Near Miss to Ag Airplane in Arkansas Highlights Lack of Knowledge and Safety of Certain Drone Operators
An ag aviator making an application south of Morrilton, Arkansas, had a near miss with a drone on April 12, according to an Arkansas County Sherriff’s Office and an FAA incident report that stated an AT-802 ag aircraft had been making applications for a customer, who witnessed the incident. The pilot was in a routine turnaround while making an application at about 300 feet above ground level. The pilot reported there was approximately 1,000 feet of separation at first sight of the drone. At its closest point, the AT-802 had about 15 feet of horizontal separation from the drone. The pilot did not have time to take any evasive actions.
The drone operator was with the Arkansas Department of Transportation and flying the drone to survey land near where the aerial application was being made. The drone operator saw the ag aircraft working nearby but still elected to launch the drone. After the near miss, the drone operator stated that the ag aircraft sprayed the drone, so she landed it to clean the lens of the camera on the drone.
The ag pilot notified the customer using the ag aircraft’s services that he had just had a near miss with a drone, so the customer called the police to report the incident. According to the police report, the drone operator told the responding officer that “the crop duster did not have a transmitter on, therefore she was unable to see where the duster was locate [sic].”
The drone operator’s response underscores an unfamiliarity with FAA rules regarding safe operations between manned and unmanned aircraft. Federal Aviation Regulations §107.37(a) states:
Each small unmanned aircraft must yield the right of way to all aircraft, airborne vehicles, and launch and reentry vehicles. Yielding the right of way means that the small unmanned aircraft must give way to the aircraft or vehicle and may not pass over, under, or ahead of it unless well clear.
There is no requirement for the manned aircraft to be equipped with ADS-B or a transponder in Class G airspace where the operation took place.
NAAA is following this incident and will provide an update when new developments arise. If you have an encounter with a drone, use the NAAA Ag Pilot-UAV Encounter Checklist to properly report the incident. While it might seem redundant, it is critical that you both report the incident to the FAA National Safety Hotline and call your local FAA Flight Standards Office.
NAAA will continue to promote the importance of manned aviation safety to drone operators, the FAA and the public.
NAAA Launches LinkedIn Account
On the heels of the 2022 communications survey in which 76% of our members stated that NAAA’s communications resources should primarily be focused externally, NAAA has launched our LinkedIn page, in addition to our social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Following NAAA on LinkedIn is easy. We will use the platform to provide updates on the importance and professionalism of agricultural aviation, upcoming meetings, education and safety materials, as well as great pictures of ag aviators doing what they do best.
LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals and companies, with 900 million members in more than 200 countries. NAAA’s LinkedIn profile will attract people to learn more about the aerial application industry and recruit the next generation of ag aviators. Thirty-one percent of LinkedIn users are between the ages of 30-39, and almost 1 in 5 U.S. users are 18-29. LinkedIn is another great resource for NAAA to market the industry to the general public.
Has Your Aircraft Been Pattern Tested Yet? There Are Tools to Help
If you have not yet attended or scheduled an Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-In for this season, the time is becoming short in many parts of the country.
NAAREF recommends having your pattern assessed, at minimum, every other year or when major changes are made. This is vitally important to ensuring your aircraft is ready to make effective applications this season. Accordingly, NAAA has included biennial Operation S.A.F.E. participation as a core component of its C-PAASS professional aerial applicator certification.
If you are unable to attend one of these events, as an NAAA member, you have alternative options.
Earlier this year, NAAA announced the release of DropFlight, an iPhone/iPad app that allows extremely fast scanning and analysis of water-sensitive spray cards, all on your Apple mobile devices. This tool, created in part by an aerial applicator, is targeted specifically for aerial applicators to use in assessing spray pattern uniformity, effective swath width and droplet size across the swath.
Download DropFlight from the App Store
Use NAAA member code: NAAA23
Another option for conducting your own spray pattern testing is to use AccuPatt, the same desktop (Windows/MacOS) software that Operation S.A.F.E. analysts use. Originally developed to run the string testing systems you may have seen at a fly-in, AccuPatt has grown to include spray-card-analysis functionality that can be used independently to perform spray-card-only pattern testing. Now, it is being offered to NAAA members for use in their own operation at no cost. A flatbed scanner is required to digitize the spray cards for analysis.
