NAAA eNewsletter - 12/05/2019

There was plenty of sunshine and smiles to go around at the 2019 Ag Aviation Expo in Orlando last week. NAAA’s 53rd annual convention took place at the luxurious Rosen Shingle Creek Nov. 18‒21. The show was an overwhelming success thanks to stellar programming, outstanding exhibitors and Shingle Creek’s superb amenities.

Here are five indicators from the 2019 Ag Aviation Expo that speak to the show’s success.

Exhibitors: NAAA had another stellar trade show, with 151 exhibitors and four aircraft on display inside the Rosen Shingle Creek’s exhibit hall, as well as several UAVs. Thank you to Air Tractor, Thrush Aircraft, Ag-Nav and Cascade Aircraft Conversions for providing the 2019 NAAA Trade Show aircraft.

Attendance: More than 1,600 attendees and booth personnel registered for the 2019 Ag Aviation Expo, putting the Orlando convention in the same neighborhood attendance-wise as another Southern location, NAAA’s Savannah conventions in 2015 and 2017. Exhibitors and attendees alike appreciated the convenience of having everything from the hotel rooms to the meeting space to the exhibit hall self-contained on the premises of the Rosen Shingle Creek. The ability to house every attendee and host every event under one roof was a major asset.

Auction: The 2019 Live Auction raised important and necessary resources to support NAAA programs and services. We are very thankful for all the companies that support NAAA programs by donating an auction item and greatly appreciate Pratt & Whitney Canada for donating a brand new PT6A-34AG engine. There were several bidders for the engine, but ultimately, a fellow countryman, Sprague Richardson of Western Canadian Aerial Ltd. in Manitoba, purchased the engine for $400,000. Thank you again to Pratt & Whitney Canada and Richardson for supporting NAAA in such a generous fashion.

NAAA Ag Aviation Expo App: The Ag Aviation Expo App came in handy for those who used it at the convention. The convention app had 422 unique users. They also could develop their own personal schedule for the week and receive alerts about upcoming sessions they wanted to attend.

Sponsors: NAAA was honored to have 39 companies sponsor different events and items at the 2019 Ag Aviation Expo. Thank you again to everyone, including our Diamond Sponsors: BASF, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Syngenta and UPL North America.

Here are more highlights from the 2019 Ag Aviation Expo. Let’s review!

MONDAY, NOV. 18

Sean Tucker Delivers Soaring Kickoff Address

Legendary airshow performer Sean D. Tucker certainly felt at home speaking at NAAA’s 2019 Kickoff Breakfast before his crop dusting brethren. Tucker, who began his aviation career as an agricultural aviator before becoming a world-renowned aerobatic and stunt pilot, gave an inspiring speech on leadership, following your passions and paying it forward in your home communities to those less fortunate.

For all his accolades as an aerobatics pilot, Tucker still considers himself a crop duster at heart. “When I look at myself in the mirror, I’m a crop duster,” he said.

Tucker’s career in ag aviation spurred him toward his second career as a world-class aerobatics pilot. “The 12,000 hours that I’ve had as a crop duster enabled me to be successful in my dream as a sky dancer.”

Tucker commended aerial applicators for being reverent to their craft and emphasized the importance of remaining reverent. In Tucker’s case, he practices 400 times a year in preparation for the 16 airshows he flies a year. Why? Because that’s what it takes to perform at that level. “That’s what it takes if I were to be reverent to the opportunity,” he said. “Because if I hurt myself, then I’ve traumatized some kid. I’ve traumatized some mother or father. I’ve done damage to my industry.”

Waxing philosophically, Tucker added, “This precious jewel we are in charge of called our industry is just in our hands temporarily. We don’t own it, but we’ve got to take ownership of it so it stays a precious jewel, and that’s what you folks are doing.”

As the audience applauded approvingly, Tucker admitted, “I’m very emotional when it comes to talking to you guys because you guys get it.”

Tucker believes flight is so powerful that it can fix broken individuals. That’s why he founded the Bob Hoover Academy of Aviation Excellence to help at-risk kids and teenagers in California’s Salinas Valley, an area that ranks No. 1 in youth homicides. A video about the academy’s mission featured some of the teenagers and young adults Tucker has aided through the power of flight. “This power we have in flight fixes people. It inspires people. What we get to do is affect change in people,” Tucker said. “Our responsibility is not to abuse the privilege, because if we do, we’re letting the Stearman men down—the people who believed in us.”

Aerial Application Technology Research Session

The 2019 NAAA Expo’s deep lineup of educational sessions led off with the Aerial Application Technology Research Session right after the Kickoff Breakfast. The session updates attendees on current research related to technologies for improving the accuracy and safety of aerial applications. There were eight presentations, and the session was moderated by Dr. Dan Martin with the USDA-ARS Aerial Application Technology Research Unit (AATRU).

First up was Matt Gill with the University of Illinois, who discussed a new card analysis software program he is developing. The software works with a flatbed scanner to measure and analyze both water sensitive cards and white cast-coat paper. Gill’s goal is to develop a system to allow operators and pilots to conduct a do-it-yourself pattern-testing clinic. The software has various adjustments users can make to ensure they capture all of the spray recorded on the card. The analyses provided include droplet size, a detailed graph of the spray pattern, and complete evaluation of swath including a depiction of overlap and a calculated coefficient of variation (CV) for both racetrack and back and forth patterns.

