NAAREF Safety Session Addresses Fatal Accidents
On Monday evening, NAAREF hosted a safety session in an attempt to prevent any more fatal accidents this season. Currently, five fatal accidents, which is quite high for this point in the season. While the NTSB is still investigating all these accidents, it appears at this point that four of the accidents are Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) accidents and the other was a stall spin accident. All four CFIT accidents involved a wire strike.
The safety meeting was held at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT to better accommodate those who had to fly during the day. PAASS presenters Randy Hale, Brian Rau and Rod Thomas joined NAAREF president and fellow PAASS presenter Matt Hovdenes in the safety discussion. They were introduced by NAAA CEO Andrew Moore, who explained this was the first-ever safety meeting held during the season and was convened because of the number of fatalities in 2021. The goal was to get ag aviators to have a reset for the season when it comes to safety. A recording of the meeting can be viewed here.
Topics included avoiding wire strikes and other CFIT accidents. Hale specifically called out an attitude mentioned by some that “hitting things is just part of our business.” He rightfully feels this is the wrong attitude to have, and no one should just accept they are going to hit something eventually. Instead, the attitude of every ag pilot should be that they will do everything possible on every job to avoid hitting wires and other obstacles. Thomas pointed out that wire strikes in helicopters can be even more deadly than in airplanes. There are two parts to avoiding obstructions, Rau added: The first is locating the obstruction; the second is remembering it throughout the application.
Distractions and fatigue can increase the risk of accidents. Hovdenes noted that stress this season seems to be particularly high due to difficulty obtaining sufficient fuel, chemicals and good help. These distractions must be put aside while flying so that they don’t interfere with flying safely.
Aggressive flying was also discussed since it possibly relates to the high number of stall spin accidents from 2020 and one apparent fatal stall spin in 2021. Keep the aircraft within the envelope to avoid a stall spin from which you will not be able to recover. It also can affect the quality of the swath. Never hesitate to tell an ag pilot and operator about the extreme safety and application quality issues resulting from aggressive flying.
NAAAREF has sought to bring attention to the high number of fatalities this early in the season in an effort to prevent all future accidents. An emergency Fly Safe message addressing the fatalities and the importance of avoiding wire strikes was released last Monday. The Fly Safe reminded readers that NAAREF has an online education video that covers wires and obstructions. Also last week, NAAREF President Hovdenes sent out an email alerting all ag aviators to the high number of fatalities and the need to prevent accidents. Please take a moment to watch the recording of the safety session and make safety a top priority on every job.
NAAA & Partners to Exhibit & Participate in Airshow at AirVenture 2021 in Oshkosh, Wis., Celebrating Ag Aviation and its 100th Anniversary
After four successful appearances at EAA’s AirVenture from 2016 to 2019, NAAA will once again exhibit at AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 26–Aug. 1 to showcase and celebrate the industry’s 100th anniversary. After last year’s cancellation due to COVID-19, we are excited to be representing the aerial application industry at AirVenture 2021.
NAAA has partnered with Air Tractor, AgAir Update and AG-NAV and for this year’s exhibit. Air Tractor will provide an aircraft for the booth and AG-NAV will exhibit its navigation system and accessories. NAAA staff and volunteers will be on hand throughout the week to speak with attendees who want to learn more about ag aviation.
This year, NAAA members will be participating in the Monday, July 26, airshow to feature the evolution of aerial application aircraft. Participants in the airshow will include Ag-Cat No. 1 flown by Toby McPherson, Al & Mike Schiffer’s Beast Stearman flown by Michael Rutledge, a Thrush flown by Terry Humphrey and an Air Tractor flown by Michael Hutchins. Dusty Crophopper may also make an appearance.
NAAA hosts an AirVenture Forum about the ag aviation industry on July 26.
NAAA is adding awareness about the industry by hosting an AirVenture Forum on July 26, from 10 to 11:15 a.m. at Forum Stage 2, where we will be discussing the industry and how to become an ag pilot in further detail.
Moreover, it’s a wonderful way to educate adults and children about the importance of our industry in producing a safe, affordable and abundant supply of food, fiber and bioenergy, in addition to protecting forestry and controlling health-threatening pests. The representation by our industry at AirVenture is a move in the right direction to bring positive awareness about aerial application to the general public. The ag aircraft will also be parked before and after the airshow on July 26 and 27 at Boeing Plaza, the epicenter of AirVenture and its public gravitating point. NAAA will display its 100th anniversary timeline there and promote the industry and its history there too.
