April 18, 2024
NAAA eNewsletter
EPA Leadership States Movement Towards More Realistic Refinement and Use of Aerial Drift Model
EPA OPP Deputy Assistant Administrator Jake Li announced yesterday at the 2024 CropLife and Rise Regulatory Conference that EPA plans to schedule a workshop for growers and other stakeholders at the end of the year to explain its FIFRA risk assessment process. It will include a discussion of how EPA assesses off-target risks to endangered species. Li said that EPA is also looking at refinements to the process to reflect better real-world data. As part of those refinements, EPA plans to update how it assesses drift based on research and recommendations from NAAA to ensure that EPA's AgDRIFT model reflects modern agriculture practices. This is welcome news to the aerial application industry from top leaders of the EPA office that registers pesticides. NAAA has been urging the agency for years to default to Tier 3 of the AgDrift atmospheric model used to calculate movement of pesticides in the environment applied aerially. Tier 3 of the AgDRIFT model takes into account more realistic conditions of pesticides applied aerially, such as larger droplet sizes, shorter boom lengths in proportion to wing/rotor span, and other variables that mitigate drift and increase the likelihood of a pesticide being available for aerial use sans overly burdensome and unnecessary label conditions. Hearing from top EPA political leaders that the default use of these more realistic conditions will be part of the calculus is promising and has been a long-sought goal of NAAA to benefit aerial application operations.
NAAA Comments on American Drone Part 137 BVLOS Petition
NAAA recently submitted comments on a petition from American Drone LLC seeking to amend their existing exemption to conduct “Limited” Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) Part 137 Operations with an Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS).
The proposed BVLOS operations would take place within application sites wherein portions of the site are “hidden by topology or surrounding trees and a direct line of sight is not practical to obtain." While neither the remote pilot-in-command (RPIC) nor the visual observer (VO) will maintain line-of-sight with the UAS, American Drone did state that the airspace above and beyond the defined fields in which it was treating as well as the UAS’ flight paths from take-off/landing areas to the point above the field in which the UA will descend into BVLOS would be visible to both its RPIC and VOs.
While acknowledging the impracticality of maintaining line-of-sight in hilly fields or those with irregular shapes and tree lines, NAAA’s comments centered on ensuring the safety of crewed Part 137 operations. NAAA expressed concern over the scope of BVLOS permitted and maintains the need to define more clearly what “Limited” BVLOS would entail.
NAAA further reiterated the need for detect and avoid (DAA) technology which is certified by the FAA as effective against both cooperative (ADS-B equipped) and non-cooperative aircraft. Because the petitioner would be conducting the same type of operations (Part 137) and in the same seasonally congested regions/airspace, crewed aerial application operators will be the primary mid-air collision risk-bearers.
You can view NAAA’s full comments here.
Raise Awareness about Your Business’ Local Ag Aviation Activities with NAAA’s Customizable ‘Preseason’ Press Release
With the 2024 aerial application season underway or soon to be underway in different parts of the country, NAAA is reminding you of the customizable, “preseason” press release that members can use to call attention to the fact that ag aircraft will soon be a common sight as ag pilots assist local farmers during the new growing season.
The press release emphasizes the vital role aerial applicators play in the production of abundant food, fiber and bioenergy. The release also details the training, professionalism and safety of aerial applicators by highlighting the drift-reduction technologies they employ, recurrent training they receive and credentials they must maintain to work as a professional ag pilot.
NAAA encourages members to adapt the generic “preseason” press release for their own use and distribute it to the public via traditional and social media outlets. Just fill in the blanks, add your own comments and either insert your company logo at the top or print it on company letterhead. Rename the file, save it to your computer, and send it to your local media outlets via mail, email or through their website.
It doesn’t take long to personalize the press release with your information and send it to local media and the results in reminding citizens about the beneficial work your operation conducts could save time and effort from public inquiries unfamiliar with aerial application in your area. The press release template is available for download here.
