NAAREF President Matt Hovdenes Speaks to Aero Fleet One about Safety in Ag Aviation

Matt Hovdenes, owner/operator of Right Way Ag. in Harwood, North Dakota, and president of NAAREF, spoke to Aero Fleet One about safety in ag aviation. Aero Fleet One is a network of international operations, primarily in Brazil. They wished to interview Hovdenes to increase safety knowledge and awareness in the industry, both in the U.S. and Brazil. Watch the full interview below. It has also been translated into Portuguese for the industry’s Brazilian audience.

 

 

Hovdenes covered many topics in the interview, including:

• The change in safety culture brought on by the use of turbine aircraft (1:39)
  
• Safety technology including airbags, stronger windshields and wire cutters (3:35)
  
• The impact stress has on pilot safety (4:37)
  
• Safety challenges faced when working in new areas (6:13)
  
• Hazardous attitudes’ negative impact on safety (9:15)
  
• The importance of establishing personal minimums and sticking with them (10:20)
  
• How outside influences, particularly financial ones, impact safety (12:31)
  
• Business concerns that impact an operation’s safety culture (14:13)
  
• Precision ag technology and how it can affect safety (23:35)
  
• Required flight gear for safety (25:12)
• Finding and being a safety mentor (32:26 and 35:55)
• Safety breaks at an operation (38:00)
  
• Resources needed by the industry to continue to improve safety culture (39:37)

The interview concluded by Aero Fleet One asking Hovdenes for two safety rules that he uses in his ag flying. His advice:

1. If a task in the aircraft doesn’t have to do with the mission, don’t do it.
2. There is no part of any job worth hurting yourself for.
   

NAAREF encourages you to watch the video here or on YouTube and to find ways to further incorporate safety in your operation, aircraft and flying.

Idaho AAA Effort to Amend State’s Right to Farm Act Moves Forward to State Senate

On Feb. 25, the Idaho House of Representatives passed a bill backed by the Idaho Agricultural Aviation Association to expand the definition of “Agricultural Operations” under the state’s Right to Farm Act (RFA) to include the ingress and egress of aircraft to agricultural areas. House Bill 606 passed unanimously out of Idaho’s House Agricultural Affairs Committee and off the House floor. It heads to Idaho’s Senate today. If approved by the ag committee, it could be voted on by the full Senate sometime next week, where it is expected to pass easily. From there, it will head to Idaho Gov. Brad Little’s desk to be signed into law.

The RFA protects agricultural activities conducted on farmland in urbanizing areas from being subjected to nuisance lawsuits. An increase in complaints from urban transplants prompted the Idaho Agricultural Aviation Association to seek to amend the RFA to include the ingress and egress of aircraft in agricultural areas in the right to farm territory. “Agricultural aircraft must be able to travel to and from agricultural lands and treatment areas to perform their vital functions. With a growing agricultural/urban interface in Idaho, it is important to recognize and protect the ability for agricultural aircraft to access agricultural lands,” stated key members of the Idaho legislature.

Getting the RFA amendment enacted would amount to another big win for the Idaho AAA coming in quick succession after the successful enactment of legislation exempting ag aircraft and related parts from state sales tax. Great work by the Idaho AAA in advancing this important state legislative work! For more background information, see last week’s board meeting article under state reports.

Tax Season is Upon Us—Take Advantage of Tax Exemptions Secured by NAAA

It’s Tax Season, and one of NAAA’s greatest services to the industry has been securing tax exemptions that save the aerial application industry millions of dollars each year—thousands of dollars for the smallest operators, and more depending on varying fuel use. Here are some of the exemptions you’ll want to take advantage of before April 15.

Bonus Depreciation and Section 179

Two deductions pertinent to many aerial application businesses are the bonus depreciation and section 179 business provisions. NAAA has been successful in allowing for a temporary 100% depreciation deduction through 2026 (and through 2027 for longer production period property and certain aircraft).

The maximum amount an individual can deduct for new asset purchases, like an ag aircraft, has been raised to is $1,050,000 in 2021, subject to some limitations. The section 179 tax provision allows a taxpayer to deduct the cost of certain new or used property placed in service for the year rather than depreciate those costs over time. The provision also expands the definition of qualified real property eligible for section 179 expensing to include any of the following improvements to nonresidential real property placed in service after the date such property was first placed in service:

• Roofs.
• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning property.
• Fire protection and alarm systems.
• Security systems.
  

This provision applies to property placed in service after Dec. 31, 2017.

You can read more about section 179 and bonus depreciation for your 2021 filings at irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i4562.pdf.

The Fuel Tax Exemption

Due directly to the efforts of NAAA, the aerial application industry has been fortunate since 2005 to qualify for a waiver for fuel excise taxes levied on aviation fuels. It is estimated that the fuel tax exemption saves the average operator over $15,000 per year. The law includes relief for fuels burned while ferrying to and applying to cropland. The current IRS reference that explains the rules and procedures to take these fuel tax credits and refunds can be found at irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p510.pdf.

