May 30, 2024

NAAA eNewsletter

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Agriculture advanced a Farm Bill by a bipartisan vote of 33-21. Four committee Democrat—Reps. Don Davis (N.C.), Sanford Bishop (Ga.), Eric Sorensen (Ill.) and Yadira Caraveo (Colo.)—joined Republicans. NAAA-advocated regulatory relief provisions were included in the legislation, such as language ensuring that EPA and pesticide enforcement state lead agencies have the exclusive role in regulating pesticides and not a hodge-podge of local jurisdictions without scientific expertise that may make pesticide use rules based on emotion that unnecessarily handicaps agricultural production and burdens farmers and small business pesticide application businesses. The bill also included an amendment introduced by U.S. Representative David Rouzer (R-NC) “eliminating any duplicative permitting processes for the use of FIFRA approved pesticides while maintaining public health and environmental protections.” The amendment would legally take on the unnecessary and burdensome NPDES pesticide general permit (PGP) that a federal court mandated EPA require for pesticide applications made over or near water back in 2009. The NPDES PGP has resulted in an unnecessary paperwork burden and jeopardized additional legal liability for farmers and commercial pesticide applicators for well over a decade. 

 

NAAA has also advocated support for aerial application technology research funding conducted by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service be included in the House’s report that is included as part of the Farm Bill, in addition to language ensuring compliance with tower-marking for entities receiving federal grants associated with the construction of rural broadband or renewable energy towers. The House report has yet to be released publicly.

 

The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition also lauded the bill by stating “The Committee’s affirmation of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as an advanced biofuel in the farm bill will make SAF eligible for important [USDA] programs and help to develop a critical new market for crops and agricultural waste streams.” Feedstuff crops, such as soybeans used to make SAF could markedly increase in acreage if the SAF market grows as predicted.

 

The new Farm Bill’s path forward is uncertain as the already-extended Sept. 30 deadline nears. Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said in a statement after the House markup that she’s “glad” the process is moving forward, but reiterated her disdain for the House bill’s policy proposals. Stabenow stated, “Despite areas of common ground, it is now clear that key parts of the House bill split the Farm Bill coalition in a way that makes it impossible to achieve the votes to become law. And it is also clear that we do not have time to waste on proposals that cannot meet that goal.” NAAA will keep members informed of the Farm Bill process as events happen.

 

NAAREF will host an in-season safety session on June 3 at 8 p.m. CDT with a small panel of PAASS presenters. The topics will include current trends in ag accidents, good mentoring practices, and other topics of interest to participants. The safety session will be presented via a Zoom webinar. Click here to register. Please attend the NAAREF safety session and spread the word to others. As we enter the busiest time of the season it’s critical to keep safety at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts.

 

NAAREF held the first in-season safety session in 2021 after the ag aviation industry had suffered five fatal accidents by the end of May. The safety sessions are intended to bring safety to the forefront of ag aviator’s minds just before the busy part of the spraying season occurs. Past topics covered include avoiding wire strikes, mentorship, helicopter operations, and avoiding mid-air collisions. You can view recordings of prior NAAREF Safety Sessions, as well as other great safety videos, on NAAA’s Safety and Education Videos webpage.

 

 

NAAA wishes heartfelt congratulations to Air Tractor for celebrating its 50th anniversary this week. Late founder Leland Snow dedicated his life to developing and designing quality ag planes for the world. In the early 1970s, after two-and-a-half years of coming up with about 600 production drawings, completing endless engineering reports to obtain FAA certification and the arduous task of acquiring financing, Leland began work on a prototype of the “AT-300.” The AT stood for “Air Tractor,” and the first of the series had a 320-gallon capacity. It was certified on November 30, 1973. 

 

Through March of 1975, Leland’s crew manufactured two dozen Air Tractors and demand continued to soar. He took out a loan to build a 54,000-square-foot factory building at the Olney, Texas airport, which was operational by November 1975. From that point forward, the company grew, and Leland and Air Tractor developed the AT-402B, AT-502B, 502XP, AT-504, AT-602, and AT-802A. The company also sells the AT-802F and the AT-802F Fire Boss with amphibious scoopers for aerial firefighting and the AT-802U for warfare.  

 

 

On July 1, 2008, Air Tractor became an employee-owned company with the establishment of an Employee Stock Ownership (ESOP) plan. Leland and his family felt that Air Tractor employees helped make the company what it was, and the benefit of ownership would drive them to continue to build the business that he loved. Leland passed away in February 2011 at 80 years old.

