March 16, 2017

NAAA eNewsletter

EPA has decided to delay implementation of its pesticide applicator certification and training rule.

 

In January EPA published its final revisions to its rule for certification of pesticide applicators, which would set more strict national standards for applicator certification and training. While NAAA was successful in convincing EPA to eliminate language declaring aerial application as "high risk," and in increasing the recertification period when additional continuing education credits (CEUs) will be required to five years, among other successes, the rule would still prohibit people under 18 from handling or applying restricted use pesticides even if they pass a certification test, complete CEUs, and wear proper protective equipment.

 

In January, Trump ordered a 60-day freeze on the implementation of all yet-to-be-implemented rules, including the certification and training rule.

 

Now, EPA will further delay the effective date for the rule to May 22, 2017. EPA writes in the Federal Register that it is “taking this action to give recently arrived Agency officials the opportunity to learn more about [the regulation] and to decide whether they would like to conduct a substantive review of any of those regulations.”

 

NAAA will be working to eliminate the age requirement from the rule to allow all who can pass a certification exam, earn requisite CEUs, and wear proper protective equipment are able to work safely with pesticides.

 

For more on the certification and training rule, see our December eNewsletter on the topic.

Air Tractor and Transland are hosting a series of Operation S.A.F.E. clinics in California and in Texas next month. Any licensed operator or agricultural pilot is welcome to participate in an Operation S.A.F.E. clinic.

 

The first Operation S.A.F.E. clinic is slated for April 4 at Colusa County Airport in northern California. Another clinic is scheduled for April 6 at Valley Air Crafts, an authorized Air Tractor dealer. The event will be conducted at Mefford Field Airport, in Tulare, Calif. The California clinics will be led by two highly experienced Operation S.A.F.E. analysts, Dr. Richard Whitney of WRK of Oklahoma and Alan Corr of Agri-Spray Consulting. West Coast aerial applicators can schedule their Operation S.A.F.E. clinic session by contacting the California Agricultural Aircraft Association at (916) 645-9747 or terry.gage@CAAA.net.

 

An Operation S.A.F.E. Texas Fly-In will be held April 12–13 at Air Tractor’s headquarters at Olney Municipal Airport (ONY). Dr. Dennis Gardisser, of WRK of Arkansas, a noted industry authority on drift mitigation, will administer the Texas Operation S.A.F.E. clinic. 

 

The Texas fly-in is a two-day, first-come-first served, come-and-go event. Attendees may attend either or both days of the fly-in. Air Tractor will provide a free lunch each day. Attendees also will have the opportunity to tour Air Tractor’s manufacturing facilities and network with others from the industry. Hotel accommodations and ground transportation between Wichita Falls and Olney are available for pilots staying overnight. A special rate is available at Homewood Suites by Hilton in Wichita Falls, Texas—just mention the Texas Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-In when you make your reservations.

 

The Texas Operation S.A.F.E. clinic and events associated with it are free to participating operators and pilots, thanks to sponsors such as Dow AgroSciences, the Texas Agricultural Aviation Association, Lane Aviation, Roy Neal Insurance Agency and Neal Aircraft teaming up with Air Tractor and Transland. Pre-registration and additional information about the Texas Operation S.A.F.E. clinic are available at translandllc.com/2017-texas-fly-in.

 

NAAA members who fly the aircraft pattern-tested at the Operation S.A.F.E. clinic are eligible for rebate incentives from BASF. Participating applicators can earn up to $225 in rebates from BASF reimbursing them for NAAA membership dues or new spray equipment they purchased.

While we’re still several months away from the 2017 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo taking place Dec. 4–7 in Savannah, but it’s never too early to donate an item for the Live and Silent Auction. Help us make this year’s auction a blowout!! The Live and Silent auctions support NAAA programs and services to aerial applicators.

 

 

• Dates: Dec. 4-7, 2017
• Location: Savannah International Trade & Convention Center. Some events will also take place at the Westin, which is located directly next to the convention center.
• Schedule of Events: Current schedule here. Subject to change.
• Hotel: Hotel Details Below
• Attendee Registration: Will open in July
• Exhibitor Booth Sales: Will open in July (date TBD). Aircraft sales have started and large booth sales will begin in early April (10’x30’, 20’x20’ or larger). Please email Lindsay if you’d like to be contacted regarding large booth space.
• Sponsorship Opportunities: Will be available in March. Please email Lindsay if you would like to secure a sponsorship from last year or would like to be contacted about 2017 opportunities! We have sponsorships available for all budget sizes.

2017 NAAA Convention housing is coordinated through the Savannah Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Housing office. Please do not call the hotels directly; use the link and/or phone number below to book your room.

 

Rooms are available at the Westin Savannah Harbor (directly next to the convention center), Hyatt Regency Savannah and Savannah Marriott Riverfront hotels (across the river from the convention center and Westin – transportation provided). 

 

Book your room today by clicking here or calling the housing bureau at (912) 644-6465. Please note that reservations are taken Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. If you cannot call during those hours, please book your room online here.

 

PLEASE NOTE THE CANCELLATION POLICY FOR THE WESTIN FOR 2017. For each reservation canceled after Nov. 1, 2017, a non-refundable one night room and tax will be charged to the credit card on file. Guests who check out early (prior to the reserved check-out date) will be assessed one full night's room charge, plus applicable taxes. This was put in place in 2015 due to many people cancelling rooms at the Westin a few days before the NAAA Convention, leaving dozens of rooms unfilled at that hotel. 

 

Complimentary river taxis and bus transportation will be provided between the hotels, convention center and the downtown Savannah entertainment district for all exhibitors and attendees.

As you know, NAAA has been working with Mississippi State University’s (MSU’s) Raspet Flight Research Laboratory (RFRL) to help determine when and where UAVs can operate safely with other aircraft operating at low altitudes, and released a letter calling on all operators to submit their GPS logs to the RFRL so they can work with FAA to develop regulations to keep agricultural aviators safe from UAVs in those areas where ag aviators are known to fly.

 

Many of you reached out to NAAA to let us know that the upload capacity on the RFRL website was not enough for you to upload all your data. Accordingly, RFRL has increased its capacity to 1GB to make it easier to upload your data logs.

 

NAAA and RFRL have also been alerted that some operators prefer to mail thumb drives of data than to upload the data online. So, if it's easier for you, we'd like to invite you to send your data via mail to:

 

 

The RFRL is collecting data from operators on when and where low-level aviators fly to determine when and where UAVs can and cannot operate safely at low altitudes. NAAA is asking you to help show them where UAVs shouldn’t fly, or where UAVs should have higher safety standards, by providing your GPS logs so they can map areas that pose the greatest risk to manned aircraft.

 

 

This project has been sanctioned by NAAA staff and the NAAA Government Relations Committee, both of which strongly believe this will benefit ag aviators nationwide.

 

Thanks to those of you who have already uploaded your GPS logs to RFRL’s secure website. NAAA is looking forward to seeing how RFRL uses that data to improve safety for manned and unmanned aircraft alike.