As has been the case for many years, the rules differ according to the type of fuel used. For aviation gasoline (avgas), an aerial applicator may claim a tax credit as the ultimate purchaser of the fuel but cannot claim a refund. For Jet A, the ultimate purchaser (you if you are purchasing fuel) may either make the claim or waive the right to make the claim to a registered ultimate vendor or fuel supplier who may then sell it to you tax-free. Many applicators find it easier to waive the right to your fuel supplier, and the fuel supplier provides the fuel federal tax-free. Check with your fuel supplier to see if they are willing to do this. If not, you may apply for a tax refund directly with the IRS. A sample waiver is provided in Publication 510 and can be found at tiny.cc/irs-model-waiver-L. The specific forms regarding the credits and claims on aviation gasoline and kerosene can be found respectively at irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4136.pdf and irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8849s1.pdf.

NAAA has worked hard to ensure that Congress and the IRS continue to offer these valuable tax benefits to aerial applicators, and we once again encourage applicators who wish to take advantage of these special tax treatments to contact their accountant or financial adviser to get the most pertinent information for your business.

More Drone Airworthiness Criteria Issued by the FAA, NAAA Comments to Agency Acknowledged

Last week the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved airworthiness criteria for two drone models—Zipline International and Matternet Inc. NAAA submitted comments to the FAA last November opposing the approval due to a lack of safety provisions in the proposals.

NAAA reported on the proposed airworthiness criteria in the December 3, 2020 eNewsletter. In the comments, NAAA stressed the importance of aerial application and the necessity for safe, low-altitude airspace to ensure that agricultural pilots flying manned aircraft can continue to do their jobs safely. NAAA questioned that the drone proposals could ensure a safe operating environment due to exempting drones from airworthiness criteria and not requiring drones to have any type of sense-and-avoid technology. Lack of sense-and-avoid technology is especially dangerous for UAS operating beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), which was proposed in the airworthiness criteria for both the Zipline and Matternet drones. NAAA also registered concerns with the proposals allowing a 20-to-1 UAS-to-pilot ratio, and statements in the proposals such as “the aircraft must not require exceptional piloting skill or alertness”—conditions adding peril to low-altitude manned aviators.

NAAA’s comments also touched on the overreliance of software with the drones and lack of human oversight. Moreover, the proposals lacked ADS-B In/Out and traffic avoidance technology on the drones, in addition to lacking strobe lights and high-visibility paint schemes. While the FAA did not find it necessary to change the airworthiness criteria, the FAA did state that several of NAAA’s comments will be addressed during operational approval for these drones, which is forthcoming.

NAAA continues to monitor these requests and insist that our recommendations, if not included in the airworthiness criteria, be included in the operational approval.

Dalton Wright Wins 2021 Support Scholarship Contest; Enter 2022 Scholarship Contest to Win Thousands in Educational Scholarships

Congratulations to 2021 Support Scholarship Contest winner Dalton R. Wright. He was sponsored by his dad, Jiles Wright, a pilot with Woolard Flying Service in Corning, Arkansas. Dalton is enrolled in his first year at Arkansas Northeastern College, working toward his A&P certificate and associate degree. Read Dalton’s winning essay here.

2022 Support Scholarship Contest Entries Due Sept. 15

The deadline for the 2022 Support Scholarship Contest is Sept. 15. The NAAA Support Committee will award a $2,000 scholarship as top prize and Covington Aircraft Engines has generously agreed to sponsor a $1,000 scholarship. 

 

As it was in 2021, the theme for this year’s contest is “What role does ag aviation play in producing a local commodity?”

 

The 2022 Support Scholarship Contest is open to any individual who is sponsored by an NAAA member. The scholarship is not restricted to individuals pursuing a “flying career” and can be used toward any educational pursuit beyond high school (at any age).

Entrants must be a senior in high school or be registered in higher education by the fall semester of 2022. Previous winners are not eligible to compete. Submissions must be an essay of at least 1,500 words or a 5-minute multimedia presentation. Submissions should be sent as an email attachment by Sept. 15 to information@agaviation.org. More information about eligibility requirements, contest guidelines and sample essays from past scholarship recipients are available here.

A Tip of the Hat to Substantive Work Conducted by NAAA/NAAREF Board at Fort Worth Meeting

The NAAA board posse returned to Fort Worth, Texas, Feb. 18-19 for its spring board meeting to conduct substantive business to strengthen the aerial application industry. The 2021 fall NAAA board meeting was also held in Fort Worth and returned last week because there were fewer COVID restrictions in the Lone Star State than in other locations.

Yippee-iii-EPA

Top brass from the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs addressed NAAA’s board and committee members via Zoom at the spring board meeting’s opening session.

 

Director of the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Ed Messina, and branch chief of OPP’s Environmental Risk Branch of the Environmental Fate and Effects Division, Amy Blankinship, spoke to NAAA’s board virtually to start the meeting. OPP regulates the manufacture and use of all pesticides in the U.S. for safety, including determining if pesticides may be used via aerial application. Messina discussed the EPA’s charge of reviewing the safety of all pesticides every 15 years to ensure their safety to people and the environment. He also brought up a new EPA policy stemming from the Biden administration to prevent litigation by ensuring that new pesticide products meet Endangered Species Act requirements before they may be registered for use. There are presently 13 pending lawsuits regarding 40 active ingredients that the EPA is facing pertaining to endangered species concerns. Messina mentioned that they have completed over 5,000 registration reviews during this 15-year cycle. The OPP’s 600 total staffers have also been busy this past year approving 14 new pesticide applications, reviewing over 11,000 comments pertaining to registrations, and addressing 100 congressional inquiries. 