AirVenture Oshkosh, which is organized by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) each summer at Wittman Regional Airport, is a weeklong celebration of aviation. NAAA exhibits at AirVenture to bring more awareness to careers in the aerial application industry because the weeklong show is flooded with aviation enthusiasts, aviation media, military personnel and young aviators looking for new opportunities. AirVenture is the largest airshow in the United States. NAAA’s presence helps our industry recruit potential ag pilots.
July is a very busy time of year for ag pilots; however, we know some operators and pilots visit AirVenture. Some even exhibit their own aircraft. Many NAAA Allied members also exhibit each year, and we encourage you to visit with them if you are on-site. If you will be at AirVenture, visit us in booths 457 in the main aircraft display area near the traffic control tower. If you are exhibiting, let us know where you’ll be!
Are you looking for a way to spread the good word of aerial application and share our industry with your community? Check out NAAA’s brochure that talks about the positives of aerial application, “Flying for Your Food.” And don’t forget to use NAAA’s Media Kit when speaking on behalf of the industry.
Stay tuned to the AirVenture excitement on NAAA’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages for updates and to view photos while NAAA staff are on-site at AirVenture.
Final Report of Global Stakeholders’ 2020 Workshop to Advance Regulatory Risk Assessments of Pesticide Drift from Unmanned and Unmanned Aerial Application Systems (UAS) Released
NAAA played a key role last December in North Carolina State University’s Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science in Agriculture (CERSA) workshop titled “Advances in Regulatory Risk Assessment of Pesticide Drift from Unmanned Application Systems (UAS) and Manned Aerial Application.” NAAA participated actively and was also on the development committee. Also participating were over 100 pesticide companies, academics, UAS and ag industry representatives, and state and international regulatory agencies, including the EPA and the Federal Aviation Administration. CERSA released the final report from the workshop earlier this week.
Many entities at the CERSA Workshop and codified in the final report agreed that UAS applications do not fit into any existing drift model. In fact, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), Canada’s counterpart to the EPA, stated that for a pesticide to be specifically registered to be applied by a UAS, drift modeling showing its safety would first have to be developed. As such, UAS applications in Canada are not allowed presently. NAAA has urged the EPA for years to develop UAS spray modeling indicating how the product moves in the atmosphere and to label its use according to the results, just like it does for manned applications.
Another conclusion from the CERSA conference, including from regulatory agencies, was that drift modeling—specifically AgDRIFT—could be modified to account for more realistic setups commonplace in today’s manned aerial application industry. NAAA has been actively working with the EPA to modernize its analysis of manned aerial drift models to take into account more realistic and robust drift reduction techniques. NAAA is also participating in the EPA’s Pesticide Policy Dialogue Committee Emerging Technologies Working Group, identifying similar policies needed for aerially applying drones. The final report may also be found here.
USDA Unveils New Coronavirus Relief for Cover Crop Growers
Farmers who planted cover crops this year will be eligible for a premium benefit from the Agriculture Department under most crop insurance policies, the USDA announced on Tuesday. The new $5-per-acre assistance is the latest in a series of coronavirus relief efforts being offered to farmers. The benefit would essentially lower a grower’s insurance bill.
Richard Flournoy, the acting administrator of the USDA’S Risk Management Agency, said the pandemic has “made it financially challenging for many producers to maintain cover crop systems,” which are grown to boost soil health and prevent erosion. The so-called Pandemic Cover Crop Program would support growers with almost any insurance policy if they planted a qualifying cover crop such as rye, oats or radish during the 2021 crop year. A few major farm states, including Illinois and Iowa, already offer support programs for farmers who plant cover crops. But growers in those states can still receive the federal benefit as well, the USDA stated.
Farmers have until June 15 to file a cover crop acreage report with the Farm Service Agency to receive the assistance. This program could help aerial application operations that spread cover crops for their farmer/customers. The aerial application of cover crops is advantageous since it allows for their application prior to harvest of the cash crop, providing more time for the cover crop to grow than terrestrial applications. The additional timing allows for deeper root growth for soil breakup and the development of more nutrients and hydration for the soil.