Next, the AATRU’s Dr. Chenghai Yang provided an overview of how to best select and set up cameras for aerial imaging. A two-camera system can provide more data, including Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Red, Green and Blue (RGB), and near-infrared images. Many commercial multispectral cameras are available that can be used on a variety of remote sensing platforms including fixed wing, ag aircraft, light sport aircraft, helicopters and UAVs. A camera set up for remote sensing should be set to “focus on infinity” so that everything beyond the lens’ hyperfocal distance, including very distant subjects, will be in focus. Proper exposure of the image is determined by ISO (sensitivity of the image sensor to light), aperture (size of “window” that lets light onto image sensor), and shutter speed (how quickly the aperture is opened up). When set correctly, the remotely sensed image will be correctly exposed.

Martin, the session’s organizer, reviewed work done by Dr. Randy Price of Louisiana State University. Price is developing a new string analysis system for spray pattern testing. It uses a GoPro camera with a green laser mounted on the collection winder tripod to measure the amount of dye captured on a string from an aircraft’s spray. It analyzes the string on the flight line as the string is wound up so that there is no need to collect the string and analyze it later using a fluorometer. It uses a string length counter to record string distance and an appropriate filter to sense the dye on the string. The green laser illuminates the dye and the brightness is then captured by the GoPro camera. The camera currently requires being turned on and off manually, but automation is being developed.

The next talk was about the economic impact of aerial application in the U.S. Dr. Senarath Dharmasena of Texas A&M University examined what would happen if aerial applications were banned. The goal was to document the importance of aerial applications to our economy. The research looked at revenue that would be lost to farmers in the U.S. if aerial application was not available to them. The study focused on five crops—corn, wheat, cotton, soybeans and rice. It was assumed that aerial application is used to treat 25% of commercially treated cropland in the U.S. and that ground application does not replace aerial application. Crop data was taken from the from the USDA-NASS 2018 summary. The results revealed that a ban on aerial application would result in a loss of $23 billion to the U.S. economy.

Dr. Brad Fritz of AATRU provided a back to the basics talk on spray droplet size. Spray droplets are measured by their diameter in microns. Raindrops are 500 to 4,000 microns in diameter. In comparison, spray droplets for agricultural applications are typically 50 to 2,500 microns in diameter. Cutting the diameter of a spray droplet in half creates eight times the number of droplets, but smaller droplets are more prone to drift. Fritz reviewed droplet size definitions and the procedure for how the droplet size from agricultural spray nozzles is classified into droplet spectrum categories, such as medium, coarse, etc. These categories are used on pesticide labels to dictate the size of spray droplets needed to apply the product. The aerial spray models from AATRU can be used to set up an ag aircraft to achieve both the droplet size and flow rate needed to apply the product according to label instructions.

Another presentation from the AATRU’s Martin focused on nozzle selection for UAVs. The objective of the project was to characterize differences in spray drift resulting from UAV applications of fine, medium and coarse sprays. The nozzles selected were those typically used for ground rig applications. The UAV was flown at a height of 10 feet and a speed of 7 mph. Mylar samplers were used to measure spray in swath and downwind drift. A monofilament line was also used to collect downwind drift. The coarse droplet size provided the highest in-swath deposition and the least amount of downwind drift. The fine droplet size provided the least in-swath deposition and resulted in the highest amount of downwind drift. The medium droplet size was in between the other two droplet sizes.

Dr. Wayne Woldt from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln followed with another presentation on UAVs. He examined the efficacy of a UAV making applications to control soybean gall midge. Two different heights, 5 and 10 feet, and two speeds, 2 mph and 4 mph, were evaluated to see how these variables impact the efficacy of the application. Overall, the lower height of 5 feet performed better than 10 feet, and the slower speed performed better than the faster speed. The results suggest that lower heights and slower speeds will result in greater efficacy when using a UAV to make pesticide applications.

The final presentation of the session also came from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Sam Marx discussed how nozzle relative velocity impacts spray droplet size. The size of aerial application droplets changes based on relative velocity of the nozzle and the nozzle size. There are three main factors that impact droplet size: air shear, operating pressure and nozzle tip size. Air shear is adjusted by changing the deflection angle of the nozzle—as deflection increases, droplet size gets smaller. The operating pressure impacts the relative velocity, with an increase in pressure causing a decrease in relative velocity on the spray leaving the nozzle and thus an increase in droplet size. The impact of nozzle tip size on droplet size depends on the type of nozzle used for the application. For flat fan nozzles, an increase in orifice size increases droplet size. Straight stream nozzles show the opposite trend, with larger orifices having a smaller droplet size.

FAA/Low-Altitude Obstacle Session

This year NAAA was pleased to have representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and UAV industry participate in the FAA/Low-Altitude Obstacle Session. These representatives were Jennifer Rodi, senior air safety investigator from the NTSB; Michael Helvey, manager of the FAA’s Obstruction Evaluation Group; Joe Morra, director for the FAA’s UAS Integration Office, Safety & Integration Division; Jody Hemler, an aviation safety inspector in the FAA Flight Standards Office; and Shane Woodson, director of sales at uAvionix Corporation. The panel was moderated by NAAA CEO Andrew Moore.

Once again, this year’s session focused heavily on the integration of UAVs into the national airspace. Rodi presented on the NTSB’s perspective on low-altitude obstacles such as UAVs and towers. Morra provided updated figures on the UAV industry including the fact there are now 1.4 million registered UAVs and 157,000 remote pilot certificate holders. There are also 25 certified Part 137 drone agricultural operators. Morra also detailed the FAA’s Safety Risk Management process used to evaluate risk when approving UAV operations such as operations beyond visual line of sight.

