House Passes Five-Year FAA Reauthorization Bill with Changes to Tower Marking

The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a five-year FAA reauthorization bill by a vote of 393-13 on April 27. A five-year reauthorization would provide long-term funding stability for the FAA, compared to the short-term 12 and six-month extensions that have been passed in recent years. The Senate hopes to pass its reauthorization bill soon so a final bill can be signed by the president before the August recess. The current FAA extension expires Sept. 30. 

 

“The bill is critical to our economy, to millions of Americans who work in aviation and to hundreds of millions of Americans who use the system every year. H.R. 4 authorizes FAA programs through FY 2023. This is a long-term bill—something that is overdue,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA).

 

“Too often, our aviation programs face short-term extensions, CRs, and threats of government shutdowns. We are now operating on the 5th extension of the last long-term FAA law—which was signed on Feb. 14, 2012. And before that bill was signed into law, Congress passed 23 short-term extensions. That is an incredible amount of uncertainty for programs that rely on long-term stability.”

 

The bill contains language that would make changes to the marking of towers in rural areas between 50 and 200 vertical feet and an above-ground base up to 10 feet feet in diameter. In 2016 NAAA was successful in urging Congress to enact law requiring the marking and logging of such towers into a database. The bill that passed the House last week would allow communication towers that meet the 2016 requirements to be marked or placed into a database but they would not be required to do both. MET towers would still be required to be both marked and put in a database. NAAA is working to amend the bill either in the Senate or if and when it goes to conference to make sure future towers, whether communications or METs, must be both marked and logged into a database, but the telecommunications industry is fighting this approach. 

 

Well over 100 amendments were added to the original bill, most of them regarding commercial airline safety after the high-profile Southwest airlines accident in April.

 

One amendment to the bill would revamp the “special rules for model aircraft.” Model aircraft, which these days usually means UAVs, cannot be regulated by the FAA under current law. This amendment would change the definition of “model aircraft” greatly narrowing it to only include hobbyists operating in a safe manner. Because of this change, many more UAS would be under the authority of the FAA.

 

The amendment, offered by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), would define hobbyist as someone operating a UAS under the guidelines of a community-based organization, such at the Academy of Model Aeronautics, and is only flying the UAS within visual line of sight. It would also require the UAS to be registered, and for the operator to pass an aeronautical knowledge test administered by the FAA.

 

NAAA will advocate that the new UAVs under the authority of the FAA be subject to strict safety requirements, such as ID and tracking. Another amendment to the FAA bill strongly encourages regulators to establish a program on remote drone identification.

Precision Agricultural Aviation Technology Featured at Conference for Industry and Regulators

Modern precision agricultural technologies available to aerial application were highlighted at a conference April 25–27 that was attended by people from a wide variety of organizations and backgrounds. The CropLife America and RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) Regulatory Conference is an annual conference that covers agricultural pesticide regulation and is attended by both industry and regulators. Industry was represented by major chemical manufacturers and other agricultural groups, while the regulating community was represented by the U.S. EPA, USDA, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

As part of the conference, a panel during the opening breakfast highlighted how precision agriculture technology plays an important role in a variety of ways in pesticide applications. NAAA worked to help provide two of the members for that panel to ensure the audience was aware of some of the advanced technologies available to aerial applicators. Bruce Woodcock of Aventech Research Inc. discussed the importance of monitoring weather conditions throughout an application and how the AIMMS system can provide that monitoring in ag aircraft. Jeff Grimm from Capstan Ag talked about how pulse width modulation technology is being developed for use on agricultural aircraft in order to improve spray pattern uniformity and mitigate drift.