Blankinship discussed several different entities looking into the safety and efficacy of drone applications—an issue NAAA has brought up to the agency for a few years due to drones not yet being tested compared to manned aircraft. Blankinship stated that the American Chemical Society, North America Remotely Piloted Aerial Application Systems, CropLife America’s Pesticide Registrant Task Force and the EPA’s PPDC Emerging Technology Task Force, of which NAAA Wisconsin board member Damon Reabe sits on, have all been looking into testing drones’ application systems, but no comprehensive testing data has emerged yet. Blankinship also mentioned the multi-year discussions NAAA and the EPA-OPP have had focused on shifting from Tier 1 to Tier 3 of the AgDRIFT model that calculates off-target aerial drift. Tier 3 considers more realistic atmospheric and drift reduction technology equipped on-board the ag aircraft today, compared to the Tier 1 model that grossly overestimates movement of the applied materials. The EPA stated they continue to have internal discussions within the agency on NAAA’s request and data backing up the recommendations.

Lowdown on the State of the Industry

President Jim Perrin presides over NAAA’s board meeting in Fort Worth.

 

2022 NAAA President Jim Perrin called the meeting to order after the EPA’s presentation welcoming the new board members and graciously invited them to share their thoughts during the two days of business. Andrew Moore, NAAA CEO, presented an overview of industry and association issues, beginning with sharing positive forecasts for the 2022 U.S. agricultural economy. The USDA forecasts a record $175.5 billion in 2022 U.S. ag exports—resulting in a $10.5 billion surplus when considering ag imports coming into the U.S. The 2021 U.S. ag export surplus was $8 billion. Two variables Moore brought forward that could result in an even larger ag trade surplus in 2022 include China and its 2020 Phase 1 trade agreement with China committing to purchase $73.9 billion of U.S. ag products over two years. To date, it has only purchased $61.1 billion—only 83% of the target level. The second variable is tensions in the Black Sea region between Ukraine and Russia—a global source of wheat. Bellicose actions in that region may disrupt their ag markets, result in rising grain prices and reliance on other grain-producing nations such as the U.S.

Moore then discussed policy issues, repeating the EPA’s charge of reregistering pesticides every 15 years and NAAA’s involvement in retaining label language allowing aerial use without unnecessarily burdensome restrictions. Through 2025 it will be reviewing 297 pesticides, including 2,4-D, imidacloprid, malathion, pyrethrin, etc. Moore also discussed Biden administration environmental initiatives, including a USDA Commodity Credit Corporation program calling for $1 billion for farmers sequestering carbon (includes funds for applying cover crops). The EPA has stated that agriculture contributes 10% of the U.S.’s overall carbon emissions. NAAA has submitted calculated data that ag aviation protects 27.4 million acres of land from being converted into farmland every year and that cover crops seeded by air sequester 1.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, the equivalent of 412,000 carbon combustion car engines, and that increasing cover crop acreage by 15% would sequester another 11.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually

Also discussed was the Biden administration’s rewrite of how waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) are defined under the Clean Water Act. This is the third attempted redefinition of WOTUS in six years. The Biden administration’s attempt nearly mirrors the Obama administration’s 2015 attempt that didn’t survive court scrutiny. It defines WOTUS to include ephemeral or temporary waters with no nexus to navigable waters. NAAA has commented to the EPA opposing the rule due to it expanding the number of waters that trigger obtaining a pesticide general permit under the Clean Water Act—an unnecessary, duplicative requirement since pesticides are already reviewed for safety under FIFRA; and due to the U.S. Supreme Court agreeing to hear a case involving the definition of WOTUS in 2023.

 

Moore stated that polls indicate a possible Republican takeover of both the House of Representatives and Senate after midterm elections are held in November. This could result in Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) taking over the chair of the Senate Ag Committee in the year—2023—the farm bill must be reauthorized. NAAA will urge that regulatory provisions, including NPDES-PGP requirements, be eliminated.

Moore also mentioned how election results could move Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) into the chair of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Graves championed enacted legislation in 2018 requiring the marking and logging of towers in rural areas 50-200 feet in height and 10 feet or less in diameter, with communication towers only having to abide by one of the requirements. In 2023, FAA Reauthorization expires. This provides another opportunity for NAAA to bring communications towers under both logging and marking requirements. FAA is currently working on developing rules to enforce the law. NAAA is working with Rep. Graves to hasten the process.

 

An additional aviation safety concern raised by Moore relates to proposed regulatory requirements from an FAA aviation rulemaking committee (ARC) that would allow commercial drones to operate under 400 feet, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), weigh up to 1,320 pounds (LSA weight) and be exempted from granting right-of-way to manned aircraft when operating within 100 feet of towers and wires and manned aircraft not equipped with ADS-B In, and having the unmanned aircraft certified for airworthiness. NAAA has been in contact with members of the ARC opposing these proposals due to these provisions raising serious manned aircraft pilot safety concerns.

Moore discussed communications initiatives next, including the continued 100th anniversary of agricultural aviation, which runs until August. NAAA will be participating in Ag Day on the Mall, March 21-22, 2022, where dozens of national ag groups will put their wares on the Washington, D.C., National Mall to promote precision agriculture. NAAA will have a booth and an OH-58 Bell helicopter on display with spray boom and bucket along with its 100th anniversary history panels. Glenn Martin of Helicopter Applicators Inc. in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is loaning the helicopter for display. The event will be seen by tens of thousands of people, including key federal legislators and regulators.