Besides the preseason ag aviation awareness press release template, the following do-it-yourself press release templates may be adapted to suit member applicators’ specific needs. Log into your NAAA account at AgAviation.org to access them:
These PR resources and more are available in the NAAA Media Relations Kit on our website.
If you’re logging into the new NAAA website for the first time, click Login in the upper right-hand corner, and on the next screen, click Forgot Password. This will auto-generate an email with directions on how to change your password to log onto the website. Contact NAAA for questions or issues.
NAAA Seeking State/Regional Association Candidates for 2025 Leadership Training Program
Since 1995, NAAA has offered a Leadership Training Program (LTP) sponsored by Syngenta Crop Protection. More than 365 NAAA members have benefited from this training over the course of 28 leadership classes, including NAAA’s 2024 graduates. The program includes training that enables its participants to develop a strong ability to clearly communicate the important role aerial application plays in the production of our country’s agricultural products to the public, media and government. The training also involves teaching managerial philosophy to help the participants in their own businesses and to more effectively serve as a leader while serving industry organizations, such as NAAA and state agricultural aviation associations.
Congratulations to the 2024 Leadership Training Program graduates.
The February 2025 NAAA & NAAREF Board Meetings will take place in Montreal, Canada, which will not allow for Leadership Training Program participants to be trained in visiting with congressional leaders in person on Capitol Hill, which is one of the primary goals of the course. Because of that, NAAA and Syngenta have agreed that the 2025 program participants will attend Syngenta’s larger Leadership At Its Best (LAIB) program February 10-13, 2025. LAIB participants receive the same training that they would receive during the NAAA Leadership Training Program with the added benefit of meeting participants from other commodity groups and ag associations. Due to the size of LAIB, NAAA will only have four seats for the 2025 LAIB program with the plan that Syngenta will provide a larger NAAA-only leadership training program once again in 2026 when our February NAAA & NAAREF Board Meetings are located back in Alexandria, VA.
To select the four applicants for the 2025 LAIB program, each state/regional association, plus the Canadian Aerial Applicators Association, may submit one candidate of their choice for possible entry into the program. Since the number of applicants will likely exceed the number of positions available, a selection committee will be formed by the NAAA President to select the four most qualified candidates.
How to Apply for the Leadership Training Program
If you would like to be considered for the 2025 Leadership Training Program, contact your state or regional association executive director. NAAA’s state/regional agricultural aviation association partners can only nominate one candidate for the 2025 Leadership Training Program. Applications must be submitted by July 15.
Criteria and selection process information are as follows:
- Industry Involvement – Must be involved in an agricultural aviation business or a related allied industry organization as deemed appropriate by the nominating state/regional AAA. This includes partial or total ownership of at least one agricultural aircraft; and/or a managing employee, stockholder or pilot of an agricultural aviation business; and/or an employee of an Allied Industry member company or State Association.
- Leadership Involvement – Must have leadership experience developed from past involvement in regional or state industry associations, community service involvement, and/or school or professional organizations.
- Industry Future – Must indicate intent of future involvement in the aerial application industry.
- NAAA Membership – Must be a member of the appropriate state/regional agricultural aviation association and NAAA in the applicant’s own right—both in 2024 and 2025. Acceptable NAAA membership categories that a Leadership Training candidate could come from include: Operators, Pilots, Affiliated Operators, Support, International Members (in the case of Canadian AAA), Allied Industry Members and Affiliated Allied Industry Members, and State/Regional Organization Members.
If you have any questions about the 2025 NAAA/Syngenta Leadership Training Program, please contact Lindsay Barber.
NAAA Participating in Ag on the Mall in Early May
NAAA will be exhibiting at Ag on the Mall, May 6-8, 2024, which offers the opportunity to educate policymakers and the public on the importance and environmental benefits of agricultural aviation. 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.
Ag on the Mall is a celebration of modern agriculture that will feature nearly 30 exhibiting associations and companies from grower to applicator groups to ag equipment manufacturers. The event is being organized by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and they have themed the event “The Future of Food & Farming.” Ag on the Mall 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 thanks go Glenn Martin and his staff. The NAAA booth will also feature panels on the history of the industry, environmental benefit fact sheets and Flying For Your Food brochures.
