| July 7, 2022 |
| Professional Certification for the Future of Agricultural Aviation: Introducing C-PAASS—Certified Professional Aerial Applicator Safety Steward |
 As the agricultural aviation industry moves from its first century into
its second, it faces a strong and increasing demand for fast and
effective agricultural input services. It also faces challenges from
additional regulations, public input, rising insurance costs, stiffer
pesticide label language and competition from technological advances in
other facets of agriculture. To meet these challenges, agricultural
aviation needs a way to further augment its advancement of safety and
application accuracy while also showing our customers, regulators and
the public the professional nature of our industry. NAAA’s new Certified-Professional Aerial Applicator Safety Steward
(C-PAASS) program, launching in 2023, will fill that very role. Read More |
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| Ag Aviation Industry Mourns the Loss of Gavin Morse in Fourth Fatal Accident of 2022 |
NAAA members and staff mourn the loss of Washington state’s Gavin Morse
and express their sincere condolences and sympathies to his family and
friends. Gavin was lost in an ag aviation accident in Adams County,
Washington, on July 2. His service will be held July 16 at 2 p.m. PT at GEM Air Inc.,
located at 898 W. Lind-Warden Rd., Warden, WA 98857. It will also be streamed live on GEM Air Inc.’s Facebook page.
Read More |
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| Field Study in Corn Reveals Need to Maintain Correct Height Above Canopy |
| A field study by Alan Corr from Agri-Spray Consulting, Ken
Ferrie from Crop-Tech Consulting and Matt Gill from the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign examined deposition from aerial
applications in a corn canopy. The purpose of the study was to identify potential
causes for some of the streaking seen in corn fungicide applications
from the 2021 season. Read More |
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| NAAA Ag Aviation Expo Attendee Registration Now Open; Booth Sales Open July 14 |
 We look forward to seeing you at the 2022 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo in
Knoxville, Tennessee, Dec 5-8, a new convention destination for the Ag
Aviation Expo. Attendee registration is open for the NAAA Ag Aviation
Expo. Every pilot, operator, allied company, researcher, spouse,
mixer/loader and office crew has contributed to the industry! It will be
a week of fun, sun, education, networking and great food and drinks!
Read More |
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| Operation S.A.F.E. Analyst Training August 2022 in Lonoke, Arkansas |
| WRK of Arkansas will be conducting an Operation S.A.F.E. analyst
training course Aug. 22-26 in Lonoke,
Arkansas, with the classroom portion of the training conducted at WRK
facilities at 153 92nd West Street, Lonoke, Arkansas. This training will be appropriate for anyone wanting to become an
Operation S.A.F.E. analyst or technician. If you need to be recertified as an analyst or
a technician, this training will also cover that. Read More |
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| NAAA-NAAREF Board Meetings Oct.7-8 in Oklahoma City |
| The October 2022 NAAA & NAAREF Board and Committee meetings will take place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. All meetings are open to NAAA members. If you are not a board or
committee member but you’re interested in attending, please contact Lindsay Barber for more details. Read More |
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| In Case You Missed It! |
| NAAA Comments at FAA Public Meeting Opposing Drone Beyond Visual Line of Sight Aviation Rulemaking Committee’s Recommendations Compromising Aviation Safety |
On June 22 NAAA testified before an FAA public meeting on the FAA
aviation rulemaking committee proposing recommendations for drones
to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) in the national airspace.
NAAA CEO Andrew Moore registered opposition and detailed the serious
aviation safety risks posed by recommendations in the ARC’s report to manned ag aircraft flying in the same airspace as BVLOS drones. Read More |
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| Wilbur-Ellis Partners with Guardian Agriculture in Multimillion-Dollar Agreement to Bring Autonomous Aerial Application to U.S. Farmers |
 Wilbur-Ellis Company has entered a multimillion-dollar partnership with
Guardian Agriculture to bring autonomous aerial application to American
farmers. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Wilbur-Ellis President
and CEO John Buckley described the company’s deal with Guardian
Agriculture as “the largest commercial commitment to agriculture
robotics to date.”
