August 9, 2018
NAAA eNewsletter

NAAA Calls on Members to Show Grassroots Support for Regulatory Relief in 2018 Farm Bill

The 2018 Farm Bill is slowly but surely making its way across the finish line. The House and Senate have each passed a farm bill, and a conference committee has been established to resolve the differences between the two bills. While the House bill includes a robust regulatory relief package, the Senate version does not.

 

NAAA and the agriculture industry have been working to fix these regulatory issues for over a decade. This might be the last opportunity for several years to finally obtain regulatory relief.

 

This is why NAAA is calling on its members to reach out to their senators and tell them why regulatory relief needs to be included in the 2018 Farm Bill.

 

The regulatory relief issues on the line include the removal of the duplicative requirement to obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Pesticide General Permit (PGP) for crop protection products already covered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). In addition to being costly and burdensome for small businesses, the NPDES PGP can subject applicators to unfounded litigation. It is also unnecessary because pesticides are already tested and regulated under FIFRA for water safety, with strict instructions indicated on the EPA-approved product label to protect water.

 

Additionally, there is a provision in the House bill that would only allow state and federal agencies to establish pesticide regulations, not local counties and towns.

 

Specifically, the senators named to the conference committee are: Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), as well as Rep. Mike Conaway (TX-11) and Rep. Collin Peterson (MN-7). If any of these legislators represent you, please email Frank Taylor for a letter detailing the importance of these provisions that you can send to your legislator. You can add your company letterhead and customize the letter in any other way you think would be impactful.

 

If your senator or representative is not listed above, you can still email Frank to participate in this grassroots campaign to enlist their support of regulatory reform. They still may be an influencing conferee or could influence another Farm Bill conferee.

 

This is a fantastic opportunity to relieve the agriculture industry of duplicative, costly and burdensome regulations. We cannot afford let the moment pass without action. Make your voice heard and contact your senators today!

Kansas Operator Bill Warner and 3 Family Members Killed in Fatal Plane Crash

The NAAA family of members and staff are greatly saddened by the loss of Kansas ag pilot and operator Bill Warner who died along with his son Nicholas Warner, grandsons Corbyn and Hayden Warner and the pilot of an Extra Flugzeugbau EA-400 Aug. 4 in a fatal plane crash near Ponca City, Okla.


Bill Warner, 66, owned Warner Ag-Air, an aerial application company in Independence, Kan. He was a member of the Kansas Agricultural Aviation Association (KAAA), Oklahoma AAA (OAAA) and NAAA. Nicholas “Nic” Warner, 27, was a member of the Sycamore Rural Fire Department, recently serving as assistant chief, and helped run the family farm, Warner Farms, in Independence. Corbyn and Hayden Warner, ages 6 and 4, respectively, were two of Nic’s three children; his wife Kaylee is also expecting their second daughter in November.

According to published reports, pilot and pastor Tim Valentine and the four members of the Warner clan had flown to Ponca City in an EA-400 for a fly-in breakfast with the Ponca City Aviation Booster Club. The plane was registered to Jeremiah 29:11 Inc. in Independence. The six-seat, single-engine aircraft was northbound leaving the airport when it lost altitude for unknown reasons and crashed around 10:45 a.m.

 

William Edwin “Bill” Warner was born Jan. 8, 1952, in Neodesha, Kan., to Wilbur and Ann Warner. He grew up in Independence on the family farm. He met the love of his life, Brenda Synder, in 1991, and they married a year later. Together they blended a beautiful family with five children. Bill and Brenda maintained Warner Farms, adding Warner Ag Air in 1994. Along with spending time with his family, Bill’s greatest gratification came from pursuing his passion of flying. That passion spurred a career in which he logged more than 9,500 total flight hours.

Bill is survived by his wife Brenda Warner; his children Lisa Johnson, Blake Warner, Jessica Boyle and Bryan Warner; sister Valerie Newman and husband Charlie; daughter-in-law Kaylee Warner; as well as five grandchildren, with a sixth on the way, and numerous nieces, nephews and other extended family members.

 

A Celebration of Life Service for Bill, Nicholas and Nic’s sons Corbyn and Hayden is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 13 at 11 a.m. at the First Church of the Nazarene, 3167 S.10th Street, Independence, Kan. Please check the Potts Chapel website at www.pottsfuneralhome.com for updated information.

The Warner family has suggested that memorials may be made to the OAAA or KAAA scholarship funds. To make a donation to the OAAA scholarship fund, please make your check payable to OAAA and mail it to OAAA, 2500 E. 15th Street, Edmond, OK 73013, and reference “OAAA Scholarship Fund” on the check.

 

KAAA memorial donations may be sent to KAAA, P.O. Box 585, Colwich, KS 67030, with “KAAA Scholarship Fund” indicated on the check.

