NAAA Targets Ag Retailers, Farmers with Spring ’22 Ad Buys in National Ag Publications

NAAA’s ad campaign promoting the benefits of aerial application to farmers and ag retailers is back and in full swing for the 2022 season. A March 7 ad in AgWeb AM kicked off an eight-week email advertising run in one of Farm Journal Media’s largest newsletters. NAAA ads will also appear in the CropLife News newsletter every Tuesday for six weeks beginning March 22. On the print side, the first of two ads in The Scoop (formerly known as AgPro) will appear in the magazine’s March 2022 issue.

AgWeb AM reaches 140,000 mostly grower subscribers.

NAAA’s digital ads will continue to run in AgWeb AM’s Monday editions for seven more weeks, concluding with AgWeb AM’s April 25 issue. AgWeb AM provides ag news, market and weather information each morning to an audience of 140,000 mostly grower subscribers.

CropLife News has 20,500 newsletter subscribers. About two-thirds of CropLife News’ readership consists of ag retailers, dealers, distributors and custom applicators. Chemical manufacturers, fertilizer producers, equipment manufacturers and consultants make up the remaining one-third of its readers.

 

The half-page ad in The Scoop’s March issue will be followed by a full-page ad in its April/May 2022 issue. The Scoop delivers business solutions to 20,000 farmer advisers, including agricultural retailers/dealers, independent crop consultants, custom applicators, professional farm managers, extension services and fertilizer, pesticide, seed and equipment manufacturers.

As always, NAAA’s print and email ads feature the tagline “Aerial Application: Above All Other Forms of Crop Care” and promote how aerial application is by far the fastest, most versatile and economical way to aid farmers in producing greater crop yields. Additionally, this year’s campaign includes messaging that alludes to the industry’s 100th anniversary. A secondary tagline in the new digital ads that alternates with the primary tagline declares: “Aerial Application: Heightened Crop Care Since 1921.” Centennial-oriented messaging was also worked into the new print ads.

The calls to action direct readers to find an aerial applicator near them using NAAA’s “Find an Aerial Applicator” database of NAAA member operators.

NAAA has been promoting aerial application services through national ads in agricultural trade media for five years, dating back to 2017. NAAA advertised in The Scoop last year as well. In earlier years, the “Above All Other Forms of Crop Care” ad campaign has appeared in AgPro (2020), CropLife magazine (2017 and ’19) and Farm Journal magazine (2018). NAAA has been advertising in AgWeb AM’s weekday morning e-newsletter since 2018. With a greater emphasis on digital advertising, CropLife News was added to this year’s digital mix also.

Update Your ‘Find an Aerial Applicator’ Listing

This ad campaign, along with the “Find an Aerial Applicator” database, is a service NAAA provides to operator members to help promote their businesses.

NAAA’s search tool can be found at AgAviation.org/findapplicator or on any page of NAAA’s website by clicking on the “Find Aerial Applicator” link in the upper right-hand corner.

The “Find an Aerial Applicator” lookup tool gives NAAA Operator, Affiliated Operator and Lifetime Operator members the option of promoting their services to farmers and other potential customers by listing their company in NAAA’s narrowly tailored public database. The database only provides enough information to give farmers, municipalities and others who may need the services of an aerial applicator a mechanism to locate and contact the NAAA operators nearest to them. Search results return the name of the company, the business number on file, the operator’s city and state, and the aerial application operation’s website, if there is one.

To ensure your information is up to date, you can log in to AgAviation.org and, once logged in, you can update your listing with a logo, edit your listing or opt-out of the database. Operator, Affiliated Operator and Lifetime Operator members are free to opt-out or opt back in at any time. If you need assistance with updating your information, please contact the NAAA office at (202) 546-5722 or information@agaviation.org.