Utilize NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System Form
NASA’s ARC form 277B has been described as a “Get Out of Jail Free Card.” Pilots and others have been encouraged to use 227B to report events they are involved in or if they observe an incident or situation in which aviation safety may have been compromised. NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) captures confidential reports, analyzes the resulting aviation safety data and disseminates vital information to the aviation community. Reporting an event is confidential, voluntary and nonpunitive. This reporting process is available at asrs.arc.nasa.gov.
ASRS is a cooperative program between the FAA, NASA and the aviation industry to maintain and improve aviation safety. The information gathered is used to:
- Identify deficiencies and discrepancies in the National Aviation System (NAS) so that these can be remedied by appropriate authorities.
- Support policy formulation and planning for, and improvements to, the NAS.
- Strengthen the foundation of aviation human factors safety research.
The moniker of ASRS being “a Get Out of Jail Free Card” is a bit misleading, as it will not be helpful for intentional Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) violations. It also should not be used to report accidents or incidents as defined by the FARs. Accidents should be reported to the NTSB.
Some of the events ag pilots have reported include runway excursions, near midair collisions, communication breakdowns, operating out of currency, powerline strikes without aircraft damage, ground conflicts with other aircraft, breaking FAR minimums due to unexpected IMC conditions, airborne traffic conflicts, equipment problems causing either precautionary or forced emergency landings, and restricted airspace entry due to navigation equipment failures.
A hard copy of form 227B is still available if you do not prefer to submit one online. An online submission has the advantage of immediately knowing your report has been submitted. In either case, make sure you save a copy for your records and copy down the verification code so you can prove you submitted a report. When using the online reporting, you will be prompted to print the report before submission. A link to ASRS is available on the NAAA website.
Ripson Wong, the 2021 Season’s Fifth Ag Pilot Loss, Mourned by NAAA
On May 18, Ripson Wong was involved in the fifth fatal accident of the 2021 ag season. NAAA members and staff offer their condolences to his family and friends. Rip, as he was known to his family, was a beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend to so many. He was from Henderson, Nevada. While more details are forthcoming, his siblings have established a GoFundMe memorial fund to help his family with medical expenses related to Ripson’s accident. To donate, click here.
NAAA Offers Condolences to Family and Friends of Jakob Porter, Fourth Fatal Accident Victim This Year
NAAA members and staff offer their sympathies to the family and friends of Jakob Porter, who was fatally injured in an ag aviation accident on May 18. He was born on March 14, 1999, in Natchez, Mississippi, and was a resident of Ferriday, Louisiana, at the time of his passing. He had achieved his dream career of flying as an agricultural aviator and flew for Ferriday Flying Service, working all over the operation’s home state of Louisiana as well as in Mississippi, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa.
A reception honoring Jakob’s life was held on May 22 at Young’s Funeral Home in Ferriday, Louisiana. Jakob is survived by his parents, a girlfriend, sister, grandparents, a great grandmother and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Pilots for Patients or Angel Flight of Louisiana. Click here if you wish to leave condolences to the family.
2021 NAAA Membership Directory & Annual Report Mails
The 2021 NAAA Membership Directory & Annual Report has mailed. Most members should receive their copy within the next couple of weeks.
The NAAA Membership Directory & Annual Report is an indispensable asset, and as the title suggests, it is only available to our valued members. At 236 pages, this year’s directory is filled with valuable information. As always, it is loaded with operator and pilot contacts, as well as contact information for the premier suppliers of parts and services to the industry.
Other items of interest in the 2021 directory include NAAA’s annual report, the NAAA Member Code of Conduct; a detailed timeline of milestones and key accomplishments since the birth of the agricultural aviation industry 100 years ago; details about NAAA’s second-to-none NPDES pesticide general permit compliance resources; an issue brief on unmanned aircraft systems; checklists for how to respond in the event of a UAV encounter with an ag aircraft or if fired upon while operating an ag aircraft; plus, a list of the many education, training and outreach resources available to NAAA members at little to no cost. The directory also contains several useful forms, including the NAAA Membership Application, NAAA Awards Nomination Form and the 2021 NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship Application.
