Senate Appropriations Committee Passes Fiscal 2019 Bill with Aerial Research Support Language

On May 24, the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a $145.1 billion appropriations bill to support federal agriculture and nutrition programs for the 2019 fiscal year. The $145.1 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding is $6.2 billion above the President’s budget request and $710 million below the enacted level for the 2018 fiscal year.

 

The bill provides $2.73 billion to support agricultural research, $449 million more than the President’s budget request. Total funding for the Agricultural Research Service, which houses the Aerial Application Technology Research Program, is $1.301 billion, $282 million more than the President’s budget request. The bill does not allow for the termination of any research programs or the closure of laboratories.

 

NAAA again successfully pushed for language in the committee report to the bill indicating Congress’s continued support of the USDA-ARS Aerial Application Technology Program. The committee report to the bill reads, in part:

 

 

The mention of aerial application within the report supporting the legislation is no small feat, as it is one of only a few ag programs specifically mentioned. NAAA will continue to work for adequate USDA-ARS funding for the continued design of aerial application technologies, tools and techniques that mitigate drift, result in fuel savings and make aerial applications more efficacious. Favorable committee report language sends a strong message to the USDA to continue to sustain appropriate funding for aerial application research despite budget cuts. Since 2002 NAAA has been successful in lobbying the government for an additional $8,912,500 in federal funding for aerial application technology research.

 

Total discretionary funding in the legislation is $23.27 billion, which is $14 million above the fiscal year 2018 enacted level. This is the exact same amount of discretionary funding approved by the House Appropriations Committee May 16. The House Committee Report also contained language supportive of aerial application research.

 

The spending bill still needs to be passed by the entire House and Senate, then signed by President Trump. NAAA will keep the membership informed of federal agricultural spending, particularly as it pertains to research for aerial application technology conducted at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.

Gettysburg Address:
HAI Provides Huey for Memorial Day Parades

HAI's UH-1H Huey was in two Memorial Day parades honoring the men and women who served in the nation’s military.

Gettysburg, Pa.-based Helicopter Applicators Inc. (HAI) stirred the hearts of armed service members and military veterans May 28 by displaying a Huey helicopter in Memorial Day parades in Gettysburg and Hanover, Pa. HAI mechanic and driver Greg Snyder adorned a non-flyable UH-1H Huey with decals for the five service branches of the U.S. military and a flag honoring veterans of the Vietnam War.  

This marks the third consecutive year HAI has participated in a local parade in what has become a Memorial Day tradition for operator Glenn Martin and his employees. HAI first put the Huey in the Gettysburg Memorial Parade in 2016. “Since then our neighboring towns, their American Legions and Veterans of Foreign Wars, have asked us to enter in their parades as well,” Martin wrote in an email. “The first time we did this several of the Vets came up and said with tears in their eyes, ‘This is the parade we never had,’ [which] brought tears to my eyes as well.”

Members of the American Legion assemble in front of the Huey along the parade route.

Last year, HAI took part in parades in Gettysburg, Hanover and Littlestown, Pa. This year, the Huey was part of Hanover’s Memorial Day parade in the morning and Gettysburg’s parade in the afternoon. “The people really enjoy it. The vets from the American Legions, they jump on. You can fit about 13 of them in there,” said Martin in a phone interview. “One year we had a Korean War guy get in, which was really nice.”

 

Snyder also had a service member riding with him as he hauled the Huey in Monday’s parade: his son Logan (at right), who joined the Marines in 2017. Logan surprised his father Greg by coming from North Carolina for the holiday weekend. Logan is going through a helicopter maintenance course in New River, N.C., to become a helicopter mechanic like his dad. Logan worked for Helicopter Applicators Inc. in the summer while he attended Biglerville (Pa.) High School.

The Gettysburg parade starts at a nearby school and ends at the Gettysburg National Cemetery, which was dedicated by President Lincoln near the end of the Civil War, with a series of notable public remarks. After the parade, Martin puts the Huey out front on display at HAI’s office.

It’s too soon to tell if HAI’s Memorial Day tradition will last four score and seven years, but a fourth year in 2019 is a near certainty. “Definitely, I would like to see it continue,” Martin said.

U.S. Officially Approves Merger of Bayer and Monsanto

The Department of Justice announced this week it has given antitrust approval to Bayer for its $62.5 billion purchase of Monsanto. The merger of German-based Bayer, a leading chemical and pesticide company, with St. Louis-based agri-chemical and seed supplier Monsanto is expected to create the world’s biggest supplier of seeds and crop protection products.