 

NAAA will conclude its 100th anniversary celebration at EAA’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, again participating in its airshow demonstrating an aerial application ballet to its tens of thousands of spectators as the air boss narrates the importance of the industry.

 

Moore charged the board with continuing to use the 100th to promote the industry as there are still 4½ months remaining. More information on celebrating and promoting the industry’s 100th anniversary can be found at AgAviation100.com. He also urged the purchase of the 100th anniversary history book, which has sold 665 copies to date. Books can be purchased at AgAviation.org/book.

Moore also stated that the 100th anniversary campaign, according to Agility PR Solutions, a media monitoring service, reached 400 million people based on the total circulation of the news outlets reached—an ad value equivalency of $10 million. Due to the success and need to reach the public and educate them about modern agricultural production, NAAA will conduct a communications audit next month polling its members and audience about what their desired focus of association communications should be—internal communications or positive public relations; the mediums of communication preferred—print, online, social media, podcasts, etc.—and what content is most preferred—aviation safety, application stewardship and efficacy, human interest stories, etc.

NAAA will also continue to run its “Above All Forms of Crop Care” ads in ag publications this spring. The ad campaign promotes the benefits of aerial application and leads those interested in using the service to NAAA’s website where they can search for NAAA operator members that aerially apply near them. The campaign will be advertised for six weeks in AgWeb’s eNewsletter with a national circulation of 201,000 farmers nationwide and CropLIfe’s eNewsletter with a national of 20,500 retailers, cooperatives, crop consultants, universities and extension agents. The NAAA campaign won a National Agricultural Marketing Association Award in 2019 and has markedly increased click-throughs to NAAA’s aerial applicator operator search function when the ad campaigns are run.

Education and safety issues were then discussed, primarily about work that has been conducted on developing a professional certification program for the aerial application industry. At present, the plan is to make the program available to ag pilots starting in 2023 that would initially require annual attendance in PAASS, biennial attendance in Operation S.A.F.E., and membership in both the national and a state/regional agricultural aviation association. Additional requirements will be forthcoming in 2024, including a comprehensive ag airman certification standard (AACS) that NAAA and NAAREF have developed over several years and is being fine-tuned presently by an aviation attorney. Curriculum will then be developed from the AACS and presented via online learning through learning management software NAAA is exploring. Once installed, the curriculum will be offered and test questions developed to ensure the ag pilot understands the material.

 

Moore then discussed ag aviation accidents, stating that there were 55 accidents in 2021 and 12 fatalities. He also stated that 2020 data from the FAA General Aviation Activity Survey had just been released showing that there were 6.11 accidents per 100,000 hours flown in 2020, which lowered the number of accidents per 100,000 flown to 7.15, or by 25.81%, since PAASS was introduced after the 1998 application season. He also mentioned that only 47% of ag pilots attend PAASS and that statistics show that PAASS attendees are less likely to have accidents, particularly the more one consistently attends PAASS. That underscores the importance of a professional certification program for the industry that augments continuing education opportunities to solidify professional aerial application habits.

 

NAAA's Ag Aviation Expo will be in Knoxville, Tennessee, for the first time Dec. 5-8, 2022.

The success of the 2021 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo was discussed. There was a total of 1,540 in attendance compared with the COVID-19 truncated convention in 2020, which had 790 in attendance. Plans are underway for the 2022 Ag Aviation Expo, Dec. 5-8 in Knoxville, Tennessee, with Astronaut Scott Kelly locked in for the Kickoff Breakfast. Kelly has spent a total of 520 days in space—more than any other American. One of those vertical jaunts includes leading the Hubble telescope repair in 1999. The general session will be titled “Healthy Public Relations” with agvocate Michelle Miller, also known as the Farm Babe, providing valuable PR lessons for us to agvocate for aerial application. Returning to the general session will be Dr. Stan Musick, Flight Surgeon, AME, aerobatics pilot and aerial applicator that will discuss pilot medical issues, medical certificate procedures and good health. Starting in 2023, the Ag Aviation Expo will be held at the following locations: Palm Springs, California (2023); Fort Worth, Texas (2024); Reno, Nevada (2025); and Savannah, Georgia (2026).

Membership totals were discussed next, with NAAA ending 2021 with a total of 1,781 members—84 more than 2020 but 33 fewer in the operator category. There are 1,560 total operators in the country and 2,028 non-operator ag pilots.

Moore concluded with forecasts stating that inflation could be a burr under the saddle of the 2022 season due to fertilizer costs being high, particularly nitrogen, which accounts for 50% of corn fertilizer costs. Recent statistics show that fertilizer costs are projected to be up 80% in 2022 compared to 2021. On a per-commodity basis, fertilizers account for $117 per acre of corn, or 36% of operating costs—the highest cost of all commodities—with rice at second and peanuts and cotton tied for third. Soybeans have lower fertilizer costs at $31 per acre, so it is expected more soybean acreage will be grown this year.

 

The good and bad news is that population projections are growing. The downside of that is that the more people, the greater demand, and as the demand variable rises so does price, so crop input prices may be on an upward trajectory with more population demand. The good news is that with the global population rising, more souls will demand the food, fiber and biofuel the aerial application industry helps produce, and today there are 7.9 billion earthly souls to feed, with 9.7 billion projected in 2050 and 10.9 billion projected in 2100.