NAAA Unveils an Updated Members-Only Resource: Check Out Fresh, New Look of ‘Aerial Application 101’ Presentation and Learn Why it Pays to Renew Your Membership

NAAA is pleased to announce the release of an updated “Aerial Application 101” PowerPoint presentation. The presentation was first unveiled and presented by NAAA’s Executive Director, Andrew Moore, at an AirVenture 2018 forum. Aimed at everyday consumers, the updated presentation uses captivating visuals to illustrate how aerial application is a vital component to crop production.

NAAA had three main objectives for the new presentation: 1) to explain the benefits of aerial application and provide an industry overview in clear, concise language, 2) to emphasize the professionalism of ag pilots and the sophistication of ag aircraft, and 3) to address issues affecting the industry and NAAA’s role in supporting the industry. The presentation tackles questions about how aerial applicators feed, clothe and fuel the world as well as questions about pesticide use, organic versus conventionally grown food, and what challenges the industry faces.

The “Aerial Application 101” presentation refers readers to NAAA’s website to learn more about the important contributions aerial applicators make to society. Visit AgAviation.org/aerialapplication101 to download the presentation.

 

“Aerial Application 101” is free to NAAA members and a terrific presentation to show at field days, classroom presentations and more! NAAA strives to provide members with ample materials to disseminate valuable information, including magazines, eNewsletters, DVDs, videos, media relations resources and educational resources. For more information on the resources available to members, please visit AgAviation.org/memberresources.


In addition to providing members valuable marketing resources, NAAA membership is an investment in the ability of aerial applicators nationwide to make their collective voice heard by those who set policy that affects your occupation on a daily basis. NAAA’s efforts save you real money by keeping the costs of doing business under control and by eliminating unnecessary restrictions that affect the industry. The number of members who belong to NAAA directly impacts the level of influence the agricultural aviation industry has in Washington, D.C. Every member makes a difference and we encourage you to renew your membership today.
 
You can 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).

 

 

Please contact NAAA at (202) 546-5722 or information@agaviation.org if you have any questions or issues downloading the “Aerial Application 101” presentation.

Hotel is Booked, Now Complete Your Checklist and Register for the NAAA Ag Aviation Expo

We look forward to seeing you at the 2018 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo in Reno, Dec. 3–6 at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa and Reno-Sparks Convention Center. Our Atlantis hotel room block is already 75 percent full; thank you for booking your hotel room. Now, register for the Ag Aviation Expo online or print and mail a registration form.

We are continually updating the schedule of events for this year’s Ag Aviation Expo and we are excited to announce several of the exciting events below that are scheduled for this December:

  • Kickoff Breakfast speaker Greg Peterson of the Peterson Farm Brothers is a Social Media Ag Promoter and will kick off NAAA’s agvocacy-filled programming by addressing how to positively communicate agriculture to the public through social media and other avenues. Sponsored by BASF.
  • Articulating Aerial Application for All General Session: Strengthen your ability to effectively communicate the benefits of aerial application with the help of a team of expert advisers at NAAA’s General Session. If you’ve ever had to advocate for aerial application in your local community, on social media, during an interview or in a courtroom, you know the importance of being able to represent our industry in a positive light. NAAA’s team of expert advisers will lead this illuminating General Session. Sponsored by AIG.
  • NAAA Trade Show: Featuring 10 aircraft and an expected 150+ exhibitors
  • Live and Silent Auction raising money for NAAA and NAAREF. Live Auction reception sponsored by Syngenta.
  • Learn and earn possible CEUs at Monday’s Aerial Application Research Technology Session and more than a dozen education sessions throughout the week (additional details will be posted as they become available). CEU information will be available this fall.
  • Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet honoring individuals and companies in the aerial application industry who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Award Nominations due by Sept.7.
  • King Pins Fundraiser for NAAREF/PAASS is a fundraiser for the ag aviation industry’s premier educational safety program. This fundraising bowling event will take place on Sunday, Dec. 2, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the National Bowling Stadium. Registration is required and the donation is $100 per person. Five people per lane. Transportation from the Atlantis to the National Bowling Stadium will be offered and your donation includes shoe rental at the bowling alley. Food and beverages are not included; a bar and concessions will be available for purchase at the bowling alley.
  • Potential Exhibitors: 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.

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
  • Auction Donations: Thank you to Pratt & Whitney Canada for their donation of 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: Now Open 
  • Exhibitor Booth Sales: Now Open
  • Sponsorship Opportunities: View the sponsorship opportunities. Please email Lindsay if you would like to secure a sponsorship from last year or to discuss 2018 opportunities! 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. This is not the same Reno from the early 2000s; the city is rapidly changing, and it has become ground zero for a new technology boom that has helped spawn amazing restaurants, microbreweries, bars, shopping and nightclubs. Having a new vibrancy all its own, Reno is a cool and unique place to visit.

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 
  • 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.

Four $5,000 ‘Ag Wings of Tomorrow’ Scholarships Up for Grabs! Deadline Aug. 31!

