| July 20, 2023 |
| NAAA Responds to FAA Part 137 Certification Changes for UAS, Highlighting Safety and Competitive Concerns |
This week, in coordination with industry stakeholders, NAAA issued a
letter to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Acting Administrator
Polly Trottenberg regarding changes to the Part 137 certification
process for Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) operators outlined in FAA
Notice 8900.659. This notice was issued June 13 and was
summarized in the June 22, 2023 NAAA eNewsletter.
Read More |
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| NAAA Taking Every Opportunity to Press FAA on Safe UAS Integration |
| Last week, NAAA submitted comments on two Petitions for Exemption to the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). These petitions, both from
Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) light show companies, were seeking relief
from portions of the 14 CFR Part 48 requirements for registration and
marking of small UAS. The basis for each company’s claim is financial,
as they have thousands of UAS in inventory that require individual
marking, registration and (every three years) reregistration. Read More |
|
| NAAA Ag Aviation Expo Booth Sales Opened Last Week with Success |
 Last week, the 2023 Ag Aviation Expo booth sales opened with a lot of
interest for the NAAA annual convention in Palm Springs, California,
Dec. 4-7. One hundred and one (101) companies purchased exhibit space on
the first day of booth sales (and large booths sold in advance). The
average first day of booth sales over the past 10 years has been 100
booths sold.
Read More |
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| NAAA Hires Associate Director of Meetings & Marketing |
 NAAA is excited to announce the hiring of Lauren Henretty, CMP, as the
association’s new Associate Director of Meetings & Marketing. Lauren
brings 20 years of experience working for associations in the
education, meetings and management space. She will help in the planning and execution of the Ag Aviation Expo, board
meetings, other industry events and NAAA marketing initiatives.
Read More |
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| Moore’s Aerial Applicators Makes Cover of Two N.C. Pubs |
 
Moore’s Aerial Applicators owner/operator Mike Rivenbark had the good
fortune of being the cover story subject of not one but two North
Carolina publications recently. Agricultural aviation in general
benefited from the positive press, with both articles focusing on the
advantages of treating crops via aerial application. Read More |
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| Summer 2023 Issue of Agricultural Aviation Now Online! |
 The Summer 2023 issue of Agricultural Aviation is available
online and in the Agricultural Aviation Magazine App. Prominent stories include an examination of UAS business considerations featuring ag aviation businesses that have incorporated a drone into their operations, UAS insurance options, bringing migrant labor into operations, and much more.
Read More |
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| Ready to Become an Operation S.A.F.E. Analyst? Attend Training – September 2023 |
 WRK of Arkansas will be conducting an Operation S.A.F.E. Analyst
training course Sept. 5-8. The training will take place at WRK
facilities at 153 92nd W, Lonoke, Arkansas. Two packed days of classroom
instruction will be followed by a student-led pattern testing clinic at
the Carlisle Municipal Airport, Carlisle, Arkansas. Read More |
|
| Grant Lane of Lane Aviation in Rosenberg, Texas, Passes |
 The agricultural aviation industry lost one of its titans with the
passing of Grant Lane on July 12. Grant was the longtime president and
CEO of Lane Aviation Inc., which was founded in 1945 by Grant’s father
and uncle, George and Milton Lane, respectively. As the first company to become an Air Tractor dealer in 1974, Grant and
Lane Aviation had a seemingly ubiquitous presence at state, regional,
national and international ag aviation conferences.
Read More |
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| In Case You Missed It! |
| NAAA Represents Agricultural Aviation Industry Before Key Congressional Members at Tarkio, Missouri Air Show |
 On July 9, NAAA made what has become an annual sojourn to the
17th Wingnuts Flying Circus air show in Tarkio, Missouri. The air show
is primarily organized by U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chair of the
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation. As part of
the annual air show, a town hall meeting on general aviation issues is
hosted by Congressman Graves consisting of national leaders of general
aviation organizations and members of Congress involved in transportation
issues.
Read More |
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| NAAA Mourns Loss of Adam Parnow in Second Fatal Ag Accident of 2023 |
 The members and staff of NAAA mourn the loss of Adam Parnow of
Crookston, Minnesota, who was fatally injured June 27 in the second
fatal ag accident of 2023. Adam was born on Dec. 13, 1983, and was 39 at
the time of his passing. Adam is survived by his parents, brothers and extended family. Please keep his family and friends in your prayers as they mourn his loss.
