Bayer Funds Spray Drone Startup Rantizo to the Tune of $7.5 Million

Aerial spray drone startup Rantizo, an NAAA Allied Industry member, cashed $7.5 million of venture capital currency from Bayer, AgFunderNews reports. The Series A funding round was led by Bayer’s venture capital arm, Leaps by Bayer. Several other AgTech-focused investors also participated.

 

CEO Michael Ott told AgFunderNews that the fundraising round was spurred on by a dramatic uptick in demand during the 2020 season, although the degree to which the company’s activity increased was not disclosed. The new investments in Rantizo bring its total funding to $9 million.

Rantizo is based in Iowa City, Iowa. It received permission from the FAA in July 2019 to perform single drone spraying operations. It became the only company approved for drone spraying in Iowa at that time too. In July of this year, Rantizo received approval from the FAA to operate multiple drone swarms nationwide. The waiver allows for the operation of three autonomous drone sprayers by a single pilot and one visual observer.

The company stated that it primarily plans to use its new funding to expand into new markets. It will use the rest of the capital to make new hires and increase R&D for projects relating to crop pollination, data management and automation. Rantizo would also like to increase its list of 30 contractors to 100 sometime soon.

NAAA and AAAA Work with U.S. Sen. Boozman and DOT’s FMCSA Seeking to Legally Transport Limited Quantities of Jet A without CDL HazMat Endorsement

Over the past few weeks, NAAA and operators and staff of the Arkansas Agricultural Aviation Association (AAAA) have been in communication with U.S. Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to allow states, at their discretion, to waive the requirement for a holder of a Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to obtain a hazardous materials (HazMat) endorsement to transport 1,000 gallons or less of Jet A.

NAAA originally made this request of the FMCSA in 2018, but the request was held up at the Transportation Security Administration. AAAA scheduled a virtual meeting with Sen. Boozman’s office, and his team conferenced in top leadership from the FMCSA to urge them to consider NAAA’s 2018 request. Matthew Woolard, an aerial application operator in Arkansas and NAAA board member, underscored the difficulties of finding potential employees to transport commercial motor vehicles for agricultural aircraft operators due to the drivers leaving for year-round work once they receive their CDL and hazardous endorsement from a seasonal aerial application business. Woolard also mentioned the difficulties of finding Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) locations and scheduling testing times to take the knowledge and skill tests required for a CDL in rural areas, where most aerial application businesses are, since the closest DMV could be several hundred miles away.

NAAA and Katherine Holstrom, AAAA’s executive director, stated that Jet A has nearly identical chemical properties as diesel. States are allowed to grant CDL drivers a hazardous materials exemption for diesel fuel for custom harvesters, farm retailers and other businesses similar to aerial application operations.

Later, the FMCSA stated to NAAA that finalizing a regulation can take considerable time. In the interim, the agency suggested a temporary relief measure could be granted by requesting a waiver and an exemption while the FMCSA works on finalizing a regulation. The FMCSA also emphasized that an alternative and equal level of safety and security should be offered for a request to be granted. A waiver is granted more quickly and lasts 90 days. An exemption takes more time to finalize but less time than a regulation change and can last as long as five years.

NAAA followed up with a new request for a waiver and an exemption for aerial application CDL drivers to legally transport limited quantities of Jet A without a HazMat endorsement as the agency considers making a regulatory change. NAAA emphasized in its waiver and exemption request that safety will not be jeopardized by this request since aerial application operators with CDLs are driving on similar rural roads and for shorter distances, mostly less than 20 miles, to go from one satellite strip to another. They also drive when the weather is favorable to make applications, not in foggy, rainy and cold and snowy weather.

Regarding an equivalent level of safety, NAAA mentioned that all commercial pesticide applicators must comply with the EPA’s Worker Protection Standards (WPS), which require annual mandatory training to inform workers and handlers of pesticides about reducing exposure from pesticides. Drivers of commercial vehicles used for aerial application businesses typically are pesticide handlers. Employers of commercial pesticide applicators must ensure their employers are at least 18 years of age and are trained annually to use pesticides safely and consistently according to their label before they perform tasks involving pesticide use. The training is crystal-clear about the risks pertaining to these chemicals and the safety precautions necessary for their use. The WPS training is similar in nature to the risks associated with and safety precautions necessary for transporting chemicals required for a hazardous materials endorsement.

NAAA stated that an equivalent means of security aerial applicators would implement to be exempt from the HazMat endorsement is to contact local law enforcement to conduct a criminal background check on all of their CDL drivers before hiring them. This would ensure the prospective driver does not have a criminal record that might compromise road safety or national security. They also obtain Motor Vehicle Reports (MVRs) as part of their background screening process for new applicants and renewals, which checks for DUIs, traffic violations and parking tickets.

