High-Minded Policy Established in Denver at NAAA-NAAREF Fall Board Meeting Last Week

NAAA and NAAREF held their fall Board meetings in Denver last week, Oct. 9–12. The meetings were very productive in training PAASS presenters on the latest ag aviation professional curriculum, and in developing substantive policies to progress NAAA, NAAREF and the ag aviation industry forward.

Train the Trainer

The first meetings included training the PAASS presenters on the new, original curriculum that NAAREF develops each year on operational security, aviation safety and environmental professionalism. The 2019–2020 program, which began this week at Colorado’s (CoAAA) state convention, will analyze a recent, actual break-in at the ag aviation operation of 2018 NAAA President Gary Jerger in Minnesota and precautions that were taken after the burglary to improve its security. The aviation safety segment will focus on actual controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accidents and lessons learned from the pilots involved. The environmental professional curriculum’s focus is on how to prepare for an ag aircraft application equipment testing clinic, or on how to test one’s own equipment. 

AgAv PAC Breakfast

NAAA national and Colorado members were treated to a great address on Oct.11 at an AgAv PAC fundraising breakfast featuring U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) who briefed the audience on the present partisan environment in our nation’s capital between legislators. He also emphasized the importance of why it is important for those involved in agriculture to fight for what they believe in and to support those that represent their rural, farming interests.

 General Session: State of the Association/Industry Report

The General Session of the Board meeting began with President Perry Hofer (South Dakota) welcoming the Board and Committee members. He then introduced Andrew Moore, NAAA executive director, who presented an overview of key policies and trends occurring in the ag industry as well as numerous efforts NAAA and NAAREF have been undertaking. He started by touching on how the USDA is predicting net farm income to be $88 billion, 5% above last year, but 22% of that dollar figure is from direct subsides including trade relief and disaster payments. The trade troubles with China markedly curbing U.S. ag purchases have hurt the U.S. ag economy as well as excessive moisture and a very late spring in 2019. This resulted in 19.2 million acres going unplanted this year. Moore then discussed NAAA’s ag aviation economic survey conducted this fall that included some figures to be optimistic about, such as an increase in the number of hours flown by operators in 2019 by 18.3% (329 hours per aircraft in 2019 versus 278.2 hours in 2018, and 2.23 aircraft per operation in 2019 versus 2.2 aircraft in 2018). A higher percentage of operators are optimistic about the upcoming 2020 season (53%), than are skeptical. Also 69.3% of operators treated greater, somewhat greater or the same number of acres in 2019 versus 2018 (60%). 

 

Moore went on to state that due to partisan bickering in Washington, D.C., very little substantive policy has been enacted by the Congress and this will likely continue until Jan. 20, 2021, the next inauguration. No infrastructure bill is expected to be enacted this Congress, which was looked upon as possibly being a vehicle to attach tower marking subsidy funds and expanding marking to communication towers. Moore did state how NAAA has been diligently working on (re)registering crop protection products for aerial use by urging the placement of aerial use language on 63 active ingredient comment periods to EPA so far this year. He also mentioned NAAA’s involvement in successfully supporting the Trump Administration’s efforts to scale back the Obama administration’s proposal to markedly expand the definition of a Water of the U.S. under the Clean Water Act to actually include dry riverbeds. Moore forecast the environment in Washington, D.C., post Inauguration Day 2021. He stated that the House of Representatives is very likely to continue with a Democratic majority and the Senate is in play to possibly shift to a Democratic majority. Should such a scenario occur and there is a change in the presidency, the focus will very likely be on increasing taxes and reducing carbon in the environment through significantly increasing environmental regulations and taxes on carbon use. The chance of gridlock will likely remain between the executive and legislative branch in the event of a second term for President Trump; however, it is likely a reasonable regulatory environment would remain.