Download AccuPatt for Windows/MacOS
Consult the User Manual to get up and running
To further reduce friction in getting your spray pattern testing underway, DropFlight is also offering all the needed testing gear. Available as a convenient kit or by the piece, DropFlight’s card mounting system makes it simple to lay out cards uniformly and in the correct orientation to the wind. This testing gear will work with DropFlight and AccuPatt and is the fastest and most convenient way to acquire all the equipment you need to conduct your own pattern testing.
As always, if you consult with a NAAREF-recognized Operation S.A.F.E. analyst about your pattern testing data, they can report this to NAAREF as participation in Operation S.A.F.E. NAAA members will receive an official letter of participation and credit toward C-PAASS certification.
Ag Aviation Expo Sponsorships Available: Boost Your Company’s Brand!
Join us for the 2023 Ag Aviation Expo in Palm Springs Dec. 4-7. Sponsorship sales are open for this year’s convention. Branding at the Ag Aviation Expo is a great opportunity to get your message in front of the agricultural aviation industry and reach a targeted and nationwide audience of aerial applicators in North America—an audience responsible for applying 28% of crop protection products to commercial cropland in the U.S.
Get your company name in front of the expected 1,500-plus operators, ag pilots and other attendees directly related to the agricultural aviation industry through an Ag Aviation Expo sponsorship.
Six reasons why you should be a sponsor at the 2023 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo:
- A targeted audience will see your company’s name and/or logo.
- Sponsorship enhances your company’s credibility and rapport.
- You will gain brand awareness and recognition.
- You will generate new sales and/or leads and potential business partnerships.
- You can drive attendees to your booth and message through your sponsorship.
- According to a post-convention survey, 75% of aerial applicators stated that they would be “very likely” to use the products and services of a company that sponsors an event at the Ag Aviation Expo. View sponsorship opportunities here.
By becoming a sponsor, attendees will:
- Remember your company, services and products.
- See you as a supporter of the ag aviation industry.
- Recognize your brand.
- See you as a partner and industry visionary.
- Hold you above others in purchasing decisions.
EPA Forced to Add More Redundancy to NPDES PGP in Order to Settle Lawsuit
In 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reissued a five-year National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Pesticide General Permit (PGP) for Point Source Discharges. Shortly afterward, the EPA was sued by the Center for Biological Diversity for failing to comply with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the PGP reissuance.
To settle the lawsuit, the EPA is proposing to agree to a settlement that will impact the next reissuance of the PGP in 2026. The settlement requires the EPA to involve the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in ensuring compliance with the ESA during the 2026 PGP update. The process will be like that used for individual pesticide active ingredients, with the EPA writing Biological Evaluations and the FWS following up with Biological Evaluations.
The proposed settlement would add yet another layer of redundancy to the NPDES PGP issue. NAAA has routinely commented that because pesticides with aquatic or forest uses have previously undergone ecological and ESA risk assessments, they have already been proven to be safe for use in aquatic areas when label directions are followed. The PGP offers no additional protection to aquatic areas and only serves to increase the paperwork required to make applications. Under the settlement proposal, the EPA would now be required to conduct ESA evaluations for a permit to apply pesticides that have already undergone ESA evaluations.
This redundant ESA compliance work would place additional work on an EPA that is already struggling to keep up with pesticide registration reviews while meeting its ESA obligations. Placing this additional burden on the EPA would only serve to slow the registration review process. NAAA will be submitting comments opposing the settlement for these reasons.
Packers Draft Air Kraft Spraying Offspring Tucker Kraft!
The progeny of an aerial application family in South Dakota is one of the newest members of the storied Green Bay Packers. The Packers drafted Tucker Kraft, a tight end out of South Dakota State University, in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft on April 28. Click on the Twitter image above for live footage of the moment Tucker learned he was being drafted by the four-time Super Bowl champs and 13-time league winners overall.
Tucker has deep ties to the agricultural aviation industry. His father, Doug Kraft, lost his life in a fatal ag accident in 2013 when Tucker was 12. Tucker’s uncle, Jake Kraft, operates Air Kraft Spraying Inc. in Timber Lake, South Dakota, and hosted Tucker’s watch party during the NFL draft at the company’s hangar. Tanner Kraft, Tucker’s older brother, also flies for Air Kraft Spraying, as does his cousin, Tyrone Kraft.
Tucker does most of his flying around the football field. After only catching seven passes during SDSU’s Covid-shortened 2020 football season, the 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end caught NFL scouts’ eye when he exploded for 65 receptions, 780 yards receiving and six touchdowns in the Jackrabbits’ 2021 season.