NAAA will keep the membership abreast of these waiver, exemption and regulatory change requests for the FMCSA to grant states the authority to legally allow aerial applicators to transport limited quantities of Jet A fuel without a CDL HazMat endorsement.

NAAA Comments to the FAA Urging More Safety Provisions to its Beyond Visual Line of Sight UAS Airworthiness Criteria Approval Proposal

This week NAAA submitted comments to the FAA opposing the approval of nine unmanned aircraft systems’ (UAS) airworthiness criteria due to a dearth of safety provisions in the proposals. The nine companies involved include well-known names such as Amazon.

The airworthiness criteria include both the UAS itself and the operating systems. All nine included the following: Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), flights conducted with a ceiling of 400 feet AGL, and a 20-to-1 ratio of UAS to pilots. The expected uses are package delivery, medical supply delivery, survey mapping, infrastructure inspection and patrolling. The proposals did not mention aerial application. The maximum takeoff weights range from 23 pounds to 89 pounds. To view the complete proposals or to submit a comment, click any of the following: Airobotics, Amazon, Flirtey, Flytrex, Matternet, Percepto, Telegrid, Wingcopter, Zipline.

What NAAA found to be the most concerning in these proposals is the lack of any traffic avoidance elements with manned aircraft. Neither visual aids such as strobes and high-visibility paint schemes nor electronic solutions such as ADS-B are included in the design and construction criteria or the operating limitations for the UAS. Since remote identification (RID) is only in the concept stage and ADS-B is not required on most manned or unmanned flights, NAAA does not believe BVLOS flights should be allowed. Although not mentioned in the proposals, ground-based radar is sometimes offered as an enabling technology. NAAA believes that ground-based radar is an unproven and ineffective technology to rely on for the purposes of low-altitude traffic avoidance.

Allowing a 20-to-1 UAV-to-pilot ratio and statements in the proposal such as “the aircraft must not require exceptional piloting skill or alertness” indicate that these aircraft will be mostly operated autonomously by computer software. NAAA reminded the FAA that overreliance on aircraft piloting software has and continues to result in aircraft accidents. A recent notable example is the Boeing 737 MAX.

NAAA concluded each comment by reminding the FAA that the issue of protecting all pilots from midair collisions when they are operating near unmanned aircraft is vitally important. In the case of agricultural aviators, timely treatment of the crop is an issue of great importance to the safe, affordable and abundant production of food, fiber and biofuel to our global population. Allowing BVLOS operations without adequate sense-and-avoid technology is a danger to not only low-altitude manned aircraft but all manned aircraft. You may read NAAA’s comments here.

Top 10 Tips for Success at the NAAA Ag Aviation Expo

We look forward to seeing you in a few days at the 2020 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo in Savannah, which is your one-stop shop for networking, education and professional development and fun! Follow these steps to have a successful visit in Savannah.
 
1. Pick up your badge or register beginning Sunday, Dec. 6 at the Savannah Convention Center in the River Concourse. Registration hours are:

• Sunday, Dec. 6: 12–6 p.m.
• Monday, Dec. 7: 7 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 8: 7:30–5:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 9: 8 a.m.–3 p.m.
• Thursday, Dec. 10: 8 a.m.–12 p.m.
  

2. Review the health and safety protocols for the Ag Aviation Expo.

3. Pick up an Ag Aviation Expo Program at the NAAA Registration desk, as well as your attendee bag which is filled with great items from our sponsors.

4. Earn CEUs! Currently, there are more than two dozen states offering CEUs for the Aerial Application Technology Research Session and some states are offering credits for education sessions. CEUs are also being offered for Certified Crop Advisors. Don’t forget to bring your license (we cannot submit your attendance without the license number)! Visit the NAAA website to view the states offering CEUs. Even if your state is not offering CEUs, don’t pass up the opportunity to learn about new technologies, programs and services in the industry.

 

5. Educate yourself at the Kickoff Breakfast, General Session, GarrCo Products breakfast, and the many education sessions. View a list of the Education Sessions here.

6. Conduct business for your operation at the two-day NAAA Trade Show featuring 100 exhibitors and several aircraft on the floor.

7. New and low-time ag pilots should attend Compaass Rose on Sunday and “Ask the Expert” Speed Mentoring on Monday afternoon. These sessions are designed specifically for those interested in the industry or for those with five or less years of experience. This is your opportunity to talk with industry experts in a small setting.

8. Ladies! The Ag Aviation Expo isn’t just for men. Check out the fun Support Committee Programming to network, learn from other women in the industry and have some fun, including Monday’s Paint and Wine Event at the Westin.

