A Disney Fairy Tale Come True for Ag Aviation Industry? Placing Dusty Crophopper Ag Plane in Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Approaching Reality

Dusty Crophopper could be coming in for a landing at the National Air and Space Museum.

 

Dusty Crophopper is one step closer to being immortalized at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum. Disney Enterprises Inc. has given NAAA the green light to work with the Smithsonian Institution on displaying Disney’s Dusty Crophopper character likeness aircraft at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. Pending approval from the National Air and Space Museum’s review committee, NAAA’s goal is to have the Dusty Crophopper aircraft on display starting on or near the 100th anniversary of the first application by a propelled aircraft on Aug. 3, 2021.

Rusty Lindeman with his live-action Dusty Crophopper at NAAA’s 2013 convention.

The owner of the airplane, aerial applicator Rusty Lindeman of Rusty’s Flying Service in Texas, is willing to donate his Dusty Crophopper-adorned Air Tractor to the museum, but would not be able to do so without the permission of Disney, the creator of the Dusty Crophopper character. Dusty Crophopper is the protagonist in the Disney films Planes and Planes: Fire & Rescue, which aired in movie theaters in 2013 and 2014, respectively. For the past several months NAAA has worked as an intermediary and broker between Lindeman, the general aviation curator at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and Disney Enterprises to add the Dusty Crophopper character likeness aircraft to the museum’s collection of ag aircraft on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

 

In advance of the release of Disney’s first Planes animated film in 2013, Air Tractor Inc. connected Disney with Lindeman after learning that the movie studio was looking for an Air Tractor to convert into Dusty Crophopper’s likeness to perform at air shows that summer. Lindeman had a spare plane available and agreed to convert his piston Air Tractor to the equivalent of a turbine-powered AT-400A and paint it to match Dusty’s paint scheme and features. It took Lindeman and a team of helpers six weeks to complete the aircraft makeover. They refurbished the fuselage, wings and tail. They put a complete turbine conversion engine on the front and had a propeller rebuilt. Then they painted it to look just like Dusty Crophopper using colors pre-selected by Disney.

 

Once the conversion was complete, Lindeman’s aircraft became the physical embodiment of the tenacious animated ag plane. The Texas-based aerial applicator spent the better part of two summers in 2013 and ’14 performing in air shows throughout North America as the live-action version of Dusty Crophopper. For the fifth and final stop of the live-action Dusty Crophopper’s 2013 summer tour, Lindeman performed at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

During the 2013 tour, Lindeman said, “Truthfully, the most exciting aspect of working on this project has been to see the expressions on kids’ faces when we show off the airplane. That’s what I have enjoyed the most.”

If the National Air and Space Museum accepts Lindeman’s Dusty Crophopper plane, expect to see a lot more smiles from children when they spot what is arguably America’s most identifiable ag plane and quite possibly its most beloved ag plane proudly on display at the museum.

The animated Dusty Crophopper first soared into theaters in 2013.

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

NAAA Submits Comments to the EPA Supporting Aerial Application on Two Active Ingredients to Pesticides

NAAA submitted comments to the EPA on Aug. 5 regarding the proposed interim decision for the reregistration of clopyralid. The EPA is required by FIFRA to review the registrations for all crop protection products every 15 years. Interim decisions are being used by the EPA instead of a full reregistration of a product because the biological evaluations and pollinator protection assessments still need to be completed for most products.

Surprisingly, the proposed interim decision for clopyralid proposed requiring applicators to notify all property owners/operators for all properties they have made clopyralid applications to in writing about clopyralid’s persistence and restrictions on plant material and manure. NAAA strongly opposed this requirement, pointing out aerial applicators are frequently not involved in the decision-making process of selecting which pesticides should be used to treat the targeted pests and therefore should not be required to provide such educational materials to the property owners/operators.

NAAA also commented that the requirement would place an undue burden on aerial applicators and could have a significant negative impact on safety. Using its 2019 industry survey to make the case, NAAA detailed how a typical operator/pilot who treats wheat and barley—crops on which clopyralid is used—would need up to three additional hours per day to meet the notification requirements in the proposed interim decision. Forcing a pilot to spend three hours a day notifying landowners about compost contamination would dramatically increase fatigue for that pilot, and thus increase the chances of an accident.

NAAA also submitted comments to the EPA on a new herbicide being registered: pyridate. Aerial application of pyridate is banned, which NAAA opposed. The ecological and human health risk assessments for pyridate provided no evidence to support banning aerial application of this pesticide. The proposed label for pyridate states that it is important to make the application to broad-leafed weeds by the 4-leaf stage, indicating timing is important for an effective application. NAAA pointed out that aerial application is by the far the fastest and most timely way to apply any pesticide.