A post-draft analysis by a Cheesehead TV evaluator described Tucker as an immensely talented but still-developing football player. He’s raw now, but the potential upside is obvious, analyst Bruce Irons wrote:
Kraft … looks like a guy who can do anything, but simply hasn’t had to (or had time to) yet. …
He’s been a standout at every level, and now he’s at the highest level. He has some work to do, but his natural toughness and midwest rural work ethic will serve him well.
If he capitalizes on it, he can become a top tier tight end in the NFL.
Good luck, Tucker, and congratulations to the entire Kraft family on seeing Tucker’s dream of playing in the NFL come to fruition!
Next Stop: Green Bay!
Watch the videos below to learn more about Tucker’s journey from a town of 500 residents in Timber Lake, South Dakota, to the soon-to-be bright lights of the NFL.
NAAA Mourns Loss of Pete Mann, First Fatality of 2023
Pete Mann was fatally injured in an ag accident March 7. NAAA extends our sympathies to his friends and family. He was 67 years old at the time of his passing. Pete was born in Willows, California, Jan. 1, 1957.
Pete knew he wanted to be a pilot at a young age and took his first flying lesson at 16. He started Mann & Sons Ag. Aviation in 1981 along with his parents and brother. He had a 42-year career as an ag pilot. He loved spending time with his family and at the airport.
Pete is survived by his wife of over 40 years, Leslie; their two children, Pete Mann Jr. and Tasha Mann; his mother, brother and sister; and numerous nieces and nephews. Pete’s family asks that donations in his memory be sent to Field of Dreams, a nonprofit dedicated to making outdoor activities like hunting and fishing accessible to special needs kids, military veterans and their children, at P.O. Box 217, Colusa, CA 95932, or donate online.
Please keep Pete’s family and friends in your thoughts and prayers as they continue to mourn his loss. The full obituary is available here.
NAAA Best of NAMA National Award Finalist for 100th Anniversary Website
NAAA is pleased to announce the association was a finalist in the National Agri-Marketing Association’s Best of NAMA national awards for the 100th aerial application anniversary website in its “Website Directed to Consumers” category. While NAAA didn’t win the national award, we are honored to have been a national finalist going up against large marketing agencies and companies.
As reported in the March 16, 2023 eNewsletter, NAAA received the National Agri-Marketing Association’s Best of NAMA Regional Merit Award for the 100th aerial application anniversary website in its “Website Directed to Consumers” category for Region Five, which includes Southeastern, Carolinas/Virginia and Midsouth states. This regional win propelled NAAA to the national award competition.
In 2019, NAAA was honored with a NAMA regional merit award for its ad campaign, “Aerial Application: Above All Other Forms of Crop Care.” The 100th anniversary “ad value equivalency,” a metric that assigns a monetary value to the type of media coverage, earned hundreds of media mentions globally, with a potential audience reach of 400 million consumers worth $10 million in advertising equivalent dollars.
GRASSROOTS ALERT: Let EPA Know New Changes to Application Exclusion Zone Rule Are Bad for Aerial Application and Agriculture; Comments Due May 12
The EPA is proposing yet another round of changes to the Application Exclusion Zone (AEZ) rule. First conceived in 2015 as part of the revisions to the Worker Protection Standard (WPS), the EPA intended the AEZ to be a moving buffer zone around pesticide application equipment to protect workers from either drift or direct spray. When someone enters the AEZ, the applicator must cease the application. Confusion and agricultural industry objections to several parts of the rule have led to several iterations of the AEZ rule, culminating in the current proposed changes.
One critical point in the AEZ rule has been how someone inside the AEZ but outside of the agricultural establishment impacts an applicator’s ability to make an application. An example of this would be someone on adjacent property or on a roadside. The original AEZ rules required the application to stop when people were in this area, effectively allowing someone outside the control of the applicator or the grower to dictate whether or not the application could be made at the field edges. A 2020 AEZ revision changed this, requiring an application to stop only when someone on the agricultural establishment is within the AEZ. This positive change was quickly challenged in court, and now, in their 2023 proposed revision, the EPA is back to requiring applications be halted whenever anyone, on or off the agricultural establishment, enters the AEZ. The EPA also appears to have not included in these recent changes a 2018 clarification that allows an application to resume if the applicator determines if it is safe to do so, i.e. the wind is blowing away from anyone.
NAAA has drafted comments to the EPA explaining why this is detrimental to crop protection and completely unnecessary since the law of atmospheric physics precludes drift from traveling upwind . We need your help, though—please consider submitting your own comments to let the EPA know how the 2023 proposed changes to the AEZ will have a negative impact on you and your customers. Please feel free to use NAAA’s comments as a guide to assist you with writing your comments on your operation’s letterhead.