NAAA last participated in this event in March 2022 and spoke with the bypassing public and a multitude of policymakers, regulators, media members and everyday citizens, including Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Cindy Hyde-Sith (R-Miss.), EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs and EPA’s Office of Water.
ACRC Announces New Contractor Changes for Ag Container Collection & Recycling Services
The Ag Container Recycling Council (ACRC), the trade association of the ag chemicals industry responsible for supporting the collection and proper recycling of ag containers nationwide, has announced contractor changes for the southern United States. ACRC is creating several new service territories within the southern states and expanding its nationwide program. Below is a list of states and service providers for the states mentioned.
State(s) |
Contractor |
Primary Contact |
Phone |
|
NC |
Ag Plastic Solutions |
Justin Geisinger |
717-446-9917 |
info@agplasticsolutions.com |
AL, GA, SC |
E2A, LLC |
Hal Earnest |
229-726-5232 |
hearnest@e2allc.com |
LA, NM, OK, TX |
G. Phillips and Sons |
Stacey Bruinsma |
248-961-3360 |
sbruinsma@gphillipsandsons.com |
AR, MS, TN |
GCT Grinding |
Gary Woodsmall |
870-215-8586 |
gctgrinding@gmail.com |
FL |
Waste Optima |
Newt Collinson |
435-261-2595 |
info@wasteoptima.com |
ACRC stressed that container inspection and cleaning criteria followed by ACRC contractors, which is the EPA standard established in the EPA 2006 Container and Containment Rule, requires 99.99% removal of each active ingredient. A simple way to articulate this standard is “CLEAN means CLEAN, with NO residue seen.” Staining is fine, but residue is not. The most important tip for achieving this standard is proper rinsing techniques at the time of use, which can be viewed here. The ACRC website offers free training information, brochures and posters about inspection and rinsing of containers here.
The program currently operates in 46 states and collects ALL types of ag chemical containers, including pesticides, animal health, specialty pest control, micronutrients, biologicals, fertilizer, and/or adjuvant product containers. Over the past 32 years, the ACRC program has collected and recycled over 240,000,000 pounds of container plastic.
Exhibitor Details for the 2024 Ag Aviation Expo: Booth Sales for Aircraft & Large Booth Space Now Open
Join us for the 2024 Ag Aviation Expo in Fort Worth, Texas, Nov. 18-21. In addition to attending the NAAA Ag Aviation Expo, Fort Worth is full of great restaurants, bars, fun activities, and Texas hospitality! You can visit the Historic Stockyards for the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive, stop by Billy Bob’s, the world’s largest honkey tonk, or shop and dine in the 35-block Sundance Square entertainment district. The Fort Worth Aviation Museum is also a must-see.
Booth Sales for Aircraft & Large Booth Space Now Open: If you plan to bring an aircraft, need a 20’x20’+ island booth, a 10’x30’+ inline booth or plan to be a Diamond or Platinum Sponsor, please contact Lauren Henretty ASAP. To ensure the best placement on the trade show floor, we appreciate knowing about aircraft and large booth spaces by the end of April.
The NAAA Trade Show will take place Nov. 19, 12 p.m.–5:30 p.m. and Nov. 20, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Review the NAAA Exhibitor Prospectus and exhibitor webpage for further details, pricing and dates. The full schedule of events is available here.
Details for the 2024 Ag Aviation Expo
- Dates: Nov. 18-21, 2024
- Location: Fort Worth Convention Center and Omni (across the street from Convention Center)
- Kickoff Breakfast Speaker: Kevin Humphreys, War Veteran, PTSD Counselor, Mental Health Ambassador
- 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 11. Please email Lauren Henretty 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 Barber if you would like to secure a sponsorship from last year or be contacted about 2024 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 Lauren Henretty with your donation details.