How does $5,000 sound to help someone pursue their dream of becoming a professional ag pilot? Thanks to the generous support of BASF and Thrush Aircraft, $20,000 in aid is available under the 2018 NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship Program to assist four aspiring ag pilots in their journey.

 

The goal of NAAA’s “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship Program is to strengthen the aerial application industry by helping operator members bring new pilots into the profession and help fund their training. Applicants must be sponsored by an NAAA Operator member, and scholarship recipients may use the proceeds for flight training or aviation or ag-related coursework at a university, college, community college or other institution of higher learning. A stipend for a trainee in an NAAA Operator-sponsored apprentice program is also permissible.

 

The scholarship program is administered by NAAA and funded by educational grants provided by BASF and Thrush. This year, NAAA will award up to four scholarships valued at $5,000 each. This is a win-win for NAAA Operator members and individuals seeking training funds to support their pursuit of becoming a professional ag pilot.

How to Apply

To be considered for the 2018 scholarship, every applicant must submit:

  • A letter of recommendation from the NAAA Operator member sponsoring the applicant.
  • An essay of 250 words or less explaining why you want to pursue a career in agricultural aviation and how you would use NAAA’s “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship to further your education and training.
  • A one-page résumé or list of activities detailing all agricultural and aviation experiences, education and training.

The deadline to apply for a 2018 “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship is Aug. 31.

 

NAAA will award the recipients of the 2018 “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarships in December at the Ag Aviation Expo in Reno, Nev. Last year NAAA awarded scholarships to five young individuals who represent the future of ag aviation: Jonathan Aslesen of Buffalo, Minn. ($5,000); Cade Sallee of Fowler, Colo. ($5,000); Kyle Tate of Walsh, Colo. ($5,000); Justin Welling of Clark, S.D. ($5,000), and Colton Tidwell of Lonoke, Ark. ($2,500).

 

To learn more about the 2018 NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship, review the application instructions at AgAviation.org/scholarship. Please call NAAA at (202) 546-5722 for clarification about any of the application requirements.

Submit Your Aerial Application Photos and Videos to Mark the Industry’s 100th Anniversary!

The 100th anniversary of aerial application is around the corner, and we’re looking for your participation! Do you have great photos, videos or memories of aerial application that you’d like to share? For almost a century, aerial application has played an important part of the aviation and agriculture industries. Now, NAAA invites you to share your favorite memories and photos for a chance to be featured in our 100th anniversary celebration materials, which will debut in 2021.

 

In 1921, in an experiment in Ohio, an airplane was used to spread lead arsenate dust over catalpa trees to kill sphinx moth larvae. Under the direction of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Lt. John A. Macready, a U.S. Army pilot, made the first aerial application with a modified Curtiss JN-6 “Super Jenny.” The government then utilized aerial application in the Southern states. In 1922, Curtiss biplanes were used to dust cotton fields near Tallulah, La., to control boll weevils. In 1923, Huff-Daland Dusters Inc.—the forerunner of Delta Airlines—did the first commercial dusting of crops with its own specially built aircraft. Today, approximately 2,700 professional aerial application operators and pilots operate in the United States, and aerial application accounts for up to one-fifth of the delivery of crop protection products in American agriculture.

 

Readers may submit entries by emailing information@agaviation.org. Select photos may be featured in video, print, online and social media to celebrate this 100-year milestone. Aerial application has been the livelihood of readers like you and their predecessors for almost a century and our industry has made a positive impact in your life, so we want to hear your stories. Photos, stories and cherished memories are encouraged.

Submission Guidelines

To submit photos, email the following information to information@agaviation.org. We request that ALL submissions be sent electronically via email. Please DO NOT send links to websites. Only submissions with the required information will be considered. 

  1. Complete contact information (name, address, telephone/cell numbers, email address)
  2. Submit photos using the preferred format if possible:
    1. Image Resolution: 300 DPI (dots per inch)
    2. Preferred Image Size: 1080 x 720
    3. Preferred File Format: JPEG
    4. Photo Information: Each photo should include a complete descriptive caption that coincides with the photo’s filename (e.g., SprayingCorn1978).
  3. Brief caption/description of the image. Photos must be accompanied by a caption with information such as the year or approximate year the photo was taken, who or what is in the photo, where the photo was taken, what’s happening in the photo and photo credit. Example: John Doe defoliating cotton in Levelland, Texas, in 1978. Photo taken by Jane Doe.
  4. Submit stories and memories using email, a Microsoft Word document or PDF.

After your submission is sent: Please be patient; we will be collecting this information over the next two years. Please also note that some submissions may not be featured, but we will do our best to honor submitted memories.

 

If you do not wish to have your submission added to our image database to be used in other NAAA marketing materials such as brochures, social media posts or on the NAAA website, please specify that when you submit your photo. NAAA does not compensate for photos.

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.