January 29, 2016
NAAA eNewsletter

NAAA Releases Drone Survey to Help Advocate for Members’ Interests

NAAA has released a new survey to better understand the interests of agricultural aviation operators when it comes to using or operating around Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also known as drones.
 
The survey asks several questions that will give NAAA staff insight into its members’ thoughts regarding UAVs. Questions include: “Do you use UAS at your operation?,”  “Are you considering using UAS at your operation to either: scout fields for obstacles; crop-sensing/aerial imaging to make precision applications; conduct applications for small, difficult to treat cropland?,” and “Do you believe UAS are a significant threat to your safety when flying an aerial application mission?” among others. NAAA also is attempting to determine whether or not operators would be willing to anonymously provide GPS logs, or even statistical GPS information (such as number of flights in a given time period, altitudes, times, etc.) to a federal research panel working on UAS policy for beyond line-of-sight operations. Should operators be willing share this information, it will help the panel to take agricultural aviators’ interests into account.
 
If you are an operator but have yet to receive the survey, please e-mail Christian Rice, Coordinator of Government and Public Relations, at crice@agaivation.org.

Democrats Announce Americans Against Air Traffic Privatization Group, Echoing NAAA Fears About User Fees Being Used to Fund ATC Privatization

On Tuesday, January 26, a coalition calling itself “Americans Against Air Traffic Privatization” (AAATP) was announced by Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD), and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), both of whom sit on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) which has jurisdiction over the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

 

The coalition was created, as the name suggests, to oppose the privatization of FAA’s air traffic control (ATC). Moving ATC to the private sector is the major provision expected in T&I Chairman Bill Shuster’s FAA reauthorization bill, set to be released in early February.

 

Just two days later, on Jan. 28, leaders of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee sent a letter to the Senate Commerce Committee stating "It does not make sense to break apart the FAA, an essential part of our success in aviation." And while the language of the bill has yet to be released, The Senate Appropriations committee and the AAATP is part of a larger movement opposing changes to ATC.

 

NAAA signed onto a letter in mid-January, along with 14 other general aviation associations, stating “The general aviation community has very real and long-standing concerns about foreign air traffic control models, which go well beyond the user fee issue. These concerns are based on our operating experiences in foreign systems, as well as thoughtful analysis about what those systems might look like in the United States.” But until we know exactly what Chairman Shuster’s bill looks like, we won’t know how the FAA reauthorization will impact agricultural aviators.

 

Similarly, until the FAA reauthorization language is shared with stakeholders, NAAA won’t know whether or not tower-marking provisions, UAV-safety requirement provisions, or user fee exemptions for agricultural aviators have been included in the final bill. Since an FAA reauthorization is required for FAA to receive funds after Mar. 31, 2016, the aforementioned provisions are likely to become law if they’re included in this bill. If they’re left out, however, it will be near-impossible to get these provisions to the President’s desk for signature. That’s why NAAA is using its D.C.-based resources wisely in an attempt to guarantee that tower marking, UAV-safety requirements, and user fee exemptions are all included in the FAA reauthorization.

 

With the first draft of the reauthorization expected to become public in early February, keep an eye out for an NAAA update then.

 

For more a more in-depth look about what ATC privatization could mean for the agricultural aviation industry, please see last week’s eNewsletter.

Stamps Receives TAAA Lifetime Appreciation Award

NAAA/Texas AAA member Gaylon Stamps has been appointed Director Emeritus of the TAAA Board of Directors after more than 25 years of service to the organization. TAAA President Mitch Probasco announced the appointment at TAAA’s annual awards banquet earlier this month in Fort Worth. 
 
Stamps has served in virtually every volunteer role at TAAA, including as its president and as TAAA’s longtime representative on NAAA’s Board of Directors. While Stamps has stepped down as Texas’s NAAA representative this year, he is not stepping away from NAAA’s board. Stamps continues to serve as an appointee. NAAA President Brenda Watts named him chairman of NAAA’s Awards Committee and vice chair of the Communications & Public Relations Committee. Stamps will also continue to serve as a PAASS presenter and a member of NAAREF’s PAASS Program Development Committee. Meanwhile, at the business level, succession planning is in full swing. Stamps has handed the reins over to his son-in-law and daughter, Jason and Carissa Davis, who are his partners in the family spraying business. 
 
TAAA has only appointed seven other individuals to the prestigious position of Director Emeritus. Stamps joins Harold Hardcastle, Bill Nunley and George Mitchell (1998); Rick Hardcastle and Bob Putz (2005); and Pat Kornegay and Randy Murphree (2011) as TAAA Directors Emeritus. Along with his new title, Stamps received a King Ranch rocking chair in honor of his years of service to TAAA and a framed board resolution. A copy of the TAAA Board resolution announcing the appointment is available here.
 
Congratulations, Gaylon, on this well-deserved honor!

FAA 2015 GA Survey Underway Soon

FAA’s contractor, Tetra Tech, has notified NAAA the 38th annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (referred to as the GA Survey) for reporting on 2015 activity will soon be underway. The survey is getting an early start this year to make sure everyone selected to participate in the survey has the opportunity to do so. The postcard invitations are scheduled to be mailed the first week in February. If you receive an invitation selecting you to complete this year’s survey, you can complete the survey on-line or by mail. Those wishing to respond by mail will receive a survey form in the mail along with a postage-paid envelope.
 
The information gathered by this survey is important to general aviation and the agricultural community because it is the only source of information on the size and activity of our aircraft fleet. Data gathered helps to prepare safety statistics and develop an industry accident rate which is extremely important due to the fluctuation in ag aviation activity from year to year.
 