NAAA Offering Three Scholarship Programs in 2024
NAAA, with the support of several Allied members, is offering three scholarship programs in 2024, totaling $29,000 in scholarship funds. Whether you’re a student, an aspiring ag pilot or an ag pilot interested in turbine training, we have scholarship funds for you! Please contact NAAA at information@agaviation.org or (202) 546-5722 for clarification about any of the scholarship program requirements.
NAAA’s ‘Ag Wings of Tomorrow’ Scholarship
Four $5,000 scholarships are available for aspiring ag aviators who are sponsored by an NAAA Operator. The NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship is back again this year, thanks to the generous support of BASF and Thrush Aircraft. The scholarship program is offering $20,000 in aid to assist four aspiring ag pilots in their journey. All funds are in U.S. dollars.
The goal of NAAA’s “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship Program is to strengthen the aerial application industry by helping operator members bring new pilots into the profession and help fund their training. Applicants must be sponsored by an NAAA Operator member. Scholarship recipients may use the proceeds for flight training or aviation or ag-related coursework at a university, college, community college or other institution of higher learning. A stipend for a trainee in an NAAA Operator-sponsored apprentice program is also permissible. The scholarship program is administered by NAAA and funded by educational grants from BASF and Thrush Aircraft.
Investing in aspiring ag aviators is a win-win for NAAA Operator members and individuals seeking training funds to support their pursuit of becoming a professional ag pilot.
How to Apply & Deadline
To be considered for the 2024 scholarship, along with completing the two-part application, every applicant must submit:
- A letter of recommendation from the NAAA Operator member sponsoring the applicant.
- An essay of 250 words or less explaining why the applicant wants to pursue a career in agricultural aviation and how they would use NAAA’s “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship to further their education and training.
- A one-page résumé or list of activities detailing all agricultural and aviation experiences, education and training.
Applicants must apply using the online application process. The deadline is Aug. 31, 2024. Learn more about the 2024 NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship and review the instructions here.
While the applicant must be sponsored by an NAAA Operator member, NAAA membership is not a prerequisite for applying for the “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship. Still, becoming an NAAA Associate member is an excellent way for candidates to learn more about the industry and augment their training.
Restrictions: Applicants can apply for the NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship or the Charles Stokes Memorial Turbine Training Scholarship, but not both in the same year.
NAAA Operator members may only sponsor one NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship applicant a year. They can also sponsor a Charles Stokes Memorial Turbine Training Scholarship applicant in the same year, but the applicants can’t be the same person applying for both scholarships in the same year.
Charles Stokes Memorial Turbine Training Scholarship
Two $3,000 scholarships are available to eligible NAAA Operator and Pilot members for turbine transition training through the 2024 Charles Stokes Memorial Turbine Training Scholarship. The NAAA scholarship program was established in 2023 and has been made possible thanks to a generous educational grant funded by Jim Mills of Turbines Inc., who established the scholarship in memory of Charles Stokes.
The Charles Stokes Memorial Turbine Training Scholarship was created to provide training funds to agricultural pilots with a minimum of 150 hours of ag time for use at a turbine transition course or program. The scholarship must be used for turbine flight training at a qualified flight school or turbine training facility. All funds are in U.S. dollars.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Have a minimum of 150 hours of ag time.
- Be a Pilot, Affiliated Operator or Operator member of NAAA.
- Be sponsored by an NAAA Operator member in the Operator dues category who will write a letter of recommendation on their behalf. (Operator applicants may not sponsor themselves; another NAAA Operator member would need to sponsor them.)
How to Apply & Deadline
Applicants must apply using the online application process. The deadline is Aug. 31, 2024. Further details and a link to the online application is available here.
Restrictions: Applicants may only apply for one NAAA pilot-training scholarship a year – either the Charles Stokes Memorial Turbine Training Scholarship or the NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship, but not both in the same year.
NAAA Operator members may only sponsor one Charles Stokes Memorial Turbine Training Scholarship annually. They can sponsor an NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship applicant in the same year, but the applicants can’t be the same person applying for both scholarships.
