PAASS Presenter 2008-2009

Dennis R. Gardisser, Ph.D., P.E.

Dennis was born and raised on a relatively large dairy farm in NW Arkansas. After graduating high school and attend computer operating school, he spent four years in the USMC. Twenty-seven months were spent in Vietnam - flying as a crewmember on EC-121 Constellation and P-3 Orion AWAC aircraft.

Dennis has been working with the agricultural aviation industry since the mid 70s. His Ph.D. dissertation studied the design parameters of fertilizer spreaders - "Computer Simulation of Dry Material Distribution Patterns from Agricultural Aircraft". Dennis was a partner with WRK, Incorporated and now owns and operates WRK of Arkansas. WRK has been a leader in the development of agricultural aircraft analysis equipment, software, and techniques. Dennis has traveled all over the world working with applicators and providing chemical application training to a variety of groups. WRK has trained more than 95% of all S.A.F.E. analysts, with the most recent training session held September 2007. WRK's expertise has been utilized in oil spill, mosquito, biological, boll weevil, fire fighting, forest re-seeding, illegal crop control, and other applications. Dennis conducts 20 to 30 fly-ins and numerous pesticide application workshops annually. Dennis has also been very active on several NAAA committees, including the PAASS content committee, and has helped develop several of the recent training modules.

Dennis is also a pilot. Dennis lives on a fly-in community airport just east of Little Rock - Country Air Estates, www.countryairestates.com, 1AR9. Dennis partners on a BE36 Bonanza and utilizes it flying coast-to-coast conducting WRK business. Dennis is a CFI and ASC and holds a commercial ag rating and says he flies ag just enough to have a real appreciation for those of you that fly full time. In addition to being an NAAA member, Dennis is a life member of the Arkansas, Colorado, and Missouri associations and a member of the Canadian AAA. Accomplishments include several service awards, Agrinaut and Delta Puffer awards and member of the NAAA Falcon club and recipient of the Lee Abide award - 2005 from MS AAA. Dennis was selected by the FAA as the Arkansas and Southwest Region Aviation Safety Counselor of the year for 2004. Dennis is co-chair of the Arkansas Junior Aviator of the Year and a member of the CFI of the year committees.

Dennis spends a great deal of time working with tort litigation issues revolving around chemical applications. He will be the first to tell you that professionalism and strong education programs will help you provide a better service and may be a real asset should you be unlucky enough to find yourself defending your application to regulatory bodies or the courts.