement and/or a contract committing to a certain number of years with the operator, paying for your own insurance, purchasing an aircraft of your own, and being willing to learn the ropes by working on the ground for a year or more before getting the chance to move into the cockpit.

Fare Thee Very Well, Friends

The 46th Annual NAAA Convention & Exposition culminated with the Farewell/Awards Banquet. It was a celebratory evening befitting the numerous awardees recognized for their efforts on behalf of agricultural aviation. Hosted by emcees Rod Thomas and Leif Isaacson the awards ceremony honored the accomplishments of 11 individuals who represent the “cream of the crop” among agricultural aviation. Please join us in congratulating these individuals for their service to their industry, their association and their communities.

• Agrinaut Award: Leonard Felix Jr. (Colo.)
  
• Allied Industry Individual Award: Bob Bailey (Texas) 
• Evans-Christopher Operation S.A.F.E. Award: Richard Whitney (Okla.)
  
• John Robert Horne Memorial Award: Lukas Johnson (Neb.)
  
• John Robert Horne Memorial Award: Van Lucas (Iowa)
  
• Larsen-Miller Community Service Award: Eric Klindt (Minn.)
  
• Most Active Woman Award: Jane (Barber) Pitlick (S.D.)
  
• Opal & Bill Binnion Memorial Award: Chip Kemper (Idaho)
  
• William O. Marsh Safety Award: Dusty Dowd (Kan.)
  
• Outstanding Service Award: Gaylon Stamps (Texas)
  
• National Agricultural Aviation Hall of Fame Inductee: Wayne Handley (Calif.)
  

Near the conclusion of the banquet, President Hartz thanked his 2012 officer team and introduced Dana Ness of Ag Air Inc. in Rudyard, Mont., as the incoming NAAA President for 2013. President-Elect Ness introduced his officer team—Vice President Rick Boardman (Boardman Aerial Spraying Inc., Henderson, Neb.), Secretary Doug Davidson (Davidson Solid Rock Insurance, Clinton, Ark.) and Treasurer Brenda Watts (K & P Flying Service, Watson, Ark.).

Next Up: A Return to Reno