After that lowdown on industry-related happenings, President Perrin adjourned the meeting for the committees to round up some substantive direction to take the aerial application industry.

Roundup of NAAA-NAAREF Industry Initiatives

Awards—The Awards Committee suggested, and the board approved a motion to rename the Related Industry Award to the Richard “Dick” Reade Memorial Award. The award recognizes outstanding contributions by an allied industry member and his company. The committee also urged all members to provide nominations for those deserving of an award due to exemplarily serving the industry. Forms and award details may be found at AgAviation.org/onlineawardsform and AgAviation.org/awards.

Budget and Finance—The board approved a 2022-2023 fiscal year budget presented by Dwayne O’Brien, former treasurer from Louisiana, which begins July 1, that has a projected deficit of $50,679. This includes $35,000 for learning management software to host educational content for a professional ag pilot certification and a depreciation expense of $42,000, which is a paper, not a real expense. This is a significantly reduced deficit than what was projected this current fiscal year ($114,618), and with sound financial assets and more than surviving in the COVID quarantine era, the association is in quite good shape fiscally.

Communications—The Communications Committee urged the board and all industry members to purchase copies of Agriculture’s Air Force, the history book of the industry, and to share it locally by donating them to libraries and schools in their area. The book can be found at AgAviation.org/book. The committee also spoke at length about the upcoming survey being developed for industry members to glean updated information about who NAAA’s focused audience should be in regard to the lion’s share of communications resources and also what is the best medium to communicate and the most important topics in which to communicate. The Communications Committee, along with a subcommittee of the Long Range Planning Committee, will be reviewing a draft list of questions before the survey is sent.

Convention—The Convention Committee discussed the 2021 Ag Aviation Expo in Savannah and the post-convention survey, which was very positive about the event. More will be done to ensure auction bidders can better hear and see the auction items up for bid. Heartfelt thanks were expressed to the auction donators, particularly Pratt & Whitney Canada for its PT6A-34 turbine engine donation and Darrel and Deb Mertens’ and Boyd Morgan’s donations of Ag-Cat aircraft. There were 1,540 attendees and exhibitors and 142 paying exhibitors in Savannah.

The 2022 Ag Aviation Expo will take place in Knoxville, Tennessee, Dec. 5-8, 2022, with five different hotels in different price points around different areas of downtown Knoxville, all within four blocks of the convention center. The room block links will be released to members in the next couple of weeks. For more on the convention, visit AgAviation.org/convention.

Government Relations—Chairman Damon Reabe of Wisconsin discussed upcoming meetings to be held soon between NAAA and two major pesticide manufacturers. These meetings are part of NAAA ensuring aerial labeling is pursued when these companies submit (re)registration data to the EPA for approval of pesticides’ use.

Reabe also urged and many committee members echoed the importance of operators providing their GPS data to Mississippi State University’s (MSU) Raspet Flight Research Laboratory for its continuing 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. The industry donated GPS flight log data during the first stage of data collection from 2017 to 2020. The second stage of data collection needs to capture aircraft make and model info (not the N number or other personally 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. All data submitted will be wiped of any personal identification information. The overall objectives of the research are to:

1. Identify Ag Aircraft Operational Trends
2. Develop Ag Aircraft Operational Models
3. Validate Model through Observation/Collection of Empirical Data
4. Inform/Educate UAS operators
5. Promote Safety in all Low-Altitude Ag Environments
   

To upload to the NAAA Ag Data Repository, use 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
  

To upload large uploads to a secure Dropbox link, send a request to Madison Dixon, MSU Aviation Program Manager, at mpd162@msstate.edu.

To email your data, send it directly to Madison Dixon, MSU Aviation Program Manager, at mpd162@msstate.edu.

 

Or simply 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 Road
Starkville, MS 39759

Long Range Planning—The committee discussed the value of a professional certification program to help the industry embrace such a program designed to enhance professionalism which, in turn, mitigates accidents and drift incidents. Thoughts shared, in addition to benefits allied members (insurance, chemical companies, etc.) might offer, included markedly aiding in marketing one’s company to farmers and regulators would be less likely to promulgate burdensome industry regulations.

The committee is also looking into expanding leadership training to more prospective leaders in the industry throughout the country since current sponsorship levels of leadership training have been considerably reduced in recent years.

Membership—The Committee discussed ideas for an upcoming video ad NAAA is developing to promote membership. The promotional video will be shown at the PAASS Program presentations and posted online via social media pages related to agricultural aviation. The committee also deservingly awarded an honorary lifetime NAAA membership to Scott Yackel, a pilot who works for Chatham County, Georgia, and has helped immensely over the years with the aircraft move at Savannah during the convention. The board approved Yackel’s honorary membership.

Museum—The Museum Committee discussed the Snow S2A aircraft. The airplane’s engine is currently under repair in Mississippi and may be displayed and flown at EAA AirVenture in July before it is permanently put on display at the National Agricultural Aviation Museum in Jackson, Mississippi. In addition, the board approved a motion for NAAA to donate $5,000 per year to the museum.

