| June 1, 2023 |
| Supreme Court Decision Limits the Types of Wetlands Considered Waters of the U.S. and With It the Scope of Clean Water Act Enforcement |
| Last week the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that
wetlands are only considered Waters of the U.S. and under the
enforcement provision of the Clean Water Act when it is “a
relatively permeable body of water connected to traditional interstate
navigable waters”—and that the wetland “has a continuous surface
connection with that water, making it difficult to determine where the
‘water’ ends and the ‘wetland’ begins.” Read More |
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| Report Illegal Drone Applications |
| NAAA receives constant reports from commercial manned and unmanned
aerial application businesses about drone application work that is being
conducted outside of the law. NAAA has been told that unregistered
drone activities, in addition to allegations that label directions,
including required gallons of carrier per acre, active ingredient
measurements per acre and boom length limits, are being violated.
Professional commercial applicators that apply by air—either as part of a
farming business or a separate aerial application business—must be
licensed. Read More |
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| FAA’s GA Survey Data Collection for 2022 Entering Final Stretch: Please Participate if Invited |
The FAA’s annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA
Survey) is entering the final stretch. There are still a few weeks to
go, and we need everyone who is invited to participate. If you are
selected to participate in the GA Survey, you will receive an email or
postcard invitation asking you to complete the survey online. Please
participate in the survey if asked! Read More |
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| FieldWatch Expands SeedFieldCheck to 3 New States |
 FieldWatch Inc., a non-profit that promotes improved
communication and stewardship among crop producers, beekeepers and
pesticide applicators, has expanded its SeedFieldCheck registry into
three new states for the 2023 growing season. With this year’s expansion
into Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin, it is now available in eight
states.
Read More |
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| 2023 NAAA Award Nominations Due Sept. 8 |
| Use NAAA’s online awards form to submit a 2023 Award nomination! |
 Do you have a rising pilot within your ranks? Do you admire certain
NAAA members for their outstanding service to the industry or their
community? The aerial application industry is filled with exceptional
people who go above and beyond the call of duty, often with little
fanfare. Make someone’s day or year by nominating them for a
2023 NAAA Award.
Read More |
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| Turbine Training Funds Available Through Charles Stokes Memorial Turbine Training Scholarship |
| Two $3,000 scholarships are available
to eligible NAAA Operator and Pilot members for turbine transition
training through the newly created Charles Stokes Memorial Turbine
Training Scholarship. The new NAAA scholarship program is funded by a generous educational grant from Jim Mills of
Turbines Inc., who established the scholarship in memory of Charles
Stokes. Read More |
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| In Case You Missed It! |
| NAAA Discusses Manned and Unmanned Ag Aircraft on Business of Agriculture Podcast |
 NAAA CEO Andrew Moore joined member Bill Reynolds and Taranis’s Mike
DiPaola as guests on The Business of Agriculture Podcast hosted by
Damian Mason last week. The panel discussed the
future of manned and unmanned aircraft in the aerial application sector.
Read More |
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| NAAA Urges EPA to Reject Settlement Adding More Redundancy to NPDES Pesticide General Permit |
As NAAA recently reported,
the EPA is considering a proposed settlement agreement to end a lawsuit
brought by the Center for Biological Diversity that alleges the
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Pesticide
General Permit (PGP) reissued by the EPA in 2021 does not comply with
the Endangered Species Act. The proposed settlement requires the
EPA to conduct risk assessments for federally threatened and endangered
species and their critical habitat for the 2026 PGP update. In comments sent to the EPA last week, NAAA recommended the EPA oppose the
settlement because it adds one more layer of redundancy to an
already redundant requirement. Read More |
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| U.S. Helicopter Safety Team Schedules Webinar June 7 Focusing on Bird Strikes |
| The United States Helicopter Safety Team will host a webinar
June 7 about how pilots can better protect themselves and their
passengers from bird strikes and what to do if they occur. The free
webinar will begin at 1 p.m. ET. Read More |
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| Exhibitor Details for the 2023 Ag Aviation Expo: Booth Sales for Aircraft & Large Booth Space Now Open |
 Join us for the 2023 Ag Aviation Expo in Palm Springs, California,
Dec. 4-7. In addition to attending the NAAA Ag Aviation Expo, Palm
Springs is full of great restaurants, bars, fun activities, and terrific
weather! Visit the Palm Springs Air Museum, enjoy an off road
or BMW driving experience, play golf, visit museums and even gamble at a
casino close to the convention center.
Read More |
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| NAAA, National Pesticide Stakeholder Groups Meet with Biden Administration USDA and EPA Leaders on Endangered Species Issues |
As pressure from environmental activists and federal court decisions has
led the Biden administration toward more concrete endangered species
protections within its pesticide policies, last month USDA and EPA administration
leaders held a meeting attended by national agricultural and
pesticide-user groups to hear their thoughts and concerns.
