November 8, 2018
NAAA eNewsletter

Election 2018: Party Control Switches in House and Republicans Build on Majority in Senate, Farm Bill Still in Play This Year

Tuesday’s election results saw Democrats regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives, picking up at least 27 seats, with their margin expected to grow in the days ahead as close races are called. Senate Republicans were able to pad their current majority, despite losing a close race in Nevada, by picking up seats in Indiana, Missouri and North Dakota. Additionally, Republicans lead in Florida and Arizona, but both races are too close to call.

 

Contributions from NAAA’s AgAv PAC were successfully contributed over the past two years based on the election results as 12 out of 13 AgAv PAC supported candidates won various House and Senate races (a 92.3% success rate). This includes members who are expected to be chairmen or ranking members on various committees and subcommittees.

 

AgAv PAC supported U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) is expected to the new chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. Peterson, currently the ranking members of the committee, previously held the post of chairman from 2007 to 2011. He has been supportive of the ag community on critical issues such as regulatory reform, including a fix for the duplicative National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit by eliminating its requirements for pesticides registered and already tested for water safety under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

 

If the House and Senate don’t pass a Farm Bill by the time a new Congress is sworn in on January 3, 2019, a new bill will have to be introduced in both chambers. U.S. Rep. Peterson has repeatedly said he doesn’t want to start the Farm Bill process from scratch and believes a compromise can still be reached. He, along with the rest of the Democrat caucus, voted against the current version of the House Farm Bill due to concerns of changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly referred to as food stamps. Outgoing Chairman and AgAv PAC-supported U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) will have to make some quick decisions regarding SNAP in the next few weeks working with their Senate Farm bill conference committee counterparts before the Democrat majority is sworn in. 

 

On the transportation side of things, Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) is in the running to be ranking member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I)  Committee, and U.S. Rep. Rick Larson (D-WA) is expected to be the chairman of the T&I Aviation Subcommittee. Both members were supported by the AgAv PAC this election cycle.

 

Republicans built on their Senate majority by capturing Democrat held seats in Indiana, North Dakota and Missouri. Republicans currently lead in Florida and Arizona but both races are too close to call. Source: The Washington Post.

Additionally, Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Bill Nelson (D-FL) is requesting a recount in his race against Florida Gov. Rick Scott.  It is widely expected Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) with take up the gavel as Commerce Committee Chairman, putting NAAA in a strong position due to the large number of ag aviators in his state.

 

NAAA will continue to advocate for a speedy vote on the 2018 Farm Bill that includes vital regulatory relief reforms and looks forward to working with the new Chairmen and Ranking Members in both chambers on other issues important to ag aviators such as UAV safety, tower-marking, funding for aerial application research, protecting general aviation from costly user fees, and preserving the ag aviation industry’s fuel tax exemption.

WSJ Issues Correction After Running Aerial Application Photo in Dicamba Article

NAAA got to the “plane” truth of the matter after The Wall Street Journal mistakenly published a photo of an ag plane spraying a field in an article about the EPA’s decision to extend its approval of the Bayer AG dicamba herbicide XtendiMax with some new restrictions.

 

The problem with associating aerial spraying with dicamba applications, which were linked to a rash of drift complaints across the country this year? The new dicamba formulations for dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton are not labeled for aerial applications. Therefore, none of the drift incidents involving the new formulations of dicamba applied to dicamba-tolerant crops involved aerial applications. The WSJ’s aerial application photo suggested otherwise, however.

 

NAAA Executive Director Andrew Moore made those points in an email to the Wall Street Journal about the misleading photo, and added, “Had aircraft been used, the speed in which they treat a crop is multiple times faster than other forms of application, thereby allowing aircraft to take advantage of the brief windows of opportunity to treat in appropriate weather conditions, avoiding the windy conditions described in the article.” The next day NAAA received an email from the Journal’s news editor for newsroom standards acknowledging a correction about the ag plane photo appeared on page A2 of the WSJ’s Nov. 7 editions. The correction stated: “XtendiMax, a version of the herbicide dicamba made by Bayer AG, isn’t applied to crops aerially. In some editions Thursday, a U.S. News article about the herbicide incorrectly was accompanied by a photo of a crop duster spraying a field.”