Precision Agriculture—The committee discussed work that is underway to integrate multiple precision ag technologies together to enhance application automation on manned agricultural aircraft. It also discussed see and spray technologies that are being developed for terrestrial applications that may make their way to ag aircraft before too long. Efficacy and drift testing for drones were also discussed, with the USDA-ARS Aerial Application Technology Unit representative stating that they are trying to facilitate unmanned aircraft service providers to participate in Operation S.A.F.E. clinics. It was mentioned that a task force of pesticide manufacturers—the Unmanned Aerial Pesticide Application Task Force—is being developed to conduct drone application tests along similar lines as the Spray Drift Task Force testing manned aircraft back in the 1990s on drift movement and efficacy.

Safety & Federal Air Regulations—The committee is partnering with Balmoral Engineering to promote its wire marking equipment to power companies. A presentation is in development to promote to rural electric cooperatives.

Support—The Support Committee announced that its 2022-2023 Athena Program content would be about balancing home life with work life. It will be part of the Support programming at the convention in Knoxville, in addition to a luncheon at the Sunsphere—the golden tower overlooking the city that was constructed as part of the 1982 World’s Fair. Mention was made by Chairwoman Jane Pitlick of South Dakota that a number of states have offered CEU units for Athena Program attendance. In addition, Pitlick mentioned that the essay topic for the 2022 Support scholarship is “What role does ag aviation play in producing a local commodity?” Scholarship information may be found at AgAviation.org/supportscholarshipcontest.

National Agricultural Aviation Research & Education Foundation— NAAREF President Matt Hovdenes reported that CFIT will be the focus for the 2022-2023 PAASS program. NAAREF meetings largely discussed the professional certification program. To that point, it was stated that past PAASS modules would be matched to the AACS, selected and updated for use on the learning management software as part of the certification program.

Hovdenes and staff will also attend a wire aviation safety course offered as part of the HAI Heli-Expo next month to determine its worth as content at the Ag Aviation Expo on Sunday and Monday in Knoxville for an additional fee. Wires are the main cause of ag aviation accidents.

 

NAAREF President Matt Hovdenes accepts a $3,000 donation from Tom May, who presented it on behalf of the Nebraska Aviation Trades Association.

 

State Reports—NAAA President Perrin then opened the floor for state reports. Tom May of Nebraska graciously presented NAAREF President Hovdenes with a $3,000 check for the foundation (pictured above).

 

Erin Morse of Washington spoke of a bill in that state that markedly increases buffers around riparian habitat. The bill was defeated but likely will resurface down the road. The Washington association has worked closely with their state’s DOT to show how aerial application provides billions of dollars of value to the state. This information will likely be helpful the next time such deleterious legislation toward the industry resurfaces.

 

George Parker of Idaho reported on a win for Idaho AAA—the successful enactment of legislation exempting ag aircraft and related parts from state sales tax. Another piece of legislation the state is working on amending is the state’s right to farm law to include the ingress and egress of ag aircraft to treatment areas and agriculture fields. He urged the states having legislative and regulatory troubles to hire state lobbyists. It has served Idaho well of late, according to Parker.

As they say in Texas, there was a “whole messa” good business conducted in the Lone Star State for the NAAA-NAAREF Board spring meeting, as aforementioned. President Perrin adjourned the meeting on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 19, and board folk made it home safely.

Captain Scott Kelly to Speak at 2022 Ag Aviation Expo Kickoff Breakfast

History-Making Astronaut First to Complete a Year-in-Space Mission

Captain Scott Kelly, a former NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Navy captain, will speak at the 2022 Ag Aviation Expo Kickoff Breakfast on Monday, Dec. 5. Kelly is also a U.S. spaceflight record-holder and an experienced test pilot, having logged more than 15,000 hours of flight time in more than 40 different aircraft and spacecraft.

A former fighter pilot, Kelly flew the F-14 Tomcat aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier. NASA selected Kelly as an astronaut in 1996. A veteran of four space flights, he piloted Space Shuttle Discovery to the Hubble space telescope in 1999 and subsequently commanded Space Shuttle Endeavour on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2007.

Kelly’s long-duration space flight experience includes two flights on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, launching and landing from Kazakhstan, and two stays aboard the International Space Station as commander: the first a 159-day mission in 2010-2011, followed by his record-breaking 340-day mission to the ISS in 2015.

During his yearlong mission, known worldwide as the “Year in Space,” he conducted three spacewalks before returning home in March 2016. His Year in Space Mission was chronicled in a Time magazine documentary series and an Emmy award-winning PBS special.

Kelly has traveled more than 200 million miles, which is more than twice the distance to the sun, and has orbited the Earth more than 8,300 times. Kelly has received many awards and honors, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

He was on the cover of Time magazine in December 2014 and named one of its 100 Most Influential People in 2015.

Kelly is a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and a member of the Association of Space Explorers. In 2016, Kelly published the New York Times best-selling memoir Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery. More recently, he published Infinite Wonder: An Astronaut’s Photographs from a Year in Space, a collection of extraordinary images he photographed aboard the International Space Station, also a New York Times bestseller. He is also the author of two children’s books, My Journey to the Stars and Goodnight, Astronaut. His next book, Ready for Launch: An Astronaut’s Lessons for Success on Earth, will be published in 2022.

In 2021, he was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Kelly’s identical twin brother, Mark, is also a former NASA astronaut and the current junior U.S. senator from Arizona.

