First UAV Near Miss with Ag Aircraft Reported in Pacific Northwest

Earlier this week a pilot from Idaho was preparing to begin a spray run through a field. Barely visible ahead of him was a small stationary object. He decided it must be a kite since a bird would not remain motionless. As he neared the object, it rapidly shot straight up. The pilot took evasive action, but it passed so close to the airplane that he was unsure if it had missed the aircraft and spray system. It was close enough for him to be able to identify the make and model of the quad-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). He did not see the vehicle again as he finished the field but he did see the suspected operator/pilot in a car near the field. When he went to the next field, the car followed him where he observed the car’s occupant taking pictures with a hand-held camera.

 

The pilot notified his operator of what had transpired and was told to see if he could identify the car. Through the assistance of the farmer and the crop consultant, they were able to narrow down the search for the individual. The pilot notified the county sheriff of the incident and deputies were able to locate the suspected operator of the UAV.

 

During an interview with the suspect, the sheriff told him the endangered pilot could press charges and he would have been held liable if any damage had occurred to the aircraft. The suspect was asked if his operation of the UAV was covered by insurance. The person was visibly shocked when he learned of the value of a turbine ag aircraft. His demeanor became extremely remorseful.

 

At the same time, strictly by chance, inspectors from the local FSDO happened to stop by the operator’s business on a courtesy call. They were immediately informed of the event and the follow-up. Although they did not know exactly how to handle the reporting of the incident, they knew the FAA needs to have reports of UAV incidents to aid in developing rules for the safe integration of UAVs into the airspace system.

 

The pilot and operator declined to press charges against the UAV’s operator because of his remorse and attitude upon realizing the safety implications of his actions. The possible financial liability alone was sufficient to get the message across.

 

NAAA reminds pilots and operators to report to their local FSDO and law enforcement agency any incidents involving near collisions or interference to their flying activities from UAVs. An actual report is the only way official documentation will be able to track the extent of the problem.

PLANES Doesn’t Light Up the Box Office During Opener

 

Disney’s Planes: Fire & Rescue took in $17.5 million in its opening weekend, finishing third at the box office for the weekend of July 18­-20. The opening was about 20 percent less than the $22 million the original Planes made when it opened last August. Including yesterday’s results, Planes: Fire & Rescue has grossed $23.8 million after six days in the theaters. That’s less than expected considering the lack of competition facing the film in the kids and family category. Nevertheless, the movie drew favorable reviews from audiences. Movie patrons gave it a CinemaScore of “A,” which measures movie appeal by polling opening night moviegoer reactions. A movie’s overall CinemaScore can range from A+ to F. According to Box Office Mojo, 42 percent of the movie’s audience last weekend was 12 years of age and under.

Be Constantly Aware of People in the Target Field Trying to Make Criminals out of Aerial Applicators

This must be the week for unusual happenings to aerial applicators. NAAA received an email from a member who was spraying in eastern Iowa during this corn fungicide season. During a recent application, he observed a small group of people that parked their car away from the field where the application was taking place and attempted to enter the field on foot. The pilot was fortunate enough to see them and ceased the operation before they were sprayed.

 

It is unknown if their motive was to be sprayed giving themselves grounds for legal action or if they were “environmental activists” trying to make a statement. The farm manager also saw the group enter the field and proceeded to question them as well as notifying the local authorities.

 

NAAA Files Comments on First UAV Ag Petition

NAAA filed comments on July 21 on a petition for exemption from certain Federal Aviation Regulations filed by Trimble to fly a small UAV commercially in the National Airspace System for precision agriculture. This petition follows one NAAA commented on last week, July 16, filed by Astraeus Aerial for aerial filming.

  

NAAA emphasized in its comments the safety risks UAVs pose and referenced fatal accident statistics pertaining to aircraft and low-level hazards from birds, towers and low-level mid-air collisions to make its point.  NAAA also stated “a system of aircraft identification such as ADS-B [aircraft tracking systems]…and a strobe light” should be used to increase UAVs conspicuousness for safety purposes.  Petitions to fly UAVs for commercial purposes have also been filed by Amazon.com, and Yamaha.

 

The Yamaha petition is currently open for comment with a closure date of Aug.4. The petition is to allow use of the RMAX, a small unmanned aerial application rotorcraft. The Amazon.com petition is not yet open for comment. NAAA will be filing comments on all petitions FAA makes available, and it’s important that members file comments on this commercial use of low-level airspace as well to ensure FAA hears our industry’s safety concerns.

 

NAAA’s comments on the Trimble petition can be found here. Also, stay tuned for the September/October edition of Agricultural Aviation magazine, which will have a detailed discussion of UAV petitions for exemption, along with additional updates on the UAV industry. 

DC Circuit Court Refuses to Hear UAV Case; White House to Address UAV Privacy Concerns

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit dismissed a case against Texas EquuSearch, a search-and-rescue operation that was told by the FAA that their UAV use was illegal. Texas EquuSearch sued the Federal Aviation Administration, seeking to overturn what the group described as an order it had been sent in February by email prohibiting the nonprofit organization from using UAVs. A three-judge panel dismissed the challenge, but based the dismissal of the case on the fact that the FAA email at the center of the case was not a formal, legally binding order.

