In Memoriam: Ronnie Taylor, 1946-2020

Ronnie Taylor (foreground)

 

NAAA is saddened to report that longtime member Ronnie Taylor passed away Monday, Feb. 3, at the age of 73. Taylor was a well-known operator and ag pilot from Jennings, Louisiana, a former PAASS presenter and served as president of NAAREF in 2006.

Ronnie was born Oct. 18, 1946, in Jennings, Louisiana. His family’s deep-rooted love of agriculture paved the way to his lifelong career of flying. Growing up he spent many days with his grandfather on the family farm, which is where he first laid eyes on an ag plane and became mesmerized with crop dusting.

After graduating from high school in 1964, Ronnie earned his commercial pilot license. Many of his days were spent in the air viewing the beautiful skylines and rice fields. He was active in many organizations, teaching safety to other pilots, including as a PAASS presenter for seven years starting in 2000 and ending in 2008. In 2003 then-NAAA President Dennie Stokes presented Ronnie with a Falcon pin, the highest honor an NAAA president can bestow, for Taylor’s substantial contributions to the agricultural aviation industry and NAAA.

Ronnie was preceded in death by his parents and an aunt. He is survived by his three children and their spouses, Kent Taylor, Laura (Zeb) Hawkins and Stuart (Jessica) Taylor; a sister, Carol (David) Fraser; six grandchildren; a niece and a nephew.

Ronald Dale Taylor was laid to rest Feb. 5 at Oaklawn Cemetery in Welsh, Louisiana. Friends and colleagues of Ronnie’s are invited to share a memory or give condolences to the Taylor family here.

NAAA Submits Comments on Multiple UAS Exemption Requests for Agricultural Spraying

This week, NAAA submitted comments to the FAA regarding exemption requests from two UAS operators that intend to use UAS for ag spraying.

 

Pyka Inc. submitted exemption requests for its P-400b Egret, a fixed-wing UAS with a maximum takeoff weight of 600 pounds. The P-400b Egret has a wingspan of 34 feet and a 450-pound payload capacity.

 

The other exemption request was from Moose Aye Bye LLC for its hexacopter HyLio AG-116.

 

Both sets of comments explained why UAS need to be held to the same standards as manned aircraft, especially when it comes to aircraft certification. NAAA wrote that UAS aircraft certification standards are needed because, while there might not be a pilot in the aircraft who is at risk during an accident, there are still individuals on the ground as well as manned aircraft in the same airspace.

 

NAAA wrote, in part, that UAS certification is “especially important for these aircraft that are likely carrying agri-chemicals over rural buildings, water bodies, forests, endangered species habitat, and other sensitive sites that need to be protected from leaks or an aircraft crash.… We feel strongly that this is an important consideration of environmental safety as the unintended consequence of a lesser safety standard for aircraft that are unmanned is a greater risk of accidental pesticide discharge.”

 

NAAA also told the FAA it recently wrote to the EPA, asking the agency to look at the efficacy and drift characteristics of UAVs, which preliminary studies have shown are far different from traditional manned fixed-wing aircraft and single rotor helicopters.

 

You can read the Pyka comments here and Moose Aye Bye comments here.

NAAA Sends Letter to Oregon Legislators Detailing Aerial Safety of Chlorpyrifos

This week NAAA sent a letter to the members of the Oregon House Committee on Healthcare in strong opposition to HB 4109, a bill that would immediately ban the aerial application of chlorpyrifos and end all chlorpyrifos uses in the state by 2022. 

 

The bill would also prohibit farm workers from entering an area in which chlorpyrifos was applied within the eight preceding calendar days and add 300-foot buffer zones around any campus or school for all forms of aerial application.

 

The letter details how the bill would take away a needed delivery mechanism for Oregon state farmers and would be discounting effective technologies and science that prove the aerial application of products to crops and other targets is just as, if not more, efficacious, targeted and safe as other forms of application.

 

The letter also explains how, as part of the pesticide registration review process, the EPA has reviewed many of the scientific studies on aerial application. Based on these studies, the EPA has increased the maximum wind speed at which many products can be aerially applied at from 10 mph to 15 mph, demonstrating the safety and accuracy of aerial applications.

 

NAAA sent a similar letter to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo after the New York State Legislature passed a chlorpyrifos ban bill. Gov. Cuomo vetoed the bill recognizing the legislature did not have the authority to ban the product. However, the governor directed the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to use the regulatory process to end chlorpyrifos use in the state. NAAA sent an additional letter to Basil Seggos, the commissioner of the DEC, explaining the science behind the safety of chlorpyrifos’s aerial use. The timeframe under which the DEC will move to ban the use of chlorpyrifos is uncertain.

 

NAAA will continue to work with coalition partners as well as state and regional ag aviation associations to ensure both federal and state governments use fact-based, scientific reasoning when crafting pesticide policy.

New Ag Pilot and Spouse Surveys Examine Role of Relationships on Pilot Safety

Last fall at the Ag Aviation Expo, NAAREF hosted a safety session focused on how relationships may affect pilot safety. The session was very well received by the pilots and spouses in attendance—so much so that NAAA would like to give all operators, ag pilots and their spouses or significant others the opportunity to answer the survey questions NAAREF developed.

 

Adapted versions of NAAREF’s questions are available for a limited time in the form of two similar surveys specifically tailored for operators and pilots and their life partners. Like NAAREF’s safety session, the purpose of these short surveys, which only take a few minutes, is to consider how relationships at home may affect pilot safety.