9. Purchase equipment, parts, services and even goodies you might need while supporting NAAA programs—bid on items in the Live Auction Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and during the Silent Auction. The Silent Auction opens at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday and closes at 2:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Click here for silent auction eBidding details.

10. Visit with old friends and make new ones during the Kickoff Breakfast (sponsored by BASF), Welcome Reception (sponsored by UPL North America), GarrCo Products Breakfast, Live Auction Reception (reception sponsored by Syngenta), Farewell Reception and Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet (sponsored by Corteva Agriscience). 

Register for the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo to Network, Learn, Have Fun & See Your Friends!  

On-site NAAA Ag Aviation Expo Registration Fees

When you arrive in Savannah for the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo, your first order of business is to pick up your badge or register at the Savannah Convention Center. View the Schedule of Events. View the Trade Show Floor and List of Exhibitors.

Pick up your badge or register beginning Sunday, Dec. 6, at the Savannah Convention Center in the River Concourse. Registration hours are:

• Sunday, Dec. 6: 12–6 p.m.
• Monday, Dec. 7: 7 a.m.– 6:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 8: 7:30 –5:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 9: 8 a.m.–3 p.m.
• Thursday, Dec. 10: 8 a.m.–12 p.m.
  

BASE Regular Prices

(Includes Welcome Reception & Farewell Reception Tickets; NO banquets; see banquet pricing under Additional Items)
Pricing below is for Nov. 8 through on-site in Savannah.

• Member: $320
• Member Spouse: $260
• Non-Member: $445
• Non-Member Spouse: $385
• Child (under 18 with paid adult): Free
• Day Pass Members (only available on-site): $160 per day
• Day Pass Non-Members (only available on-site): $220 per day
• SPECIAL FAMILY/FRIENDS ACCESS PASS (only available on-site): $50 per day (Only available to non-industry guests of registered attendees/exhibitors who also have purchased breakfast and banquets.)
• Must be purchased by fully registered NAAA Member attendee or exhibitor.
• Trade Show Only – no other meeting or event access.
• Maximum of 2 people per registered attendee or exhibitor.
  

Additional Items

• Kickoff Breakfast AND Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet: $105 each set (discount to purchase both banquets together)
• Monday Kickoff Breakfast ticket: $45 each
• Thursday Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet ticket: $80 each
• Monday Welcome Reception ticket: $45 (for family member not attending Expo)
• Thursday Farewell Reception ticket: $30 (for family member not attending Expo)

Must-Attend Events!

Don’t miss these must-attend events at the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo:

• Kickoff Breakfast Speaker Damian Mason, Author of new book Food Fear: How Fear Is Ruining Your Dinner and Why You Should Celebrate Eating, Host of “The Business of Agriculture” and “Do Business Better” podcasts and Agricultural Comedian.
• General Session: Medical, Legal and Food Trends Affecting Ag Aviation – This session will feature substantive presentations about legal, medical and food trends occurring in the ag aviation nationally and how that might affect you and your business.
  
• NAAA Trade Show – featuring seven aircraft and an expected 100 exhibitors. View the NAAA Trade Show Floor Plan to review the companies that will be visiting with attendees on the NAAA Trade Show floor.
  
• Aerial Application Technology Research Session and more than a dozen educational sessions where you can earn potential CEUs. (Review the list of CEUs.)
• Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet honoring individuals and companies in the aerial application industry.
  

Savannah Ready to Welcome Ag Aviation Expo Attendees & Exhibitors

NAAA is making final preparations for the 2020 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo in Savannah Dec. 7–10 for a fun and productive event. The city of Savannah and Chatham County representatives optimistically responded to NAAA last Friday with a green light to proceed with the meeting and that they do not foresee any changes to government policy preventing the NAAA convention.

 

The Savannah Convention Center has successfully hosted many events and conventions since mid-July and will be hosting a circus following the Thanksgiving holiday. The center was one of the first this summer to receive their Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) Star accreditation for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention; you can read more here. The city of Savannah, the Savannah Convention Center and host hotels are also focused on your health and well-being. NAAA has been in consistent communication with the city and our venues.

Health & Safety Precautions at NAAA Ag Aviation Expo

NAAA is laser-focused on hosting a safe and healthy event. NAAA’s Executive Committee sent correspondence Monday to all currently registered and prospective convention attendees asking for everyone’s cooperation in following the health and safety recommended precautions during travels to, during and from Savannah. All have the responsibility to take care of themselves and one another so all can enjoy the abundance of educational, networking and exhibiting opportunities and return home safely to have a healthy and joyous Christmas and New Year holiday season. So please follow the recommended protective policies put in place by the city of Savannah and convention facilities.