Read More |
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| AD issued for GE M601 and H80 Series Propeller Governors |
| The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive for certain GE
Aviation Czech (formerly Walter) M601E–11AS, M601E‐11S, H75–100, H80–100
and H85–100 model turboprop engines. These engines are known to be
installed on Air Tractor AT-400 and AT-500 series; Allied Ag Cat
Productions Inc. (formerly Grumman) G-164 series; and Thrush Aircraft
(formerly Quality, Ayres, Rockwell) 510G and S-2R series. Read More |
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| RPAAS Workshop Taking Place in Early October for Uncrewed Aircraft System Users |
If you already operate an Uncrewed Aircraft System or are
interested in diversifying your operation with a UAS, you can learn more
about the technology at the Remotely Piloted Aerial Application Systems
(RPAAS) Workshop, Oct. 3-5 at the University of California, Davis.
Read More |
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| Apply for ‘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 2023 NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship Program, thanks to the generous support of BASF and Thrush Aircraft. Aspiring ag pilots, apply by Aug. 31!
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 |
|
| July is Ag Aviation’s Busiest Month for Hours and Accidents, Brush Up on Your Fly Safe Messages |
 July is the month with the greatest pest pressure and hence the busiest
time of the year for Agriculture’s Air Force to protect U.S. cropland.
Unfortunately, it is also the month that accumulates the highest number
of ag aviation accidents, including fatal ones. Sadly, earlier this
week, with the year’s seventh month approaching, we lost our second ag
pilot of 2023 when Adam Parnow was fatally injured in an accident in
Minnesota.
Read More |
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| Beacon Aviation Insurance Services Inc. Now Writing Workers’ Compensation for Ag Aviation |
| Competition is always good for the consumer. In the case of workers’
compensation insurance for aerial application operations, after one
insurance underwriter announced it would no longer carry such workers’
comp insurance earlier this year, it would have left just a single
underwriter available to provide the needed insurance to the industry.
Thankfully, a number of ag aircraft insurance underwriters and
brokers successfully sought a second ag aviation industry workers’
compensation underwriter in Beacon Aviation Insurance Services Inc. Read More |
|
| Avoid Getting Grounded by the Heat This Summer |
With large swaths of the South, Midwest and West currently feeling the
effects of a major heat wave, and as seasonal temperatures continue to
rise as ag pilots enter the height of their flying seasons in July, it’s
important to take precautions to protect yourself and your crew from
heat stress.
Read More |
|
| Apply for C-PAASS 2023—Certified-Professional Aerial Applicator Safety Steward |
 If you’ve recently participated in a 2022 and/or 2023 Operation S.A.F.E.
Fly-In and you’re receiving this eNewsletter because you are an NAAA
member, you have completed two of four requirements to apply for C-PAASS
certification for 2023.
Read More |
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| 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 |
|
| Ag Aviation Expo Sponsorships Available: Boost Your Company’s Brand! |
Sponsorship sales are open for the 2023 Ag Aviation Expo in Palm Springs Dec. 4-7. 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 |
|
| 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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| 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 |
|
 Acting Administrator
Polly Trottenberg regarding changes to the Part 137 certification
process for Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) operators outlined in FAA
Notice 8900.659. This notice was issued June 13 and was
summarized in the June 22, 2023 NAAA eNewsletter.){kind=small}
. These petitions, both from
Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) light show companies, were seeking relief
from portions of the 14 CFR Part 48 requirements for registration and
marking of small UAS. The basis for each company’s claim is financial,
as they have thousands of UAS in inventory that require individual
marking, registration and (every three years) reregistration.){kind=small}
 companies purchased exhibit space on
the first day of booth sales (and large booths sold in advance). The
average first day of booth sales over the past 10 years has been 100
booths sold.){kind=small}
, chair of the
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation. As part of
the annual air show, a town hall meeting on general aviation issues is
hosted by Congressman Graves consisting of national leaders of general
aviation organizations and members of Congress involved in transportation
issues.){kind=small}
 M601E–11AS, M601E‐11S, H75–100, H80–100
and H85–100 model turboprop engines. These engines are known to be
installed on Air Tractor AT-400 and AT-500 series; Allied Ag Cat
Productions Inc. (formerly Grumman) G-164 series; and Thrush Aircraft
(formerly Quality, Ayres, Rockwell) 510G and S-2R series.){kind=small}
 has leveraged the NAAA Education Center to host
recorded webinars of the PAASS Program from 2021, 2022 and 2023.){kind=small}