 

The FAA says it is reviewing the decision. In their filing, the Agency said that the challenge should be dismissed because the email in question was a warning, rather than a formal reprimand, therefore not subject to judicial review. "The email represents the opinion of a subordinate agency employee regarding the view that the FAA would be likely to take if confronted [with unauthorized use of a UAV]”, the FAA lawyers said in the court documents.

 

Lawyers for Texas EquuSearch said that they felt the decision was “helpful,” and that they believe that it clarifies that the organization is not under a FAA directive to not use the technology. The group says they intend to resume UAV flights as soon as possible.

 

Meanwhile, it was reported by POLITICO July 23 that President Obama intends to issue an executive order directing the federal government to develop UAV privacy regulations.

 

While many UAV industry insiders felt that privacy regulations were needed, who would be responsible for development of such regulations had yet to be determined. Many thought while the FAA is heading UAV integration, the agency has no experience in the privacy arena, and would therefore be ill-equipped. According to POLITICO, the order will put the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), an arm of the Commerce Department, in charge of developing the guidelines. NTIA would bring together companies and consumer groups to hammer out a series of voluntary best practices for UAVs. NTIA has experience with privacy issues in the tech sector. The agency convened meetings to work out industry codes of conduct for mobile apps and is now doing the same for facial recognition technology.

 

The White House and FAA both refused to comment on the report when asked by POLITICO. 

Entries for WNAAA Scholarship Essay Contest Due Aug. 15

Attention, higher-education students: Don’t miss out on the opportunity to compete for a combined $3,000 in educational scholarships. The deadline for the 2014 WNAAA Scholarship Essay Contest is Aug. 15. The WNAAA will award a $2,000 scholarship as top prize in the 32^nd annual essay competition, and Covington Aircraft Engines has generously agreed to sponsor a $1,000 scholarship.

 

The theme for this year’s contest is “The Implications of UAVs in Ag Aviation.” The competition is open to all NAAA members and their family members. (Allied industry company members can only sponsor one eligible family member per contest.) The scholarship can be applied to any educational pursuit beyond high school; it is not restricted to a “flying career.” More information about eligibility requirements, contest guidelines and sample essays from past scholarship recipients is available in the WNAAA Scholarship section of the website. 

NAAA Convention Exhibitors Excited to See You in December

Booth sales opened this week for the 48^th Annual NAAA Convention & Exposition in Louisville, Ky. this Dec. 8-11, 2014. NAAA sincerely appreciates the companies that support NAAA and the agricultural aviation by exhibiting at the NAAA Trade Show.

 

You can view a list of the current list of exhibitors here. We expect several additional companies to purchase booth space between now and the start of the NAAA Convention. Please check back frequently for updates.

 

If you’re an allied company interested in exhibiting, you can purchase booth space here or you can contact Lindsay Barber at (202) 546-5722 for further details.

 

Register for the NAAA Convention

NAAA is still developing the online registration form for this year’s convention, but you can register for NAAA Convention today, by downloading the registration form here. Simply print the form, fill it out and mail it to NAAA with your payment. You can also register for the convention over the phone at (202) 546-5722.

 

Book Your Hotel Room at the Host Hotel

Book your room at The Galt House, which is the only sanctioned hotel of the NAAA Convention. It’s not too early to book your hotel room! You can walk to and from the convention center and The Galt House via the Louie Link Skywalk; limited transportation will be provided. Book your hotel room online or call (800) The-Galt or (502) 589-5200.

 

There are two rooming options at The Galt House:

1. $110/night + tax for Rivue Tower (single or double) – Waterfront Balcony Suites offer views of the Ohio River and downtown
2. $130/night + tax for Suite Tower (single or double)  Executive suites with a separate bedroom

NAAA Launches New Website

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new website featuring an updated look and user-friendly navigation. The new website has the same web address of www.agaviation.org.  

 

In conjunction with the new website, is a new membership database that works hand-in-hand with the website, allowing you to have an “account” where you can:

• Update your contact information,
• Add a photo or company logo,
• View the NAAA-NAAREF-WNAAA Committees that you’re a member of,
• Choose the information that appears in your online directory listing, and
• View and print receipts of past transactions with NAAA (as of July 1, 2014).

In the next several months we will have additional options in your account including a list of your PAASS and Operation S.A.F.E. attendance and a new Job Listings section.

 

Please follow the steps below to receive your username and password enabling you to access members only content:

1. Visit www.agaviation.org.
2. In the upper right hand corner, click Forgot your Password.
3. On the next screen, enter your email address and click Retrieve Username and Password.
4. Go to your email inbox to retrieve your username and password. Please note that it may take a few minutes for this email to appear in your inbox. YOUR USERNAME AND PASSWORD ARE CASE SENSITIVE.
5. Visit www.agaviation.org and enter your username and password in the upper right hand corner of the NAAA website. As a reminder, your username and password are case sensitive.
6. Once you’re logged in, click My Account (at the top of the page) or My Profile (on the left hand toolbar) and change your username and password to a combination that you will easily remember. 

As with all new technology, sometimes there are kinks in the system to work through. If you view the website on your tablet or smartphone, please note that we are still working on the look and functionality of the new website on these devices.

 

If you encounter an issue or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact NAAA at (202) 546-5722. We hope that you will enjoy browsing the new website, finding more information and options each time.