Airworthiness Directive Issued for Continental Engines

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Continental Aerospace Technologies Inc. C-125, C145, IO-360, IO-470, IO-550, O-300, O-470, TSIO-360 and TSIO-520 series model reciprocating engines and certain Continental Motors IO-520 series model reciprocating engines with a particular oil filter adapter installed. This AD was prompted by reports of two accidents resulting from power loss due to oil starvation. It requires replacing the oil filter adapter fiber gasket with an oil filter adapter copper gasket.

The effective date of the AD is March 29. Action is required before accumulating 50 flight hours after the effective date or at the next scheduled oil change after the effective date of this AD, whichever occurs first. View the complete AD here.

NAAA first reported on this AD when it was proposed in the October 14, 2021 eNewsletter.

NAAA’s ‘Agriculture’s Air Force’ Book Gets Library Love

To mark 100 years of aerial application, Lilly Paxton, Jane Barber-Pitlick’s granddaughter, donated a copy of Agriculture’s Air Force: 100 Years of Aerial Application to the Sully Area Library in Odina, South Dakota.

Jane chairs NAAA’s Support Committee. Lilly (pictured at right) made this donation with the hope that local residents will learn more about the agricultural aviation industry and be inspired to take an active interest in how agricultural aviation has advanced over the years in sustaining food, fiber and bioenergy in the U.S. Order Agriculture’s Air Force: 100 Years of Aerial Application for yourself, customers and your local library at AgAviation.org/book.

Syngenta Offering Update and Aerial Application Training Sessions in March

2021 was a busy year for the aerial application of fungicides. As we prepare for another busy season in 2022, Syngenta is hosting an update and training session on its products. Join subject matter experts Dr. Tyler Harp, Fungicide Technical Product Lead with Syngenta, and Dr. Brad Fritz, Agricultural Engineer with the USDA Aerial Application Technology Research Unit, College Station, Texas, as they review the 2021 season and discuss application best practices for optimum disease control.

Topics will include:

• Fungicide Review
• Aircraft Setup: Booms and Nozzles
• Swath Width
• Spray Volume Guidance
• Common Aircraft Setup Errors
  

Two aerial application training sessions are being offered:

 

Audience: Fixed-Wing Registration

Date: Tuesday, March 15

Time: 8 a.m. CST

Audience: Helicopter Registration

Date: Wednesday, March 16

Time: 8 a.m. CST

Upon completion of registration, you will receive an email with personalized login details and an option to save the event to your calendar. The call will require a passcode listed within the email, and you will also receive reminders one week, one day and one hour before the event.

FAA’s GA Survey Data Collection for 2021 Now Underway

The FAA’s annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA Survey) is officially underway. The survey is for reporting on activity for the calendar year 2021. The GA Survey is the only source of information available that provides reliable data on the GA fleet, including the number of aircraft and hours flown. The data is used by the FAA, other government agencies and the aviation industry for a variety of things, including assessing safety and understanding the economic impact of aviation.

The GA Survey is especially critical to the agricultural aviation industry. NAAA uses the results of the GA Survey, in conjunction with NTSB accident numbers, to calculate an overall accident rate and a fatal accident rate for Part 137 operations. This allows NAAA to track and document the safety of the agricultural aviation industry and provide evidence to the FAA and NTSB that PAASS and other safety programs are working to reduce Part 137 accidents. This is especially helpful in the event additional regulations may be proposed.

Participation in the GA Survey is voluntary, but the agricultural aviation industry needs your input. If you are selected to participate in the GA Survey, you will receive an email or postcard invitation asking you to complete the survey online. For those who chose not to complete the survey online, a mail survey is sent that includes a postage-paid return envelope. The information is confidential and will only be used for statistical purposes. It will not be published or released in any form that would reveal an individual participant. It only takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete the survey.

Please respond to the survey even if you did not fly your aircraft during 2021, sold it or if the aircraft was damaged. If you own three or more aircraft, you can use an abbreviated survey form instead of completing a survey for each aircraft. About 30% of the total number of GA aircraft are surveyed every year, so you may be asked to participate two or more years in a row. If you have questions, please contact Tetra Tech, the independent research firm conducting the GA Survey for the FAA, toll-free at 1-800-826-1797 or by email at infoaviationsurvey@tetratech.com.

Update Your Information for 2022 Member Directory

Have you moved or changed employers since you renewed your NAAA membership? Allied companies, have you reviewed your company description lately? Ensure your listing in the 2022 NAAA Membership Directory is correct today by logging into your account. If any information has changed, please let us know right away. You can provide your information by:

• Updating your information at AgAviation.org. Log in using your username and password and update your information under My Profile.
• Emailing your changes to information@agaviation.org.
• Responding to the letter or email that you will receive in a couple of weeks.
• Faxing your changes to (202) 546-5726.
• Calling the NAAA office at (202) 546-5722.
  

Updated information was due by Jan. 25 to guarantee accurate inclusion in the 2022 NAAA Membership Directory.

We All Have a Telling History: Use Yours and NAAA’s Materials to Broadly Communicate Agricultural Aviation’s

By Andrew Moore, NAAA CEO

If you are an active citizen in the world of aerial application, don’t be a static audience member during this epic centennial event. Take the stage with us and bring out your inner thespian as we enunciate the gospel of agricultural aviation to the public. 

