NAAA Sends Press Release with Five Important Facts Regarding Manned Aircraft Aerial Application and UAV Application

In response to a seemingly never-ending supply of misleading marketing material regarding the capabilities of UAVs and aerial application, NAAA put out a press release addressing some of the most common inaccurate claims.

 

 The press release, sent to agricultural, aviation, and general media throughout the country, explained why current UAV technology is by no means a wholesale replacement to manned aircraft applying crop protection products—not even close. UAV application technologies can complement manned aircraft by spraying plots of land not suitable for manned aircraft to treat. There is also a wealth of data to be gained from aerial images collected from UAVs. Some NAAA members are already taking advantage of this new technology for both these purposes. 

 

It is vital, however, that growers, foresters and others desiring aerial application services know the facts about the capabilities of manned aircraft and UAVs before making financial decisions. Here are five facts regarding the more commonly repeated inaccurate claims about manned aerial application that was included in the NAAA press release:

1. Aerial application by manned aircraft is by far the fastest application method.
   
   

2. Manned aircraft are equipped with GPS, variable rate, precision application technology, etc. making them equally technologically sophisticated as UAVs if not more so.
   
   

3. Aerial applicators can and do operate at night.
   
   

4. There is no evidence UAVs are more efficacious or create less unintentional drift than manned aircraft.
   
   

5. Applications made by UAVs might not be in compliance with EPA policy.
   

The press release can be read in its entirety here. To date, the press release as appeared in AgAir Update, sUAS News, and Farm Progress.

NAAA Talks Tower Regulations on Texas Radio Station

NAAA Executive Director Andrew Moore discussed federal tower-marking requirements for towers in rural areas on KXDJ-FM in Perryton, Texas, last week. He appeared on KXDJ Radio host Chris Samples’ show Sept. 6. You can listen to excerpts of Moore’s interview on KXDJ below.

 

In the first clip Moore explains that, unlike making hazard/no hazard determinations for towers over 200 feet, the FAA is not required to analyze towers under 200 feet for aviation safety. Aerial applicators and similar low-flying aviators such as law enforcement, air medical and pipeline patrol pilots operate within this danger zone for low-level obstacles. Noting there have been 40 tower-related accidents resulting in 36 fatalities across all General Aviation sectors from 2008 to 2018, Moore said, “It’s a concern, the lack of marking and the lack of a database to know where these towers might be.”

 

He then explained that provisions in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 require towers between 50 and 200 feet tall with an above-ground base of less than 10 feet in diameter in rural areas to be marked and/or logged in a database the FAA is currently developing. Previously, no towers under 200 feet were subject to any federal marking requirements. “With a lot of farmers and people in your areas listening … they should be aware because if they have a tower that’s between 200 and 50 feet and 10 feet in diameter in a rural area, where there could be low-flying aircraft, they need to mark that tower and they’ll need to log it into a federal database,” Moore said.

 

The second clip includes a discussion of the FAA’s Daily Digital Obstacle File (Daily DOF). “Now it’s not a failsafe. It certainly helps,” Moore said. “Nothing helps better than to be able to see the tower, whether it’s a flashing light or if it’s cable balls on guide wires or if it’s painted aviation orange and white. Nothing helps more than that, especially lighting. But certainly having it … logged into a database when you are keeping an eye on GPS certainly helps.” Until the FAA comes out with its final tower marking requirements, Moore encouraged landowners to preemptively mark and voluntarily log towers on their property into the FAA’s Daily DOF.

 

This was the fourth interview NAAA has had with Samples since August 2013 shortly after the fatal MET tower collision that claimed the life of ag pilot Jason Martin in Beaver County, Okla., just across the Texas state line near Perryton. Martin worked as a substitute DJ at the station and was a friend and colleague of Samples. Moore discussed what NAAA is doing to blunt the dangers METs and other obstructions pose to low-level aviators.

Planned Restructuring at Thrush Enters Second Phase with Chapter 11 Filing

Following a recent announcement that Thrush Aircraft will be bringing in new leadership along with a financial reorganization that will allow the company to increase its capabilities and capacity, Thrush has now entered the second phase of its planned restructuring with a filing of the standard petition for Chapter 11 reorganization.

