Matt Hovdenes, owner/operator of Right Way Ag. in Harwood, North Dakota, and president of NAAREF, spoke to Aero Fleet One about safety in ag aviation. Aero Fleet One is a network of international operations, primarily in Brazil. They wished to interview Hovdenes to increase safety knowledge and awareness in the industry, both in the U.S. and Brazil. Watch the full interview below. It has also been translated into Portuguese for the industry’s Brazilian audience.

Hovdenes covered many topics in the interview, including:

• The change in safety culture brought on by the use of turbine aircraft (1:39)
  
• Safety technology including airbags, stronger windshields and wire cutters (3:35)
  
• The impact stress has on pilot safety (4:37)
  
• Safety challenges faced when working in new areas (6:13)
  
• Hazardous attitudes’ negative impact on safety (9:15)
  
• The importance of establishing personal minimums and sticking with them (10:20)
  
• How outside influences, particularly financial ones, impact safety (12:31)
  
• Business concerns that impact an operation’s safety culture (14:13)
  
• Precision ag technology and how it can affect safety (23:35)
  
• Required flight gear for safety (25:12)
• Finding and being a safety mentor (32:26 and 35:55)
• Safety breaks at an operation (38:00)
  
• Resources needed by the industry to continue to improve safety culture (39:37)

The interview concluded by Aero Fleet One asking Hovdenes for two safety rules that he uses in his ag flying. His advice:

1. If a task in the aircraft doesn’t have to do with the mission, don’t do it.
2. There is no part of any job worth hurting yourself for.