WA, OK, CO Make Progress in Tower Marking Efforts

While the FAA has stalled in protecting aerial applicators from the hazards of unmarked meteorological evaluation towers (METs), three states continue to make strides toward protecting applicators from this dangerous safety hazard.

 

The legislatures of Washington, Oklahoma and Colorado have all passed, or are on track to pass, bills ensuring these towers are marked (all bills include marking requirements of evenly spaced aviation orange and white, marker balls and cable sleeves).

 

In Washington, both houses have passed SB 6054, a measure that would require the marking and lighting of any tower over 25 feet, one of the lowest heights of any state’s tower law. The state Senate passed the bill unanimously, and it passed the House with only one no vote. The measure is currently on Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk awaiting his signature. The penalty for noncompliance is a misdemeanor, punishable by a minimum 24-hour jail sentence and $250 fine on the first offense, with a second offense punishable by a $500 fine.

 

In Oklahoma, HB 3348 would require the marking (but not lighting) of MET towers over 50 feet effective Nov.1, punishable by a $100-per-day fine until the owner of the tower complies with the bill’s requirements. The bill passed the House unanimously and was recently marked up by the Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Committee.

 

In an effort spearheaded by the Colorado Agricultural Aviation Association, the Colorado House has passed a measure (HB 14-1216) that would require all towers between 50 and 100 feet to be marked and lighted. The Colorado Department of Transportation agreed to fund marking of its towers through its own funds, keeping the bill out of the state’s appropriations committees and easing passage. The governor’s office appears supportive of the bill, especially following the letters sent by the National Transportation Safety Board last year detailing the threats MET towers pose to aviation safety. The bill is set for a hearing in the Colorado Senate on Tuesday.

 

NAAA will keep members updated on these state efforts, as well as federal efforts on tower marking. 

NAAA Responds to AP’s Inaccurate Aerial Application Claims in Drones Article

NAAA has responded to some wildly inflated claims an AP reporter recently presented as fact when she asserted that “radio-controlled drones weighing 140 pounds are cheaper than hiring a plane and are able to more precisely apply fertilizers and pesticides.” Aerial application was one of the commercial opportunities for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) the Associated Press cited in an article questioning the pace at which the U.S. government is proceeding to integrate UAVs into the national airspace.

 

Although the aerial application assertions were but one example among many cited to highlight the services UAVs have to offer once the FAA gives the green light, the reporter’s claims were way off base. In a letter to the AP, NAAA Executive Director Andrew Moore stated, “AP writer Joan Lowy’s statements about the perceived advantages unmanned agricultural aerial applications have over manned aerial applications don’t square with the speed, efficiency and economic benefits America’s agricultural pilots provide to their customers, nor with the size and scope of the farms they treat by air.” Lowy cited the fact that Yamaha’s RMAX helicopter drones have been spraying crops for 20 years in Japan as supporting evidence, but Moore pointed out that this “is less instructive than it may seem because Japanese agriculture bears little correlation to agriculture in the U.S.” Farms in the U.S. are much larger, for starters. Furthermore, Moore wrote, “With the ability to apply anywhere from 300 to 800 gallons in a single load, agricultural aircraft can cover more ground far faster than any other form of application. The University of California, Davis, has been conducting field tests using an RMAX remote-controlled helicopter that can carry slightly more than four gallons of product per load, so you can imagine how many trips or how many UAVs it would take to cover the same amount of acres a single manned agricultural aircraft can do in a single trip.”

 

Notwithstanding the positive hype and publicity surrounding UAVs’ potential commercial uses, there is simply no comparison between the efficacy of manned and unmanned aerial applications, Moore concluded. NAAA’s executive director also commended the FAA for its prudence as it seeks to safely integrate civil unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system. NAAA’s full response to the Associated Press is available here. 

Mississippi “Bee Aware” Flag Alerts Applicators to Hive Presence

Mississippi farmers, beekeepers and applicators (including the Mississippi Agricultural Aviation Association) are working together to protect the state’s pollinators through the development of a voluntary Bee Stewardship Program. One of the programs components includes a yellow and black “Bee Aware” flagging system that identifies hive locations near fields.

 

The flag was conceived and developed by the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation and are currently being printed for distribution. Mississippi beekeepers can attach the flags to poles placed on hives to allow applicators to easily identify these mobile hives from the air and ground.

 

The primary goal of the stewardship program’s flagging system is for the flag to serve as a constant reminder that bees are in the vicinity and care should be taken with pesticide applications. The group suggests that beekeepers should work with the farmer to select the best area near the hive to place the bee flag so that it is visible by both the ground and aerial applicator. 