 

Thrush Aircraft is entering Phase Two of its planned rebuilding process, which will yield an increase in both capabilities and capacity for future growth and long-term success.

 

The Albany, Ga.-based aircraft manufacturer announced this phase is anticipated to be temporary, with the company soon to enter a planned Phase Three, which will include the announcement of the company’s new leadership team as it emerges in a stronger position for long-term success.

 

During this second phase, work at Thrush, including new aircraft sales, deliveries and global customer support, continues unabated with a highly experienced workforce of factory veterans. These same team members helped deliver a record number of aircraft sales for Thrush in the first quarter of this year.

 

“Resiliency has always been a pillar of the Thrush brand,” said Eric Rojek, vice president of Thrush. “As are skill, determination and trust. Restructuring a company is always a challenge by any measure—but it’s a well-planned effort we are fully prepared for, and that will yield significant gains. In the meantime, I can assure our customers, prospects and fans that sales, deliveries and product support are continuing unabated here in Albany and around the world in both the agriculture and firefighting arenas.”

 

Rojek continued: “As this second phase begins, it’s also important to personally acknowledge and thank our suppliers and business partners who have played key roles in this rebuilding process. We look forward to continuing each of those long-standing relationships as we move into Phase Three of these restructuring efforts, and on to even greater success together in the months to come.”

 

Founded in 2003, Thrush Aircraft manufactures a full range of aerial application aircraft used in agriculture, forestry and firefighting roles worldwide. Today there are more than 2,400 Thrush aircraft operating in some 80 countries around the world.

UAS Tracking and ID Rule Again Delayed

The FAA announced last week that the publication of a draft rule for the tracking and identification of UAVs to better address their safety in the national airspace has been pushed from this month to December. The publication date for this proposed rule has slipped several times over this year.

 

A rule for the tracking and ID of UAVs is critical for the enforcement of all other UAS related regulations. NAAA previously commented to the FAA that rulemakings on UAS flights at night and over people should not proceed until a tracking and ID rule is finalized.

 

It is unknown what the proposed rule will consist of, but it was reported in March of 2018 the FAA is considering a four-tiered approach based on UAS size and operation.  

 

In 2017, NAAA was one of 27 members on the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Identification and Tracking Aviation Rulemaking Committee (UAS ID and Tracking ARC), chartered by the FAA. Members came from the aviation community, industry member organizations, law enforcement agencies, public safety organizations, and manufacturers.

 

In December 2017, the UAS ID and Tracking ARC submitted a final report to the FAA on the feasibility of various technologies available to identify and track UAVs while in flight. NAAA was one of 10 members that dissented from the report’s recommendations. The dissenting letter expressed distress over having “exemptions for a massive segment of the UAS industry” and explains why lacking a weight-based threshold for compliance with the rules could “greatly undermine the value, benefits and utility of UAS ID and Tracking – not to mention, jeopardize the safety of the airspace and comprehensiveness of any future [unmanned traffic management system].” The dissent was also signed by signed by the Commercial Drone Alliance, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, the Aerospace Industries Association, X, GE, uAvionix, Ford Motor Co., AirMap, and General Atomics.  NAAA believes that UAVs above half a pound should be required to be tracked and identified.

NAAA Ensures Rural Broadband Grant Recipients Know Tower Marking Laws

USDA’s ReConnect program is set to disperse $600 million in loans and grants later this year to generate private sector investment in providing broadband services to rural communities. USDA is currently evaluating loan and grant applications with awardees expected to be announced next month.

 

To awardees who erect towers in rural communities know their obligations under the law, USDA will provide recipients with educational materials developed by NAAA that detail not just tower marking regulations, but industry best practices as well.

 

The materials explain the 2016 and 2018 FAA Reauthorizations require towers between 50 and 200 feet AGL located in rural areas with an above ground base of less than 10 feet in diameter must be either marked or logged into a database. While the FAA is still developing this database, these towers can still be voluntarily logged in the FAA’s Daily Digital Obstacle File.

 

Previously, NAAA met with USDA to discuss tower marking regulations and emphasized the 2018 Farm Bill conference report language that requires the marking of rural towers or database logging of rural towers to ensure safety for low-altitude ag aircraft.