NAAA will continue to monitor and comment on all relevant pesticide registrations and reregistrations to ensure you have access to the products your growers need to feed the world’s growing population.

Airline Discounts into Savannah for Ag Aviation Expo Attendees and Exhibitors

We look forward to seeing you at the 2020 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo in Savannah Dec. 7–10. Attendee registration  and booth sales are now open! If you’re looking to grow your business, find a job or sell a product/service in the aerial application industry, the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo is the place for you! Our expo has everything from a world-class trade show floor, education sessions, expert speakers and many networking opportunities!

The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is 10 miles from the historic downtown district and is serviced by Air Canada, Allegiant, American Airlines, Delta, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Sun Country and United Airlines.

As you search your airfare options into Savannah for the Ag Aviation Expo, visit NAAA’s Transportation Discount webpage at AgAviation.org/transportation and explore tickets on Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. We are awaiting confirmation from American Airlines. For ground transportation options from the airport, click here.

Savannah is centrally located for those in the eastern U.S. who would like to drive. Contact your hotel for parking details.  

 

City	Miles
Atlanta, GA	249
Chicago, IL	959
Columbus, OH	680
Dallas, TX	918
Indianapolis, IN	775
Memphis, TN	636
Miami, FL	490
New Orleans, LA	552
Pittsburgh, PA	700
St. Louis, MO	802
Washington, DC	580

NAAA is diligently working on plans to help with social distancing throughout our convention. We are also working with the city and our contracted facilities to understand their steps for additional disinfecting during our show. Learn more about NAAA’s procedures for a healthy and safe Ag Aviation Expo at AgAviation.org/healthyexpo.

Save the Date for the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo

Less Than Three Weeks Left to Apply for $20K in Scholarship Aid Available for Aspiring Ag Pilots

How does $5,000 sound to help someone pursue their dream of becoming a professional ag pilot? Thanks to the generous support of BASF and Thrush Aircraft, $20,000 in aid is available under the 2020 NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship Program to assist four aspiring ag pilots in their journey.  Time is running out, however. Less than three weeks remain to apply for one of this year’s “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” scholarships.

 

The goal of NAAA’s “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship Program is to strengthen the aerial application industry by helping operator members bring new pilots into the profession and help fund their training. Applicants must be sponsored by an NAAA Operator member, and scholarship recipients may use the proceeds for flight training or aviation or ag-related coursework at a university, college, community college or other institution of higher learning. A stipend for a trainee in an NAAA Operator-sponsored apprentice program is also permissible.

 

This year, NAAA will award up to four scholarships valued at $5,000 each. This is a win-win for NAAA Operator members and individuals seeking training funds to support their pursuit of becoming a professional ag pilot.

How to Apply

To be considered for the 2020 scholarship, along with completing the two-part application, every applicant must submit:

• A letter of recommendation from the NAAA Operator member sponsoring the applicant.
• An essay of 250 words or less explaining why you want to pursue a career in agricultural aviation and how you would use NAAA’s “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship to further your education and training.
• A one-page résumé or list of activities detailing all agricultural and aviation experiences, education and training.

NAAA will award the recipients of the 2020 “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarships in December at the Ag Aviation Expo in Savannah.

 

To learn more about the 2020 NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship, please review the instructions included with the 2020 application. Please contact NAAA at (202) 546-5722 or information@agaviation.org for clarification about any of the application requirements.

 

While the applicant must be sponsored by an NAAA Operator member, NAAA membership is not a prerequisite for the person applying for the scholarship. Becoming an NAAA Associate member, however, is a great way for candidates to learn more about the industry and augment their training.

 

The deadline to apply for the 2020 “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship is Aug. 31. The scholarship program is administered by NAAA and funded by educational grants provided by BASF and Thrush.

 

NAAA awarded $5,000 scholarships to four aspiring ag pilots at the 2019 Ag Aviation Expo. From L–R, NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship recipients Caleb Swanson, Raudel Mendoza, Liam Zahm and Jacob Radermacher.

Get Ready to Cast Your Ballot in the 2020 National Agricultural Aviation Association Proposed Bylaw Amendments Election

Get ready to cast your ballot in the 2020 National Agricultural Aviation Association Proposed Bylaw Amendments Election. The election will run from 12 a.m. EDT Aug. 21 through 12 a.m. EDT Sept. 21, 2020. The election is being administered by AssociationVoting.com, similar to last year’s Bylaw Amendments Election.