 

NAAA appreciates NAAA member Brian Rau for bringing the misleading Wall Street Journal photo to the association’s attention and the Journal’s prompt correction once the editors were informed why an aerial application photo should not have appeared in the article about the EPA’s decision on Bayer’s dicamba herbicide.

Deceased Ag Pilot In-Training Cody Crow’s Children Need Your Help and Prayers

Cody Crow, a 22-year-old ag pilot in training, was fatally injured while helping load an ag aircraft on June 16 in Lawrence County, Ark. The June 21, 2018 issue of the NAAA eNewletter reported on the accident in which the young man was suffocated when the fertilizer in a hopper-bottom truck collapsed around him.

 

Crow left his fiancée, Tabitha Nicole Hyten, baby daughter, Kaidence Crow, and another child on the way. Reports have been received by friends that Tabitha is going through rough times with the loss of the children’s father. Please keep the family in your prayers and consider a donation to benefit the family.

 

A GoFundMe account has been set up to benefit the children. Donations can be made by clicking here.

BASF continues support of Operation S.A.F.E. in 2019

NAAA is pleased to announce that BASF has renewed its commitment to offer financial incentives to NAAA members who participate in Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-In clinics in 2019. This is a continuation of a program BASF initiated in 2010 in collaboration with NAAA to provide financial support for participating aerial applicators that can be used toward membership in NAAA or for new spray equipment.

 

The goals of the Aerial Application Equipment and NAAA Membership Program are to encourage operators and pilots to:

  • Pattern test their aircraft at an Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-In
  • Provide an incentive to equip eligible aircraft with new nozzles and/or tips
  • Encourage membership in NAAA
  • Promote aerial application optimization and stewardship

Complete details are specified in the official program rules, but aerial application operators can earn a $225 incentive to be used to help subsidize either 2019 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 them for nearly the full cost of their NAAA membership dues. The eligibility period for BASF’s incentive program encompasses Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-Ins offered between Oct. 1, 2018, and Sept. 30, 2019.

Terms and Conditions

To qualify for BASF’s Aerial Application Equipment and NAAA Membership Program, an operator or pilot must be an NAAA member and actually be the pilot flying the pattern evaluation. Although it is not necessary to be an NAAA member at the time of the Operation S.A.F.E. calibration clinic, the participant must become an NAAA member before applying for and being granted approval for the rebate. The operator or pilot must also be sure that the Operation S.A.F.E. analyst has the participant’s complete and correct information so that the analyst can provide that information to NAAA for submission to BASF. The operator or pilot must complete the application and send it to BASF to be reimbursed for a portion of the applicator’s 2019 membership dues or submit receipts to receive a rebate for nozzles and/or tips purchased for the aircraft. Submissions must be received by the rebate program’s auditor no later than Oct. 15, 2019. Payments will be made on or about Dec. 15, 2019.

 

Please visit AgAviation.org/basfincentive for complete details about the program and to download the application for reimbursement. The Aerial Application Equipment and NAAA Membership Program is part of BASF’s ongoing stewardship efforts for aerial applicators and the safe and proper application of its products. Visit www.plant-health-pilots.com for a variety of resources BASF provides aerial applicators.

 

NAAA and NAAREF encourage operators and pilots to measure and calibrate each spray system every 24 months or after any modification is made to the aircraft, the distribution system or flight procedures that could significantly affect the swath profile. Operation S.A.F.E. calibration clinics are held regularly throughout the year and can be sponsored by a state association or company. Operation S.A.F.E. clinics NAAA is aware of are listed on the events calendar at AgAviation.org.