 

The language NAAA was successful in having included in the 2018 Farm Bill states:

As the USDA develops financing, policy and other aspects related to rural broadband development, the Managers request USDA take into account Sec. 2110 of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016. This will ensure communication towers providing broadband services in rural areas that meet the specifications described in Section 2110 are properly marked and entered into a FAA database to protect the safety of aerial applicators, aerial firefighters, public health applicators, medevac units, law enforcement and other low-flying aircraft.

NAAA want to ensure rural communities have access to high speed internet while also protecting low-level aviators from the threat of towers, a threat that continues to grow each year. In 2000 there were 60,000 towers for wireless communication in the U.S. Today there are 150,000, and by 2025 another 50,000 towers are expected. The meeting with USDA was useful in ensuring these towers used for rural broadband don’t come at the expense of putting ag aviators at risk.

NAAA Submits Comments on UPS’s FAA Exemption Request for UAV Package Delivery

NAAA this week submitted comments to the FAA on UPS Flight Forward’s (UPS FF) request for exemption from several Federal Aviation Regulations. Formed this past July, UPS Flight Forward is the UAV subsidiary of UPS.

 

The petition requested UPS FF use the Matternet M2 sUAS for package delivery. The M2 is approximately 50 x 50 x 10 inches in size, with a maximum gross takeoff weight of 29.1 pounds. The maximum payload capacity is 4.4 pounds.

 

NAAA explained it is critical UAVs be equipped with both an FAA-approved sense and avoid system to automatically ground the UAV when a manned aircraft is in the vicinity and with ADS-B Out-like technology. ADS-B Out-like technology would allow a manned aircraft to track the vicinity of a UAV. That technology is not enough, however, due to the difficulty of manned aircraft seeing small UAVs. An automatic grounding mechanism would act as a failsafe against collisions. 

The UPS FF M2 is already conducting operations 5 days a week under North Carolina’s UAS Integrated Pilot Program (IPP) delivering blood samples from WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, NC to a laboratory on the WakeMed campus. Since this operation is part of North Carolina’s IPP, the public could not comment on the operations. 

The UAS IPP program is the result of an October 2017 Presidential Memorandum directing the Department of Transportation to establish a pilot program allowing state and local governments to loosen restrictions on UAV operations for the purpose of collecting data on UAV flights.  NAAA submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation outlining the concerns the UAS IPP program presents for low-flying and other manned aviators. NAAA requested the FAA consider the safety and importance of the agricultural aviation industry when developing UAV policy so as not to jeopardize this key component to agricultural production.

You can read NAAA’s full comments the UPS FF exemption request here.

 

Be Sure to Vote in Current 2019 National Agricultural Aviation Association Proposed Bylaw Amendment eBallot; Voting Closes Sept. 26

 NAAA’s eBallot for members to vote on proposed amendments to its Bylaws is now open through Sept. 26, 2019. If you are a 2019 member of NAAA eligible to vote, you should have received a notice via email on how to log onto the eBallot to cast your positions. Another notice will be sent for those that have yet to vote so please be on the lookout for an email from “announcement@associationvoting.com.” The email will include a weblink to click and a name and password for you to use to vote in the eBallot. Please be sure to set your email settings to allow emails from announcement@associationvoting.com, or keep an eye open for the email in your spam or junk filter. Feel free to contact Andrew Moore, NAAA’s executive director, to access the eBallot or with any other questions you may have relating to the vote. His email is admoore@agaviation.org.

In February of 2019 the NAAA Board of Directors elected unanimously in favor of these proposed amendments to the Bylaws, and as guided by the governing document, agreed to hold an election for all eligible NAAA voting members in hopes that they would agree to these amendments. The amendments have been designed to strengthen the association and the aerial application industry to better clarify and streamline the association's governance; to develop membership categories and oversight committees to best represent the modern aerial application industry; and to augment membership and resources directed to the association to better provide the industry with policy-advocacy, public relations, education, communication and networking services.

In June, the proposed amendments to NAAA’s Bylaws, and an explanation as to why changes were being proposed was sent to all eligible NAAA voting members.  That document can be read by clicking here.

It’s that Time Again: Renew Your Membership Today!

