EPA & Corps Release New WOTUS Rule

On Jan. 23, 2020, EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers unveiled the Trump administration’s revised “Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS)” rule.  The new definition of federally protected water bodies is far narrower than the 2015 Obama administration rule which dramatically expanded the reach of federal jurisdiction over rivers, streams and wetlands and in turn the scope of waters where NPDES permitting applies, including aerial application of pesticides. NAAA was among thousands of stakeholders that submitted comments in 2017 in support of repealing the 2015 Rule.

 

In September 2019, EPA and Corps announced the repeal of the 2015 rule, now replaced by the new definitions. The new rule, 340 pages long, states that:

This final rule implements the overall objective of the Clean Water Act to restore and maintain the integrity of the nation’s waters by maintaining federal authority over those waters that Congress determined should be regulated by the Federal government under its Commerce Clause powers, while adhering to Congress’ policy directive to preserve States’ primary authority over land and water resources. This final definition increases the predictability and consistency of Clean Water Act programs by clarifying the scope of “waters of the United States” federally regulated under the Act.

The new definition of federally protected water bodies is far narrower than the Obama administration’s version, as it excludes isolated wetlands and ephemeral streams that only flow after a heavy rainfall.

 

In light of earlier Supreme Court opinions, the key point of dispute among stakeholders is how the agencies should deem a marginal water body federally protected if there is a “significant nexus” between it and another larger body of water that is clearly protected.

 

Litigation over the new rule, especially the interpretation of “significant nexus,” is expected to be filed by stakeholders who support the earlier EPA definitions contained in the 2015 rule.

 

The rule will be effective 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register.

NAAA Receives Best of NAMA Award for Aerial Application Ad Campaign

NAAA is pleased to announce that its Aerial Application: Above All Other Forms of Crop Care” advertisement series that were placed in trade publications in 2019 has received a Best of NAMA Merit Award in the Print Advertising category for Region Five, which includes Southeastern and Midsouth states.

 

 

 

The Best of NAMA, sponsored by the National Agri-Marketing Association, honors the best in agricultural marketing communications. Companies and agencies submit their work for this competition, which evaluates creative marketing communications and public relations initiatives in agriculture. Awards are given in 62 categories and there were 1,043 entries in six regions this year.

 

“We developed these ads to promote the benefits of aerial application,” NAAA CEO Andrew Moore said. “We are extremely honored to be recognized by NAMA for our advertisements. This recognition reflects our commitment to providing solutions and resources to the agriculture industry.”

 

NAAA’s campaign included a half-page and full-page ad in CropLife magazine’s March 2019 and April 2019 issues. CropLife’s 21,000 monthly subscribers include ag retailers, dealers, co-ops and distributors of crop inputs, crop consultants and advisors, crop protection product manufacturers, and manufacturers, dealers and independent distributors of equipment and parts.

 

 The theme of the campaign is, “Aerial Application: Above All Other Forms of Crop Care.” The print ads point out that aerial application is by far the fastest, most versatile and economical way to aid farmers in producing greater crop yields, and directs readers to find an aerial applicator near them using NAAA’s “Find an Aerial Applicator” link on their website which allows users to access a database of NAAA member operators near them simply by typing their location.

 

This ad campaign, along with the “Find an Aerial Applicator” public database, is a service NAAA provides to help promote member applicators’ businesses. The “Find an Aerial Applicator” search tool gives all members within NAAA’s operator categories the option of promoting their services to farmers and other potential customers by listing their company in a narrowly tailored public database. You can view the database at AgAviation.org/findapplicator or by clicking on the “Find Aerial Applicator” link in the upper right corner of any page of NAAA’s website, AgAviation.org.

 

In addition to the award-winning print ads, NAAA’s advertising campaign included online ads in one of Farm Journal Media’s largest newsletters, AgWeb AM, which provides ag news, market and weather information each weekday morning to an audience of 150,000 mostly grower subscribers. The image ads ran in AgWeb Monday editions for six weeks. The AgWeb ads linked directly to the “Find an Aerial Applicator” database resulting in a boost in web traffic whenever one of the ads ran in AgWeb. The campaign will continue in 2020 and commenced in 2017.

 

The Best of NAMA awards program honors the best work in agricultural communications. The program operates on a regional judging format. Entries are judged by industry professionals at a regional level for possible advancement to national competition. NAAA’s ad series will now advance to the national competition, which will be presented at the Agri-Marketing Conference in San Diego on April 15, 2020.