 

Moore also discussed federal drone policy. NAAA has been advocating in both the trade press and to the FAA and EPA that due to drones’ multi-rotor and prop configurations and lighter weight, they should be comprehensively tested for application efficacy and drift potential like manned ag aircraft were by the Spray Drift Task Force in the 1990s. Then proper pesticide use directions could be developed for them and possible approval granted for their broad use. He also mentioned that the FAA is looking at granting a waiver from providing right-of-way to manned aircraft to drones checking utility wires. NAAA has adamantly protested this proposed exemption due to ag aircraft’s operations around these utilities. 

 

Agricultural media was then discussed including a focus in the larger media about chlorpyrifos and glyphosate lawsuits. Not to be deterred on promoting the judicious and professional use of crop protection products, NAAA continued its placement of ads promoting the benefits of aerial application in AgWeb’s eNewsletter and CropLife magazine, with national circulations of 200,000 and 47,000, respectively, of farmers, retailers and crop consultants. The ads include directions to NAAA’s “Find an Aerial Applicator” search tool for those interested in contacting an NAAA member near them to provide effective aerial application work. NAAA has also proactively sent several press releases to the national media and the ag, UAV and aviation trade press throughout the country. The releases include cautioning drone operators about low-altitude manned ag aircraft. Data from our industry survey identifying a large increase in aerial application use (28% of all applications to commercial U.S. cropland) was also touted. These releases have been picked up in sUAS News, UAS magazine, Verticalmagazine, Farm Journal, CropLife magazine, AgPro magazine and RFD TV—which have combined circulations of well over 50 million. Moore also touched on accidents this year of which there have been a total of 52 with six fatalities, unfortunately. 

 

 

A briefing on the excellent lineup of NAAA’s Ag Aviation Expo scheduled for Nov. 18–21 in Orlando at Rosen Shingle Creek Resort was also discussed. Aerobatic pilot and Smithsonian Living Legend of Flight recipient Sean Tucker, former aerial applicator, will be the Kickoff Breakfast speaker. The General Session and education sessions will focus on topics from aerial imaging to the international ag and agri-chemical economy to FAA and UAV regs. Moore stated there are already 142 exhibitors, five aircraft (three fixed-wing; two rotorcraft) slated for the exposition floor. The auction includes Pratt & Whitney Canada’s donation of a PT6A-34AG turbine engine as well as a four-passenger golf cart from Air Tractor, a $15,000 gift certificate from Covington and a turbine transition course from Turbine Training Center. Hotel registrations for the convention are at a record high.

 

Moore touched on membership and the great tangibles that were provided to NAAA members this year from the 2019 Aerial Application Operator and Pilot Survey conducted every five-plus years to complimentary, limited legal consulting on federal transportation law that is now offered to NAAA members. Moore also mentioned that NAAA memberships are down in 2019 but new membership categories in a broadened operator and pilot category to include firefighting, public health and forestry applications along with an aerial-imaging category have been approved by the membership and may add to membership numbers. Lower membership numbers along with consolidation in the agri-chemical industry and lower sponsorships resulted in a slight $4,357 deficit for NAAA and a $66,224 deficit for NAAREF, yet reserves and total assets are very strong for both organizations. 

 

Moore did discuss challenges forthcoming to the industry such as efforts in California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado to cancel the use of pesticides such as chlorpyrifos and glyphosate without the consideration of sound science. Also mentioned were efforts in those states to enact notification periods and restrictions to aerial application, without considering commonplace technologies and techniques used to ensure its safety. He also mentioned the dietary trend for plant-based foods such as Burger King’s Impossible Whopper and that 40% of Millennials choose this lifestyle. These trends could result in fewer acres planted. He closed, however, with real opportunities for the aerial application industry to diversify into precision/variable-rate applications, pointing to how many international crop protection product companies are setting up consulting divisions in this field, such as Bayer’s Climate Corp, Corteva’s Encirca and Syngenta’s Strider. He also pointed to 12% of aerial applicators already conducting aerial-imaging today and 4% using drones to help develop the images necessary to conduct precision/variable rate applications.