AssociationVoting will be sending an email to all NAAA eligible voting members Aug. 21 with instructions on how to vote, so be sure to set your email spam filter to accept email from both announcement@associationvoting.com and information@agaviation.org. The email will direct you to the election website https://vote.associationvoting.com/naaa/ and provide you with a Name and Password to use to log in to vote. Once you are in the system, you will be directed to the NAAA Bylaw changes, the reasoning and justification to the amendments, and instructions on how to cast your vote.

The three (3) proposed amendments are designed to augment the professionalism of the association membership (and the industry) with a Code of Conduct; augment membership and reduce unnecessary, administrative costs to the association; and broaden the electorate and validity of allied board member elections. These changes have been recommended and approved by the association’s counsel and will better provide the industry with policy advocacy, public relations, education, communication and networking services. More details on the proposals along with the specific changes may be found here. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Association Voting at support@associationvoting.com or NAAA at information@agaviation.org or (202) 546-5722.

NAAA and NAAREF Board Meetings Oct. 8-10

We look forward to seeing you in Knoxville, Tenn. for our October NAAA and NAAREF committee and board meetings. Most meetings take place Oct. 9–10 with a couple of meetings beginning on Oct. 8. PAASS Train the Trainer will take place Oct. 7–8. All meetings are open to NAAA members. You can view a tentative schedule here.

NAAA is continually monitoring federal and state health guidelines related to protections from the COVID-19 virus. We are proceeding as is for our October Board Meeting and our December Ag Aviation Expo, yet simultaneously evaluating the health and safety of an in-person meeting, and/or a virtual format. We will keep you posted should any changes be made. The October Board Meeting will follow many of the same recommendations and procedures as our December Ag Aviation Expo. You can view NAAA’s procedures for a healthy and safe meetings at AgAviation.org/healthyexpo. Additional information on protections will be provided to attendees of the October meetings.

Location and Reservation Details

Crowne Plaza Knoxville Downtown University

401 W Summit Hill Drive SW

Knoxville, TN 37902

Phone: 877-834-3613

Rate: $138/night plus tax (upgrade to King for $158/night)

Reservations: Book online here or call (865) 522-2600 and provide code: NAA.

Room Block Closes: Sept. 13, 2020. We cannot guarantee room rates or room availability once the room block closes. If you have issues booking a hotel room, please contact Lindsay Barber (please do not book outside the block).

Shine a Light on Our Unsung Heroes with NAAA’s Quick and Easy Online Awards Form Before Sept. 10 Deadline

 

One of the highlights of each NAAA convention is the chance to honor a distinct group of the committed individuals and companies for their service to the agricultural aviation industry. Their stories are truly inspiring, making it a rewarding experience for the audience and award recipients alike. Receiving an NAAA Award is not a one-night or even a one-year honor, however. The significance doesn’t fade with time in the eyes of those members who have been fortunate enough to be honored by their industry peers for a job well done.

 

The aerial application industry is filled with exceptional people who go above and beyond the call of duty, often with little fanfare. So go ahead—make someone’s day, year or career by nominating him or her for a 2020 NAAA Award! We’ve made the award nominations process even easier with NAAA’s new online awards submission form.

 

The new online submission form is the fastest and simplest way to nominate someone in just a few clicks, but the traditional PDF-based awards forms are also available options.

• 2020 Awards Nomination Online Submission Form (recommended)

• 2020 Award Nomination Form (Fillable PDF)

• 2020 Award Nomination Form (print version)

Completed entries using the traditional PDF forms may be emailed or faxed to NAAA at information@agaviation.org or (202) 546-5726 (fax).

 

The nomination deadline is Sept. 10, but early nominations are encouraged. The longer you wait, the busier you’ll get this summer.

NAAA Award Categories

There are nine NAAA Award categories and one NAAREF Award.

 

Agrinaut Award: Honors an agricultural aircraft operator, operating organization or allied member company that has made an outstanding contribution in the field of ag aircraft operations. The achievement cited shall have contributed to the “state-of-the-art” for the benefit of the agricultural aircraft industry as a whole.

 

Allied Industry Individual Award: Recognizes an NAAA member or staff and/or an allied industry individual who has significantly contributed their efforts for the benefit of the allied industry and the aerial application industry. (Presented by the NAAA Allied Industry Committee.)

 

Delta Air Lines “Puffer” Award: Recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the design of agricultural aircraft and/or related equipment.

 

Evans-Christopher Operation S.A.F.E. Award: Recognizes individuals or entities that have made outstanding contributions to the Operation S.A.F.E. program. (Presented by NAAREF.)

 

John Robert Horne Memorial Award: Honors a pilot with five or fewer years of experience in the agricultural aviation industry who has an exemplary safety record and/or has contributed to safety in ag aviation. This award no longer has carryover nominations from year to year; a new nomination must be submitted every year.