Read More |
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| NAAA Fights to Keep Dry Formulations of Pesticides for Aerial Applicators Without Unnecessary and Burdensome Restrictions |
| NAAA commented in late June on the proposed interim decisions (PID) for
three pesticides: captan, folpet and propiconazole. A PID is the second
step in the pesticide registration review process, preceded by risk
assessments and followed by the final interim decision and an
endangered species review. Read More |
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| NAAA Again Successful in Securing Congressional Support for Funding Federal Aerial Application Technology Research |
 Through efforts on Capitol Hill, NAAA has succeeded again in getting
supportive language for USDA-ARS aerial application technology research
in the House Committee on Appropriations Fiscal Year 2023 Agricultural
Appropriations Spending Bill Committee Report. NAAA has secured $11,912,500
in federal aerial application research funding since 2002.
Read More |
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| NAAA Presents at Endangered Species and Pesticide Modeling Meeting |
 NAAA’s director of safety & education, Dr. Scott Bretthauer,
presented at a virtual Environmental Modeling Public Meeting (EMPM) on
June 23. The focus of the meeting was mitigation strategies for protecting
endangered species from pesticides and was held to engage stakeholders
on the EPA’s recent endangered species work plan.
Read More |
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| NAAA & Air Tractor to Exhibit at AirVenture 2022 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Industry Forum July 25 at 10 a.m. |
 After five successful appearances at EAA’s AirVenture from 2016 to 2019
and in 2021, NAAA will once again exhibit at AirVenture in Oshkosh,
Wisconsin, July 25-31 to showcase the aerial application industry and
wrap up the industry’s 100th anniversary celebration. NAAA has partnered with Air Tractor for this year’s exhibit, which is providing an aircraft for the booth.
Read More |
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| FAA Considering Issuing AD for STC Airplanes with TPE331 Engines |
 The FAA is considering issuing an AD applicable to STC airplanes
equipped with Honeywell TPE331 series turboprop engines with a propeller
pitch control (PPC) lever interface to the airplane control system for
the engine. The TPE331 series engines have a known airworthiness concern
in which the propeller pitch control lever can loosen and detach
in flight, causing a loss of engine control. The AD would follow SAIB NE-16-18. Read More |
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| FAA Airworthiness Directive Adopted on Walter/GE M601 D-11 Engines |
| The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all GE
Aviation Czech M601D-11 model turboprop engines. This AD was prompted by
the manufacturer revising the airworthiness limitations section (ALS)
of the existing engine maintenance manual (EMM) to include a visual
inspection of the centrifugal compressor case for cracks.
Action is required within 90 days after the
effective date of the AD, which is Aug. 1, 2022. Read More |
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| Join the Conversation: CropLife America Hosting Pesticide Discussion Training Summit Aug. 1-4 |
| Registration for CropLife America’s second session of “The Pesticide
Discussion,” Aug. 1-4 in Chicago, is open. Join CropLife America’s
communications team and guest speakers for an immersive and interactive
summit designed to help train you on teaching others how to confidently
and effectively talk about pesticides. Read More |
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| 14 CFR Part 137 Operations Are Not Subject to OpSpecs |
| NAAA is once again hearing reports of operators being contacted by FAA inspectors demanding they fulfill various requirements related to 14 CFR Part 119 for operations specifications (OpSpecs). NAAA is aware of the issue and has been in contact with the FAA, which is currently working on a fix for the problem. Read More |
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| AD Issued for PT6A-34, -34B, -34AG, -114 and -114A Turboprop Engines with Specific CT Vanes and Blades |
 In April, the FAA issued an awaited airworthiness directive (AD) on
Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. PT6A-34, -34B, -34AG, -114 and -114A
model turboprop engines. The AD was prompted by several reports of low-time
fractures of compressor turbine blades causing loss of power or
in-flight shutdown of the engine. Actions required must be taken within 250 flight hours or
270 days after AD 2022-08-13’s effective date of May 27, 2022, whichever comes first. Continue reading for important details about this AD from Covington Aircraft Engines. Read More |
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| Seek ‘Ag Wings of Tomorrow’ Scholarship by Aug. 31 |
 From seeking a mentor to finding the funds for training, the road to becoming an ag pilot is fraught with obstacles, but having $5,000 in seed money certainly helps. Four such scholarships are available through the 2022 NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship Program, which is made possible thanks to the generous support of BASF and Thrush Aircraft. Aspiring ag pilots, apply by Aug. 31!