To comment:
- Use your web browser to navigate to this webpage: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OPP-2022-0133/document
- At the top you should be a proposed rule with the title “Pesticides: Agricultural Worker Protection Standard; Reconsideration of the Application Exclusion Zone Amendments” as shown below.
- If you do not see this at the top, you can either scroll down to look for it or click the down arrow next to “Sort by” and select “Comments Due (Newer-Older)” as shown below.
- Click on the “Comment” button.
- You can either type your comments in the comment field or attach them as a separate file.
- Make sure you fill out the rest of the required information and then submit your comment.
Comments are due May 12. Please reach out to NAAA’s Director of Education, Safety and Policy, Scott Bretthauer, if you have questions about the proposed changes to the AEZ rule or on how to comment.
NAAA Continues to Promote Drone Safety Measures on Drone Safety Day
In recognition of Drone Safety Day on April 29, NAAA used its social media channels to remind drone operators to be mindful of low-altitude manned agricultural aviation operations and to always give them the right of way. The social media messages also directed readers to NAAA’s UAV safety tips news release for more information.
The FAA-backed Drone Safety Day is an annual campaign dedicated to educating the drone community of the importance of flying safely, and is the latest in a several-weeks-long series of activities NAAA has capitalized on to promote safe operations of drones around low-level manned ag aircraft.
On April 4, NAAA issued a press release cautioning hobbyist and professional drone operators not to interfere with low-altitude manned agricultural aircraft this growing season.
That press release led to mentions in Farm Journal and a live interview on RFD-TV’s Market Day Report, which you can watch below. Yesterday NAAA CEO Andrew Moore spoke with the editor of The Scoop, a Farm Journal ag retail magazine, who planned on discussing drone safety on the podcast AgriTalk.
To ensure the safety of low-altitude manned aircraft, NAAA recommends that unmanned aircraft operators:
- Give the right of way to a manned aircraft. It’s the law.
- Equip drones with visible strobe lights, highly visible markings and tracking technology, like an ADS-B In system to monitor ADS-B Out-equipped manned aircraft positions.
- Get certified and well-trained in operating an unmanned aircraft.
- Contact local agricultural aviation operations before flying by consulting AgAviation.org/findapplicator.
- Land your unmanned aircraft immediately when a low-flying aircraft is nearby.
- Carry unmanned aircraft liability insurance.
NAAA also has a customizable drone safety press release available for members to tailor to suit their own business and local conditions. Members are encouraged to adapt the sample drone safety news release—or one of NAAA’s five other do-it-yourself press release templates, for dissemination to the media and public in their local area.
Makeup PAASS Programs Now Available for 2021, 2022 and 2023 – Get C-PAASS Certified Today!
The impact of the PAASS Program on reducing the number of agricultural aviation accidents and drift incidents is proven—26% reductions in both categories since the program first hit the stage. In an effort to present the program’s life-saving curriculum to those who may have missed it, the National Agricultural Aviation Research and Education Foundation (NAAREF) has leveraged the NAAA Education Center to host recorded webinars of the PAASS Program from 2021, 2022 and 2023.
If you want to be C-PAASS-certified for the 2023 season but missed one of these three PAASS Programs, this is your opportunity to fulfill that requirement and complete your C-PAASS application. If you missed the 2023 PAASS Program, it is now available for credit for $850. Starting July 1, its fee will increase to $1,700. The 2021 and 2022 programs are each now available for credit for $1,700.
NAAA members also have the option to purchase one year of unlimited access to not-for-credit versions of PAASS for $120. The not-for-credit versions of the 2021 and 2022 programs are available now, and the 2023 program will be available starting July 1. More than just a review for yourself, educate your ground crew or other stakeholders to impress upon them the importance of safety and environmental professionalism in your operation. The $120 option will not give you official credit for PAASS attendance and will not count toward C-PAASS.
The best way to experience PAASS is a live program at your state/regional agricultural aviation convention. However, situations occur that may prevent this from happening. By offering these online options to make up PAASS, everyone can benefit from the wealth of information presented and help move the needle in preventing ag aviation accidents.
Click here to view all archived PAASS Programs.
New Children’s Book Illustrates the Importance of Agricultural Aviation
Children’s author Rebecca Victor has written a terrific new children’s book called Ellie the Crop Duster Saves the Farm! The theme of the illustrated book is about the importance of aerial application to crop protection and combating fires—as well as the importance of farm animals. Ellie the Crop Duster Saves the Farm! is the first in a series of aviation-themed children’s books written by Victor. Each of the books is named after one of her three daughters.