Most NAAA Operator and Pilot members have already received a direct invitation by email to participate in the pilot version of the Ag Aviators “Relationship Drift” Survey. If you are an operator or ag pilot who has not already taken this online survey, we invite you to do so by accessing the pilot survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/relationship-survey-agpilots.

Furthermore, if you have another operator or pilot on staff that you feel should also complete this survey, please share the operator/pilot survey link with them at www.surveymonkey.com/r/relationship-survey-agpilots.

Most NAAA Support members also received a direct invitation by email to participate in the spouse/life partner version of NAAA’s Ag Aviators “Relationship Drift” Survey. However, that pool is significantly smaller than NAAA’s Operator and Pilot membership categories. For that reason, we encourage operators and pilots to ask your spouse or significant other to take the spouse/life partner version of NAAA’s Ag Aviators “Relationship Drift” Survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/relationship-survey-agspouse.

Moreover, if you would like to share NAAA’s relationship survey with the spouses/life partners of other ag pilots you know, they too may take the spouse/life partner version of the relationship survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/relationship-survey-agspouse.

The results of the ag pilot and spouse relationship surveys will be published in Agricultural Aviation. All responses are completely confidential and will be reported in aggregate form only.

The Ag Aviators “Relationship Drift” Surveys will be open until 12 a.m. PT, Feb. 11.

2020 Ag Aviation Expo Save the Date & Hotel Details

Join us for the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo in Savannah, Ga., Dec. 7‒10. Besides the networking, education and fun at the NAAA Ag Aviation Expo, enjoy a city full of great restaurants, nightlife, shopping, attractions and history. The NAAA hotel room block is now open! It is important for attendees to stay in the NAAA room block. We get the best hotel room rates in the heart of the Savannah district. If the NAAA hotel block is not filled, we cannot offer these great rates for future years!

 

Save the Date for the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo

• Dates: Dec. 7-10, 2020
• Location: Savannah Convention Center. Some events will also take place at the Westin, which is located directly next to the convention center.
• Schedule of Events: Current schedule here. Subject to change.
• Hotel: Hotel Details Below
• Attendee Registration: Opens July 1
• Exhibitor Booth Sales: Large booth sales and Diamond sponsorship booth sales begin in March; this includes aircraft, islands and 10’x30'. 10'x10' and 10'x20' booth sales open on Thursday, July 9. Please email Lindsay if you’d like to be contacted regarding large booth space.
• Sponsorship Opportunities: Sponsorships are now available. View the opportunities online. Please email Lindsay if you would like to secure a sponsorship from last year or would like to be contacted about 2020 opportunities! We have sponsorships available for all budget sizes.
• Auction Donations: Thank you to Pratt & Whitney Canada for donating a PT6-34AG engine to this year’s NAAA Live Auction. While we’re still several months away from the Ag Aviation Expo, we are already accepting donations 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. Support the aerial application industry by donating an item today. Email Lindsay with your donation details.

Book Your Hotel Room

The 2020 NAAA hotel room block is coordinated through Visit Savannah, which is the Savannah Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Housing office. Please do not call the hotels directly; use the link and/or phone number below to book your room. Rooms are available at the Westin Savannah Harbor (directly next to the convention center), Hyatt Regency Savannah and Savannah Marriott Riverfront hotels (across the river from the convention center and Westin – transportation provided). All room blocks close Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. ET.

• Westin Savannah Harbor: $150/night + taxes
• Westin Cancellation: For each reservation cancelled after Oct. 30, 2020, a nonrefundable one night room + tax will be charged to the credit card on file. Guests who check out early (prior to the reserved check out date) will be assessed one full night’s room charge + taxes.
• Hyatt Regency Savannah: $148/night + taxes
• Savannah Marriott Riverfront: $142/night + taxes

All room rates above are single/double occupancy and do not include taxes.

 

Book your room today by clicking here, call the housing bureau at (912) 644-6465 or email reservations@visitsavannah.com. Please note reservations are taken over the phone Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. If you cannot call during those hours, please email your reservations details or book your room online here.

Complimentary Transportation & River Taxis

Getting across the river is quick and easy thanks to the free ferry service that will shuttle attendees back and forth throughout the day and evening. The Savannah Belles Ferry provides water transportation from the Hyatt and the Marriott to the convention center and Westin hotel. The trip takes five to 10 minutes, and ferry service will be continual during convention hours; schedule will be available onsite. Free shuttle bus service is also available for those who are not comfortable on the water.

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.

Membership grace period ends next week! Renew by Feb. 15 to continue receiving weekly eNewsletters and other benefits

 

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.

 

Your membership will help us continue to fight and win important issues such as:

• Unfair user fees and taxes
• Tower marking requirements
• Protecting manned pilots’ safety as drones are integrated into the national airspace
• Ensuring crop protection products remain for aerial use without restrictions

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.
• 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.
• Discounts on Ag Aviation Expo attendance and recruitment rewards.
  

 

NAAA is dedicated to protecting and advancing the needs of the industry by improving the public's perception of the aerial application industry and spearheading the industry's environmental stewardship and safety initiatives. If you haven’t reviewed all our accomplishments this past year in the 2019 NAAA Membership Directory, you can download our Annual Report here.

 

We appreciate your membership as it will help us continue to fight and win on important issues like unfair user fees and taxes; tower marking requirements; integration of drones into the national airspace; and ensuring EPA keeps a healthy inventory of crop protection products for aerial use without restrictions. Your membership helps us better represent your interests; renew your membership today!

 

 

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.

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

In January 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 hosts an annual fundraising breakfast for the NAAA AgAv PAC. Get the most of out of your visit to Washington 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 are being given at state and regional agricultural aviation association meetings this 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% 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.