Read More |
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| 2022 Support Scholarship Contest Entries Due Sept. 15 |
Attention, higher-education students: Don’t pass up the opportunity
to vie for a combined $3,000 in educational scholarships. NAAA is
accepting entries for the 2022 Support Scholarship Media Contest through Sept. 15. Prizes include a $2,000 scholarship from the NAAA
Support Committee and a $1,000 scholarship, courtesy of Covington
Aircraft.
Read More |
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| Exhibitor Details for the 2022 Ag Aviation Expo: Booth Sales Open July 14 |
Join us for the 2022 Ag Aviation Expo in the new location of
Knoxville, Tennessee, Dec. 5-8. NAAA Expo attendees and exhibitors will
take over several hotels and the convention center in thriving downtown
Knoxville, which is full of great restaurants, fun bars and unique shops. Exhibiting allows you to get your company, product/service and brand in front of an expected 1,500 attendees. Read More |
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| FAA’s GA Survey for 2021 Coming to a Close |
The FAA’s annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA
Survey) is coming to an end. There are still a couple of weeks left to
participate, so if you received the invitation but haven’t completed it
yet, now is the time. Read More |
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| We All Have a Telling History: Use Yours and NAAA’s Materials to Broadly Communicate Agricultural Aviation’s |
| By Andrew Moore, NAAA CEO |
 NAAA has reached the climax in the centennial epic of sharing our
industry’s history to the public, which of course was Aug. 3, 2021. But
just because the official 100th anniversary date is behind us
doesn’t mean all efforts to share the importance of our industry to the
public have passed you by. We are celebrating the centennial of
agricultural aviation for an entire year. If you are an active citizen in the world of aerial application, don’t be a static
audience member during this epic, year-long centennial event. Take the stage with
us as we enunciate the gospel
of agricultural aviation to the public. Read More |
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| NAAA Releases Book of the Century! Buy It Today |
 To commemorate agricultural
aviation’s 100th anniversary, NAAA is pleased to present Agriculture’s Air Force: 100 Years of Aerial Application. NAAA’s meticulously sourced book is based on a collective history of the industry based on material from Agricultural Aviation magazine, AgAir Update, Low & Slow and other resources. Agriculture’s Air Force is a true keepsake. Order your copy today!
Read More |
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 program, launching in 2023, will fill that very role.){kind=small}
 in the national airspace.
NAAA CEO Andrew Moore registered opposition and detailed the serious
aviation safety risks posed by recommendations in the ARC’s report to manned ag aircraft flying in the same airspace as BVLOS drones.){kind=small}
 for
three pesticides: captan, folpet and propiconazole. A PID is the second
step in the pesticide registration review process, preceded by risk
assessments and followed by the final interim decision and an
endangered species review.){kind=small}
 on
June 23. The focus of the meeting was mitigation strategies for protecting
endangered species from pesticides and was held to engage stakeholders
on the EPA’s recent endangered species work plan.){kind=small}
 lever interface to the airplane control system for
the engine. The TPE331 series engines have a known airworthiness concern
in which the propeller pitch control lever can loosen and detach
in flight, causing a loss of engine control. The AD would follow SAIB NE-16-18.){kind=small}
 for all GE
Aviation Czech M601D-11 model turboprop engines. This AD was prompted by
the manufacturer revising the airworthiness limitations section (ALS)
of the existing engine maintenance manual (EMM) to include a visual
inspection of the centrifugal compressor case for cracks.
Action is required within 90 days after the
effective date of the AD, which is Aug. 1, 2022.){kind=small}
. NAAA is aware of the issue and has been in contact with the FAA, which is currently working on a fix for the problem.){kind=small}
 on
Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. PT6A-34, -34B, -34AG, -114 and -114A
model turboprop engines. The AD was prompted by several reports of low-time
fractures of compressor turbine blades causing loss of power or
in-flight shutdown of the engine. Actions required must be taken within 250 flight hours or
270 days after AD 2022-08-13’s effective date of May 27, 2022, whichever comes first. Continue reading for important details about this AD from Covington Aircraft Engines.){kind=small}
 is coming to an end. There are still a couple of weeks left to
participate, so if you received the invitation but haven’t completed it
yet, now is the time.){kind=small}