Committee and Board Meetings

The following are the key takeaways from the NAAA and NAAREF Board and Committee meetings held Oct. 10–12 in Denver:

 

Budget & Finance: The Board approved motions from the Budget & Finance Committee to approve NAAA’s annual financial audit and it also set the dues rate for the aerial-imaging membership category at $200.

 

Communication and Public Relations: Much of the discussion at the meeting was about the upcoming 100^th anniversary of agricultural aviation celebration that is forthcoming in 2021 and collecting information for the event. Work is already underway on a book covering the centennial. Chairman Sam Rogge of Colorado asked board members to go back to their states and regions and collect important information about the industry’s history and photographs and video for a documentary and exhibit information that will be developed for aviation and agricultural themed museums. Information should be sent to Colleen Isaacson on NAAA’s staff: cisaacson@agaviation.org.

 

Convention Committee: The focus was preparing for the upcoming Expo in Orlando next month at Rosen Shingle Creek, where all events will take place. There is a lot excitement surrounding numerous events such as the NAAREF fundraiser Putting for PAASS where foursomes will play a best ball on a putting course Sunday, Nov. 17, to win gift certificates to purchase NAAA merchandise at the Support Booth. The Relationship Drift educational session on Thursday, Nov. 21, will include operators and pilots and their spouses,significant others and office staff to analyze ways in which their relationship behavior can lead to a safer, more enjoyable ag aviation work environment. Early registration saves you $50 per person to attend and ends Oct. 18. Potential future convention sites were discussed including Denver, Reno, Fort Worth and Las Vegas. Future breakfast speakers were also discussed including Marcus Luttrell, Navy SEAL and author of Lone Survivor, the story of his teams’ 2005 battle with Taliban soldiers in Afghanistan. Luttrell’s speaking costs are $60,000 so significant sponsorships would need to be collected to book his engagement.

 

Governing Documents: A code of conduct ensuring members abide by professional behavior was developed and analyzed by the committee. A legal review of the document will occur before finalizing. The committee also approved a suggestion from the Membership Committee, which was subsequently approved by the board, to change the bylaws to no longer require that members belong to a state/regional ag aviation association in order to be an NAAA member. This change will be brought forward to the membership later for a vote.

 

Government Relations: NAAA’s efforts reregistering products for aerial use via the EPA reregistration process were praised, but discussions and action will take place to further aerial labeling initiatives by expanding work with agri-chemical manufacturers as well.

 

Long Range Planning: Due to public emphasis on environmental sustainability and also potentially significant additional costs for misapplications as high-value crops such as hemp become more widely present, the committee will be working to have GPS manufacturers, meteorological manufacturers and nozzle and flow control manufacturers to develop a system to synchronize these technologies to see if they can be more affordable, commonplace and easier to use. The committee also will be undertaking a rewrite of NAAA’s Strategic Plan.

 

Membership: An honorary membership was approved by the board for longtime WNAAA member and ag aviation insurance broker Dorothy Kimmel from Mississippi, mother of Frank and Mark Kimmel.

 

Museum: Chairman Mark Kimmel of Mississippi stated that phase one of modernizing the National Agricultural Aviation Museum in Jackson, Miss., is very nearly completed and that fundraising for the $150,000 needed for phase two is underway. About $100,000 more is needed. The new technology, which includes video touchscreens to learn the history and past players of the industry, is very slick, according to Kimmel.

 

Nominating: 2018 NAAA President Gary Jerger announced that the 2020 slate of officer nominees that will be voted on for approval at the Ag Aviation Expo NAAA Board meeting are Darrin Pluhar (Montana) for president, Mark Kimmel (Mississippi) for vice president, Mike Rivenbark (North Carolina) for treasurer, and JT Helms (Allied–Insurance) for secretary.

 

Safety and Federal Aviation Regulations: The Committee continues to work on compliance with the NTSB ag aviation report from 2014 by working on a plan to augment knowledge and skills testing in the industry.  It is also looking at sending a reconsideration letter to the NTSB on an NTSB accident report pertaining to questionable interpretation of CAM 8 based on a Weatherly accident.