Next, Hemler gave an update on implementing some solutions to clarify misconceptions about Part 137 operations held by some FAA aviation safety inspectors in different offices. Hemler said if operators ever have disagreements over regulatory interpretations with their field offices, they can reach out to NAAA and Hemler would be happy to make clear the FAA’s stance.

Next, Helvey updated the audience on the FAA’s efforts to implement the provisions of the 2016 FAA Extension and 2018 FAA Reauthorization dealing with marking and logging requirements for towers between 50 and 200 feet located in rural areas. He explained the FAA is in the initial stages of testing the database it has developed by gathering feedback from aerial applicators in conjunction with NAAA. Additionally, he said a notice of proposed rulemaking on the marking and logging requirements for these towers is tentatively expected for April 2020. In the meantime, he encouraged pilots to supplement their pre-flight operations by using the FAA’s Daily Digital Obstacle File (published every business day) and the Digital Obstacle File (published every eight weeks), which can provide ag aviators with information about potential obstacles in their flight path before they even take off. Most of these obstacles are over 200 feet, but some obstacles under 200 feet are added as well. You can read more about how to access these files here.

Lastly, Shane Woodson of uAvionix presented on cost-effective technologies available to deconflict UAVs and manned aircraft. He explained that by equipping your aircraft with an ADS-B Out type solution, UAVs equipped with ADS-B In would be able to sense and avoid your aircraft. This is yet another reason ag aviators should consider equipping with ADS-B even though they might not be required to comply with the 2020 ADS-B mandate.

Insurance Session

Jeffrey Tippins of Starr Aviation queried a panel of aviation insurance underwriters on a host of insurance questions at the Insurance Session. The panelists included JT Helms of Old Republic Aerospace, Shaen Phillips of USAIG, AIG’s Aaron Hatch and Jim Anderson of Starr Insurance Companies. Tippins is NAAA’s allied industry insurance division director. Approximately 55 people attended the session.

Topics covered included additional insureds and contractual requirements, pollution versus chemical liability, aircraft hull and liability, claims and workers’ compensation, and the high cost of defending an insured during litigation.

It is not uncommon for a customer/grower to ask an operator to add them to their policy as an additional insured. Farmers have an insurable interest when you spray their fields. While it is fairly standard to add a farmer, owner or grower to an aerial applicator’s policy, this can be accomplished in different ways. On some policies, farmers/owners/growers (FOG) are considered insured parties. Other policies make this coverage available by endorsement only. Operators can also add individual FOGs to their policy as additional insureds. Some will add them at no charge or for a small charge to the grower. Sometimes the farmer may ask for a certificate of insurance to verify they are listed as an additional insured on the operator’s policy. This can be easily accomplished with a call to your insurance broker, who will get the underwriter to send the paperwork the farmer requested.

Tippins asked Phillips, of USAIG, about the differences in handling a pilot injury claim depending on whether the pilot is an employee of the operator or an independent contractor. Most ag aircraft policies exclude bodily injury to anyone on or in the ag aircraft. Whether a pilot qualifies as an employee or independent contractor tends to be more complicated than any simple agreement between the pilot and the operator. In Phillips’ experience, injuries that occur during the course and scope of the pilot’s employment will typically be covered by workers’ compensation as governed by workers’ compensation law in the flying service’s state. Workers’ compensation can be favorable for both the employee and the employer. The pilot does not have to prove that his employer is legally liable, or responsible, for the injury. Employers benefit because workers’ compensation is designed to be the sole remedy for an employee’s injuries. That means the flying service can’t be sued by the pilot.

A question from the audience concerned total loss claims. An operator’s company had a spotless record until it experienced two total losses in one season. The flying service’s rates went up significantly the next year. The operator’s question to the panel was, how long will it be until they are able to wipe the slate clean in the eyes of insurers?

“As you get further away from that claim’s history, other insurance companies are going to participate and maybe offer a bid to take your insurance at the renewal period. Market competition will probably take care of that eventually, but it may hurt for a little while,” Helms said.

“The way the industry works is the premium of the many pay the losses of the few, and the few that have losses pay a little more premium,” Anderson added. “The problem with aviation is it tends to be a catastrophe-type business, and so the claims that we have, especially in aerial application, can be total losses, which can be a big gouge.”

Controlling costs, being a member of NAAA, attending the PAASS Program all factor in favorably with insurers. Most importantly, by maintaining a good, clean record and not seeing that frequency and severity come back, more underwriters are going to compete for that operator’s business.

Equipment for Improving Application Accuracy Session

This session kicked off with Eric Miller from AeroFlow Systems, or AFS. AFS has manufactured a boom truncation system designed to shorten the length of the boom in flight in order to reduce drift. It uses a polished stainless steel butterfly valve with an electronic motor to operate the valve. The wiring runs through the leading edge of the wing and down the boom hanger. The valves are operated from controls located in the cockpit, and there are indicator lights so the pilot knows when the valves are closed. The boom truncation system comes with valves to turn off the outer section of each boom to reduce the spray being entrained in the aircraft’s vortices, as well as a valve for right boom shutoff.

Next, Stephen Foster from Aventech Research Inc. provided an update on the Aircraft Integrated Meteorological Measurement System, or AIMMS. AIMMS provides real-time weather data in the cockpit, which it measures by factoring in aircraft speed and movement and using that information to adjust data from the built-in weather probe. The initial system, the AIMMS-20, worked well for providing accurate data but was difficult to calibrate and use. The next generation, the AIMMS-30, was designed with the pilot in mind. It is easier to calibrate and use, and work continues to tailor it even more for agricultural aviation by providing easy to read weather information, a record of the weather during an application, and quantitative information on potential drift distance and direction.