 

Representatives from Mississippi indicated that they are sharing information with the EPA with the hopes of making the Bee Stewardship Program a national program. Additional details about the Bee Stewardship Program can be found on Mississippi State University’s website.

Clock Ticking on EPA Worker Protection Revisions

Exhibitor Details for 48th Annual NAAA Convention & Exposition

Believe it or not, we are already planning the 48th Annual NAAA Convention & Exposition in Louisville, Ky., this Dec. 8–11 at The Galt House hotel and Kentucky International Convention Center.

 

The NAAA Trade Show will take place Dec. 9 from 12 p.m.–5:30 p.m. (Live Auction will begin on the trade show floor at 5:30 p.m.) and Dec. 10 from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. If you plan to bring an aircraft to the convention, please note that all aircraft must be trucked into the convention center. Aircraft wings (and possibly helicopter rotors) must be removed from aircraft to fit into the center. The NAAA Trade Show will be in Exhibit Hall 2C and 2D, which is located on the second floor of the convention center.

 

If you plan to bring an aircraft, need a 20x20 island booth or larger, or need a 10x30 inline booth or larger, please contact Lindsay Barber. Lindsay can provide specifications of the ramps, loading docks and doors into the convention center. To ensure the best placement on the trade show floor, we appreciate knowing about aircraft and large booth spaces by May 2.

 

The booth and aircraft fees for this year’s convention will remain the same as last year’s rates. Booth sales will begin in mid-July for those purchasing a 10x10 or 10x20 booth space. 

Attendee and Exhibitor Hotel Details

You can book your room at The Galt House. 

1. $110/night + tax for Rivue Tower (single or double)
   
2. $130/night + tax for Suite Tower (single or double)

Book your hotel room online or call (800) The-Galt or (502) 589-5200

Schedule of Events

The schedule of events is now available. Please note that the schedule is subject to change and all updates will be made to this webpage.

Nominations Open for 2014 NAAA Awards

The 48th Annual NAAA Convention & Exposition is still several months away, but it’s not too early to nominate someone for an award! 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? Then don’t delay and send your nominations today!

 

The aerial application industry is filled with exceptional individuals who go above and beyond, often with little fanfare. Please think about the special people you have known and worked with over the years and tell us why they deserve an NAAA Award. Awardees will be honored at NAAA’s Farewell/Awards Banquet on Dec. 11 in Louisville, Ky.

 

There are 10 NAAA Award categories and one NAAREF award, the Evans-Christopher Operation S.A.F.E. Award. The Awards Nomination Form is available as print-only and fillable PDFs. To make a nomination, email or fax completed entries to NAAA at information@agaviation.org or (217) 532-6106. For typed submissions, please use the fillable form. Please call (202) 546-5722 with any questions. 

NAAA Award Categories

• Agrinaut Award: Honors the agricultural aircraft operator or operating organization that has made an outstanding contribution in the field of ag aircraft operations. The recipient for the award must be or have been actively engaged in commercial agricultural application with an agricultural aircraft and the achievement cited should be a “state of the art” contribution for the benefit of the agricultural aircraft industry as a whole.
• Allied Industry Individual Award: Recognizes the NAAA members or staff and/or an allied industry individual who has significantly contributed to the allied industry and their exhibit efforts.
• Delta Air Lines “Puffer” Award: Recognizes the individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the design of agricultural aircraft and/or related equipment.
• Evans-Christopher Operation S.A.F.E. Award: Recognizes individuals or entities that have made outstanding contributions to the Operation S.A.F.E. program. This Award is presented by NAAREF.
• John Robert Horne Memorial Award: Honors a pilot with five years or less experience in the agricultural aviation industry that has an exemplary safety record and/or has contributed to safety in ag aviation.
• Larsen-Miller Community Service Award: Recognizes outstanding contributions by a member to his community.
• Most Active Woman Award: Recognizes an outstanding contribution by a woman who is active in the affairs of the industry or the association.
• Opal & Bill Binnion Memorial Award: Acknowledges those who contribute to the WNAAA in their efforts to educate the public about aerial application.
• Outstanding Service Award: Awards outstanding service to the commercial agricultural aviation industry or to its association.
• Related Industry Award: Recognizes outstanding contributions by an allied industry member and his company.
• William O. Marsh Safety Award: Recognizes significant achievements in safety, safety education or an outstanding operational safety program.