 

Support: Sue Stewart (Texas), Support Chair, stated that there is leftover merchandise from the 2018 Convention Support Booth that may be purchased atshop.agaviation.org. People may also purchase items at shop.agaviation.org for delivery at this year’s Ag Aviation Expo. The Support Committee has incredible items for its raffle such as an AR-10 and an iPad Pro. Stewart announced that the Athena Program educational lineup that will be presented at 13 state and regional conventions will include topics ranging from FAA approved medications to bookkeeping to succession planning. She also announced that the topic for the 2020 Support Scholarship Contest is “Why is Ag Aviation Important?”

 

NAAREF: NAAREF President Dominique Youakim announced three new PAASS Presenters this year. They are Sam Styron (Missouri), Mike Rivenbark (North Carolina) and Perry Hofer (South Dakota). He also mentioned the importance of state ag aviation association leaders educating their state lead agencies about the importance of approving continuing education units for PAASS attendance toward commercial pesticide license renewals. There have been a few states this year that have altered the CEUs offered for PAASS attendance. NAAREF’s Operation S.A.F.E. Committee announced the development of an app that can be used to analyze water-sensitive cards used in application equipment testing fly-ins in lieu of using a fluorometer. 

 

State Reports: President Hofer called on members to deliver any important news from the states and Erin Morse (Washington) mentioned efforts to enact laws in her state testing for pesticides in water and banning glyphosate as well as banning aerial use of pesticides in forests. Dale Patterson (South Dakota) mentioned that his state was using PAASS to deliver the continuing education units for its new aerial category. Brenda Watts (Arkansas) informed the Board that 2013 NAAA President Dana Ness (Montana), who was incapacitated by a stroke, offered his greetings to the Board and Committee attendees. Gaylon Stamps (Texas) said that this was his final meeting. He will be retiring from his Awards Committee chairmanship. Stamps was given a standing ovation by the Board.

 

The next NAAA Board of Directors meeting will be at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando on Sunday, Nov. 17, at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Chlorpyrifos Registrants Reach Agreement with California to Phase Out Use by End of 2020

Chlorpyrifos manufacturers last week announced they have reached an agreement with California regulators on how the sale and use of the product will be phased out in 2020. The negotiated settlement provides an element of certainty for chlorpyrifos users, provides an opportunity for existing stocks of the product to be used, and for affected growers to have a transition period as they work to adopt alternative crop protection solutions. 

 

The timeline for phaseout of chlorpyrifos in California is as follows:

Nov. 8, 2019 – Registrants will cease chlorpyrifos sales.

 

Feb. 6, 2020 – Dealers/distributors will cease chlorpyrifos sales.

 

Dec. 31, 2020 – Chlorpyrifos use in California ends.

 

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation announced last May it would ban the product and said at the time the phaseout could take up to two years. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget requested $5.7 million to “support the transition” to other pest control measures and is proposing a working group to identify and recommend alternatives.

 

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide that is used in more than 50 fruit, nut, cereal and vegetable crops and has been the subject of activist group attacks and controversy for many years.

 

In response to a court ruling stemming from a petition filed in 2007 by the Pesticide Action Network North America and the Natural Resources Defense Council, the EPA announced in July it will not ban chlorpyrifos, but instead expedite the registration review process under the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) that requires pesticides to be reregistered with the EPA every 15 years. The reregistration should now “be completed well before the 2022 statutory deadline,” according to an EPA spokesperson.

 

In response to this, activist groups sued the EPA, extending ongoing litigation.

Robinson Helicopter Converted for Autonomous Agricultural Use

UAVOS, a Hong Kong based company that specializes in the development and manufacturing of unmanned vehicles and autopilot systems, announced it has converted a Robinson R22 helicopter for use as an unmanned agricultural drone. A UAV of this size is not certified for use anywhere in the U.S. under existing Federal Aviation Regulations.

 

The R22-UV has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,400 pounds and is equipped with a custom-developed Simplex Model 222 spray system weighing 92.59 pounds. Its spray boom is 22.9 feet wide, with a swath width of 45.9 to 52.4 feet. It can autonomously stay aloft for up to two hours.