 

 

Renewals are now open! You will soon receive your renewal form in the mail, but there is no need to wait! You can renew online today. As a member of NAAA, you associate with the best and brightest in the agricultural aviation industry and your support is imperative in helping us accomplish our initiatives. We’d like to remind you of just a few new offerings NAAA has recently released such as:

• NAAA is now offering legal services on Federal Transpiration Laws to Operator and Pilot Members
• Receive the 2019 NAAA Operator and Pilot Survey Report which is chockful of key statistics providing a healthy status of the U.S. aerial application industry. 
• The legendary Sean D. Tucker will be speaking at the Ag Aviation Expo in Orlando, Nov. 18-21, 2019. It's 4 days packed full of educational sessions where you can earn CEU's. Registration opens July1!
• Our 2019 NAAA Membership Directory has been mailed out. It’s your one-stop shop where you can find members and allied services in the industry.
• Stay up-to-date on the latest issues affecting your profession through the NAAA eNewsletter, Agricultural Aviation magazine and exclusive member resources online such as our Media Relations Kit.
• Don’t forget to take advantage of financial incentives such as our Operation S.A.F.E. Rebate Program and our Recruitment Rewards Program.
  

Attendees: Pre-Register & Save Money for Ag Aviation Expo

We look forward to seeing you at the 2019 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo in Orlando, Nov. 18-21. Our room block is nearly 80% 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 convention. Below are some must attend events at the 2019 Ag Aviation Expo:

• Kickoff Breakfast speaker Sean D. Tucker, champion aerobatic aviator.
• General Session – Aerial Imaging Diversification for your Business & Trends in Global Crop Protection Products.  The 2019 General Session will explore the future of the aerial application industry by examining trends in the global crop protection product industry and across agriculture. After that big-picture assessment of the global marketplace in the first half of the session, NAAA will take a closer look at aerial imaging as a diversification option for aerial applicators.
• NAAA Trade Show – featuring five aircraft and an expected 150+ exhibitors.
• Aerial Application Research Technology Session and more than a dozen educational sessions where you can earn potential CEUs (additional details will be posted as they become available and CEUs will be available this Fall).
• Join us on Thursday for the Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet honoring individuals and companies in the aerial application industry. 
• Putting for PAASS for NAAREF/PAASS is a fundraiser for the ag aviation industry’s premier educational safety program. This fundraising event will take place on Sunday, Nov. 17, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Rosen Shingle Creek. Registration is required and the donation is $110 per person and four people per team. Food and beverages are not included; a cash bar will be available. Please enjoy dinner at one of the many Rosen Shingle Creek eateries before or after your putting game!
• Pre-and Post- Conference Vacations: If you would like to add a pre- or post-conference stay at Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando Resort, Ag Aviation Expo attendees may contact Pam Townsend, travel agent and owner of Neverland Destinations. With two years as a tour guide at Walt Disney World and five years as a travel agent specializing in Universal and Disney destinations, Pam will help you plan your schedule around the conference using the special rate tickets for conference attendees. She can assist with hotel selection (night of 11/16 or before this date and 11/22 and after the Ag Aviation Expo), dining reservations, Fastpass+ suggestions, and more for a seamless, worry-free, and magical theme park vacation. Please feel free to email her at pam@NeverlandDestinations.com.

Additional details for the 2019 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo

• Dates: Nov. 18–21, 2019 (NOTE THE NOVEMBER DATES)
• Location: Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL
• Schedule of Events: Current schedule here. Subject to change.
• Attendee Registration: Now Open 
• Exhibitor Booth Sales: Now Open
• Auction Donations: Thank you to Pratt & Whitney Canada for donating a PT6-34AG engine to this year’s NAAA Live Auction. Please consider donating 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. Click here for donation details. 
  
• Sponsorship Opportunities: View sponsorship opportunities here.