Jeff Grimm and Jeff Hemeyer from Capstan Ag Systems discussed SwathPro, which provides in-flight nozzle changes based on preset application profiles. Each nozzle is controlled by an electronic solenoid valve which provides on/off and flow control for the nozzle. SwathPro can be set up to provide right boom shutoff, truncated booms, belly nozzles on or off, allow a pressure change while still maintaining a set flow rate, and switch nozzle types in flight. Future plans for the system include variable rate, automatic boom on and off with prescription maps, and automatic boom profiling that would use real-time weather data to automatically adjust boom configuration to compensate for crosswinds and upwind/downwind conditions. Capstan Ag Systems is currently looking for pilots to beta test SwathPro systems.

Ofir Schlam from Taranis discussed the company’s revolutionary agricultural imaging solution. Taranis uses remote sensing from a variety of platforms, including satellites, manned aircraft and UAVs, to provide growers with data they can use to increase yields and protect their crops. Taranis’s preference is for fixed-wing aircraft because of the ability to cover more ground than with a UAV. Taranis has an imagery pod that is attached to an aircraft and uses forward motion compensation to allow a field to be sampled at a very fast speed but still provide accurate images. This was demonstrated by showing a photo of a worm on a soybean leaf. Taranis imaging technology can count emergence, detect nutrient deficiency, conduct tassel count and detect insects, disease and weeds. Taranis is very interested in equipping agricultural aircraft with imaging pods to expand its remote sensing capabilities.

Anthonie York from Transland wrapped up the session and provided insight into the company’s goal of trying to integrate multiple systems into a single screen, a goal which has been augmented by Transland’s purchase of Satloc. This integration would help declutter the cockpit and improve safety by reducing pilot distractions. Work continues on Transland’s dry gate controller technology. It changed the rotary sensor being used and added two systems with accumulators, which increases the reliability of the pump. Its 7.5-inch gate has now been out for three years and is being used to conduct variable rate applications. It is accurate to 1/30 of an inch. The dry gate controller works with DynaNav GPS in addition to Satloc, and Transland’s goal is for it to work with all GPS systems.

NAAA Engine Sessions

Several engine sessions were offered for turbine and radial powered aircraft over the course of the convention, beginning with the Pratt & Whitney Radial Engines Session.

Radial Engines Session

Rob Seeman of Covington Aircraft Engines moderated the Pratt & Whitney Radial Engine Session, featuring panelists Logan Simmons, representing Covington Aircraft, and Rex Vaughn and son Deryk Vaughn, representing Tulsa Aircraft. There were about 30 attendees, and topics addressed included magneto manufacturing changes, which may also require some ignition harness block changes, oil leak-down into the lower cylinders and some supercharger issues. Different oils, break-in processes, costs of overhaul and carburetors were also discussed.

PT6 Turbine Session

At the PT6A Turbine Engine Session, Covington’s Fletcher Sharp moderated a panel comprised of experts from Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) and PT6A overhaul facilities. Panelists included Yves Houde from P&WC, Robert Craymer from Covington Aircraft, Jay Streb from Turbines Inc., and Chad Peckham and Wendell Lambert representing Dallas Airmotive. Approximately 70 operators attended. Topics ranged from oil consumption, hot section inspections with fuel nozzle and borescope inspections, oil products, compressor washes versus compressor rinses, engine troubleshooting, and propeller and engine vibration survey balance/checks. There was also some discussion about P&WC’s oil analysis program.

TPE331 Engine Session

The TPE331 Engine Session was moderated by Bruce Hubler of TAE Aerospace. The panel of experts featured Danny Moore of CD Aviation Services, Garrett Bane of TAE Aerospace, Mark Richardson of Turbine Standard and Neil James of Intercontinental Jet Services. Honeywell’s Robert Quiroz, Ryne Hess and Kevin Baker joined the session as speakers and updated the attendees on the latest news from Honeywell as it pertains to the TPE331 engine. Barry Martin of Tennessee Aircraft Co. gave a presentation on fuel quality and fuel nozzle maintenance. Hubler wrapped up the session by reviewing Airworthiness Directives that pertain to the TPE331 as well as proper engine storage procedures.

Chemical Session

The Chemical Session offers attendees an opportunity to hear from pesticide and adjuvant manufacturers about new products or updates to existing products. The session was moderated by Tracy Norcross of Bayer CropScience. It got started with Matt Malone from BASF, who provided information on Veltyma, a new fungicide for corn. He talked about application specifics and product performance details. BASF expects Veltyma to create growth in the aerially applied fungicide market when it is launched in 2020.

Corteva Agriscience was represented by Hailey Bason, who talked about DuraCor, a new herbicide for range and pasture. DuraCor has two active ingredients, including Rinskor, the first new active ingredient introduced into the range and pasture market in almost 15 years. DuraCor is anticipated to provide season-long broadleaf control and increased activity on hard-to-control weeds.

Steffan Busch with EGE Products spoke about Length EXT which has residual encapsulation technology. Length EXT works with herbicides, insecticides and fungicides by encapsulating the active ingredient to protect it from UV decomposition. This extends the amount of time a pre-emergence herbicide can survive after application. Length EXT also helps reduce drift.

Robb Rainey presented details on several of FMC’s insecticides, including Prevathon insecticide with the active ingredient Rynaxypyr. Prevathon requires no warning, caution or danger statement and provides strong control while helping to manage resistance. Steward EC insecticide has selectively low toxicity to mammals. That’s because its active ingredient requires a transformation into a toxic form that only occurs within the insect through biotransformation.