Rebecca grew up and is now raising her own daughters in a small farming community in Northeastern Colorado. Although her formal education is in the dental field as a dental hygienist, literacy and agriculture have always been a big part of her life.
Rebecca’s parents moved out to the farm in Wiggins from Denver when she was just 4 years old. The first thing she did was lead her younger siblings through the biggest, muddiest puddle she could find!
Growing up on a small farm and ranch, Rebecca’s family didn’t start with much, but what they did have was adventures on the farm and stories. As a little girl she remembers laying on the floor crammed in the living room of their 900-square-foot farmhouse when her cousins would come to visit them from Kansas and listen to her mom and aunt reminisce of days gone by on the family’s Buckingham Ranch.
Stories were also Rebecca’s favorite part of the holidays when her grandparents would visit and fill her eager ears with their experiences from their childhoods. Adventures of almost burning the precious chicken coop down, to sticking cold feet in cow patties to get warm during wintery morning chores, of spending all day hoeing sugar beet rows for a nickel a day, and looking forward to their only sweets at the holidays of peppermint sticks and oranges.
When asked why airplanes are the inspiration for the main characters in her first series of books, the answer is simply Rebecca’s daughter Tessa. Tessa has always loved toys and stories that reflect modes of transportation, planes among them. However, during their many trips to the library and scouring the internet for new airplane books, Rebecca decided she could write her own, so she did.
A fun fact about Ellie’s book is the characters in the book are based off of her own farmyard animals. Penny Weber, the illustrator, even illustrated Rebecca’s mom in the pumpkin patch scene toward the end of the story, and the funny sayings are things her mom and grandma Shirley say.
Due to the overwhelming support from the agricultural community, Rebecca has plans to continue writing and hopes to complete another book featuring Ellie and her silly co-pilot Miss Frizzle to be released next year.
To order copies of Ellie The Crop Duster Saves The Farm, keep up to date with the newest releases and print free activity sheets that go with the story, visit rebeccavictorbooks.com.
NAAA Ag Aviation Expo Hotel Room Block Open
The NAAA hotel room block is now open for the 2023 Ag Aviation Expo in Palm Springs, California, Dec. 4-7. The Ag Aviation Expo will provide you with networking, education and fun in a great city full of restaurants and bars, nightlife, shopping and attractions. It is important for attendees to stay in the NAAA room block. We get the best hotel room rates for our attendees, and if the NAAA hotel block is not filled, we cannot offer great rates for future years!
We have rooms available at three hotels; view the map below showing the hotels’ locations or view them here. You can learn more about Palm Springs here.
Renaissance (connected to the convention center)
Reservations: Book your room online here or call 1-800-468-3571 and identify National Agricultural Aviation Association Convention for the discounted room rate.
Rate: $159/night
Room block deadline: Nov. 9
Hilton (two blocks from the convention center)
Reservations: Book your room online here or call 1-800-216-1952 and identify group code: NAA
Rate: $154/night + taxes
Room block deadline: Nov. 10
Cancellation: Should you need to cancel your reservation, please contact the hotel three weeks prior to arrival or by Nov. 10 to avoid a late cancellation penalty equivalent to the first night’s room deposit.
Hyatt (five blocks – a half mile from the convention center)
The Hyatt is located on the main road of Palm Springs—N. Palm Canyon Drive—where there are dozens of restaurants, bars, boutiques and shops. Transportation will be provided in the morning and late afternoon/evening.
Reservations: Book your room online here (if you get to a screen where it asks you to select hotel, please select Hyatt Palm Springs) or call 1-877-803-7534 and identify group code: G-NA12
Rate: $149/night + taxes
Room block deadline: Nov. 10
Cancellation: Should you need to cancel your reservation, please contact the hotel three weeks prior to arrival or by Nov. 10 to avoid a late cancellation penalty equivalent to the first night’s room deposit.
NOTE: No one from (or on behalf of) any of the hotels or NAAA will contact you to book a hotel room. NAAA recommends that you make your own hotel reservations using the information we provide. Do not book a room with any company that calls you directly.
Details for the 2023 Ag Aviation Expo
- Dates: Dec. 4-7, 2023
- Location: Palm Springs Convention Center and Renaissance (the two facilities are attached)
- Kickoff Breakfast Speaker: Burt Rutan, Aerospace Legend
- Schedule of Events: See the current, tentative schedule here.