Hotel Details

• Rate: $139/night + taxes (no resort fee and includes basic internet access in your room and complimentary fitness center access)
• Reservations: Book online here or call (866) 996-6338 and refer to NAAA convention. All reservations are two double beds. If you'd like a king room, please state that when calling or in the comments section when making the reservation online. 
• Hotel Block Cut-off Date: Thursday, Oct. 24 at 5 p.m. ET (room block is now 95% full) 
• Hotel Address:  9939 Universal Blvd., Orlando, FL 32819 | Hotel Phone: (866) 996-9939 | Reservations: (866) 996-6338
• Cancellation & One Night's Charge Policy: Cancellation required by 4 p.m. at least five (5) days prior to arrival to avoid a charge of one night’s room + tax. All reservations are required to be guaranteed with a valid credit card. Please be advised that five days prior to your arrival, an authorization equivalent to one night's room + tax charge will be processed on your card. Authorizations on a debit card will place a hold on funds within your bank account at the time of authorization. 
• Check In & Out: Check in is 3 p.m. and check out is 11 a.m.
• Parking: Daily self-parking is $18; valet is $26.
• Universal Orlando Hotel Partner, where guests enjoy complimentary scheduled daily transportation from the hotel to and from Universal Orlando Resort exciting theme parks and to SeaWorld® Orlando and Aquatica. Contact the hotel directly for further details at (866) 996-9939

Attended an Operations S.A.F.E. Clinic This Year? Take Advantage of BASF’s Financial Incentives!

It’s not too late to take advantage of BASF’s financial incentives for participating in an Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-in clinic this year (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 eligibility period for BASF’s incentive program encompasses Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-Ins between Oct. 1, 2018, and Sept. 30, 2019. Submissions must be received by BASF no later than Oct. 15, 2019 and rebates will be issued around December 15.

 

Complete details are specified in the official program rules, but in essence, 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 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

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 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. Payments will be made on or about Dec. 15, 2019.

 
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.

 

You can see a list of Operation S.A.F.E. near you here and here. 

Want to Win Thousands in Educational Scholarships? Enter Our Support Scholarship Contest by Sept. 15!

Attention, higher-education students: Don’t miss out on the opportunity to compete for a combined $3,000 in educational scholarships. The deadline for the 2019 Support Scholarship Contest is Sept. 15. The NAAA Support Committee will award a $2,000 scholarship as top prize and Covington Aircraft Engines has generously agreed to sponsor a $1,000 scholarship.

 The theme for this year’s contest is “What value does membership have to me?”  The scholarship is not restricted to pursuing a “flying career.” Any educational pursuit beyond high school (at any age) is eligible. The competition is open to all NAAA members and their family members.
 
Entrants must be a senior in high school or be registered in higher education by the fall semester of 2019.  Previous winners are not eligible to compete.

NEW THIS YEAR:  Submissions must be an essay of at least 1,500 words or a 5-minute multi-media presentation. Submissions should be sent as an email attachment by Sept. 15 to information@agaviation.org. More information about eligibility requirements, contest guidelines and sample essays from past scholarship recipients are available online here.

Don’t PAASS Up Safety and Have and Accident – Attend the 2019-2020 PAASS Program

 

The 2019-2020 PAAAS Program is ready to help you and the agricultural aviation industry improve safety, application accuracy and professionalism. The following four modules will be given and state and regional agricultural aviation association meetings this fall and winter. Check the NAAA calendar and make sure you plan on attending.  The core mission of PAASS is to reduce both ag aviation accidents and drift incidents, and PAASS has proven successful at this task. Accidents have been reduced by 23% since PAASS began. Studies conducted by the American Association of Pest Control Officials show a reduction in drift claims of nearly 26 percent since PAASS started. Many state departments of agriculture offer CEUs for PAASS attendance and many insurance providers offer discounts to PAASS attendees.

Agricultural Aviation’s Airfield Watch

For this year’s Airfield Watch module, an operator will describe a break-in that occurred at his facility. He will review how the perpetrators attempted to gain access to his buildings and equipment in an attempt to steal fuel. He also describes what he’s done since the incident in order to better secure his operation. This has included increasing the security lighting with motion detectors around the buildings with plans to install security cameras at the facility. It is critical to protect agricultural aviation operations from a variety of threats, including vandalism, theft, and the unlikely possibility of terrorist activity.