 

In 2021, the 4,000th Air Tractor was sold to Mike Rivenbark of Moore's Aerial Applicators, LLC in Clinton, NC. In 2023, the company celebrated the sale of the 1,000th model AT-802. According to Air Tractor, 1989 was when Leland began designing a large-capacity, single-engine airplane specifically for aerial firefighting. He believed it would have a positive impact on that industry. After more than two years of design, modification, certification, and manufacture, in 1993, the first production single-seat AT-802A air tanker rolled out the doors. It wasn’t long before Air Tractor produced the single-seat AT-802A for agricultural aerial spraying. As an 800-gallon ag plane, its popularity soared with aerial applicators. The 802 series is the largest production single-engine agricultural airplane in the world. An even larger 1,000+ gallon aircraft is currently awaiting FAA approval.

 

 

Towards the end of 2023, Air Tractor had 415 employees and delivered 200 airplanes. Their 2024 production goal is 218 airplanes.

 

Again, congratulations to Air Tractor and its employees on 50 years of hard work dedicated to supporting the aerial application industry and aiding farmers in producing a safe, affordable, and abundant supply of food, fiber, and bioenergy, protecting forestry, firefighting and controlling health-threatening pests.

 

Bill Lavender, former ag pilot and publisher of AgAir Update, is celebrating 50 years in the aerial application industry in early June. In the early 1970s, he was an optician making $150 in weekly earnings. However, a roommate who worked as a crop duster sparked a change. The stark difference in their incomes, with the roommate earning nearly a thousand dollars a week, prompted Bill to pursue a new path. 

 

He quickly earned his pilot’s license and progressed from flying banners and skydivers to active agricultural aviation flying as an operator and pilot in central Georgia. Bill became very active in the Georgia Agricultural Aviation Association (GAAA). Quarterly, each GAAA director took turns writing and sending a small newsletter called AgAir Update to members around the state. Bill didn’t mind working on the newsletter when his turn came around, and he was good at writing. After realizing that charging ads would offset publication costs, Bill grew AgAir Update into a southeastern regional publication. In 1988, he obtained the rights from GAAA and converted AgAir Update from a newsletter into a newspaper. By the early 1990s, the newspaper expanded into the national market. 

 

In the late 1990s, the newspaper achieved international status when Bill offered it to pilots crop dusting in South America, which meant translating the content to both Spanish and Portuguese. He retired from ag spraying in the early 2000s to focus on his publications. Now a glossy magazine, today AgAir Update is distributed to more than 4,000 subscribers worldwide and continues to be a popular trade publication. 

 

Bill has also been active as an exhibitor and sponsor at the NAAA annual convention and state/regional association conventions. He was one of the first participants in the 1996 Leadership Training Program and served on the NAAA Allied Industry Committee from 1999 to 2003. He was also part of the original six-member steering committee that provided oversight to the Professional Aerial Applicators’ Support System (PAASS) fundraising and development committees. 

 

During his four-decade aviation career, he owned and operated over 15 aircraft, from AgWagons to Turbine Thrush and Barons. Bill taught his son, Graham, to fly at a very early age, continuing the family aviation tradition. Bill amassed over 14,000 flight hours and retired from general aviation flying in 2021.

 

Bill was inducted into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame in 2023 and the National Agricultural Aviation Hall of Fame in 2017. The NAAHOF is housed at the Mississippi Ag Museum in Jackson, Miss. Bill has also received the following NAAA awards:

• Richard “Dick” Reade Memorial Award (previously the Related Industry Award) in 1992.
• NAAA Falcon Club Pin in 2002.

Congratulations to one of the biggest champions of the aerial application industry on celebrating 50 years in our great industry. 

 

As Fort Worth gears up to host the 2024 Ag Aviation Expo, Mayor Mattie Parker has released a video message welcoming attendees to the city. In her address, Mayor Parker extends a warm Texas welcome, emphasizing the city's rich cultural heritage, vibrant community, and commitment to making this event a memorable experience for all. 

 

In a first-of-its-kind effort to assess the environmental footprint of pesticide use, CropLife America (CLA) commissioned the University of Arkansas to examine crop productivity with and without pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides) for three crops. The study was led by researchers Dr. Marty Matlock and Dr. Greg Thoma to conduct an independent three-year cradle-to-farmgate Life Cycle Assessment that comprehensively evaluates the environmental benefits and impacts of pesticide application in the cultivation of corn, cotton, and soybeans in the U.S. The completed assessment successfully underwent an independent third-party ISO review.  