 

Aventech and Capstan Ag also had tabletop exhibits at the conference so participants could see firsthand how their technology works. Woodcock displayed a mock cockpit/wing setup on which all of the AIMMS equipment was mounted. He was able to explain how the system measures multiple elements to provide the ag pilot with ongoing, inflight readings of wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity and atmospheric stability (whether or not an inversion is present). Grimm and Brian Finstrom from Capstan Ag had a mini aerial boom section that showed how the valves for their control system can be mounted on an ag aircraft. Conference attendees visited with the exhibitors during coffee breaks, but many attendees continued to discuss the aerial technologies rather than attend meeting sessions, a strong indication there was interest in learning more about the technologies.

 

Having the company representatives available throughout the day allowed attendees to ask more detailed questions and get a real feel for how these technologies work to ensure aerial applications are accurate and safe. This was particularly important for the regulators at the conference, as they do not have the same opportunities to learn about these technologies firsthand that attendees who work in agricultural industries have. One major question they had was “does this help reduce drift?” The ability to discuss this in person with regulators was important for ensuring they understand the technologies and techniques used by modern aerial applicators. NAAA was pleased to play a role in making sure aerial application was on display at CropLife America’s conference.

Emerging UAS Technology for Precision Ag

One of the conference sessions focused on emerging UAS technology for precision ag. The session was moderated by Tulinda Larsen, executive director of the Agricultural Aerial Remote Sensing Standards Council, and featured a panel of speakers who discussed the latest regulations, using UAS for precision agriculture and the outlook for UAS technology developments.

 

The panelists included Idaho farmer Robert Blair, an early adopter of precision ag technologies, Diana Cooper, PrecisionHawk’s senior vice president of policy & strategy, and Jim Williams, who founded JHW Unmanned Solutions after he left his post managing the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Office.

 

From December 2015 to December 2017, one million drones were registered in the FAA’s drone registry. Yet for every drone that is registered, the expectation is another one is not, Larsen said, which would mean roughly 2 million drones should have been registered in 24 months. “This is by far in our lifetime the most dramatic change that has occurred to aviation since the jet engine, and we are at the very, very beginnings,” Larsen said.

 

Agriculture has always been seen as a major market for unmanned technologies, and Blair, who was named 2009 Precision Ag Farmer of the Year, has considered the possibilities more than most. He titled his presentation, “Surgical Agriculture: Going Beyond Precision.”

 

Blair runs a 1,300-acre farm in Kendrick, Idaho, and was the first farmer in the U.S. to own and use a UAV on his farming operation. With his background, Blair is well aware of what’s possible with UAVs in agriculture currently and what could be in time as UAS sensors and software improve and a regulatory framework is put in place to allow beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations. Drones can play a huge role in remote sensing, but rural broadband infrastructure is another obstacle slowing UAVs’ progress in agriculture.

 

One of the biggest issues farmers deal with in rural America is the amount of data they generate about their farms. For a day’s worth of aerial imaging flights, Blair generates 50 to 60 gigabytes worth of data but only has a 0.5-megabyte upload speed. “I’m trying to put a firehose worth of data through a straw in rural America to get to cloud-based solutions. It does not work,” he said. Instead, Blair says he either has to mail the card in to the software provider or find a highspeed Internet connection to upload the files.

 

Beyond aerial remote sensing, the next frontier for drones is aerial application. Blair brought a quadcopter UAV equipped with a small spray tank to the conference and will begin experimenting with it on his farm by spraying water. He knows the drones and drone regulations aren’t there yet, but considers it only a matter of time before UAVs will be able to perform aerial applications. Commercial aerial applications would require a Part 137 operating certificate, which Blair acknowledged “opens up a whole new can of worms, regulatory-wise, not only from FAA, but what about EPA? What about crop protection manufacturers? Will those products be labeled for drones?”

 

Drones won’t be used to spray whole fields, not yet anyway, but Blair sees using them to do spot treatments and to treat specialty crops. “We’re going to see larger drones do aerial application within my lifetime,” but UAS precision ag technology won’t be able to scale up until BVLOS rules are in place enabling drone operators to cover large tracts of land, Blair said.

