NAAA is deeply saddened to have to report on yet two more fatalities for the 2019 season. On May 15 at just before noon, Brian Van Dyke and Burton “Burt” Haughey were fatally injured when their Ag-Cats collided in a midair accident in Sutter County, Calif., about 20 miles north of Sacramento. Read More

Drone maker DJI released an impressive plan Wednesday, pushing the envelope to more safely integrate drones into the national airspace. DJI announced, in a press conference attended by NAAA on May 22, that it would install ADS-B tracking mechanisms in all of its drones weighing 250 grams (0.551 pound) or less beginning in 2020 at the same time manned aircraft traveling in controlled airspace must be equipped with ADS-B transmissions. Read More

NAAA this week submitted comments to the EPA on ethylene dibromide (EDB) and its use in AvGas/100LL. The EPA included EDB on its list of the first 20 “high-priority” chemicals for risk evaluation. The EPA is required by law to designate 20 chemicals as high priority and 20 chemicals as low priority by December 2019. Those chemicals designated as high priority are required by law to receive a completed risk evaluation within 3.5 years. Read More

Last week NAAA submitted comments to the EPA as part of the re-registration review process of pesticide active ingredients. The EPA is required by FIFRA to review the registrations for all crop protection products every 15 years. All the comments submitted were on proposed interim decisions. Interim decisions are being used by the EPA instead of a full re-registration of a product because Endangered Species Act and pollinator protection assessments still need to be completed for most products. Read More

PrecisionAg, an online publication devoted to reporting on the latest agricultural technologies, recently published a three-part series titled “Three Agricultural Spray Drone Models That Promise to Be Breakthroughs.” NAAA felt compelled to respond to the article series to set some facts straight about the capabilities of manned aerial applicators. Read More

Agricultural Aviation reported extensively on the 2019 NAAA operator survey’s findings in its last issue (Spring 2019), and the agricultural trade press has taken notice, too. AgPro magazine produced a spiffy infographic for its May/June issue on the survey’s findings, highlighting the aerial application industry’s impressive gains in numbers and environmental stewardship. Read More

The 2019 NAAA Membership Directory & Annual Report has mailed. Most members should receive their copy within the next week. The NAAA Membership Directory & Annual Report is an indispensable asset, and as the title suggests, it is only available to our valued members. At 226 pages, this year’s directory is filled with valuable information. As always, it loaded operator and pilot contacts, as well as contact information for the premier suppliers of parts and services to the industrym Read More

The 2019 Ag Aviation Expo is still several months away, but we’re already deep into planning for this year’s NAAA Trade Show. Join us Nov. 18-21 in Orlando at Rosen Shingle Creek, a full-service, luxury hotel with impeccable customer service and top-notch amenities. Read More

Now in its 29th year, the Environmental Respect Awards is the agricultural industry’s premier stewardship program honoring outstanding work in preserving the environment through safe, responsible business practices. Interested aerial applicators have until June 7 to make a compelling case for their operation’s environmental stewardship program. The Environmental Respect Awards program is open to retail farm supply businesses that store, handle, sell, and/or apply crop nutrient and crop protection products. Read More

How does $5,000 sound to help someone pursue their dream of becoming a professional ag pilot? Four scholarships are available for aspiring ag pilots through the 2019 NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship Program. Read More

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To continuously improve upon its service to the aerial application industry, NAAA has entered into an agreement to provide legal-consulting services to its aerial application operator and pilot members on federal transportation issues. The agreement is with the Law Office of John L. Wright, PC, out of Broomfield, Colo., and NAAA will provide up to one hour of legal consultation to an operator and/or pilot member of the association on federal aviation laws, including federal aviation taxation issues and federal transportation laws. Read More