• Savannah currently has a mask mandate in place and all hotels require a mask in public spaces. We encourage you to wear a face mask at the Ag Aviation Expo when you are not eating, drinking, or socially distanced from other attendees/exhibitors.
• There will be a PPE station located in the registration area with neck gators sponsored by Bayer CropScience, 3-ply face masks and gloves. Hand sanitizing stations are available throughout the convention center.
  
• There will be 6 feet of space between people in our registration desk line. Please register online or over the phone at (202) 546-5722 until Dec. 3 to avoid standing in the registration line. If you have purchased a booth space, you do not need to register as an attendee.
• Meeting rooms will have sections of seating with chairs spaced apart for those that do not want to sit close to others and seats that are grouped together for those who have traveled together.
• We will create a social distancing flow on our NAAA Trade Show floor with arrows and distance marker stickers for foot traffic to follow to keep proper distancing.
  
• We encourage elbow bumping instead of handshakes.
• We will also be implementing changes with the food and beverage at our receptions, banquets, and coffee breaks so that multiple people are not touching banquet station handles.
  
• If you’d like more details on the Savannah Convention Center protocols, click here.

Many restaurants and bars are open in Savannah and they are seating at 50% capacity. We recommend making restaurant reservations. You can view a list of Savannah restaurants here.

Register for the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo to Network, Learn, Have Fun & See Your Friends!  

Enjoy Text Bidding on NAAA Silent Auction Items On-site or from Your Home; Letter of Credit Required for PT6A-34AG Engine

Looking for fun aviation inspired trinkets and gifts? Look no further than the 2020 NAAA Silent Auction. You can bid in person in Savannah at the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo, online or on a bidding App.

Bidding is open Sunday, Dec. 6 at 12 p.m. ET until 2:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 9. There are two bidding options:

• Bid online at www.charityauction.bid/NAAA
• Download the App: Auctria Mobile Bidding and under Enter an Event, type in NAAA
  

From the website or App, click Online Registration (name and email are the only mandatory items). The system will send a confirmation to your email address that you are required to click on to participate in bidding. Click Catalog to view and bid on the auction items. You can also enter your credit card number for the software to immediately charge your credit card for the items that you win before you pick up your items.
 
On-site Bidders: If you win an item, please proceed to booth #147 for payment and pickup of your item before 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 9.

At-Home Bidders: If you win at item, contact Deana Burke at (202) 546-5722 or dburke@agaviation.org and your item will be sent to you, unless you make arrangements for a friend to pick up your item. At-home bidders are responsible for the costs for NAAA to ship the winning item (not guaranteed for Christmas delivery; expected delivery early 2021).
 
Live Auction Engine Bidders: Thank you to Pratt & Whitney Canada for its generous donation of a brand-new PT6A-34AG turboprop engine. The engine is valued at $535,661. The engine build specification (BS) is 1334, used on the Air Tractor, Thrush and Turbine Conversions STC. The winning bidder is required to pay $20,000 down on-site and remainder of payment is due within 30 days. Please provide a letter of credit from a financial institution to Lindsay Barber.

Register for the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo to Network, Learn, Have Fun & See Your Friends!  

Pitch Your Best Shot at Pitching In for PAASS, a NAAREF Fundraiser Taking Place at the Ag Aviation Expo

Help us raise money for NAAREF and PAASS by showing up with your pitching arm for Pitching In For PAASS, a fundraiser for the ag aviation industry’s premier educational safety program. The event will take place 7–10 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 6, at the Savannah Convention Center. Pitching In For PAASS is a corn-seed bag toss game, also known as cornhole, where players take turns throwing bags of corn kernels at a raised board with a hole.

 

The event will be a March Madness style tournament that will follow the American Cornhole Association rules. A bag in the hole scores 3 points, while one on the board scores 1 point. The first team to 21 points wins. Games will be capped at 20 minutes each. The scoring judges will call “last round” on any game that has exceeded 20 minutes. 

 

Registration is now open and is required; the minimum donation is $110 per person. Each person must register separately, and teams are made up of two people (if you’d like to register multiple people, please call the office at 202-546-5722). There will be 64 total teams, allowing for 128 participants.

 

Both people on the winning team will receive $125 gift certificates to purchase merchandise at the 2020 NAAA Support Fundraising booth on the NAAA Trade Show floor on Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

Help us raise funds to continue the highly regarded PAASS Program, working to reduce the number of aviation accidents and drift incidents each year. Register today!

Ag Aviation Career Advice Available on NAAA Website

NAAA has added an Ag Aviation Career Advice page to the Career section of its website. The Career Advice page contains links to several articles and resources that will give current and aspiring ag pilots information and advice about working in the agricultural aviation industry, including career-oriented content curated from Agricultural Aviation.

 

 

 NAAA’s Career Advice page is available at AgAviation.org/careeradvice.

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

Renewals are now open for the NAAA 2021 membership year! Renew online or by mail 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.