| December 14, 2023 |
| Ag Aviation Expo a Radiant Success in Sunny Palm Springs |
 Attendees and exhibitors at NAAA’s 2023 Ag Aviation Expo couldn’t have asked for better weather, scenery, education, networking and friendship in Palm Springs, California in early December. The expo hosted nearly 1,300 attendees and exhibitors from around the globe eager to network with friends and peers, educate themselves at 26 education sessions and improve their businesses by visiting with exhibitors on the trade show floor. Read More |
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| How Would You Rate the 2023 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo? Please Tell Us by Dec. 21! |
 Thank you to the attendees and exhibitors for joining us at the 2023 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo in Palm Springs last week. We are continually working to improve our education sessions, networking, trade show and the programs/services offered to attendees. Please complete the survey if you attended. |
| Thank You, NAAA Ag Aviation Expo Sponsors & Auction Donors! |
 NAAA sincerely appreciates the companies that supported NAAA and the agricultural aviation industry with sponsorship and/or an auction item for the 2023 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo last week. We have been fortunate over the years to be able to count on many of our Allied Industry and operator members who sponsor a convention program, activity, or item that benefits attendees. Read More |
| Ag Aviation Expo Receives Coverage on Palm Springs Local ABC News Affiliate |
 The Palm Springs, Calif. community was welcoming of Ag Aviation Expo attendees and exhibitors last week. KESQ-TV Channel 3 in Palm Springs, a local ABC news station affiliate, visited the expo and interviewed NAAA CEO Andrew Moore. Read More |
| Guardian Agriculture’s eVTOL Sprays Crops for First Time in California |
 NAAA Allied member Guardian Agriculture announced last week that its Guardian SC1, designed for commercial-scale sustainable farming, began spraying crops for a customer in California’s Salinas Valley region. Guardian claims the aircraft is the first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) designed to fly commercially in the U.S., which would mark a key milestone for the emerging industry. Read More |
| Proposed AD for Certain Robinson R22, R44 and R66 Tail Rotor Tip Caps |
| The FAA has proposed a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Robinson R22, R44 and R66 helicopters. Reports of helicopters losing a tail rotor blade (TRB) tip cap prompted this proposed AD. Robinson has also seen TRBs that have corroded to an unserviceable condition, including severe leading edge pitting and degradation of the bond at the tip cap. Read More |
| Support NAAA by Renewing Your Membership for 2024 |
 Thank you for your support of NAAA as a 2023 member. We request your continued support by renewing your NAAA membership for 2024. While you have been busy aiding farmers to produce a safe, affordable, and abundant supply of food, fiber, and bioenergy, NAAA has been busy making sure low altitude airspace is safe for your aerial application business to operate, as well as ensuring that you have the pesticide products you need to do your job.
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| In Case You Missed It! |
| NAAA Responds to Two EPA Pesticide Registration Decisions to Protect Aerial Applications |
| This week NAAA submitted comments to EPA regarding the proposed interim decisions (PID) for chlorothalonil and triadimefon. PIDs are the last stage in the pesticide registration review process before the endangered species evaluations. The word “interim” is used to designate that a PID could change after the endangered species evaluations. Read More |
| NAAA Comments on AiRanger UAS BVLOS Petition |
| This week NAAA submitted comments to the FAA on the petition from American Aerospace Technologies Incorporated (AATI) to conduct beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) critical infrastructure inspection of pipeline and oil field surveillance in the San Joaquin Valley of California with their fixed-wing, 18 ft wingspan, 220 lb. maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) AiRanger™ uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) (formerly the PAE ISR Resolute Eagle). Read More |
| Proposed AD for GE/Walter M601 Engines |
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed to supersede Airworthiness Directives (ADs) 2022–13–16 and 2022-14-12, which apply to all GE Aviation Czech s.r.o. (GEAC) (type certificate previously held by WALTER Engines a.s., Walter a.s., and MOTORLET a.s.) Model M601 engines. Read More |
| FAA Safety Briefing Highlights Wind Turbines |
 The November/December 2023 issue of FAA Safety Briefing magazine contained an article titled The Winds of Change: Wind Turbines and Their Effects on the National Airspace System. While Wind Turbines/Farms are commonplace in many parts of the country, the article highlighted the increasing height of newly built turbines. |
| Your GPS Data May Save a Life |
| As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) marches in lockstep with some corporate interests in the uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) space, it is becoming clear that green lighting and expanding UAS beyond visual line of site (BVLOS) operations may be being prioritized over safety. Donate your GPS data logs. Read More |