Going back to adjuvants, Cathy Tomlinson with GarrCo Products was the final speaker at the Chemical Session. She talked about Stimulate, a highly concentrated microbial product that can be applied with fungicides on corn as well as many other crops. Stimulate increases root mass, which in turn enhances water and nutrient uptake. Many pictures were shown demonstrating the increased root mass for several crops when Stimulate was used.

TUESDAY, NOV. 19

NAAA General Session

The 2019 NAAA General Session explored the future of the aerial application industry by examining trends in the global crop protection and seed markets. The session also explored aerial imaging as a diversification option for aerial applicators.

Dr. Matthew Phillips, a leading consultant and data analyst in the agrochemical and seeds industries, led off with a comprehensive assessment of the global crop protection market. In his role as an industry analyst, Phillips said he tries to bridge the gap between finance and science. He unpacked reams of data throughout his presentation, a sweeping overview that delved into a variety of areas, such as key drivers affecting agriculture and the crop protection market, the recent round of industry consolidation, trends in research and development, the generic crop protection sector, conditions in the U.S. market and weather trends.

The global crop protection market peaked in 2014 and has been in a bit of a slump since then. Total revenue dipped in 2015 and has remained in a relative plateau. From 2008 to ’14 crop prices were strong, demand was high for crops and biofuel, and there was growth in developing markets. As farmer wealth increased, their purchasing power for agrochemicals did too.

The farm economy has weakened since then. Variable weather patterns and lower crop prices have depressed farm incomes. In many markets around the world this has prompted farmers to switch to lower-cost options, such as shifting from proprietary crop protection products to generic products. Growth in the genetically modified seed market as a solution for farmers has reduced the use of conventional agrochemicals as well.

The first glimmers of a recovery appeared in 2018, but 2019 has been another challenging year for agriculture in the U.S. and Europe. Soybean acres in the U.S. were down 14% in 2019. Cotton acres fell 1.4%, and corn acres were up 1%. Rapeseed acres in Europe decreased by 16.5% in ’19.

Phillips touched on the global outlook for corn over the next four years, through the 2023/24 planting season. According to a global forecasting tool from AgbioInvestor, the expectations are that corn production will continue to go up based on demand. The drivers for growth, however, are from countries outside the U.S., such as Brazil, Ukraine, Vietnam and the Philippines. Corn acres in mature markets such as the U.S. and China are expected to decline.

The crop protection market went through a downturn the past three or four years but is slowly trying to pull out of it. That period of weakness triggered a new round of industry consolidation that has reshaped the crop protection industry. Over the past few years, ChemChina acquired Syngenta, Bayer bought Monsanto, Corteva Agriscience emerged from the merger of Dow and DuPont, and UPL acquired Arysta LifeScience.

ChemChina’s post-acquisition strategy has been focused on seeds and the precision agriculture sector, not traditional chemicals, Phillips noted. The merger between Dow and DuPont created an antitrust precedent for the divestiture of R&D driven businesses. BASF also benefited from divestitures, becoming a major player in the seed industry after acquiring new seed assets. Bayer’s purchase of Monsanto created the largest agrochemical/seed business in the world, but Bayer’s pursuit of Monsanto is believed to have been driven by precision ag and big data. Acquiring Arysta has transformed UPL into a truly global business rather than an Indian company with international operations. UPL nearly doubled its product portfolio and now has 6,850 product registrations worldwide.

The major crop protection manufacturers have moved further into the precision ag space through subsidiary companies specializing in data analytics for agriculture. “Big data” from precision ag could alter how crop protection products are supplied, Phillips believes. Ultimately, the effect of alternative technologies like precision agriculture are going to become an increasing part of the industry, servicing farmers to a better degree.

“You really need a holistic approach to be successful, particularly to benefit from this precision ag activity,” Phillips said. “It comes from seeds and traits, chemistries and biologicals, biostimulants, soil microbiology—embracing these kinds of alternative technologies to advance the crop protections offered by the bio-chemistry sector.”

Companies look at long-term data such as 20-year growth cycles as they consider future business plans. In 1998, North America accounted for 26% of the global crop protection market compared to 16% for Central and South America. Twenty years later those market shares have flipped. By 2018, Central and South America’s market share grew to 25% while North America’s share fell to 17%. These shifts could have implications for the U.S. and Canadian crop protection markets. “This is what the companies would be looking at when they’re looking at R&D dollars—where they make their adjustments, where they focus their businesses,” Phillips said.

As noted, companies are investing in seeds and precision ag. That’s where the action is now in terms of R&D. Meanwhile, the development pipeline for conventional chemicals and crop protection products has slowed significantly. In general, fewer new active ingredients are entering development each year in recent years. Likewise, less than 10 new active ingredients and GM traits have been introduced each year since 2015.

The slowdown in the rate of new active ingredients demonstrates the importance of older chemistries, many of which are available in generic form. The market share for off-patent products has risen from a little over 40% of the crop protection market in 2000 to 70% in 2018. Proprietary crop protection products accounted for 14% of the market in ’18, and proprietary off-patent products captured 16%. (Proprietary off-patent products are off-patent products for which the introducing company still sells 90% or more of the chemical.)

“New chemistries are being introduced in a far lower way, but resistance is driving the need for these new chemistries in the marketplace,” Phillips said. “Overall still, crop protection inputs are the biggest factor, as are fertilizers, in the ag inputs market.”