 

“We need to be more proactive in developing regulations. USDA, EPA, FAA, state levels—because precision ag is a whole package,” he said. “The farmer, he’s interested in the data, but everything else has to work. … If I can’t get that information from the drone into a cab in the tractor or into some kind of application form, that information is no good for me.”

 

Williams discussed the FAA’s UAS regulations for small UAS operations under Part 107, the difference between hobbyist and commercial UAS operators, and the FAA’s Section 333 exemption process that grants exemptions from certain UAS operating restrictions or requirements. He also touched on the FAA’s Focus Area Pathfinder Program, an initiative involving three industry partners that are exploring incremental expansion of UAS operations in the National Airspace System.

 

Williams noted that one of the first visits he got when the FAA established its UAS Integration Office was from representatives from NAAA who stressed the need to ensure the safety of aerial applicators and other low-altitude pilots as the FAA developed its UAS rules. The meeting opened Williams’ eyes to the heightened safety risk UAVs pose to manned ag aviators.

 

UAV on display at the CropLife America and RISE Regulatory Conference.

PrecisionHawk is one of the companies participating in the FAA’s UAS Pathfinder program. The initiative started in 2015, and Cooper discussed PrecisionHawk’s ongoing research. In August 2016, PrecisionHawk was granted a BVLOS waiver. A Pathfinder final report was submitted to the FAA in the first quarter of 2018 and released publicly May 1. PrecisionHawk recently launched a consulting and training program to help other operators leverage the research it has conducted on BVLOS UAS operations.

 

Visual line of sight is a fluid definition, Cooper said. PrecisionHawk calculated the distance from which they could see a manned aircraft was anywhere from 2 to 4 square nautical miles.

 

PrecisionHawk’s BVLOS Waiver is not limited to a specific UAS type and permits:

• Operations in Class G airspace outside of built-up areas
• Operations covering ~38 square nautical miles (vs. 3.14 for VLOS)
• It does not require a visual observer. (There are options to extend the area using a remote visual observer [RVO], but neither the Pilot in Command [PIC] nor RVO needs to see the UAS.)

Operating beyond visual line of sight presents several challenges, Cooper explained. For example, PrecisionHawk had to have a method for the remote PIC to ensure separation from other aircraft. They accomplished that through LATAS technology that PrecisionHawk developed.

 

In BVLOS, you need to have a broader view of the airspace and be on the lookout for other aircraft. If you’re operating at a large distance, you need to know are you going to have GPS throughout the entire mission.

As of April 2018, the FAA has granted 18 BVLOS waivers to 13 operators. Most waivers require at least one visual observer (VO), and several require multiple VOs, according to Cooper. PrecisionHawk’s waiver does not require a VO. Some waivers are limited to a specific UAV model, while others are broader and based on performance-based capabilities.

 

A key takeaway is that there is no single concept of operations or operational risk assessment for BVLOS operations, Cooper said. It is also important to have a solution to detect non-cooperative manned aircraft such as ag planes and helicopters, such as aircraft that do not transmit a tracking signal.

 

In terms of the capabilities of UAVs in agriculture, Williams said, “I’m a firm believer in the future because the FAA is going to figure out a way for how to approve Beyond Visual Line of Sight. The regulatory process is intentionally slow, and I would argue that that’s not always bad.”

NAAA Submits Petition to Allow CDL Holders to Transport Jet Fuel

Under current law, drivers with a commercial driver license (CDL) must obtain a hazmat endorsement to transport jet fuel. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has waived the hazmat endorsement for the transportation of 1,000 gallons or less of diesel fuel. Due to the extremely similar chemical makeup of diesel and jet fuel, NAAA has submitted a petition for an amendment to have this exemption extended to jet fuel as well.

 

In its petition, NAAA explained that Jet A has a flashpoint of between 100 ºF and 150 ºF, and diesel has a flashpoint of between 100 ºF and 130 ºF.  Additionally, both diesel fuel and Jet A have the same autoignition temperature of 410 ºF.  The properties between diesel fuel and jet fuel are so similar that diesel engines can, and often do, run on jet fuel.