Read More |
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| NAAA Submits Comments Opposing Changes to Application Exclusion Zone |
| Last month NAAA submitted comments to the EPA opposing its reconsideration of the application exclusion zone (AEZ). NAAA’s comments opposed extending the AEZ to areas outside the
agricultural establishment on which the application is being made and to
easements on the establishment. In both cases, neither the applicator
nor the grower can control the movement of people, allowing them to
prevent an application from occurring. Read More |
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| NAAA Working to Protect Aerial Applications of Carbaryl and Methomyl |
| Last month NAAA submitted comments to the EPA on the National
Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) biological opinion (BiOp) on carbaryl
and methomyl. A BiOp is part of the pesticide registration review
process involving the consultation between the EPA and the NMFS (it can
also include the Fish and Wildlife Service depending on the species
involved) to ensure the pesticide undergoing registration review does
not cause harm to endangered species or their habitat. Read More |
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| NAAA Member Tim Bonnell Jr. Authors New Book on ‘Aerial Application Insurance Fundamentals’ |
 NAAA member Tim Bonnell Jr. has written a brand-new book designed to
help aerial applicators understand the complexities of aerial
application insurance. Aerial Application Insurance Fundamentals: A Concise Guide for Aerial Application Operations
is a practical reference for navigating the key fundamentals of
property and casualty insurance for aerial application operators. One of Bonnell’s goals for the book was to help readers better
understand key exposures and insurance solutions an aerial
application operation will face.
Read More |
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| FAA Issues Airworthiness Directive for Ag Cats with TPE331 Engines |
| The FAA has issued an airworthiness directive (AD) for Ag Cat G-164A and
G-164B aircraft that have a Honeywell TPE331 series engine installed.
This AD requires the installation of a secondary retention feature
(bolt, washer and safety wire) between the aircraft’s propeller pitch
control (PPC) linkage and the engine’s PPC assembly to prevent loosening
and possible detachment. Read More |
|
| Has Your Aircraft Been Pattern Tested Yet? There Are Tools to Help |
 If you have not attended or scheduled an Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-In
for this season yet, the time is becoming short in many parts of the
country. If you can’t attend one of these events, as an NAAA member, you have alternative options. Read More |
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| Ag Aviation Expo Sponsorships Available: Boost Your Company’s Brand! |
Join us for the 2023 Ag Aviation Expo in Palm Springs Dec. 4-7.
Sponsorship sales are open for this year’s convention. Branding at
the Ag Aviation Expo is a great opportunity to get your message in front
of the agricultural aviation industry and reach a targeted and
nationwide audience of aerial applicators in North America. Read More |
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| Makeup PAASS Programs Now Available for 2021, 2022 and 2023 – Get C-PAASS Certified Today! |
 The impact of the PAASS Program on reducing the number of agricultural
aviation accidents and drift incidents is proven—26% reductions in both
categories since the program first hit the stage. In an effort to
present the program’s life-saving curriculum to those who may have
missed it, the National Agricultural Aviation Research and Education
Foundation (NAAREF) has leveraged the NAAA Education Center to host
recorded webinars of the PAASS Program from 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Read More |
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| It’s Here! Application Now Open for C-PAASS 2023—Certified-Professional Aerial Applicator Safety Steward |
 Aerial applicators, now more than ever, operate in an environment of
competing interests. An ever-increasing demand for timely and effective
applications is challenged by factors such as added regulatory burden,
rising insurance costs and stiffer pesticide label language, just to
name a few. The agricultural aviation industry is rising to these
challenges and, in character, has moved to advance education, rather
than regulation, as the path forward.
Read More |
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| Important Call for GPS Data to Protect Manned Ag Aircraft from Drones |
In 2022, an FAA advisory committee weighted with drone
interests from Amazon, Google and other unmanned corporate interests
suggested that the agency promulgate rules that drones operating beyond
visual line of sight be permitted to:
- Increase their weight to 1,320 pounds
- Not equip with ADS-B identification technology
- Not give the right of way to manned aircraft when operating in
rural, low-altitude airspace because they claimed there are no other
users of this airspace.
As an ag aviator, you know these requests to be patently unsafe and
based on false premises. As such, we call on you to help us collect
information on ag aircraft’s use of the low-altitude airspace. Read More |
|
| 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 |
|
 is entering the final stretch. There are still a few weeks to
go, and we need everyone who is invited to participate. If you are
selected to participate in the GA Survey, you will receive an email or
postcard invitation asking you to complete the survey online. Please
participate in the survey if asked!){kind=small}
 Pesticide
General Permit (PGP) reissued by the EPA in 2021 does not comply with
the Endangered Species Act. The proposed settlement requires the
EPA to conduct risk assessments for federally threatened and endangered
species and their critical habitat for the 2026 PGP update. In comments sent to the EPA last week, NAAA recommended the EPA oppose the
settlement because it adds one more layer of redundancy to an
already redundant requirement.){kind=small}
 biological opinion (BiOp) on carbaryl
and methomyl. A BiOp is part of the pesticide registration review
process involving the consultation between the EPA and the NMFS (it can
also include the Fish and Wildlife Service depending on the species
involved) to ensure the pesticide undergoing registration review does
not cause harm to endangered species or their habitat.){kind=small}
 for Ag Cat G-164A and
G-164B aircraft that have a Honeywell TPE331 series engine installed.
This AD requires the installation of a secondary retention feature
(bolt, washer and safety wire) between the aircraft’s propeller pitch
control (PPC) linkage and the engine’s PPC assembly to prevent loosening
and possible detachment.){kind=small}
 has leveraged the NAAA Education Center to host
recorded webinars of the PAASS Program from 2021, 2022 and 2023.){kind=small}