NAAA Continues to Fight for Aerial Applications of Chlorpyrifos in New York

In early 2019 the State Senate and Assembly of New York passed a bill that would ban the aerial application of chlorpyrifos in the State of New York. The bill was sent to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for him to either sign into law or veto. If it had been signed, the use of chlorpyrifos would be phased out aerially by Dec. 1, 2021. In response to this situation, NAAA sent a letter to Governor Cuomo explaining why it is imperative the governor vetoes the bill.

 

In December of 2019, Governor Cuomo vetoed the bill while at the same time ordering the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to immediately start the regulatory process to revoke its aerial and other uses. In his veto message Governor Cuomo said the bill “bypasses the rigorous process available to challenge an approved product and substitutes the legislature’s judgement for the expertise of chemists, health experts and other subject matter experts in the field.” The governor’s directive to DEC orders the agency to “take immediate action to ban aerial use of chlorpyrifos. DEC will also have regulations in place to ban chlorpyrifos for all uses, except spraying apple tree trunks, by December 2020.”

 

NAAA sent a letter, very similar to the one sent earlier to Governor Cuomo, to Basil Seggos, the Commissioner of the DEC. The letter explains, using fact-based, scientific reasoning, as to why chlorpyrifos is an important insecticide for many crops, and aerial application provides the most accurate and safe way to apply it, as well as all other pesticides. The timeframe under which the DEC will move to ban the use of chlorpyrifos is uncertain, but a public comment period is expected and NAAA will submit scientific data to prove the efficacy and safety of aerial applications of chlorpyrifos.   

NAAA Supports Rezoning the Application Exclusion Zone Based on Wind Direction

Yesterday NAAA submitted comments supporting EPA’s proposed revisions to the Application Exclusion Zone (AEZ) regulation, which was part of the updated Worker Protection Standards (WPS) released in 2015. The AEZ was proposed by the EPA to be a “bubble” around the sprayer that traveled with it as the sprayer moved during the application, and people would be protected by not entering the bubble. Under existing regulations, individuals cannot be within the AEZ, even if the AEZ extends beyond the farm owners property line. AEZ applies to ground, airblast, and aerial applications.

 

As originally written in 2015, applicators have to suspend an application if someone entered the AEZ, even if that person was not on the farm and under no control of the farmer of applicator.  The off-farm aspect of this provision was considered very difficult for state regulators to enforce. Many agricultural organizations, including NAAA, commented on the burdensome nature of the AEZ.

 

The proposed revision would have the AEZ stop at the farm owner’s property line, allowing easier implementation and enforcement. This means that an applicator will not be forced to stop when a person is within the AEZ distance but is not on the farm property. As an example, the AEZ for aerial applications is 100 feet. In the original AEZ regulations, if a person driving along a road came within 100 feet of the agricultural aircraft, even if the aircraft was within the private property he was treating that pilot would have to cease applying until the person moved outside of the 100-foot AEZ. If the person stopped along the roadside, the pilot would have had to hold off resuming the application until the time when the person did drive away. Under the revisions, the pilot would not have to stop the application for the person stopped on the road because they are not located on the farm property.

 

Off property by-standers would still be protected under existing label requirements that prohibit applicators from drifting on people. Additionally, the revisions allow immediate family members of the farm owner to be exempt from the AEZ requirement, allowing them to remain in their homes or other enclosed structures during applications.  The AEZ would remain 25 feet in all directions for ground applications and 100 feet in all directions for aerial, air blast, air-propelled, fumigant, smoke, mist and fog pesticide applications.

 

NAAA voiced support for the revisions as they cleared up much of the confusion created when the AEZ concept was first rolled out. The revisions also remove the responsibility for aerial applicators to cease applications for persons nearby an application but outside the influence of the applicator or the farmer. NAAA did suggest that the AEZ, as with all buffer zones, should only apply to the downwind side of the applicator. The comments NAAA submitted to EPA can be viewed here.

Several Bills Introduced in Oregon Legislature Would Unfairly Target Aerial Application

As the 2020 session of the Oregon legislature ramps up, several bills have been introduced that would be detrimental to agriculture and aerial application in the state.