 

As part of the antitrust agreement, Bayer will have to sell off $9 billion in assets to fellow German chemical company BASF. Bayer agreed to sell BASF its cotton, canola, soybean and vegetable seed businesses. Bayer will also have to sell its glufosinate weed killer, which competes against Monsanto’s Roundup.

 

In addition to examining the impact on seeds and crop protection products, the DOJ was concerned about how the merger would impact innovation in the industry. Since Monsanto has a sophisticated digital agriculture department, Bayer will have to sell off its nascent digital agriculture business to BASF as well.

 

DOJ antitrust chief Makan Delrahim said investigators received "significant input from farmers, consumer groups and industry stakeholders" as it investigated the deal.  

 

In addition to the United States, Bayer has already received approval for the merger from the European Union, Brazil and Russia. Approvals from Canada and Mexico are still pending. Bayer said it expects to sell the necessary assets to BASF and begin integrating the companies in as little as two months. 

 

Bayer’s purchase of Monsanto is the third major merger that has reshaped the seed and crop protection product industry. Dow Chemical and DuPont completed a merger last year, spinning off some of its agricultural assets to other crop protection companies to form the standalone company Corteva Agriscience, based in Wilmington, Del. Also last year, Switzerland-based Syngenta AG was sold to China National Chemical Corp. The Bayer-Monsanto merger is the biggest of the three.

NPRM Requests Comments on Proposed AD on R44 Helicopters

On May 23, the FAA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing to require visually inspecting each tail rotor blade for a crack on Robinson Helicopter Company Models R44 and R44 II helicopters with tail rotor blade part number (P/N) C029-1 or P/N C029-2 installed. This proposed AD is prompted by a report of cracking in certain tail rotor blades.

 

The proposal would require the following:

• Within 50 hours time-in-service (TIS) after the effective date of this AD and thereafter before each flight, visually check each tail rotor blade for a crack in the tail leading edge, paying particular attention to the area in the most inboard white paint stripe.
• The actions required may be accomplished by the owner/operator (pilot), but an entry must be made in the maintenance records.
• If a crack is found, before further flight, replace the tail rotor blade.

You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2017-0947. The docket contains this proposed AD, the economic evaluation, any comments received and other information.

 

We recommend that you read the NPRM carefully and make written comments regarding data, views or arguments on the proposal. Comments are due by July 23. They should be sent by one of the methods explained in the NPRM to the address given at the beginning of the NPRM.

NPRM Seeks Comments on Scotts-Bell 47 Proposed AD

On May 18, the FAA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing to require an Airworthiness Directive repetitively inspecting and adjusting the throttle linkage on the following Scotts-Bell 47 Inc. aircraft models: 47, 47B, 47B3, 47D, 47D1, 47E, 47G, 47G-2, 47G-2A, 47G-2A-1, 47G-3, 47G-3B, 47G-3B-1, 47B3B-2, 47G-3B-2A, 47-G4, 47G-4A, 47G-5, 47G-5A, 47H-1, 47J-2, 47J-2A and 47K helicopters with certain Marvel Schebler carburetors installed. The carburetors are the Model MA-3, MA-3A, MA3-PA, MA-3SPA, MA4-SPA, MA4-5, MA4-5AA, MA-5, MA-5AA, MA-6AA or MA6AA.      

 

This proposed AD is prompted by reports of the throttle linkage separating from the engine carburetor shaft, which could result in loss of throttle control. The proposal would require the following:

• Before further flight, inspect the throttle linkage connection at the engine carburetor for condition, security and correct safety wire installation.
• Before the first flight of each day, visually check the throttle-linkage to carburetor attachment for installed safety wire and for intact anti-sabotage lacquer. This can be accomplished by the owner/operator (pilot), but an entry must be made in the maintenance records.
• Within 100 hours time-in-service or at the next annual inspection, whichever occurs first, and thereafter at each annual or 100-hour inspection, whichever occurs first, adjusting, safety wiring and applying anti-sabotage lacquer to the throttle.

 

You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov by searching for and locating FAA-2018-0440. The docket contains this proposed AD, the economic evaluation, any comments received and other information.

 

We recommend that you read the NPRM carefully and make written comments regarding data, views or arguments on the proposal. Comments are due by July 17. They should be sent by one of the methods explained in the NPRM to the address given at the beginning of the NPRM.

NAAA and NAAREF Board Meetings Oct. 5-6

We look forward to seeing you in Palm Springs, Calif., for our October NAAA and NAAREF committee and board meetings. Most meetings take place Oct. 5–6 with a couple of meetings beginning on Oct. 4. PAASS Train the Trainer will take place Oct. 3–4. All meetings are open to NAAA members.

