Election 2018 Updates: Agenda for 116th Congress and Farm Bill Progress

The dust is starting to settle from last week’s midterm elections and a clearer picture of the leaders and priories of the 116^thCongress is starting to emerge. One Senate race, between incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and outgoing Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R), remains uncalled. In addition, U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)—also backed by AgAv PAC—will be in a runoff election next month with Former Secretary of Agricutlure under the Clinton Administration, Mike Espy. Nine house races still remain too close to call. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) has been defeated by his Democratic challenger Josh Harder. His loss all but assures general aviation pilot and AgAv PAC backed Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) will be ranking member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The committee chair is expected to be Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR).  

Infrastructure on the Agenda 

Both Republicans and Democrats are looking at making infrastructure a top priority when the new congress is sworn in this January. Rep. DeFazio has said infrastructure will be a priority and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), who is expected to chair the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee said he "would love to sink my teeth into an infrastructure package.” 

 

Though both sides are sure to have disagreements, including how such a bill will be financed and whether to include funding for a boarder wall. Rep. DeFazio has already said a wall is a non-starter: "I have no interest in wading into that issue. Infrastructure should stand alone. It doesn't need to be traded for anything… I'm not getting into the border wall, that's not going to be a tradeoff.” 

 

Regarding funding for such a package, NAAA will work closely with members of Congress to strengthen tower marking rules, protect general aviation from costly user fees and preserve the ag aviation industry’s fuel tax exemption.

Farm Bill Progress 

There are just 17 legislative days before the end of the year, but House Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX) and ranking member Collin Peterson (D-MN) are working to come up with a Farm Bill that can quickly pass in both the House and Senate. The leaders met for 30-minutes this past Monday with more meetings expected throughout the week. 

 

NAAA will continue to advocate for a speedy vote on the 2018 Farm Bill that includes vital regulatory relief reforms, 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).

 

Representatives Conaway and Peterson are expected to switch positions on the House Agriculture Committee next year, with Peterson becoming chairman and Conaway becoming ranking member. Both members were supported by the AgAv PAC this past election cycle.

Great Items up for Bid at the Ag Aviation Expo; New Text Bidding for Silent Auction

NAAA thanks the many companies that support ag pilots and their operations, as well as the industry as a whole, through donating items for the Live and Silent Auctions at the NAAA Ag Aviation Expo. The money raised from these items supports NAAA programs and we’re still seeking additional items to make this auction a record breaker! Click here for a full list of auction donations and supporting companies.

 

Join us for the Live Auction & Reception on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 5:30 p.m. at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center on the NAAA Trade Show floor. All are welcome to enjoy the auction and food and beverages sponsored by Syngenta.

 

The Silent Auction, in booth #441, will be open on the NAAA Trade Show floor during Trade Show hours and until 3 p.m. (staggered closing of silent auction items begins at 2 p.m.) on Wednesday, Dec. 5. NEW THIS YEAR! text bidding for the Silent Auction. Beginning Sunday, Dec. 2 at 12 p.m. PT, text NAAA to 71760 from your mobile device and follow the directions to bid. Text bidding allows you to set an auto bid (let the system bid for you up to a certain amount) while you walk the NAAA Trade Show Floor and attend sessions. The system will also text you when you've been outbid. For questions onsite, please visit the Silent Auction booth #441. For questions in advance of the show, email naaaexpo@agaviation.org. Bid early and often!

 

Thank you to Pratt & Whitney Canada for their generous donation of a brand new PT6A-34AG turboprop engine. Please note that potential buyers must provide a letter of credit from a financial institution to NAAA and place 10 percent down as an initial deposit. The engine is valued at $517,547. Please send letter of credit to Lindsay Barber.

 

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. 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, 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: 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.

2018 Ag Aviation Expo App Available for Download

Do you want the latest information onsite at this year’s 2018 Ag Aviation Expo in Reno, Dec. 3–6? We have it for you on the NAAA Expo App, which will feature the most up-to-date information right on your device! Our mobile app takes your pre-Expo, onsite and post-Expo experience to a new level and allows attendees who don’t want to carry a paper program guide, with the opportunity to have all of the Ag Aviation Expo information stored directly on their devices. Users of the NAAA Ag Aviation Expo App will be able to receive updates and have the most up-to-date information right on their mobile devices. NAAA Expo App sponsored by Wilbur-Ellis.

 

Download Instructions

• If you do not already have the AttendeeHub App, download the app called AttendeeHub in your app store on IOS or Android. (CrowdCompass App)
• Once the AttendeeHub App is downloaded, search NAAA (not our full name) in the app, when you see our Expo, click the download button.

 

Features of the app include:

1. The full event schedule with details and location of sessions.
2. A list of exhibitors on the NAAA Trade Show with an interactive floor map.
3. A full list of the CEUs that will be offered this year.
4. A list of auction items and companies that are supporting NAAA and the aerial application industry with a sponsorship.
5. Notifications about networking opportunities and other breaking event news pushed directly to your device via our Push Notifications

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.

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.

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.