We have gone to great lengths to ensure the accuracy of our membership listings, but recognize that perfection is a moving target. If your contact information has changed, you can update it at any time by logging into your member account at AgAviation.org. Enter your username and password and click on “Your Account” to get started. Don’t forget to click SAVE CHANGES at the bottom of the page to record your changes. Those changes will sync in real time with NAAA’s Online Member Directory.
While you’re at it, add a headshot or company logo to your profile and become one of the faces of the aerial application industry. If you have any problems logging into NAAA’s website, call (202) 546-5722 and we will be glad to help.
Thank you for being a member of NAAA and for the work you do to ensure a safe, affordable and abundant supply of food, fiber and bioenergy for the world. It’s the continued support of people like you that helps sustain this great industry.
2021 Ag Aviation Expo Hotel Room Block Open
Join us for the 2021 Ag Aviation Expo and 100th anniversary celebration of the aerial application industry in Savannah, Georgia, Dec. 6‒9. Besides the networking, education, and fun at the NAAA Ag Aviation Expo, enjoy a city full of great restaurants, nightlife, shopping, attractions and history, including our own industry’s history! The NAAA hotel room block is now open! The Westin is sold out, but we have four other great hotels in the NAAA block. 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 2021 Ag Aviation Expo
- Dates: Dec. 6-9, 2021
- 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. View the 2021 Ag Aviation Expo registration fees here. NOTE: The non-member registration fee is $1,005 for pre-registration (July 1–Nov. 5) and $1,085 for regular registration (Nov. 6–Dec. 9). We recommend that non-members join NAAA in advance to obtain the cheaper convention registration rate.
- Exhibitor Booth Sales: Large booth sales are open. 10'x10' and 10'x20' booth sales open on July 15. Please email Lindsay Barber if you would like to secure a 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 2021 opportunities! We have sponsorships available for all budget sizes.
- Auction Donations: Thank you to Pratt & Whitney Canada for donating a PT6-34AG engine and to Darrel & Deb Mertens for donating a Grumman Ag Cat G-164 to this year’s NAAA Live Auction. While we are 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 will 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 2021 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. Click here to book your hotel room. The room block closes Nov. 11.
- Westin Savannah Harbor: $169/night + taxes – Most nights are sold out; additional rooms will be added to the room block as they are available.
- Hyatt Regency Savannah: $152/night + taxes
- Savannah Marriott Riverfront: $129/night + taxes
- Hilton Inn & Hampton Inn Historic District: $115/night + taxes (rooms available 12/4 -12/9)
All room rates above are single/double occupancy.
Book your room today by clicking here or call the housing bureau at (912) 644-6465. Reservations are taken over the phone Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. ET.
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 on-site. Free shuttle bus service is also available between the hotels above and the convention center for those who are not comfortable on the water.
Mid-Atlantic Ag Aviation Operations Coexisting with Presidential TFRs
The U.S. military intercepted a small aircraft that flew into restricted airspace in Delaware last weekend, grounding the pilot at a nearby airport as President Biden visited his home in Wilmington, Delaware.
When President Biden visits his Delaware home, a 30-nautical-mile presidential temporary flight restriction (TFR) ring is in effect. Mid-Atlantic agricultural aviation operators working in this vicinity expressed concern to NAAA earlier in the year about whether they would be allowed to treat cropland within the TFR.
NAAA worked to identify certain protocols to allow for such operations, as did Justin Hoffman, NAAA operator-member with Air Enterprises LLC, out of Dover, Delaware. Then the United States Secret Service came to Hoffman and other ag aviation and banner towing operations in the vicinity informing them of procedures to follow if they wanted to access the TFR to conduct official aerial application or banner towing operations. These procedures include submitting a TFR Flight Request Form no later than 12 hours before a scheduled flight into the TFR. A separate form must be completed each day for each aircraft that enters the TFR and must reference a grid map that indicates where the flight operations will occur. That information should be emailed to 9-PHL-ATCT-MGRS@faa.gov and also to Secret Service agents in charge within this jurisdiction. All pilots must adhere to the following guidelines:
- Operations are authorized within the airspace between the 12 NMR and 30 NMR area known as the outer ring. No flight operations are authorized inside the 12 NM inner ring.