You can view a tentative schedule here. Please email Lindsay Barber if you will plan to attend the meetings.

Location

Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel
888 E Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs, CA 92262
Local phone (760) 322-6000

Rate: $169/night plus tax (comped WiFi in guest rooms)

 

Reservations: Book online at https://tinyurl.com/naaaoct2018 or call: (800) 682-1238 (identify NAAA board meeting for the reduced room rate)

 

Room Block Closes:  Sept. 20, 2018. Room rates will be higher after block closes. 

Last Week to Enter the 2018 Environmental Respect Awards Contest!

Now in its 28th year, the Environmental Respect Awards is the agricultural industry’s premier stewardship program honoring outstanding work in preserving the environment through safe, responsible business practices. Interested aerial applicators have until June 7 to make a compelling case for their operation’s environmental stewardship program. The Environmental Respect Awards program is open to retail farm supply businesses that store, handle, sell, and/or apply crop nutrient and crop protection products.

 

 

Over the years, a number of NAAA members have been recognized for the environmental respect on display at their operations. In 2016, for example, Glenn and Scott Heinen of Heinen Brothers Agra Services in Seneca, Kan., won the Environmental Respect Award for the state of Kansas. Darrel Mertens, current NAAA vice president and owner/operator of Aero Applications in Sterling, Colo., has been a national finalist.

 

To compete for an Environmental Respect Award, you must submit a self-audit entry at environmentalrespect.com. Creating a self-audit entry has never been easier, thanks to the Environmental Respect Awards’ save-as-you-go entry process. Aerial applicators can save their entries and update them at a later time by logging in with their username and password.

 

The Environmental Respect Awards are sponsored by Corteva Agriscience, the new agriculture division of DowDupont, and presented by CropLife magazine and AgriBusiness Global. One business in each state and a sub-regional winner from each of three U.S regions (East, Central, West) plus Canada will be recognized as the best business in their respective areas. Regional Winners from each of three U.S. regions plus Canada are invited to Washington DC for a gala celebration October 1–4, 2018. A top regional award—named as “Ambassador of Respect”—is revealed only at the grand finale of the gala celebration.

 

Other NAAA members that have been past ERA winners include NAAA member Tim Tyree of Tyree Ag Inc. in Kinsley, Kan. Tyree received a Kansas state Environmental Respect Award in 2009 and was named a 2011 Environmental Respect Award regional winner. A decade earlier, Mertens’ operation, Aero Applicators Inc., received state honors in Colorado in 2001 and a regional Environmental Respect Award in 2002.

Contest Tips

Want to get a leg up on the competition? Here are some tips from past judges to make your self-audit entry stand out:

1. Supply photos, such as pictures that pertain to your security, mixing and loading, storage and safety procedures. Pictures will bolster the claims you report in your self-audit booklet.

2. Supply supporting materials. Consider newspaper and magazine articles about your business, community letters, marketing materials, copies of written emergency plans, facility maps, press materials, etc. The more information, the better.

3. Include comments and explanations. Several areas throughout the self-audit online application request comments or explanations. Use those areas to explain your business procedures,

4.  Provide background information and communicate your company policies. The selection panel refers to the comment sections to help make final decisions about winning entries.

5. Make sure every question is answered in the self-audit. All unanswered questions count as a “No” response and can significantly affect your entry score.

Visit environmentalrespect.com for more information and to get started.

One Man’s Junk is Another’s Treasure; Donate to the NAAA Auction

We’re still several months away from the 2018 Ag Aviation Expo in Reno, Nev., Dec. 3–6, but it’s not too early to donate an item for the Live and Silent Auction. Don’t forget the old adage, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” If you have an item you no longer have a need for, and it is still in good shape and usable, it may be worth a lot to another attendee!

 

Donate equipment, aircraft parts, products or services to help us make this year’s auction a raging success! The Live and Silent auctions support NAAA programs and services to aerial applicators. 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 auction item!

NEW THIS YEAR! The Silent Auction will feature online bidding, which is easy to use, creates more ease for checkout and payment and is a ton of fun! More details will follow later this year.

 

Click here to download a donation form or email your donation details to lbarber@agaviation.org. Big-ticket items are reserved for the Live Auction, with smaller items allocated for the Silent Auction, but final determinations are made onsite once all the offerings have been inventoried. Please include the value of your item.

Additional Details for 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
• 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.
  
• 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.
  

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 luxurious accommodations, a 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 check out 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). Online reservations require a deposit of one night’s room charge + taxes. Call-in reservations will not be charged a deposit, but require a credit card to hold reservation.
  
• 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.