The NAAA Awards Committee has moved the 2019 awards nomination deadline up to July 10 to adjust for the 2019 Ag Aviation Expo’s earlier pre-Thanksgiving dates this year. The 2019 NAAA Award recipients will be honored Nov. 21 at the Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet, but the committee depends on readers like you to nominate worthwhile candidates.

The aerial application industry is filled with exceptional people who go above and beyond the call of duty, often with little fanfare. Please help us identify these unsung heroes, and do it before you get into the thick of your season. There are nine NAAA Award categories and one NAAREF Award. Anyone can submit a nomination, but nominees must be members of NAAA.

The 2019 Awards Nomination Form is available as print-only and fillable PDFs at AgAviation.org/awards.

NAAA Award Categories

Agrinaut Award: Honors an agricultural aircraft operator or operating organization that has made an outstanding contribution in the field of ag aircraft operations. The recipient for the award must be or have been actively engaged in commercial agricultural application with an agricultural aircraft and the achievement cited should be a “state of the art” contribution for the benefit of the agricultural aircraft industry as a whole.

Allied Industry Individual Award: Recognizes an NAAA member or staff and/or an allied industry individual who has significantly contributed their efforts for the benefit of the allied industry and the aerial application industry. (Presented by the NAAA Allied Industry Committee)

Delta Air Lines “Puffer” Award: Recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the design of agricultural aircraft and/or related equipment.

Evans-Christopher Operation S.A.F.E. Award: Recognizes individuals or entities that have made outstanding contributions to the Operation S.A.F.E. program. (Presented by NAAREF)

John Robert Horne Memorial Award: Honors a pilot with five or fewer years of experience in the agricultural aviation industry who has an exemplary safety record and/or has contributed to safety in ag aviation.

Larsen-Miller Community Service Award: Recognizes outstanding contributions by a member to his community.

Opal & Bill Binnion Memorial Award: Acknowledges those who contribute to NAAA in its efforts to educate the public about aerial application. (Presented by the NAAA Support Committee)

Outstanding Service Award: Awards outstanding service to the commercial agricultural aviation industry or to its association.

Related Industry Award: Recognizes outstanding contributions by an allied industry member and his or her company.

William O. Marsh Safety Award: Recognizes significant achievements in safety, safety education or an outstanding operational safety program.