- All aircraft must be on an active VFR or filed IFR flight plan with a discrete code assigned by the Philadelphia TRACON. Aircraft must be squawking the assigned beacon code prior to departure and at all times while inside the TFR. Aircraft must remain in two-way radio communication with ATC.
- Pilots cannot deviate from their planned route unless directed to do so by ATC.
- Prior to departing from the originating airport, the pilot or flight operations shall contact the Philadelphia TRACON at 215-492-4122 to obtain a discrete code.
The active VFR flight plan must be on file with the FAA and closed once the aircraft returns for the day. Radio contact must also be established. Contact Andrew D. Moore at NAAA with questions and additional government contact names.
NAAA Endorses Raspet Flight Research Laboratory’s Continued Efforts to Collect GPS Data Protecting Manned Ag Aircraft from Drones; Collect Data Now for Submission This Fall
Mississippi State University’s (MSU) Raspet Flight Research Laboratory is continuing its research study on safe operational distances between low-altitude, manned aircraft and drones. MSU Raspet is now beginning the second stage of GPS flight log data collection from manned agricultural aircraft. Many of you may have donated GPS flight log data during the first stage of data collection from 2017 to 2020. This second stage of GPS flight log data collection is critical to continue MSU Raspet’s ongoing research. Methods for GPS flight log data deliveries remain the same as the first stage—please see details below for all delivery options to MSU.
This effort is supported and encouraged by NAAA because MSU Raspet’s objective is to understand, model and predict manned ag aircraft in order to educate drone operators and promote safe, responsible drone flight in ag environments. Madison Dixon, the MSU aviation program manager, reported on the progress of the first study at the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo. Over a period spanning three years, NAAA members donated 49,180 flight logs in 20 different states. Some information calculated from the data includes an average ag aircraft application speed of 139 mph and an average ferrying speed of 132.8 mph.
More GPS flight log data is needed for the next research steps to facilitate the safe integration of unmanned aircraft (UA) into the airspace in which manned ag aircraft operations occupy. The data collected could have other benefits to ag aviation safety and performance such as average turn radius, decent and ascent angles, etc.
As with the first stage of data collection, NAAA and MSU Raspet agreed that all of the information collected is confidential, as confirmed from this language from MSU Raspet:
*IMPORTANT* Just as with our previous GPS flight log data collection effort, please know that MSU remains fully committed to protecting the privacy of NAAA’s members who donate their flight logs. The personal information of NAAA members who choose to donate their data will NOT under any circumstances be shared outside MSU. Furthermore, the GPS flight logs themselves will be stripped of all personally identifying information before any research is conducted using the data. Our research would never be possible without these data donations from NAAA membership. We tremendously value and appreciate your NAAA members who trust us with their data. At the end of the day, the privacy and security of these members is our utmost priority.Please begin collecting your data now. NAAA and MSU plan to make it easier to transfer it to Raspet, or if you have data from last season that you can transfer now, the steps to do so are accessible using the link and login credentials below:
- Upload to the NAAA Ag Data Repository using the following website, username and password (1 GB file limit per upload):
https://www.hpc.msstate.edu/raspet-naaa/
Username: raspet-naaa
Password: Ag2!naaArePo - Upload to a secure Dropbox link (available upon request to Madison Dixon, MSU Aviation Program Manager, at mpd162@msstate.edu) for large uploads.
- Email to Madison Dixon, MSU Aviation Program Manager, at mpd162@msstate.edu.
- Mail a flash-drive or other external hard-drive device to the address below (The flash-drive will be immediately mailed back to the sender once data is received):
Attn: Madison Dixon
MSU Raspet Flight Lab
114 Airport Rd.
Starkville, MS 39759
New with the second stage of data collection is the need to capture aircraft make and model info (not the N number or other personal identifying information) and GPS system make and model info in addition to the GPS flight logs. These additional details will make the research more useful, as the airspace modeling will be impacted by different aircraft, such as fixed-wing versus helicopter operations. If you choose to make a GPS flight log data donation, please try to include these aircraft and GPS details with your donation. The overall objectives of the research remain the same:
- Identify Ag Aircraft Operational Trends
- Develop Ag Aircraft Operational Model
- Validate Model through Observation/Collection of Empirical Data
- Inform/Educate UAS operators
- Promote Safety in all Low-Altitude Ag Environments