With respect to climate change and weather trends, based on trends and forecasts of optimal temperature and precipitation needed to grow crops around the world, in the future, water stress and availability are going to be the key issue, more so than temperature, Phillips believes.

General Session Part II: Aerial Imaging

Ofir Schlam, the co-founder and CEO of Taranis, an international agricultural remote sensing and imaging company, spoke after Phillips about Taranis’ aerial imaging system and the synergies it could present to agricultural aviation operations.

Like other ag imaging companies, Taranis utilizes satellites, manned aircraft and UAVs to provide images of various resolutions. What makes Taranis unique is its low-level scouting sampling, which is conducted at low altitudes just above the crop. The Taranis method generates far more sampling points in much less time than other methods. The images from the satellites, higher-resolution imaging and low-level scouting are used together to create a detailed image of field conditions and plant health. From there, the low-altitude scouting imagery can be used to identify and map pests, including exactly what that pest is, whether it be insects, weeds or diseases.

The most intriguing part is the potential for agricultural aircraft to be a part of this program. Taranis has developed a pod that can be mounted on agricultural aircraft for this very purpose. Normal cameras still have a blur in most aerial images due to the shutter speed of the camera. Taranis’s high-tech pod allows it to obtain a clear image right out of the box.

Taranis is looking for pilots to help bring its imaging capabilities to more areas. Schlam feels that ag pilots are ideally suited for this type of flying. Taranis considers a Cessna to be the ideal aircraft for aerial imaging, but it has also installed its camera pods on ag planes. About 50 pod systems have been installed worldwide. The U.S. is Taranis’s biggest market. The company does aerial imaging work across most of the Corn Belt, California and Oregon.

Taranis is working on creating an Uber-style app where pilot partners can see if imaging orders are available in their area. if so, they can accept that job and would go out and image that field, then upload the files to Taranis.

“I think there is a huge synergy here between us and you guys and the crop protection chemical companies to produce a better solution for the growers,” Schlam said.

To learn more about Taranis’s aerial imaging program for ag pilots, contact Schlam at Ofir@Taranis.ag.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 20

Helicopter Session

Longtime Helicopter Session moderator Jeff Reabe of Reabe Aircraft Improvement once again skillfully guided conversation and questions on topics ranging from cabin comfort, finding and retaining good employees, moving from piston to turbine powered helicopters, and the benefits of charging by the hour instead of by the acre for helicopter work.

An aircraft improvement as simple as installing an air conditioning unit can be a godsend. The nice thing about that is the temperature remains comfortable in the cockpit. On a 100-degree day, it’s still 75 degrees in the cockpit. That can reduce a pilot’s stress level. “My pilots say that’s the best 45 pounds you spent on the cabin,” Reabe said.

Talk about finding and retaining good pilots and ground crew resonated with the ag operators in the audience. A Canadian helicopter operator noted that a lot of aerial application helicopter pilots in Canada are low-time pilots who transition out when the accumulate enough hours to do things like long-line helicopter work. The commenter remarked that he had basically become an apprenticeship program for helicopter pilots. Finding and keeping skilled employees is getting harder and harder, Reabe agreed. Money appears to be less of a motivating factor for millennials than other generations, and Reabe finds that puzzling.

Becoming a fixed-wing or rotary-wing ag pilot should be a career, not just a steppingstone to something else. An audience member who used to hire and mentor people at Lockheed Martin said the key is to find out what motivates each person. “You are looking for that motivation. And that should come out in the early stages of the interview process or their time on the job,” the former Lockheed Martin supervisor said.

Something interesting happened when Reabe Spraying Service changed from piston to turbine helicopters. With turbine helicopters, Reabe operates with two trucks and one helicopter so that the helicopter never stops working. The increased productivity is achieved because the second truck is already at the next field. When they were running one truck per helicopter, Reabe said the driver was highly motivated to race the helicopter to the next job. They ended up pulling a truck out of a ditch on more than one occasion as a result. With two trucks, there is no rush. In turn that made it easier to hire people because there is less pressure to rush to the next job site.

Athena Program

The Athena Program is presented by the NAAA Support Committee. The educational program’s primary intent is to provide support to the women of the agricultural aviation industry, but many of the lessons can be just as applicable to men.

This year’s Athena Program was presented by Betsy Sharp and Beverly Jerger. They hit upon several important issues in what amounted to a crash course on life in the agricultural aviation industry for employees, pilots and loved ones of an aerial applicator. Appropriately titled “Under the Umbrella,” the presentation covered emergency contacts and emergency plans, spills and what to do if your business encounters them, bookkeeping, chemical rebates, communications with the pilot and who can ground a pilot.

From there they went into life insurance. The Athena presenters emphasized the importance of life insurance and making sure the spouse of a pilot or operator is covered for additional costs, which include child care and other unknown expenses to maintain the household.

Next, they talked about FAA rules for medication, UAVs and tower markings. The presenters emphasized NAAA has an amazing staff that is available to help members. Never hesitate to contact NAAA for questions or to report problems your business has encountered, they advised.

Next, they showed a graphic about protecting the resources/land that we have. The amount of land actually available for feeding the world is a very small piece of the earth. After the graphic, they talked about what to do if a weapon is discharged at your airplane or if one of your aircraft is threatened. That subject brings up how to address bad press. The main thing to remember is to learn as much as you can as quickly as possible.

The presenters talked about exit strategies as well as how to break into the industry. They also discussed membership and the importance of it. NAAA spends around $1,400 per paying member. The association should be viewed as an insurance policy for the industry, Jerger and Sharp noted—with premiums that come in the form of membership dues.