NAAA Gets Prime Location at Ag Day on the Mall Event March 21-22; Come See Us at Booth 24

NAAA’s exhibit will be right in the middle of the action at Ag Day on the Mall March 21-22, putting NAAA in prime position to show how aerial application contributes to sustainability in agricultural production. NAAA is one of about 30 ag groups celebrating National Ag Day at Ag Day on the Mall later this month. The event will take place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., near the Smithsonian Metro stop between the Capitol building and the Washington Monument. If you are in town, stop by exhibit 24—the one with the massive ag helicopter located in the center of the exhibits.

Click to enlarge map. NAAA is exhibiting at booth 24.

Ag Day on the Mall is a celebration of modern agriculture that will feature more than 30 exhibiting associations and companies from grower to applicator groups to ag equipment manufacturers and is being organized by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. The event will feature hands-on displays of modern equipment and technology for the public to learn how the latest ag equipment, crop inputs, data and technology work together to drive agriculture’s tradition of producing more with less. Key policymakers from the executive and legislative branches will be attending the events and exhibits as well.

NAAA is excited to have a Bell OH-58 helicopter and staff from Helicopter Applicators Inc. in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, at Ag Day on the Mall. Our booth space will also feature a recirculating pump so that attendees can see how aerial application spray nozzles work, as well as the 100th anniversary timeline panels.

Thank you to Glenn Martin for providing the aerial application equipment and to his staff, Joe Stambaugh and Brock Heffner, who will be assisting in the booth space.

NAAA Ag Aviation Expo General Session Will Feature Dr. Stan Musick and Michelle Miller, the Farm Babe

The NAAA General Session will be held in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the 2022 Ag Aviation Expo. The “Healthy Public Relations” session will feature Dr. Stan Musick and the Farm Babe, Michelle Miller. This session will be full of great information, no matter what your role is in the aerial application industry.

Dr. Stan Musick is a man who fills many seats in life! Dr. Musick will cover several medical aspects that are pertinent to ag pilots. He will use real-life examples from three pilots, including two agricultural aviators, to describe how medicals can get messed up by pilots, doctors and the system itself. In terms of over-the-counter (OTC) medications, Dr. Musick will describe the half-lives of certain more potent OTC medications, which can be looked up by aviators themselves to determine the length of time a pilot needs to wait after taking the medication before flying. He will also discuss CACIs—Conditions an AME (or aviation medical examiner) Can Issue, as well as what pilots can do to help their AMEs ensure they get their medical. He will also discuss fatigue and how to obtain a Special Issuance from a medical appeal. Dr. Musick has indicated that he will be available for further discussions with attendees on the convention floor.

Dr. Musick is a lifelong aviation enthusiast who has pursued simultaneous careers in medicine and aviation. He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine and is board certified in Anesthesiology, Pediatric Anesthesiology and was trained by the U.S. Air Force as a Flight Surgeon. He has been an Aviation Medical Examiner for more than 20 years and is a Senior AME.

Dr. Musick has also pursued his aviation career, receiving his CFII and commercial ratings in the 1970s and has added the ATP, A&P/IA ratings to his “ticket.” He fights fires in an Air Tractor 802 and flies agricultural aviation in an Air Tractor 502. Active in the warbirds, he flies the P-51 Mustang and the Corsair for the Commemorative Air Force and owns a T6 in which he performs at airshows. With more than 13,500 hours, he remains active in flying for hire and, more importantly, understands the significance of a “trouble-free” medical. One of his talents is working through the “maze” of Special Issuance and helping airmen obtain flying status when they were convinced they would never be PIC again.

Michelle Miller, better known as the Farm Babe, is an internationally recognized speaker, published writer and columnist, and an online influencer as a full-time advocate for agriculture. In a world where consumers are bombarded with misinformation and confusing marketing labels, Michelle clears the air and helps people learn from true ag experts about how food is actually produced. She started her social media outreach over seven years ago as a way to better bridge the gap between farmers and consumers, making a name for herself as a dedicated “myth-buster” in food and farming. Farm Babe has nearly 210,000 followers, an average social media reach of 2 million to 3 million monthly, has been featured in Forbes, a guest on Dr. Drew, has influenced corporations such as Burger King, and has proudly spoken alongside some of the biggest names in food and farming today. Michelle will talk about her experience myth-busting and positively “agvocating” the aerial application industry to your local community and media.