 

Oregon State Rep. Paul Holvey (D-Eugene) introduced HB 4109 that would immediately ban the aerial application of Chlorpyrifos upon the bill’s passage. HB 4109 would also add 300-foot buffer zones around any campus or school for all forms of aerial application.

 

Furthermore, the bill would prohibit farm workers from entering an area in which chlorpyrifos was applied within the eight preceding calendar days.

 

Lastly, the bill would require the State Department of Agriculture to revoke all chlorpyrifos uses and ban the sale and purchase of the product by January 1, 2022.

 

Such a bill short-circuits the stringent federal regularity process used by the EPA when registering a pesticide produce, a fact that was recognized by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo when he vetoed a bill that would ban the use of chlorpyrifos in the state. New York state regulators are reviewing ways to evaluate the safety of chlorpyrifos, and NAAA this week sent a letter to  New York Department of Environmental Conservation providing data on the product’s safety and efficacy.

 

Another bill, HB 4025 would place IP 45 on the November 2020 ballot for a statewide vote.  Even if this bill does not pass, activists can still have the measure appear on the November 2020 ballot by gathering 112,020 signatures. Signatures must be turned into the Secretary of State by July 2, 2020.

 

NAAA will continue to work with Corteva, a major chlorpyrifos manufacturer, Oregonians for Food and Shelter, and State/ Regional Ag Aviation Associations to ensure chlorpyrifos policy is developed based on sound science, not what is politically popular.

NAAA and NAAREF Board Meetings Feb. 13-15

We look forward to seeing you Feb. 13‒15 at the NAAA and NAAREF Board Meetings. All meetings are open to NAAA members. The Westin Alexandria will host our February board meetings. Click here for a schedule of events.

Westin Old Town Alexandria

Address: 400 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA 22314

 

Rate: $153/night plus tax

 

Reservations: The room block has closed for our meetings, but rooms may still be available. Email your arrival and departure dates to Lindsay Barber

The Westin Alexandria is a three-block walk from the King Street Metro stop (take either Blue or Yellow Line), which is the second stop south of Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA). You can view a map of the metro system here.

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. 
• 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.
  

NAAHOF Accepting Nominations for 2021 Induction into Hall of Fame

The National Agricultural Aviation Hall of Fame (NAAHOF) Nomination Board has changed its procedure for evaluating candidates for induction into the NAA Hall of Fame. Under the policy change, the Nominations Board will consider individuals one year before their induction to allow more time to deliberate on NAAHOF nominees’ credentials. NAAHOF has updated its nomination form accordingly and is accepting nominations for people who would be inducted in 2021. Nominations to be considered for induction into NAAHOF in 2021 are by due Sept. 1, 2020. The 2021 NAAHOF Candidate Nomination Form is available here.

 

The National Agricultural Aviation Hall of Fame is located in the National Agricultural Aviation (NAA) Museum in Jackson, Mississippi. The purpose of the NAA Museum is to educate the general public about the contributions of the agricultural aviation industry. Induction into the NAA Hall of Fame is the highest honor that can be paid to agricultural aviation achievers. The Hall of Fame honors agricultural aviation leaders, pilots, operators, scientists, engineers, inventors and other individuals who have helped promote the agricultural aviation industry with their outstanding contributions.

 

The National Agricultural Aviation Hall of Fame is not affiliated with NAAA, but new members are inducted at the Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet at NAAA’s convention. Previous inductees include such industry-shaping individuals as Lt. John A. Macready, Dick Reade, Fred Ayres and Leland Snow. A complete list of enshrined members into the NAA Hall of Fame is available on NAAA’s Industry Links webpage.

Eligibility for NAAHOF Enshrinement

1. All nominations must be documented. All information that has to do with the reasons/accomplishments of the nominee must accompany the written/typed nomination letter. The utmost attention should be paid to all accomplishments of the nominee.
2. A nominee must have made a significant contribution to the agricultural aviation industry in the United States. Accomplishments must be national in scope.
3. Any person currently sitting on this Nominations Board is automatically ineligible for consideration for enshrinement to the NAAHOF until such time as they are no longer an active part of the governing process of this institution.
4. Any person nominated for enshrinement must not have anything in their past which will reflect in a negative manner upon the agricultural aviation industry.

The NAAHOF Nomination Board is chaired by Brian Rau. NAAHOF nominations may be sent directly to the chairman at:

Brian Rau

4142 57th Avenue SE

Medina, ND 58467

medinaflying@aol.com

For more information, please contact Brian Rau at (701) 486-3414 or medinaflying@aol.com.