Ag Aviation Expo Pre-Registration Deadline Extended to Sunday, Nov. 11

NAAA looks forward to seeing you at the 2018 Ag Aviation Expo in Reno, Dec. 3–6 at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. NAAA has extended pre-registration to Sunday, Nov. 11 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

 

Our hotel room block at the Atlantis is sold out, but our attendee registration is still low; help NAAA by pre-registering for the Ag Aviation Expo. Pre-registration allows you to bypass long registration lines onsite in Reno and it allows NAAA staff to ensure there are meals for everyone attending the banquets and receptions! If you wait to purchase a Kickoff Breakfast ticket on Monday morning right before the breakfast, we cannot guarantee that there will be tickets left or enough food for you. We also need to account for the number of attendees at the Welcome Reception and Auction Reception before our convention begins. Click here for your last chance to pre-register for the Ag Aviation Expo.

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: Pre-Register by Nov. 11 at 11:59 p.m. ET 
  • Exhibitor Booth Sales: Now Open
  • Auction Donations: Thank you to Pratt & Whitney Canada for their donation of a PT6-34AG Engine to this year’s NAAA Live 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.
  • Sponsorship Opportunities: View the sponsorship opportunities. Please email Lindsay for further details!

Book Your Hotel Room

Our block at the Atlantis is currently sold out; however, but rooms may open up in November as we always have cancellations. Feel free to call the Atlantis at (800) 723-6500 to check the status of rooms in mid-November.

 

The Peppermill is about one mile from the Atlantis. We do not have a block there, but it is a very nice hotel, if you’d like to look at rooms at their hotel at www.peppermillreno.com. The Peppermill phone number is 1-866-821-9996. Verify the cancellation policy so that you can cancel if rooms open at the Atlantis.

 

Currently Sold Out

 

Atlantis Casino Resort Spa is a world-class, AAA rated 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: Call (800) 723-6500 and reference the NAAA Convention (SNAA18) to check the availability of rooms. 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.

Fundraise for NAAREF with the Chance to win a $100 Gift Certificate at the Ag Aviation Expo!

Help us raise money for NAAREF and PAASS at King Pins, 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 in Reno, Nev.

 

Registration is now open and is required; the donation is $100 per person. Each person must register separately, and the bowling alley suggests no more than five people per lane. If you have questions while you’re registering, please email us.

 

Get creative and have fun!! We’ve heard that some teams may have bowling shirts made and others may dress up in costumes. But the most fun part is that the team with the highest scoring game of the night (all five bowlers scores added together per game), will each receive $100 gift certificates to purchase merchandise at the 2018 NAAA Support Fundraising booth on the Trade Show floor on Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

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.

 

Help us raise funds to continue the highly regarded PAASS Program, working to reduce the number of aviation accidents and drift incidents each year.

Donate Your 2018 Season GPS Data to Protect Against UAVs

In 2016, NAAA began reaching out to operators telling them about an opportunity our industry has to help the FAA keep manned aircraft safe from UAVs. By anonymously sharing your GPS data logs with Mississippi State University, the University will work with the FAA to demonstrate ag pilots flight characteristics. This, in turn, could lead the FAA to have sufficient data to better protect ag aviators flying in and around UAVs, based on submitted GPS data logs.

 

Mississippi State University's Raspet Flight Research Laboratory (RFRL) is leading a team of aviation researchers to determine when and where unmanned aircraft systems can operate safely with other aircraft at low altitudes. To do this, the RFRL research team is collecting data on when and where low-altitude aviators fly. But air traffic control radar doesn't provide coverage in the rural and or low airspace  where ag aviators are. If we want to show the FAA where low-level UAV flights could put ag aviators at risk, we need to send the RFRL our GPS data logs. The data you provide will be used to build representative flight profiles for agricultural aviation operations. Your data, when combined with flight data from other pilots, will help the RFRL team create the most accurate computer model ever built for low-altitude flight operations. This model will help to more reliably determine where drones can operate safely.

 

RFRL will conclude GPS data collection at the end of 2018 and transition into the data analysis and modeling phase of this project.  Therefore, GPS data from the 2018 season is especially important to this research as it provides the most current GPS data of the entire project.  Even if you have donated in years past, donating the data from your 2018 season can still be very useful. If you have never donated your data before, please consider sending your GPS data to university researchers to help them complete what promises to be a life-saving project.