 

In a press release, UAVOS listed several advantages this UAV can provide to farmers, all of which are the same as manned aircraft. They include:

• The ability for helicopters to be operated in the regions without airfields and during nighttime.
• Excellent for operations in wet conditions – where the use of ground equipment is impossible or difficult. Unlike heavy machinery, which cannot go into a field immediately after a heavy rain,  aircraft have no impact on the ground. Aircraft sprayers don't touch the ground so there will be less soil compaction. This is when heavy machinery like tractors roll over the soil, pressing it down and damaging it.
• Replacing back-pack sprayers. UAV implementation eliminates manual spraying.
• UAVs also enable growers to spray their crops precisely and at will, which is critical for fighting herbicide-resistant weeds. The rotor of the helicopter produces a huge downward rotation force, which promotes the pesticide droplets to penetrate the crop from top to bottom, which is conducive to the pesticide droplets evenly scattered in all parts of the plant, so that the spraying is accurate.

UAVOS specializes in the development and manufacture of unmanned vehicles, autopilot systems and components including servo drives, pan-tilt platforms and rescue/emergency landing systems. The company has offices in Hong Kong, the U.S. and Switzerland.

 

NAAA also recently published an op-ed that takes a realistic look at the future of UAVs and aerial application.

EPA Will Require between 14 and 15 Billion Gallons of Ethanol Production in 2020

This week the EPA released a proposed biofuel rule that will require the blending of between 14 and 15 billion gallons of conventional ethanol into the nation’s gasoline supply after taking into account exemptions the agency gives to small refineries.

 

The EPA originally required 15 billion gallons of ethanol production in 2019, but the agency issued 31 small refinery waivers affecting 1.4 billion gallons of ethanol. The number of required gallons for 2020 and the future of small refinery waivers was in doubt for weeks as the administration tried to balance the interests of oil producing states and corn producing states.

 

“Going forward we’re going to estimate how many small refinery exemptions we’re going to grant next year, so at the end of the day we’re going to net out at the 15 billion gallons,” Wheeler said in an interview on WZFG, a North Dakota radio station.

 

"President Trump has once again demonstrated that he is a champion for our nation's farmers and rural America," said USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue. "The President recognizes that American farmers are the most productive in the world, and he has found a way to pursue policy that promotes economic growth and supports our producers.”

 

According to the latest NAAA industry survey, aerial applicators treat approximately 9.4 million acres of corn and 5.7 million acres of soybean each year. This is a healthy increase from the 2012 industry survey, which showed aerial applicators treated 7.8 million acres of corn and 4.4 million acres of soybeans. Additional crops used in advanced biofuels include sugarcane and canola.

 

The National Corn Growers Association says ethanol accounts for about 30 percent of U.S. corn demand.

 

The move is the latest in a series of policy changes the Trump administration has taken to help support biofuel producers. Last summer, the administration announced it would allow year-round sales of gasoline mixed with 15 percent ethanol, known as E15. Traditionally, gasoline is blended with only 10 percent ethanol except during winter months when it gets increased to 15 percent. The higher ethanol blend was only allowed during the winter months due to concerns over smog at high temperatures, a concern biofuel advocates say is unfounded.

 

Oil industry groups are largely displeased with both these plans and have indicated they will most likely challenge both the E15 rule and 2020 blending requirements in court.

 

The EPA is required to release its final biofuel rule by Nov. 30.

Ag Aviation Expo Pre-Registration Deadline Tomorrow, Oct. 18; Save $50 per Registration. Hotel Block Deadline Oct. 24

We look forward to seeing you at the 2019 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo in Orlando Nov. 18–21. Avoid long lines onsite and register for the Ag Aviation Expo online by tomorrow evening to save $50 per person. You can also print and mail a registration form, but your envelope must be postmarked by Oct. 18.