Colorado Aerial Applicators Win Major Victory Over Bogus Drift Cases, NAAA and COAAA Attorney Instrumental in Decision

In January 2019, three Colorado aerial applicators made the bold decision to fight alleged drift cases brought against them, knowing the claims had no basis in fact or science. After over a year of litigation, a final court order was issued Wednesday clearing the applicators of all wrongdoing. 

 

Represented by attorney John Wright, applicators could have saved themselves a lot of time and money by simply paying a $1,000 fine. However, the cases brought against them were clearly a witch-hunt by the Colorado Attorney General’s office.

 

Prosecutors claimed the applicators did things that were scientifically impossible, such as drifting upwind and having two products mixed in the aircraft (lamda-cyhalothrin and chlorpyrifos) somehow unmix in the air before drifting.

 

Even more egregious, one case was from 2012 and the other two from 2014. Claims were filed against the applicators at the time and evidence was collected, but the applicators did not know this until years later, long after they could collect meaningful evidence on behalf of themselves. Thankfully meticulous record keeping aided in the claims being dismissed. As a result of this, legislation is being considered in Colorado to ensure applicators are informed of claims against them in a timely manner.

 

The judges in the decision cited the applicator’s professionalism, specifically noting participation in Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-ins.

 

John Wright, the attorney who represented the three applicators, is contracted with NAAA as part of the association’s legal services program for members. Under the agreement, 2020 operator and pilot members are eligible for a legal consultation of up to one hour on federal aviation laws with Mr. Wright. Mr. Write is a commercial pilot based in Broomfield, CO. You can read more about him here.

 

The timing of this case couldn’t be better as Colorado’s Democratic majority legislature is undertaking efforts to more forcefully regulate pesticides and from a multitude of different government jurisdictions.  The decision in this case is an indication that government oversight was clearly excessive and unfair, thereby questioning the need and reasoning to expand government control.

NAAA Requests EPA Verify Precision, Safety and Efficacy of Applications Made by Drones

Last week NAAA submitted a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. The purpose of the letter was to urge the EPA to promptly evaluate UAS’ ability to make safe and precise and efficacious applications of pesticides, similarly to how other forms of application—ground, air-blast and single rotor and single propellered manned aircraft—were evaluated and tested in each pesticide active ingredient evaluation. UAS, in some instances, are now being used for making small-scale aerial applications, yet without being tested and modeled to determine drift potential.

 

Manned agricultural aircraft, along with ground rigs and airblast sprayers, have all been evaluated in extensive field studies, many as part of the Spray Drift Task Force project, and the data collected is used in the AgDRIFT model. For aerial application, the model allows for a variety of variables to be examined, including aircraft properties, boom and nozzle configuration, and wind speed. While EPA typically uses the Tier 1 assumptions when running AgDRIFT, which uses an AT-401 with specific setup parameters, they do have the ability to change variables and explore alternatives. As an example, AgDRIFT was used to verify reducing boom length reduces drift. This helped secure 15 mph wind speed limits for many pesticides during their registration review process.

 

AgDRIFT is used in the pesticide registration and registration review processes to model the amount of drift from aerial and other forms of applications. The estimated amounts of drift are then used in the human health and ecological risk assessments. In turn, these risk assessments are used to determine if a pesticide will be approved, what application methods can be used to apply it, and what restrictions need to be placed on the label. NAAA pointed out that because no UAS are currently modeled in AgDRIFT, it is currently impossible to evaluate the risk from making an aerial application with a UAS. Without proper risk assessments, it is impossible to know how safely and accurately aerial applications with UAS are.

 

Many consider UAS to be an aerial application and thus already an approved application platform for any pesticide with an aerial label. However, NAAA pointed out in the letter to Administrator Wheeler that there are considerable differences between UAS and manned agricultural aircraft. One critical difference is weight. Most UAS being marketed for making aerial applications are much lighter than manned agricultural aircraft. Weight effects the strength of an aircraft’s wake, which is what pushes the spray down and out from the aircraft and into the plant canopy. Lighter aircraft do not have as strong of wakes, which will affect their efficacy and drift potential.