 

Larsen-Miller Community Service Award: Recognizes outstanding contributions by a member to his or her community.

 

Opal & Bill Binnion Memorial Award: Acknowledges those who contribute to NAAA in its efforts to educate the public about aerial application. (Presented by the NAAA Support Committee.)

 

Outstanding Service Award: Awards outstanding service to the commercial agricultural aviation industry or to its association.

 

Related Industry Award: Recognizes outstanding contributions by an allied industry member and his or her company.

 

William O. Marsh Safety Award: Recognizes significant achievements in safety, safety education or an outstanding operational safety program.

 

The 2020 NAAA Award recipients will be announced in the fall and honored at the Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet Dec. 10 in Savannah.

NAAA Membership Renewals Now Open: Your Support will Result in Continued Accomplishments

Renewals are now open for the NAAA 2021 membership year! You will soon receive your renewal form in the mail, but there is no need to wait! You can renew online today. As a member of NAAA, you associate with the best and brightest in the agricultural aviation industry and your support is imperative in helping us accomplish our initiatives. We would like to remind you of just a few new offerings NAAA has recently released such as:

• Ensuring your aerial application business and job is ESSENTIAL during COVID-19 and extending license expirations due to quarantine shutdowns. Check out our COVID-19 Resources webpage. 
• Offering legal services on Federal Transpiration Laws to Operator and Pilot Members.
• Receive the 2019 NAAA Operator and Pilot Survey Report which is chock-full of key statistics providing a healthy status of the U.S. aerial application industry. 
• We have an awesome 2020 Ag Aviation Expo planned for you this year! Hear from James Bradley, author of Flags of our Fathers and Flyboys. It is four days packed full of educational sessions where you can earn CEUs. Registration is now open!
• Don’t forget to take advantage of financial incentives such as NAAA’s Recruitment Rewards Program.
• Our 2020 NAAA Membership Directory has been mailed out. It is your one-stop shop where you can find professional members that might be looking for help or offering help and a plethora of qualified 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.

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 gotten a chance to review all our accomplishments this past year in the 2020 NAAA Membership Directory, you can download our Annual Report.

 

We appreciate your membership as it will help us continue to fight and win to keep aerial application as an essential service during the current global pandemic and on important issues like unfair user fees and taxes; requiring tower marking requirements; and ensure the safe integration of drones into the national airspace; and advocating that EPA keeps a healthy inventory of crop protection products for aerial use without unnecessary restrictions. Your membership helps us better represent your interests.

NAAA Provides Proof of Distance Needed to Safely Turn an Ag Aircraft to Refute Claims Made by Wind Farms, Towers, Other Obstructions

NAAA has developed useful information to refute proposed setback distances from wind turbines and other tower-like obstructions. The information may be used by operators and state associations when dealing with wind farm and tower companies making claims that their obstructions do not hamper aerial application activities to crops. The basis for the information was a request from a public utilities commission to provide proof that agricultural aircraft need 1 mile or more to turn around safely at the end of a treated field. A wind farm sponsor in South Dakota had proposed a setback of a mere 500 feet, which is far too short a distance for making safe aerial applications with a fixed-wing aircraft in a field adjacent to a wind turbine or tower location site.

NAAA provided the information using two different methods. The first was a calculation using aircraft speed and average turn time to estimate the total distance required to make a turn. An AT-802A with a working speed of 145 mph was used as the example aircraft. The working speed was taken from the midpoint between 130 and 160 mph as denoted on Air Tractor’s specifications page for the AT-802A. An agricultural turn time of 45 seconds was used; this information was gleaned from operators’ experience and used in comments made to the EPA on several pesticide reregistrations. A speed of 145 mph is equal to 213 feet per second; 45 seconds to turn multiplied by 213 feet per second is equal to 9,585 feet or 1.82 miles needed to make the turn.

The second method NAAA used to provide evidence on the distance required to make a turn while conducting an aerial application was via GPS as-applied aerial application maps and Google Earth. Google Earth was used to measure the distance into the field that two turns required. The first was one of the shorter turns from the application from when the aircraft was lighter. This turn pushed 2,273 feet or 0.43 miles into the adjacent field. The second was from a longer turn made when the aircraft was fully loaded. This turn penetrated 9,147 feet or 1.73 miles into the adjacent field.

A Google Earth map showing an application made by an AT-802A. Green represents the flight path with spray on, while red represent the flight path with spray off. The yellow line is the ruler tool used to measure the total length into the field a longer turn required: 9,147 feet (1.73 miles).

You may find the above information helpful if you find yourself countering claims about the dangers wind turbines and other obstacles represent to the safety of agricultural aviators. For more public outreach tools on wind farms from NAAA, click here.