 

The Rosen Shingle Creek room block for our Ag Aviation Expo closes on Oct. 24 at 5 p.m. ET. Book online here or call (866) 996-6338 and refer to NAAA convention. The rate is $139/night + taxes (no resort fee and includes basic internet access in your room and complimentary fitness center access). Additional room details are below.

 

Many states have sent in CEU opportunities for the Ag Aviation Expo. Review the list of CEUs and check back often as we will continue receiving CEU approvals between now and the convention.

 

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 nearly 150 exhibitors.
• Aerial Application Research Technology Session and more than a dozen education sessions where you can earn potential CEUs.
• 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
• Location: Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL
• Schedule of Events: Current schedule here
• Attendee Registration: Now Open. Closes Oct. 18.
• 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 Cutoff 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 & Checkout: 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.

Relationship Drift Session at Ag Aviation Expo: A Look At How Personal Relationships Effect Pilot Decision Making and Safety

The NAAREF Safety Session at the 2019 Ag Aviation Expo on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 1:15 p.m. will examine safety elements through a different lens. The program “Relationship Drift: A look at how personal relationships affect pilot decision making and safety” will be a similar in format to the popular Compaass Rose program, but instead of better facilitating relations between inexperienced pilots and more experienced operators, the new session is designed to facilitate relations between operators/pilots and their spouses or significant others. This is a great session to attend whether you are a spouse, girlfriend or office worker for an operator/pilot.

 

Avoid long lines onsite and register for the Ag Aviation Expo online by midnight on Oct. 18 to save $50 per person. You can also print and mail a registration form, but your envelope must be post-marked by Oct. 18.

Additional details for the 2019 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo

• Dates: Nov. 18–21, 2019
• Location: Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL
• Schedule of Events: Current schedule here
• Attendee Registration: Now Open. Closes Oct. 18.
• 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 Cutoff 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 & Checkout: 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.

Many Auction Items up for Bid at Live Auction; Letter of Credit Required for PT6A-34AG Engine

NAAA thanks the many companies that support ag pilots and their operations, as well as the industry, through donating items for the Live and Silent Auctions at the NAAA Ag Aviation Expo. The money raised from these items supports NAAA programs.

 

Join us for the Live Auction & Reception on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 5:30 p.m. at Rosen Shingle Creek 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 #1307, will be open on the NAAA Trade Show floor during Trade Show hours and until 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Bid early and often on the text bidding system!

 

Pratt & Whitney Canada Engine Details

Thank you to Pratt & Whitney Canada for their generous donation of a brand new PT6A-34AG turboprop engine. The engine is valued at $517,547. The engine build specification (BS) is 1334, used on the Air Tractor, Thrush and Turbine Conversions STC.  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. Please send letter of credit to Lindsay Barber.

 

Text Bidding

We’re excited to offer text bidding for the Silent Auction this year. Beginning Sunday, Nov. 17 at 12 p.m. ET, text NAAA to 71760 or for international, text NAAA to +1 (720) 408-2243 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 or attend sessions and if you can't make it to the Ag Aviation Expo this year, you can bid while at home. If you win an item from home, please have a friend pick up your item or you can have it shipped from T3 Expo (details will be available in November). The system will also text you when you've been outbid. For questions onsite, please visit the Silent Auction booth #1307. For questions in advance of the show, email naaaexpo@agaviation.org. Bid early and often!

 

A few of the great items up for bid include:

• Brand new PT6A-34AG turboprop engine donated by Pratt & Whitney Canada
• New Air Tractor Custom Four Passenger Golf Cart donated by Air Tractor
• $15,000 Gift Certificate donated by Covington Aircraft Engines
• 2-Day Turbine Transition Course (or) 2-Day Initial or Recurrent Air Tractor Course donated by Turbine Training Center
• Antique Belgium Double Barrel Muzzle Loader Shotgun donated by Tennessee Aircraft Co., Inc.
• Single Point Fueling System donated by Turbine Conversions, Ltd.

• Donations will also be auctioned off to support NAAREF 

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

 

 

Renewals are now open! 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 Transportation 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.Register today!
  
• Be listed in an receive the NAAA Membership Directory. 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.
  

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.