National Agricultural Aviation Association

Dana Ness of Rudyard, Mont., Elected 2013 NAAA President

The National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) is pleased to announce that Dana Ness of Rudyard, Mont., has been elected President of NAAA for 2013. Ness is the owner of Ag-Air Inc., a chemical retailer and aerial application business that operates in Rudyard and Chester, Mont. Ness has two piston Air Tractor 301 ag aircraft, which he and another pilot fly. Serving with Ness on the 2013 NAAA officer team are Vice President Rick Boardman of Henderson, Neb., Secretary Doug Davidson of Clinton, Ark., and Treasurer Brenda Watts of Watson, Ark.

Details on EPA's NPDES Pesticide General Permit

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its final Pesticide NPDES General Permit (PGP) on Oct. 31, 2011. NAAA has developed a comprehensive overview of the permit detailing the impacts of the permit on aerial applicators. The Association has also developed a number of documents bulleted below to aid aerial applicators in complying with the permits.

Agricultural Aviation Scholarship News

How does $5,000 sound to help you get started on your journey to becoming an ag pilot? That’s the top prize in the 2013 NAAA/BASF Agricultural Aviation Scholarship competition. The goal of the Agricultural Aviation Scholarship is to strengthen the aerial application industry by helping NAAA Operators bring new pilots into the profession. Each applicant must be sponsored by an NAAA Operator, and scholarship recipients must use the proceeds for flight training or agricultural 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.

NAAA Releases 2012 Aerial Application Survey

Eight years after NAAA conducted its last survey a new view of the industry has emerged thanks to two landmark new surveys of Part 137 operators and pilots conducting agricultural operations. The results are documented in the 2012 NAAA Aerial Application Industry Surveys of operators and pilots, which are available exclusively to NAAA members. The survey of non-operator ag pilots is the first of its kind. Taken together, the 2012 operator and pilot surveys paint the most comprehensive portrait of the aerial application industry ever.

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FAA Releases Guidance on Marking MET Towers

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released the long-awaited guidance for marking MET towers less than 200 feet above ground level (AGL) in remote and rural areas. NAAA is very pleased to report that the comments provided by members and the Association have yielded guidance favorable to agricultural aviation. The FAA agrees that marking these structures would enhance the conspicuity of these METs, particularly for low-level agricultural operations.”

Let's Be Fair About Sharing The Air

The airspace aerial applicators work in is becoming increasingly obstructed by transmission lines, wind turbines and hard-to-see meteorological testing towers. That concerns the aerial application industry, not just in terms of safety, but also in terms of accessing farmers’ fields to treat their crops. In response, NAAA has launched a public outreach campaign to raise awareness about the worrisome effects of wind energy development on agriculture and aviation.