Human Factors in Agricultural Aviation – “Controlled Flight Into Terrain Accidents”

Controlled Flight Into Terrain, or CFIT, accidents continue to be a concern for agricultural aviation. Over the last 10 years, CFIT accidents have accounted for 29% of all agricultural aviation accidents. During this same time period, 49% of fatal Part 137 accidents have been CFIT accidents. In 2018, a staggering 75% of fatal accidents involved CFIT. CFIT accidents include collisions with the ground, wires, towers, and trees. Participants will hear from several pilots about their CFIT accidents and factors that led to the accident. These included failure to properly scout a field, allowing the pressures of running an operation to cause distraction, and trying to sometimes impress an employer or someone else but perhaps taking on additional risk. CFIT accidents obviously present a dangerous threat to pilots but can also cause harm to the environment as well with the accident potentially resulting in a pesticide spill. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss how to scout fields for obstacles and maintain vigilance throughout the application in order to avoid a CFIT accident.

Environmental Professionalism – “Operation S.A.F.E. Prep Work and Boom Update”

Operation S.A.F.E. fly-in clinics offer aerial applicators the opportunity to have their aircraft’s spray pattern and droplet size evaluated by a trained professional. Many S.A.F.E. fly-ins are quite busy, with multiple aircraft participating. In order to get the most out of attending a fly-in, it is important to prepare your aircraft ahead of time. The Environmental Professionalism module will discuss aircraft preparation, including checking for leaks and aligning nozzles, whether participating in an Operation S.A.F.E. or analyzing your system yourself.  The module will also provide an update on using a shortened boom to reduce drift and the impact of belly nozzles on spray pattern quality.

Hangar AG Flying – “Accident Review, Landing with a Load, and other Topics”

This module will include an analysis of ag accidents that occurred during the 2019 application season. Studying these accidents enables attendees to learn from other pilots’ experiences and increase flying safety. A segment on how to land with a load will review how to accomplish this task as well as how to train for it. Also covered will be an update on FieldWatch and discussion on the risks of pesticides.

NAAA and NAAREF Board Meetings Oct. 11-12

We look forward to seeing you in Denver for our October NAAA and NAAREF committee and board meetings. Most meetings take place Oct. 11–12 with a couple of meetings beginning on Oct. 10. PAASS Train the Trainer will take place Oct. 9–10. 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

Grand Hyatt Denver
1750 Welton Street
Denver, CO 80202
Local Phone: (303) 295-1234

Rate: $179/night plus tax (comped WiFi in guest rooms & fitness center access)

 
Reservations: Book online at https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/DENRD/G-NAAV or call: (800) 233-1234 (identify NAAA & NAAREF Board meetings for the reduced room rate)

 
Room Block Closes:  Sept. 17, 2019. We cannot guarantee room rates or room availability once the room block closes. If you have issues booking a hotel room, please contact Lindsay Barber (please do not book outside the block).

2019 Ag Aviation Golf Tournament Oct. 19–20

NAAA members are invited to join your Arkansas brethren for a fun weekend of golf and fellowship Oct. 19–20. The Red Apple Inn and Country Club in Heber Springs, Ark., is hosting the 2019 Ag Aviation Golf Tournament. This year’s proceeds will benefit the Miracle League of Arkansas, a baseball league for children with intellectual and/or physical disabilities.

 

The $150 entry fee covers two rounds of golf, happy hour and dinner at the Red Apple Inn on Saturday evening and a complimentary T-shirt. The tournament starts at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, with a two-man scramble format. The final round tees off Sunday, Oct. 20, starting at 8:30 a.m. (A dinner-only fee of $35 is available for non-golfers.)

 

Inn rooms, two-bedroom condos and three-bedroom condos are available at the Red Apple Inn for $135, $215 and $260, respectively. Call the Red Apple Inn at 1-800-733-2775 and use the reservation code “AG AVIATION” to reserve your room.

 

To register for the Ag Aviation Golf Tournament, complete the registration form and mail a check to:

Brenda Watts

102 Norris Lane

Watson, AR 71674
(please include T-shirt size on the check)

The tournament organizers, a small group of Arkansas aerial applicators, decided to donate proceeds from this year’s golf tournament to the Miracle League of Arkansas to help the organization repair its flood-damaged ballfield. On June 7, the Miracle League’s specially equipped ballfield was flooded with water from the overflowing Arkansas River. More than 24,000 tiles were damaged in the flood that must be removed, cleaned, sanitized, repaired, reinstalled and repainted. The nonprofit organization launched the Flood the Field with Love campaign to raise funds to repair the field.

 

For more information, please contact the 2019 Ag Aviation Golf Tournament organizers. Contact information for members of the tournament committee is available here.