NAAA Support Committee Scholarship
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. All funds are in U.S. dollars.
How to Apply & Deadline
Submissions must be an essay of at least 1,500 words or a 5-minute multimedia presentation. Submissions are now online. The deadline is Sept. 15, 2024. Learn more about the Support Committee Scholarship and review the instructions here.
2024 Essay Topic: What are the biggest obstacles to the ag aviation industry in your area? Discuss how they can be overcome.
The 2024 Support Scholarship Contest is open to any individual 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). Previous winners are not eligible to compete.
Flying in the Wire and Obstruction Environment Course will be held Saturday, Nov. 16
After two years of popularity, NAAA and NAAREF are bringing back the Flying in the Wire and Obstruction Environment Course on Saturday, November 16 beginning at 7:30 a.m. in Fort Worth, Texas. This course will be taught on the Saturday before the start of the 2024 Ag Aviation Expo, Nov. 18-21. Registration will open in July, but if you plan to attend the course, please book your hotel room to arrive on Friday, Nov. 15. For hotel booking details, click here; contact Lauren Henretty with any questions or hotel booking issues.
Flying in the Wire and Obstruction Environment Course, acclaimed by professional airplane and helicopter operators worldwide. This year’s course will be a full-day course again. The instructors give low-altitude aviators the essential skills needed to safely operate an aircraft in wire and obstruction environments. This course is for both aircraft and helicopter pilots. Learn how to identify signs of wires and why ag aviators hit wires they already knew were there. This course may very well save your life – wire strike accidents continue to harm the ag aviation industry. The most common cause of accidents in 2023 were wire strikes. They accounted for 28% of the total accidents and 67% of the fatal accidents.
The course will be taught by Utilities / Aviation Specialists Inc. (UAS), a unique group of aviation safety practitioners who provide safety auditing, specialized training, installation of safety management systems, and technical aviation consulting. They provide mission-specific expertise in specialized applications that require skill sets above those found in most routine transport operations. Sponsored by Old Republic Aerospace
NAAA Endorses and Encourages Ag Aircraft GPS Data Collection Effort Protecting Manned Ag Aircraft from Drones
As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) marches in lockstep with some corporate interests in the uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) space, it is becoming clear that green lighting and expanding UAS beyond visual line of site (BVLOS) operations may be being prioritized over safety.
First proposed in the 2022 BVLOS ARC Report, and later put out for public comment in 2023, the FAA is considering designating “shielded” areas wherein UAS would have the right-of-way over crewed aircraft. These areas are defined as the airspace within 100 feet vertically or laterally of an obstacle or critical infrastructure, such as power lines. According to the ARC Report this is based on “the limited likelihood of crewed aircraft operations in [these] areas.”
The current reality is that some of these UAS interests (think BNSF Railway, Google, Amazon), and in some cases the FAA, do not have a solid understanding of where and how we operate. It falls now to us, as an industry, to inform future rulemaking of the unique nature of aerial application operations. Using a data-driven approach, we can demonstrate our utilization of the low-altitude airspace and expose the safety threat presented by UAS not giving the right-of-way to crewed aircraft within it.
To this end, NAAA has a longstanding partnership with Mississippi State University (MSU) to collect GPS data logs donated by its members. Since the project’s inception in 2017, the data collected and analysis performed by MSU has fueled NAAA’s efforts in representing the safety interests of aerial applicators to regulators.
If you have donated logs in the past, Thank You.
If you have logs which you have not yet donated, please consider it. The data you provide can help shape policy on a national level and save lives. As a reminder, any data you submit is stripped of any personally identifiable information prior to inclusion in the larger dataset.
There are two options to submit your logs to MSU:
- Request a secure upload link for data uploads. Email Madison Dixon, Associate Director, MSU Agricultural Autonomy Institute
- 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):
Mail To: Attn: Madison DixonMSU Agricultural Autonomy InstitutePace Seed Technology BuildingMailstop #9812650 Stone Blvd.Mississippi State, MS 39762