 

NAAA also explained that it is a costly burden for aerial application operators, almost all of them exclusively small businesses, to obtain or pay for the training of a hazardous materials endorsement for a driver who already has the knowledge and skills associated with a CDL. Difficulties also arise in finding Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) locations and scheduling testing times to take the knowledge and skill tests required for a hazmat endorsement. Operating in rural areas, the closest DMV could be several hundred miles away.

 

Additionally, the retention of drivers with a CDL and hazmat endorsement is extremely hard due to the seasonal nature of aerial application work. When an individual has this much training, they are more likely to opt for consistent, non-seasonal work, leaving aerial application operations without the necessary drivers during the application season.

 

NAAA also explained the benefit that comes with using commercial vehicles to assist with aerial application work, explaining that commercial motor vehicle drivers are needed to operate vehicles with aircraft fuel and crop protection products to satellite airstrips nearer to the field(s) that need to be sprayed. This saves on the quantity of fuel consumed by ag aircraft and saves aircraft flight time between the loading facility and the application site. A shortage of available drivers may prevent use of a satellite airstrip closer to the application site. This results in an aircraft having to travel back to its home base for each load instead of using a closer landing area. In this case more fuel is burned to travel to the application site and more time elapses, resulting in fewer application jobs performed during the day.

 

Finally, NAAA explained aerial application operations typically take place in rural areas with minimal traffic and are always conducted during fair weather conditions. It was noted that in many cases, driving is done only once or twice a week to a satellite facility. These factors, combined with a driver who already has a CDL, create extremely low-risk safety conditions.

 

NAAA will keep its members updated when the FMCSA responds to the petition.

Many New Structures below 200 feet Added to the FAA’s Digital Obstacle File

The FAA produces the Digital Obstacle File (DOF) product that includes existing obstacles that may be hazardous to safe flight navigation.  The FAA receives obstacle information from a variety of sources both inside and outside the FAA. The FAA then evaluates the obstacle data based on its analysis of supporting documentation and assigns an accuracy code.

 

These include many obstacles of interest to aviation users, including obstructions above or below 200 feet AGL, mainly near airports. Thanks in part to a new automated process, low-level obstacles can be added to this database more quickly making it a valuable resource for agricultural aviators, and as a result a backlog of 75,000 obstructions below 200 feet spread throughout the country were added in January (even if they are not in the vicinity of an airport).

 

Both the Daily Digital Obstacle File (published every business day) and the Digital Obstacle File (published every eight weeks) can provide you information about potential obstacles in your flight path before you even take off. To access the Daily Digital Obstacle File, click here to download in a text or comma delimited (csv) format for ease in importing into Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications, i.e., ESRI ArcGIS and agricultural aviation applications.

 

To access the Digital Obstacle File, which contains the last eight weeks of obstacle data, click here and then click the latest “DOF” (Digital Obstacle File) under “Product.” That will download a folder containing all the obstacle data. That folder contains abbreviations for all 50 states.

 

You can scroll down the list to find the city or cities that you’ll be flying in, and then find the exact latitude and longitude for each potential obstacle (towers, stacks, poles, fences, etc.). The FAA verifies the location of each structure using satellite or other aerial imaging. The FAA also verifies a structure no longer exists when the owner files a notice of dismantlement or abandonment or when the FAA is notified by aviators.

 

However, all structures below 200 feet not near airports are only submitted to this database voluntarily. The tower marking requirements for communications towers under 200 feet in rural areas that were supposed to be promulgated by July 2017 would make this database far more robust.

 

The FAA’s Obstacle Data Team (ODT) is dedicated to providing its customers with accurate and timely obstacle data critical for a safe and efficient National Airspace System. The Obstacle Data Team wants to hear from NAAA about suggested improvements to data quality. It is also working on new techniques to improve the accuracy of obstacle data accessible to the public.

