With another growing season getting underway at a time when aerial application services are expected to be in high demand, on April 4, NAAA sent a news release to aviation and agricultural media outlets advising unmanned aircraft (UA) operators to be mindful of low-flying manned agricultural aircraft operations.
The press release recommends that unmanned aircraft operators:
- Give the right of way to a manned aircraft. It’s the law.
- Equip drones with visible strobe lights, highly visible markings and tracking technology, like an ADS-B In system.
- Get certified and well-trained in operating an unmanned aircraft.
- Contact local agricultural aviation operations before flying by consulting AgAviation.org/findapplicator.
- Land an unmanned aircraft immediately when a low-flying aircraft is nearby.
- Carry unmanned aircraft liability insurance.
NAAA’s unmanned aircraft advisory was distributed to trade media outlets covering agriculture, aviation and drones. The extent of coverage the news release garnered is still being determined, but it earned a return invitation for NAAA CEO Andrew Moore to appear on RFD-TV’s daily news program. Moore will be interviewed about drone and ag aviator safety issues on RFD-TV’s Market Day Report on April 10.
“With the growing number of drones over the last few years, it is critical for their operators to be aware of low-flying, manned agricultural aircraft,” Moore said in the news release. “It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for manned aircraft to see a drone while conducting crop-enhancing and other aerial applications 10 feet off the ground at speeds as fast as 140 mph. We encourage professional and hobbyist drone operators to keep this in mind to ensure a safe 2023 growing season.”
This is the seventh year NAAA has reached out to the media regarding safe drone operations heading into the spring growing season.