NAAA has learned about the protocol used in the selection of aircraft to be surveyed. Owners of all turbine-powered airplanes are slated to receive a survey request. Recip-powered airplanes will be selected on a random basis. All helicopters, regardless of the power-plant used, are to be surveyed.
 
Previous years’ survey results can be found at http://www.faa.gov/data_research/aviation_data_statistics/general_aviation/.
 
Tetra Tech reminds you to complete the survey even if you did not fly the aircraft or sold it during 2015. They also want you to know that your responses are completely confidential and that an individual’s information is not shared with the FAA. The survey can be completed on the paper form and returned in the postage-paid envelope or completed on-line as instructed in the mailing. Operators with three or more aircraft to be sampled should receive a short form to make multiple reporting easier. In the event you do receive three or more surveys, abbreviated forms can be obtained or questions answered by contacting Tetra Tech toll-free at 800-826-1797 or emailing infoaviationsurvey@tetratech.com.
 
Please respond to the survey invitation if you receive one. NAAA cannot place too much emphasis on the importance of this survey. It is the only official source of activity information for our industry!

NAAA and NAAREF Board Meetings Feb. 12-13

The Hilton Old Town Alexandria in Alexandria, Va., will once again host the spring board meetings of the NAAA and NAAREF Boards of Directors Feb. 12–13, with a couple of meetings beginning on Feb. 11 (Program Development, Operation S.A.F.E., Athena and the Executive Committee). All meetings are open to NAAA members. If you’re interested in attending, please email Lindsay Barber for a schedule of events.

 

The room block deadline has passed; however there may be rooms available at the Hilton Old Town Alexandria by calling (703) 837-0440. Inform the hotel that you’re attending the NAAA Board Meeting to ask what type of rate you can receive. Stay tuned to upcoming eNewsletters for important updates on NAAA business following completion of the spring board meetings.

Don’t Miss Out on BASF Operation S.A.F.E. Incentive, Renew Your NAAA Membership Today!

Please renew your 2016 NAAA membership if you have not already done so. Thank you for supporting NAAA as a 2015 member. The trust you have placed in NAAA means a great deal, and we hope to have your continued support in 2016. Membership runs from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. As a reminder, you only have a 45-day grace period beginning Jan. 1 during which NAAA’s membership services will continue before stopping altogether on Feb. 15. Don’t lose access to the NAAA Members Only section or the beneficial NAAA eNewsletter. We are here for you and the betterment of the aerial application industry; for questions, contact the NAAA office at (202) 546-5722 or email us.

 

NAAA is pleased to announce that BASF has renewed its commitment to offer financial incentives to 2016 NAAA members who participate in Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-In clinics. 2016 NAAA operator members who participate in Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-In clinics this year can earn a $225 incentive to be used to help subsidize either 2015 NAAA operator membership dues or up to $225 of the cost of purchasing new nozzles and/or tips for each eligible aircraft that they pattern test at an Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-In. Pilots participating in an Operation S.A.F.E. Fly In may be eligible to receive a $170 rebate that would reimburse membership for nearly the full cost of their NAAA membership dues. Thank you to BASF for the continued support of this important program! Further details will be available in a future NAAA eNewsletter and on the NAAA website.

 

You can save a stamp and renew your membership at AgAviation.org by logging into your account in the upper right-hand corner. Once you've logged in, click Membership Renewal on the left-hand toolbar (as seen in the graphic below).

 


 

NAAA membership is as important as ever as NAAA needs resources to continue pushing for stringent tower marking requirements and to promote the safe integration of UAVs to ensure the safety of ag pilots (click here to view NAAA’s UAV safety campaign video). NAAA continues to lobby daily on these two important issues for the safety of the aerial application industry and on a number of other issues vital to the industry. There are numerous benefits to you whether you’re an operator, pilot or allied company. A few benefits to you as a member of NAAA include:

  • Protection against unnecessary and overly burdensome regulations. NAAA vows to protect the interests of agricultural aviation in Washington, D.C., by reaching out to elected policymakers and pursue support for federal policy that is favorable to our industry—including the exemption of NPDES pesticide general permits, and as mentioned above, continuing to push for more stringent marking requirements for towers under 200 feet and ensuring the safe integration of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into the national airspace while proactively safeguarding low-level aviation. (Your dues provide NAAA with the advocacy resources to foster support for aerial application interests and education of elected officials about the important role aerial applicators play in agricultural production and public health protection.)
  • Brand new UAV safety stuffers that you can send to your customers to ensure UAV users take into account the safety of low-flying manned aircraft, such as ag aircraft, when operating UAVs.
  • Receive relevant and valuable benefits such as access to the NAAA Member’s Only section of the website, the NAAA Media Relations Kit and the 2016 NAAA Membership Directory, which will be chock-full of NAAA resources, including NPDES pesticide general permit compliance resources and your one-stop shop to find aerial application parts, services, equipment, pilots and/or work in the industry. 
  • Continue receiving this NAAA eNewsletter, which keeps you up to date between the published issues ofAgricultural Aviation and contains significant information about important things happening in the industry to help your bottom line as an ag pilot, operator, or if your business is aligned with the agricultural aviation industry. 
  • Continually evolving education programs and services such as the Professional Aerial Applicators’ Support System (PAASS) that reduce aviation accidents and save lives. PAASS attendees can receive potential discounts through their insurance providers. PAASS and other NAAA education programs also qualify for continuing education units applicators use to renew their commercial pesticide licenses. 

You can read more about the benefits of NAAA Membership here. Your support of NAAA results in many significant benefits to the aerial application industry and you, such as advocacy and national representation, education and safety programs and the opportunity to network with fellow aerial applicators across the country. We are just a phone call or email away to answer your questions! Contact the NAAA office at (202) 546-5722 or renew online today! Thank you for your continued support.