Lastly, a new interactive portion the presenters introduced was well received by the participants.

THURSDAY, NOV. 21

Thrush Aircraft Session

New ownership and leadership are in place at Thrush Aircraft after the company recently emerged from a challenging restructuring process that included filing for Chapter 11 reorganization. Thrush’s new leadership team is headed by its new owners, president and CEO Mark McDonald and chief financial officer Clint Hubbard.

Thrush VP of Sales Eric Rojek opened Thrush’s airframe session in Orlando by offering a sincere thank you to everyone in the room for standing by Thrush as it went through its restructuring.

Thrush debuted a new ag campaign at the NAAA Trade Show featuring the tagline, “With change comes opportunity.” “Our opportunity for now is to be a better company—to keep our promises, deliver our aircraft and produce a higher quality product,” Rojek said. “That’s something that we’re committed to, and we’re very thankful for this opportunity.”

McDonald spoke next. “When we started trying to help Thrush, it wasn’t [about] buying the company. But the more time we spent with the employees—the great people at Thrush—the more time we spent looking at the business and understanding what it needs to do to improve, the more we got excited about actually becoming the owners,” he said. “Although restructuring processes are always uncertain … we’re really, really grateful to be here. Not just to be the owners of Thrush but to be part of this community. The way you guys have opened your arms and welcomed us in has been just fantastic.”

Despite its challenges, there were several bright spots for Thrush in 2019. This year it delivered aircraft to 13 countries, which included opening new markets in Russia and Cambodia. Thrush also continued to provide factory pilot and maintenance training and is continuing to develop the 710P Firebird aircraft.

Rojek ended his prepared remarks by stating that Thrush’s job is to earn aerial applicators’ trust in its business on a daily basis.

Air Tractor Session

Air Tractor President Jim Hirsch provided an update on the company’s activities at Air Tractor’s airframe session. Air Tractor has built approximately 3,800 airplanes since 1974, including 840 model 802 aircraft. The manufacturer built 119 aircraft in 2019, including but not limited to 19 AT-402Bs, 24 AT-502Bs, 24 AT-502XPs, 10 AT-602s, 26 AT-802As and eight AT-802AF models.

Hirsch touched on a few of Air Tractor’s new production capabilities, including its electronic coating system, which uses electricity to fully coat aluminum parts in primer, ensuring 100% primer coverage to protect against corrosion. Air Tractor’s e-coat system came online in 2017.

In terms of new products, Air Tractor’s Sure-Lock tailwheel lock was introduced at the Ag Aviation Expo in 2018. Certification of the Gen III Fire Retardant Dispersal System (FRDS) fire gate for the AT-802F is expected in February 2020. The new fire gate is 260 pounds lighter than the Gen II FRDS and has an increased flow rate. Air Tractor anticipates delivering the Gen III FRDS fire gates in the March/April timeframe.

Air Tractor is also working with Capstan Ag Systems Inc. The AT-402B on display at the NAAA Trade Show was equipped with the CapstanAG SwathPro aerial spray control system as well as a 3-inch bottom load system, electric fan and brake and smoker. Capstan Ag Systems is working on an STC for its SwathPro system. “I see that as a lean forward in technology. The ability to control each nozzle individually, whether it’s on or off, and control the flow rate of each of those nozzles while you’re on the fly, I think, is going to be a big deal for the industry,” Hirsch said. “I think that will be good for doing a more precise job and controlling drift both.”

Hirsch reminded attendees that as a result of Queen Bee Air Specialties’ retirement as an Air Tractor dealer, Queen Bee’s Western states territory was divided up between three dealers. Valley Air Crafts will serve the states of Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Nevada and California. Neal Aircraft will serve North Texas, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Oklahoma and Kansas. Farm Air Inc. will serve Air Tractor customers in North and South Dakota, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.

Hartzell recently notified Air Tractor of a change in grease for new propellers. The change takes effect in January 2020. The new grease is supposed to provide better lubrication and better corrosion prevention. Acquiring the new grease presents a challenge at the moment, but Air Tractor is going to try to include a tube of the new grease with the delivery kit of every new airplane it produces. The real challenge lies in the fact that the new grease cannot be mixed with any other kind of grease, Hirsch said. If that happens, “according to Hartzell, you just created a real problem. Because if you mix it you’ve got to remove the propeller and send it to the shop. They’ve got to completely disassemble it, clean it, regrease it and put it back together.” Air Tractor is trying to get the message out as quickly as it can and will be issuing a service letter about the new grease requirements for new Hartzell propellers.

NAAREF Safety Session: Relationship Drift

It is well known that distractions to agricultural aviators can lead to accidents. Many distractions come from the cockpit, while others come from external stressors. These external stressors can be difficult customers, problems with employees and equipment maintenance issues. There is, however, a stress that has nothing to do with agricultural aviation—stress from personal issues resulting from a relationship with a spouse or significant other. This stress, like any other, can cause a pilot to be distracted from the task at hand and increase the likelihood of an accident. The goal of this year’s NAAREF Safety Session was to examine how personal relationships affect pilot decision-making and safety.

Following the new format of the Compaass Rose program, the session started with pilots and their spouses or significant others in the same room for an introduction. Operator and pilot roles are largely but not exclusively the dominion of men, as a female ag pilot and a few female operators in the audience could attest, but for the sake of discussion the audience was separated by gender into two groups. The women remained in the main room, and the men were escorted to another room. Each group was presented with a series of similar questions designed to promote discussion. Polling was conducted with each group using the audience response system also used for both PAASS and Compaass Rose. Questions included when pilots and spouses should discuss how to handle non-work-related issues during the season, how much communication is appropriate during a busy day in the season, and how both pilots and their domestic partners can help their relationship stay on target during the busy part of the year.