 

The assessment’s key results showed: 

• Without pesticides, the yields of corn, cotton, and soybeans declined up to 70 percent, underscoring the indispensable role of pesticides in agriculture.
• Cultivating corn, cotton, and soybeans without pesticides resulted in upwards of three times more land, water, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Pesticides enhance productivity and significantly reduce pressure on our water, land, and energy resources per bushel of corn and soybeans and per pound of cotton produced.

 

“This three-year, independent assessment demonstrates that pesticides play a critical role in increasing crop yields while decreasing consumption of natural resources. We are pleased to have the data to support the work we do as we advance our commitment to sustainability,” said Alexandra Dunn, CropLife America, president and CEO. “In a world grappling with food security and climate change, the researchers’ findings affirm the significant role pesticides play in helping to feed, fuel, and clothe our world’s growing population in a sustainable manner. This is good news for today and the future.”

 

Read the study’s final report here.

 

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.

 

Booth Sales for 10x10 and 10x20 space begin on Thursday, July 11. More details will be emailed to member Allied companies in June.

 

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.

 

• 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: Email Lauren Henretty if you would like to secure a large booth space (any booth size 10’x30’ or larger). 10x10 and 10x20 booth space sales begin July 11. 
• 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.

 

For two decades Air Tractor’s Student Outreach and Assistance Resource (SOAR) program has provided tuition assistance to college students who lost a parent in an aerial application accident involving an Air Tractor aircraft.

 

“We established this program in 2005 to support families of pilots lost while doing their part to provide safe and abundant food crops,” explains Kristin Edwards, Air Tractor vice president of sales. “With the support of Air Tractor dealers, we have been able to assist 16 students from the U.S., Australia, Spain, and South Africa, awarding more than $119,000.”

 

The Air Tractor SOAR Fund provides $1,000 – $2,000 per year toward tuition for qualifying students attending accredited universities, junior colleges, or post-secondary vocational-technical schools in the United States and for students studying outside the U.S.

 

Air Tractor, Inc. and dealers created the SOAR Fund to help college-bound students reach their higher education goals, which may not otherwise be possible without tuition assistance. The fund is funded through the profit from sales of Air Tractor label G-246AT aviation replacement batteries. For more information, click here. 

 

Do you have a rising pilot within your ranks? Do you admire certain NAAA members' outstanding service to the industry or their community? The aerial application industry is filled with exceptional people who go above and beyond the call of duty, often with little fanfare. Make someone’s day or year by nominating them for a 2024 NAAA Award.

 

NAAA’s online submission form is easy and quick to use; nominate someone in just a few clicks at https://www.agaviation.org/ag-aviation-expo/awards/.

 

 

There are nine NAAA Award categories and one NAAREF Award. The nomination deadline is Aug. 5, but early nominations are encouraged. The longer you wait, the busier you’ll get as the summer season approaches.

 

Agrinaut Award: Honors an agricultural aircraft operator, operating organization, or allied member company that has made an outstanding contribution in the field of ag aircraft operations. The achievement cited shall have contributed to the “state-of-the-art” for the benefit of the agricultural aircraft industry as a whole.

 

Allied Industry Individual Award: Recognizes an NAAA member or staff and/or an allied industry individual who has significantly contributed their efforts for the benefit of the allied industry and the aerial application industry. (Presented by the NAAA Allied Industry Committee.)

 

Delta Air Lines “Puffer” Award: Recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the design of agricultural aircraft and/or related equipment.

 

Evans-Christopher Operation S.A.F.E. Award: Recognizes individuals or entities that have made outstanding contributions to the Operation S.A.F.E. program. (Presented by NAAREF.)

 

John Robert Horne Memorial Award: Honors a pilot with five or fewer years of experience in the agricultural aviation industry who has an exemplary safety record and has contributed to safety in ag aviation. This award no longer has carryover nominations from year to year; a new nomination must be submitted every year.

 

Larsen-Miller Community Service Award: Recognizes outstanding contributions by a member to his or her community.

 

Opal and Bill Binnion Memorial Award: Acknowledges those who contribute to NAAA in its efforts to educate the public about aerial application.

 

Richard “Dick” Reade Memorial Award: Recognizes outstanding contributions by an allied industry member and their company.

 

William O. Marsh Safety Award: Recognizes significant achievements in safety, safety education or an outstanding operational safety program.

 

Zoren and Joan O’Brien Memorial Outstanding Service Award: Awards outstanding service to the commercial agricultural aviation industry or to its association.

 

The 2024 NAAA Award recipients will be honored at the Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet on Nov. 20 in Fort Worth, Texas.

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:

1. Request a secure upload link for data uploads.  Email Madison Dixon, Associate Director, MSU Agricultural Autonomy Institute 
   
   
2. 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):