 

History is not just documenting famous or infamous people, times and events. We all have a history—a story to tell about ourselves that can contribute to the next and future generations’ betterment. One could also believe that sharing our history is one of the meanings of life—to improve and evolve our world by sharing the key to living a good life and sharing the hazards and obstacles that may hinder such living.

 

NAAA has reached the climax in the centennial epic of sharing our industry’s history to the public, which of course was Aug. 3, 2021. But just because the official centennial anniversary date is behind us doesn’t mean all efforts to share the importance of our industry to the public have passed you by. We will be celebrating the centennial of agricultural aviation for an entire year. We continue to reach out to policymakers, our brethren in the fields of agriculture and aviation, to the trade press, to the public and to the national news media. We continue to share our history of improving the cultivation of food, fiber and bioenergy consumed globally and how we’ve learned from harrowing experiences and evolved technologically to fine-tune our craft, use less product to cover more acres and better care for Mother Earth. We are continuing to use all types of media to educate the public—three different length video documentaries, a comprehensive book of our history, social, print, trade and news media releases and a special website, AgAviation100.com, to share the 10-decade story of ag aviation and we will continue to due so through July of 2022.

 

If you are an active citizen in the world of aerial application—whether an operator, pilot, crew member, service-parts-equipment provider or related tangentially to the industry in another way—don’t be a static audience member during this epic, year-long centennial event. Take the stage with us as we enunciate the gospel of agricultural aviation to the public. Inform your local television stations, newspapers and radio stations about the industry’s 100th anniversary, even if it is by simply directing them to AgAviation100.com. On that site, there is a “Get Involved” tab with a draft press release about the 100th that discusses the importance of the industry, its progressive evolution, and directs readers to AgAviation100.com to learn more. Feel free to cater that press release to your own operation and experience and send it to your local news outlets.

 

You can also brush up on the ag aviation script about the importance of ag aviation, environmental safeguards that are common practice today and other industry talking points on NAAA’s media relations kit webpage that may be found here.

 

The media relations kit also includes suggestions on how to best communicate to the media and public when espousing ag aviation’s significance. If you don’t feel comfortable communicating directly, no worries. NAAA staff and an assortment of ag aviation ambassadors can be used as understudies and take over that role, but do make sure the public and news media in your area are informed of our centennial milestone to maximize the value of this pivotal once-in-a-lifetime event. 

Don’t forget, we all have a great story to tell about this industry. Whether it is how one got into the industry; the training to fine-tune ag aircraft and the application equipment; how ag aviation provides to local employment and the local economy; or how after five generations, our technology and experience are such that we produce more per acre, showing that our care for the environment continues to progress—all of these anecdotes are both important and fascinating to public audiences.

It’s up to us all to tell the story to continue this industry’s remarkable legacy. And again, just because the official anniversary date has occurred, our centennial lasts a year and you can still contribute plenty. Please join the ag aviation cast for this once-in-a-100-year performance that is leading to glowing public reviews and will continue to do so throughout the year.

NAAA Releases Book of the Century! Buy It Today

NAAA has released the book of the century—a century of agricultural aviation, that is.

One hundred years ago, an aerial crop dusting experiment spawned the birth of the agricultural aviation industry. To commemorate agricultural aviation’s 100th anniversary, NAAA is pleased to present Agriculture’s Air Force: 100 Years of Aerial Application.

Agriculture’s Air Force provides a new, updated account of aerial application’s history, 35 years after Mabry Anderson’s masterpiece, Low & Slow: An Insider’s History of Agricultural Aviation, was published. NAAA’s meticulously sourced book is based on a collective history of the agricultural aviation industry based on material from Agricultural Aviation magazine, AgAir Update, Low & Slow and other resources.

Beginning with Agricultural Aviation’s Spring 2021 issue, NAAA has been publishing excerpts from Agriculture’s Air Force and will continue to do so through the Fall 2021 issue. Those stories are just a small slice of what’s in the 268-page hardback edition, however. The complete book contains so much more.

Agriculture’s Air Force delves into the intersection of agriculture and aviation. It chronicles the agricultural aviation industry’s growth from its infancy in 1921 through the boom times after World War II and on to today’s modern era of high-tech aerial application.

The finished hardback book has been years in the making but well worth the effort. “This is a significant piece of work covering not just the industry’s history, but its essence,” NAAA CEO Andrew Moore said. “We are proud of it and believe it will make a lasting contribution to the industry.”

The story of agricultural aviation is much like the broader story of aviation: It is mostly punctuated with interesting smaller moments sandwiched between milestone developments. Aerial application is also the story of technological leaps and bounds.

Agriculture’s Air Force covers five eras spanning more than 10 decades. In addition, it features 34 Spotlight pieces focused on significant individuals, organizations, trends, technologies and topics related to aerial application.

Agriculture’s Air Force: 100 Years of Aerial Application may well be NAAA’s most enduring 100th anniversary initiative. One thing’s for sure: It is no textbook. The commemorative book is written from a fresh perspective that is entertaining and enlightening. Readers will come away with a new appreciation for agricultural aviation as a profession and the dedicated individuals who propel it forward.

Order Your Copy of Agriculture’s Air Force Today!

Agriculture’s Air Force retails for $45, excluding shipping. Order it from AgAir Update’s Online Store.