 

As important as this research will be to flight safety, protecting your privacy is even more important. The data you provide will be stripped of personally identifiable information before it is stored and processed for this project. Your data will only be used for this purpose and will not be released outside of Mississippi State's flight research team without your express permission.

 

Additionally, Raspet preforms all calculations in-house without any third-party involvement. Raspet DOES NOT save any maps, images, or any other representation of the GPS logs and the geographic location of field will never be released. Lastly, since Raspet does not have any farmer or land ownership information for fields, there is no personal information involved or included in this process whatsoever. 

 

If you are willing to provide GPS data to support the RFRL's objective of enhancing low-altitude flight safety, MSU has set up a website that allows you to securely upload 1GB of your GPS track files. Go to www.hpc.msstate.edu/raspet-naaa and follow the instructions. The page will ask for a login—the username is: raspet-naaa, and the password is DATA#submission. Or if you prefer, you can simply email your files to agdata@raspet.msstate.edu (please limit email deliveries to 15 MB). For deliveries over 1 GB, you can save them on a thumb drive (or any external storage device) and mail it to:

 

Raspet Flight Research Laboratory
Attn: Madison Dixon
114 Airport Drive
Starkville, MS 39759

 

Additionally, if you have a large set of files you are currently storing on Dropbox or another file hosting site, email agdata@raspet.msstate.eduto request a link to share your files through Mississippi State's secure file sharing site. 

 

The RFRL will make recommendations to the FAA that will inform policy, procedures and operational guidelines for drone use that will help make our national airspace system safer. Most importantly, the results of this research may help save ag pilots' lives by making sure that everyone has the space they need to operate safely and effectively.

 

The RFRL at MSU was recently in the news for its contribution to a study showing UAV strikes are more dangerous to aircraft than bird strikes. The study was conducted through the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE). In addition to using resources from Mississippi State, researchers from Montana State University, Ohio State University, and Wichita State University also contributed.

 

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

An Opportunity to Protect Ag Aircraft from UAVs, FAA Reinstates ADS-B Rebate

The FAA has re-launched a $500 rebate for equipping fixed-wing single engine piston aircraft with ADS-B Out technology. The agency has made $4.9 million available for the program that runs through October 11, 2019.

 

As of January 1, 2020, aircraft flying in airspace where a transponder is necessary today are required to be equipped with ADS-B Out technology. The FAA has repeatedly said it will not move this deadline.

 

“The ADS-B mandate is not going away. We are about 15 months from the Jan. 1, 2020 deadline and now is the time for aircraft owners to equip,” said FAA acting administrator Dan Elwell.

 

While many ag aircraft do not require transponders and will still be able to fly after January 2020 without ADS-B, NAAA encourages ag aviators to consider equipping their aircraft with ADS-B as a means of making yourself aware to other aircraft equipped with ADS-B In whether they be other manned aircraft or UAV operators. Recently NAAA received word from a major global UAV manufacturer of their real interest in equipping their UAV fleet with ADS-B In technology.

 

There are five steps for claiming your $500 rebate:

  1. Visit the FAA’s website and select the equipment you want to purchase and schedule an instillation date within the next 90 days
  2. Reserve your rebate and get your Rebate Reservation Code
  3. Have your equipment installed
  4. Fly to validate the equipment’s performance; receive your Incentive Code
  5. Claim your $500 rebate using your Rebate Reservation and Incentive Codes

It is imperative you schedule your installation as quickly as possible, since you must provide a scheduled installation date when reserving your rebate that is in the next 90 days. Many maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities are experiencing a backlog of aircraft as the 2020 deadline approaches.

 

The previous rebate program ran from September 2016 to September 2017, but as much as one third of the available rebate money went unclaimed. The relaunched rebate program is available only to those who have not yet equipped their aircraft and does not apply to ADS-B software updates.

 

You can learn more about the rebate program on the FAA’s website here.