After the two groups answered the questions and discussed their responses apart from each other, they were brought back together to review and discuss what each group had to say about the topics covered by the questions. Pilots and their spouses or significant others were able to share their thoughts on how to best ensure their relationship stayed strong, with both parties’ individual needs being met, and at the same time ensure minimal distractions to help ensure pilot safety.

ASU Night Vision Goggles Session

Aviation Specialties Unlimited (ASU) spoke to attendees about the benefits of bringing night vision goggles (NVGs) into their operation. Various ag pilots who use NVGs supplemented the presentation by giving their perspectives on how NVGs have improved their operations and answered questions from pilots and operators in the audience who might be considering adopting NVGs.

Kip McDermott, ASU’s vice president of engineering, explained ASU’s NVGs provide a range of services to the aviation industry, including emergency medical services, military services, law enforcement agencies, airborne surveillance and security, and fire suppression missions. He said ASU has equipped more than 2,000 aircraft for NVGs and holds STCs in the U.S., Canada, the EU, Brazil and Australia.

The ag pilots who use NVGs explained that NVGs let you see exactly what you see during the day, albeit in black and white. There is no limit to how far you can see, and while NVGs can’t see through clouds or fog, they are extremely useful for seeing approaching storms on the horizon. You can also see if there is anyone in the field you are spraying, but this is rarely an issue at night. The applicators said the biggest “drawback” to using NVGs is that they simply don’t want to fly during the day anymore. Being totally alone at night makes applications much easier and they can also see wires at night they normally wouldn’t be able to see during the day.

You can learn more about ASU’s NVGs at asu-nvg.com.

MENTORING OFFERINGS

Speed Mentoring Session

NAAREF’s “Ask the Expert” Speed Mentoring Session was once again one of the more popular events for pilots new to the industry. The Monday afternoon timeslot allowed new pilots to meet more seasoned industry members early in the week, allowing for more ample networking opportunities throughout the show. Again, this year, organizer Brian Rau did an excellent job of assembling a knowledgeable group of mentors to share their experience with mentees.

The mentors included operators, pilots, individuals from the insurance industry and representatives from ag flight schools. The 41 mentees were divided up between five tables staffed by the mentors. After brief introductions, mentees asked questions for 20 minutes before the mentors rotated to different tables. This format allows for a more direct personal interaction and benefits mentees by allowing them to hear views from several different perspectives.

Advice given by mentors included best practices for flight training, transitioning to turbine powered aircraft, the importance of having a “no job is too small” attitude and how to build relationships with potential employers in your area. There were also several high-time pilots present who had no ag aviation experience and were looking for ways to start a second career in the industry.

NAAA’s thanks go out to Brian Rau and the other mentors that volunteered their time to help others become a valuable part of the ag aviation industry.

Compaass Rose Sessions

The Compaass Rose program was back with its new format for a third year. The PAASS Compaass Rose series is designed to provide professional support and direction for agricultural aviation pilots who are new to the industry and people who want to learn more about the industry and what it takes to get into ag aviation. The goal is for participants to enhance their own knowledge, continue to gain agricultural aviation experience, and improve their individual professionalism. There were two Compaass Rose session offered at the 2019 Expo—the first was on Nov. 17 and the second on Nov. 19.

The Compaass Rose format was updated in 2017 to create an environment even more favorable for those pilots new to the industry or looking to get into it. Compaass Rose sessions are led by two PAASS presenters. Sunday’s session was led by Mike Rivenbark and Rick Boardman. Wednesday’s session was led by Brian Rau and Sam Styron.

After brief introductions, pilots with approximately five years or less experience were moved to a different room. A series of multiple-choice questions were then asked to both groups, with participants answering using live-poll remote clickers. While each group was asked slightly different questions, the questions focused on the same topics. Operators were asked questions such as what qualities they look for in new pilots, if they have a formal training curriculum, and their thoughts on pilots who attend ag flying schools. Newer pilots were asked what qualities they look for in an operator, if they were given a formal training syllabus, how comfortable they are bringing problems to their operator and about their experiences with ag schools. Both groups were also asked about how many hours of ag flight time and total time they have and whether they fly fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters.

Having the groups separate allowed the answers to be discussed in a judgment-free zone. After each group discussed each topic, the groups were again combined to review their responses to the survey questions together. The whole group discussed each topic with emphasis on areas where there was greater variance between the more seasoned pilots and newer pilots’ views on a topic. For example, operators need to communicate to their new pilots that a written syllabus with goals and benchmarks should be viewed as a flexible, living document that will change over time. Unexpected interruptions and exceptionally busy times throughout the season will all but guarantee the syllabus will need to be changed. This expectation setting is all to prevent new pilots from being disappointed, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the pilot-operator relationship.

Additional topics included fostering an environment where new pilots can communicate issues they have with fatigue and how to start a career as an ag pilot when you have a young and growing family. Many participants stayed around long after the session formally ended to continue discussing ways to create a strong pool of qualified ag aviation pilots to keep the industry strong.

In Closing …

We could go on, but we’ll save other details about the convention, including details of 2019’s best and brightest acknowledged at the concluding Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet, for the next issue of NAAA’s magazine. If you like what you learned in Orlando or read here, save the dates for Dec. 7–10, 2020, and join us in Savannah, Ga., at our 54th annual Ag Aviation Expo.