 

The FAA is interested in learning about obstacles (include the coordinates and height if known) that are not in the DOF but of interest for flight safety. If an obstacle is listed as existing in the database when that is not the case, please notify the FAA’s ODT office by completing its online form.

 

For more information, email 9-AJV-532-OBSTData-REQ@faa.gov.

Exhibitor Details for the 2018 Ag Aviation Expo

Believe it or not, we are beginning to design the trade show floor for the 2018 Ag Aviation Expo in Reno, Nev., Dec. 3–6. Experience a new Reno! This rapidly changing city has become ground zero for a new technology boom as many companies have moved to Reno, including Tesla, Apple Cloud, a division of Microsoft and many more. Because of this, the city has also seen a boom in amazing restaurants, microbreweries and bar, shopping and nightclubs. Having a new vibrancy all its own, Reno is a cool and fun place to hang out.

 
The NAAA Trade Show will take place Dec. 4 from 12 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Live Auction will begin on the trade show floor at 5:30 p.m.) and Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The booth and aircraft fees for this year’s Ag Aviation Expo will remain the same as last year’s rates.

Booth Sales for Aircraft & Large Booth Space: 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 ASAP. To ensure the best placement on the trade show floor, we appreciate knowing about aircraft and large booth spaces by mid-April. We currently have seven confirmed aircraft for the NAAA Trade Show.

 
Booth sales for 10x10 and 10x20 spaces will begin July 12. 

Additional details for the 2018 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo

• Dates: Dec. 3–6, 2018
• Location: Atlantis Casino Resort Spa and Reno-Sparks Convention Center
• Schedule of Events: Current schedule here. Subject to change.
• Hotel: Hotel Details Below
• Attendee Registration: Will open July 1
  
• Exhibitor Booth Sales: Will open July 12 for 10x10 and 10x20 spaces. Email Lindsay if you’d like a large booth space (aircraft, island or 10x30+) or plan to be a Diamond or Platinum sponsor.
• Sponsorship Opportunities: Sponsorship opportunities here. Please email Lindsay to discuss your sponsorship! We offer sponsorships for all budget sizes.
  
• Auction Donations: Thank you to Pratt & Whitney Canada for donating a PT6-34AG engine to this year’s NAAA Live Auction. While we’re still several months away from the Ag Aviation Expo, but it’s never too early to donate an item for the Live and Silent Auction. The earlier you inform us of your auction donation, the more advertising you’ll receive on the NAAA website and in NAAA publications. Support the aerial application industry by donating an item today. Email Lindsay with your donation details.
  

Book Your Hotel Room

Atlantis Casino Resort Spa is a world-class, Four Diamond resort destination. A splendid oasis created for relaxation, celebration and rejuvenation, the Atlantis has always been a favorite resort destination for travelers near and far, recognized for its luxurious accommodations, world-class revitalizing spa and salon, award-winning dining and fun casino action.

Atlantis Casino Resort Spa

• Rate: $109/night + taxes (NAAA has negotiated to waive the resort fee. Included in your room rate is complimentary in-room Wi-Fi or wired Internet, self-parking, use of fitness center, use of indoor pool, extended checkout time of 12 p.m. and complimentary airport shuttle service.)
• Reservations: Book Online Here or call (800) 723-6500 and reference the NAAA Convention (SNAA18)
• Block Deadline: Monday, Nov. 12
• Hotel Address: 3800 S. Virginia St. Reno, NV 89502
• Airport Shuttle: Atlantis provides a free airport shuttle that runs at 15 and 45 minutes after the hour from 5:15 a.m. to 12:45 a.m. leaving the airport. The shuttle leaves the hotel on the hour and 30 minutes after the hour from 5 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.

NOTE: No one from (or on behalf of) the Atlantis hotel or NAAA will contact you to book a hotel room. NAAA recommends that you make your own hotel reservations using the information on this page. Do not book a room with any company that calls you directly.