- Hotel: Details here.
- Attendee Registration: Opens in August.
- Exhibitor Booth Sales: Details here for large booth sales that opened in late March and 10’x10’ and 10’x20’ booth sales that open on July 13. Please email Lindsay Barber if you would like to secure a large booth space (any booth size 10’x30’ or larger).
- Sponsorship Opportunities: View the sponsorships opportunities here. We have sponsorships available for all budget sizes. Please email Lindsay if you would like to secure a sponsorship from last year or be contacted about 2023 opportunities!
- 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.
It’s Here! Application Now Open for C-PAASS 2023—Certified-Professional Aerial Applicator Safety Steward
Aerial applicators, now more than ever, operate in an environment of competing interests. An ever-increasing demand for timely and effective applications is challenged by factors such as added regulatory burden, rising insurance costs and stiffer pesticide label language, just to name a few. The agricultural aviation industry is rising to these challenges and, in character, has moved to advance education, rather than regulation, as the path forward.
NAAA and NAAREF have jointly launched the Certified-Professional Aerial Applicator Safety Steward (C-PAASS) program to serve as the industry’s flagship certification and as a roadmap for the pursuit of the best educational opportunities currently available. This voluntary program allows those aerial applicators who strive to constantly educate themselves to better their safety and application quality to be recognized for their efforts. Secondarily, the certification can signal to customers, regulators and others outside the industry their commitment to professionalism.
C-PAASS certification is offered on an annual basis to individual ag pilots, both operator and non-operator. As the first year for C-PAASS, its requirements are based entirely upon education and professional opportunities already available:
- Annual PAASS Attendance for three (3) years
- 2020-2021 season, AND
- 2021-2022 season, AND
- 2022-2023 season
- Biennial Operation SAFE Participation
- 2022 season, AND/OR
- 2023 season
- Annual Membership in NAAA
- 2023
- Annual Membership in a State/Regional agricultural aviation association
- 2023
To submit a 2023 C-PAASS application:
- Check your eligibility at https://education.agaviation.org/cpaass
- You will need to log in using your NAAA username/password. Contact information@agaviation.org if you need assistance.
- If eligible, scroll to the bottom of the page and locate the 2023 C-PAASS Application tile. Hover over it and click the green Register (Free!) button.
- You will be prompted to attest to your completion of each of the requirements and directed to upload documentation of your 2023 membership in a State/Regional agricultural aviation association. NAAA Staff will be automatically notified to review your application once this documentation is submitted.
- Your application will be reviewed within three (3) business days.
- If your application is accepted, you will be provided a link to pay the certification fee (currently $100) and obtain your digital certificate.
Apply for C-PAASS certification today! Utilize it to inform regulatory officials and insurance agents and to market to your customers that you have undergone additional training and development to ensure you can provide the highest quality service.
Important Call for GPS Data to Protect Manned Ag Aircraft from Drones
In 2022, an FAA advisory committee weighted with drone interests from Amazon, Google and other unmanned corporate interests suggested that the agency promulgate rules that drones operating beyond visual line of sight be permitted to:
- Increase their weight to 1,320 pounds
- Not equip with ADS-B identification technology
- Not give the right of way to manned aircraft when operating in rural, low-altitude airspace because they claimed there are no other users of this airspace.
- 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
Many of you have previously contributed during the first stage of data collection from 2017 to 2020 when NAAA members donated 49,180 flight logs from 20 states. The second stage of the study began in 2021 and seeks to additionally include aircraft make and model info. These details are important, as the airspace modeling will be impacted by aircraft types differently, such as fixed-wing versus helicopter operations.
More GPS flight log data is needed to continue this study. Because of the diverse growing areas and unique geographical challenges experienced by aerial applicators, it is imperative that as many states and regions as possible are represented. This will ultimately help facilitate the safe integration of unmanned aircraft into these different airspaces.
As a reminder, NAAA and Raspet have agreed that all submitted information will remain confidential, and all GPS flight logs will be stripped of any personally identifying information before any research is conducted using the data.
There are several methods available to submit your data:
- Request a secure upload link for larger uploads OR email directly to Madison Dixon, Research Director.
Email: mdixon@raspet.msstate.edu - Mail a flash drive or other storage device to the address below. (The device will be immediately mailed back once data is received if a return address is provided):
Address:
Attn: Madison Dixon
Raspet Flight Research Lab – Bldg. 2
114 Airport Rd.
Starkville, MS 39759
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 published excerpts from Agriculture’s Air Force and continued 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.