 

Another key difference between most UAS and manned aircraft are the number of rotors used. While helicopters utilize a single rotor, UAS commonly have multiple rotors which is expected to have a significant impact on vortices generated by the aircraft. In terms of current label restrictions about boom length relative to wingspan or rotor diameter, there is no data if these restrictions are appropriate for multi rotor UAS. NAAA verified the uncertainty surrounding the accuracy of UAS applications with current research published in the Transactions of the ASABE (American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers).

 

NAAA pointed out several other differences, including that the UAS certification process is not nearly as rigorous and UAS pilots do not have to have a commercial pilots license. PAASS and Operation S.A.F.E. were described in the letter to demonstrate to the EPA the dedication and professionalism of the agricultural aviation industry. NAAA also reminded Administrator Wheeler that Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has already determined that the use of UAS to apply pesticides is not permitted until UAS testing has been completed.

 

NAAA urged the EPA to begin the field trials for UAS evaluation so that UAS can be added to AgDRIFT. This is essential for ensuring that risk assessments accurately reflect the drift potential of UAS, and that label language can be written specifically for UAS. NAAA will continue to push for a safe and legal process for UAS to enter the aerial application industry. UAS may allow for more acres to be treated by air efficaciously and safely but the data must be generated first so that a proper risk assessment can be developed for its legal use.  A copy of NAAA’s letter to the EPA can be viewed here.

Get Political at NAAA Spring Board Meeting! Support Candidates Championing Ag Aviation and Visit with Policymakers on Issues of Importance

In addition to the normal committee meetings and planning sessions that take place at NAAA Board of Directors Meetings, the spring board meeting is held every year in the Washington D.C., area, giving attendees an opportunity to speak directly with their legislators and national policymakers. Additionally, NAAA also hosts an annual fundraising breakfast for the NAAA AgAv PAC. Get the most of out of your visit to Washington, D.C., by taking advantage of both these opportunities!

AgAv PAC Breakfast 

The annual breakfast will be held on Friday, February 14 from 7:30-8:45 a.m. at the Westin Alexandria, the same hotel as the board meeting. NAAA is excited to have our guest speaker this year be United States Senator Steve Daines (R-MT).

 

Senator Daines currently serves on several important Senate committees including the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Appropriations. As such, he plays an important role in aerial application technology research funding and regulatory issues related to the Endangered Species Act.

 

To RSVP, please respond via email to: ftaylor@agaviation.org with your name or the names of people attending in your party before Friday, February 7.

 

Tickets for the AgAv PAC breakfast are $100.00 per person. Payments may be made at the event via cash, a personal check, or credit card.

 

The AgAv PAC was created to help elect candidates who know the critical importance aerial applicators play in the quick, safe and efficient production of food, fiber and biofuel. Please consider a donation to the AgAv PAC as an investment in both your business and the aerial application industry as a whole, as our successes in Washington D.C. directly correlates to monies you save in the field. Our previous victories have saved individual operators thousands in user fees taxes and in curbing unnecessary regulations each year, and collectively saves the industry millions.  It has also led to protecting the industry’s safety.

 

If you are unable to attend the PAC Breakfast but would still like to make a contribution, you can send a personal check to:

            AgAv PAC

            1440 Duke Street

            Alexandria, VA 22314

Meet with your Legislators!

To meet with your legislators to solicit their support on issues that are important to the agricultural aviation industry, you may call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to their offices.  If you are uncertain who your Representatives and/or Senators are, you may identify them at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov, respectively. NAAA staff are also available to make congressional appointments for you; simply email us or call (202-546-5722) for assistance. Please provide your business and residential addresses as that will be requested from congressional offices.

 

Meeting with members of Congress and/or congressional staff is extremely effective in conveying the importance of the issues affecting our industry. NAAA will make available issue briefs summarizing the issues most important to NAAA shortly. If you are unsure of what issues your legislators have the most influence over, NAAA staff are also available to help you make the most of your meetings by strategizing with you on what issues are best to talk about in each meeting.

 

If you know there will be other people from our ag aviation delegation having meetings around the same time as you, we highly recommend you consider combining groups. By having more ag aviation industry individuals attend these meetings, it sends a signal to your legislators that our industry is highly engaged on these issues. If you are unsure who else from our ag aviation delegation plans to have meetings but want to welcome more people to your group, email us and also be sure to provide us your meeting schedule for the day. Additionally, if you would like to join a group, email Frank with your business and residential addresses and he will let you know if any groups are available to join.

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 at 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.