Details for the 2022 Ag Aviation Expo

• Dates: Dec. 5-8, 2022
• Location: Knoxville Convention Center
• Kickoff Breakfast Speaker: Captain Scott Kelly, first astronaut to complete year-in-space mission.
• General Session Speakers: Dr. Stan Musick & Michelle Miller
  
• Schedule of Events: See the current, tentative schedule here.
• Attendee Registration: Opens July 1.
• Exhibitor Booth Sales: Large booth sales open in late March. 10’x10’ and 10’x20’ booth sales open on July 14. 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 be contacted about 2022 opportunities! We have sponsorships available for all budget sizes.
• Auction Donations: Thank you to Pratt & Whitney Canada for donating a PT6-34AG 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.
  

NAAA Endorses and Encourages GPS Data Collection Effort Protecting Manned Ag Aircraft From Drones

Mississippi State University’s (MSU) Raspet Flight Research Laboratory (RFRL) is continuing its research study on safe operational distances between low-altitude, manned aircraft and drones. MSU is now beginning its second stage of GPS flight log data collection from manned agricultural aircraft. Many NAAA members 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 since MSU’s objective is to understand, model and predict manned ag aircraft’s flight patterns in order to educate drone operators and promote safe, responsible drone flight in ag environments. NAAA has already seen the benefits of having this information available when dealing with government officials by being able to emphasize the low-altitude airspace that NAAA members operate in.

“The Raspet Flight research study is trying to help us. Submitting data is easy to do. All of our tracks [GPS Tracks] will blanket the country and show why regulating drone operations is necessary,” Mark Kimmel, NAAA’s 2021 president, said.

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 agreed that all of the information collected is confidential, as confirmed by the following 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 upmost [sic] priority.

Please submit your 2021 GPS flight data now. New with this round of data collection is the need to capture aircraft make and model info (not the N number or other personally identifying information) and GPS system make and model information, in addition to the GPS flight logs.

The steps to do so are accessible using the link and login credentials below:

1. Email Madison Dixon, RFRL Research Director, at mdixon@raspet.msstate.edu.
2. Upload to the NAAA Ag Data Repository at www.hpc.msstate.edu/raspet-naaa (1 GB file limit per upload). Email Madison Dixon at mdixon@raspet.msstate.edu to receive your login Username and Password.
3. Mail a USB flash drive or another 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 Research Lab – Building 2
   114 Airport Road
   Starkville, MS 39759
   

NAAA Comments to FAA to Deny Exemptions to Package Delivery Drones Compromising Aviation Safety

This week, NAAA submitted comments to the FAA on two drone operators’ requests for exemptions from parts of the aviation safety regulations. Ameriflight LLC and Amazon Prime Air have submitted requests for relief from Parts 61, 91 and 135 of the federal register to allow package delivery options without meeting certain aviation safety requirements that NAAA believes are necessary to maintain the safety of the National Airspace System. The drone companies’ requests for relief are available here (Ameriflight) and here (Amazon).

NAAA does not believe there has been sufficient information furnished to determine whether these companies have provided for an equivalent level of safety. These package delivery operations are expected to be conducted Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) deliveries. The requests for relief from this broad package of regulations are not supported by the documents provided. NAAA commented against exemptions from regulations dealing with drones providing right of way to manned aircraft, abiding by minimum altitudes, equipping drones with altitude indicators, having pilot requirements, aircraft airworthiness certification and more. To read NAAA’s comments, look in the comments section for Ameriflight or Amazon.

While technologies are being developed that look promising for these and other unmanned operations to safely occur, NAAA is not aware of any testing that has been done to examine whether they work with low-flying agricultural aircraft. NAAA continues to insist on this testing being completed before unmanned BVLOS operations are allowed.

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 headed to Idaho’s Senate on March 3. HB 606 could be voted on by the full Senate sometime this 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 month 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.

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.