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Two Operators Report Aircraft Being Fired Upon – Response Checklist Available 

In just the last week, NAAA has received reports that two aircraft, one in Kansas and one in Indiana, have been shot at by a firearm. The aircraft in Kansas was not hit, but the aircraft in Indiana sustained damage from the round fired at it. While both pilots escaped unscathed, this is a painful reminder that ag aircraft remain a target. There is very little a pilot can do to mitigate the risk of this occurring, but it is critical that these incidents are reported. 

NAAA’s Shooting Response Checklist provides a short list of action items to ensure an incident is properly reported, including: 

  • Inform local law enforcement 
  • Contact the FBI 
  • Report it to the FAA National Safety Hotline 
  • Call your local Flight Standards Office (FSO) 
  • File a NASA Aviation Safety Report 
  • Inform other pilots 
  • Notify local news media 
  • Contact your insurance agent, if warranted 

In both incidents this past week, the respective operators followed this checklist, in addition to notifying NAAA. The association remains available to offer additional assistance in the event of an ag aircraft shooting. 

While more paperwork is the last thing anyone wants to deal with in July, your report can have an impact. Over and above state laws, it is a federal crime to shoot at an aircraft. Penalties can be as severe as 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Even the threat of shooting down an aircraft can result in a five-year prison sentence. 

Your report could save another’s life. 

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NAAA Meets with Corteva Agriscience on Aerial Registration Issues

Yesterday, NAAA’s CEO, Andrew Moore, met with key leaders of Corteva Agriscience keeping the major global pesticide manufacturer abreast of aerial application technologies, survey data and aerial drift models so as to assist them in (re)registering their crop protection products for aerial use. 

The meeting consisted of key marketing and communications managers at the international company. Corteva has been a longtime supporter of NAAA/NAAREF programs from PAASS to membership to convention sponsorship

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14,000+ Followers Strong: NAAA’s Facebook Community Keeps Growing!

Thanks to those who helped NAAA attain 14,000 Facebook followers! This is a population multiple times larger than the ag aviation industry.

Over the past few years, NAAA has worked hard to expand its digital footprint to those outside of the aerial application industry and connect with a broader audience. Through consistent updates, sharing the benefits of aerial application, advocacy updates, and showcasing the incredible work of ag pilots across the nation, we’ve built an engaged and passionate online community.

This milestone is more than just a number—it’s a testament to the support of agricultural aviation professionals, enthusiasts, and advocates who believe in our mission and value our content.

Help continue promoting agricultural aviation by sharing our posts on your newsfeed which will allow your friends to see them. Please also invite your friends to “Like” National Agricultural Aviation Association Facebook page. They’ll get updates throughout the year on what ag pilots do to aid farmers in producing a safe, affordable and abundant supply of food, fiber and bioenergy, in addition to protecting forestry and controlling health-threatening pests.

NAAA’s social media reach has steadily increased each year. The association reached 13,000 followers last September and has grown by about a thousand followers annually for the past seven years. You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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Purchase Agricultural Aviation’s 100-Year Legacy Book: Agriculture’s Air Force

In 1921, a single crop dusting experiment launched what would become the agricultural aviation industry, an essential part of modern farming. To commemorate the rich history of this great industry, NAAA published Agriculture’s Air Force: 100 Years of Aerial Application, a landmark book chronicling the first century of aerial application.

This richly detailed 268-page hardcover volume includes substantial content from Mabry Anderson’s 1982 classic, Low & Slow: An Insider’s History of Agricultural Aviation and picks up where that classic biography of the industry left off. Drawing on decades of material from Agricultural Aviation magazine, AgAir Update, Low & Slow, and other sources, Agriculture’s Air Force presents a comprehensive and engaging narrative of the industry’s evolution.

Excerpts from the book were previewed throughout NAAA’s 2021 Agricultural Aviation magazine issues, offering a glimpse of what’s inside. The full edition dives deep into the development of the industry, from its pioneering start in the early 1920s, through post-WWII growth, and into the present era of high-tech, precision aerial application.

Far from a dry, academic text, the book is written to entertain and inform. Whether you’re a veteran ag pilot, an aviation buff, or simply interested in how aviation supports global food production, this volume offers a compelling read and a new appreciation for the dedicated professionals who help feed the world from the sky.

Agriculture’s Air Force: 100 Years of Aerial Application is available for $45 (plus shipping) at the AgAir Update Online Store. It is also proudly featured in the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum’s gift shop, an honor that reflects the enduring significance of agricultural aviation in American history.

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NAAA Award Nominations Due by August 5

Do you have a rising pilot within your ranks? Do you admire certain NAAA members’ outstanding service to the industry or their community? The NAAA awards nomination deadline is August 5. 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 2025 NAAA Award.

NAAA’s online submission form is easy and quick to use; nominate someone in just a few clicks here.

Who will be among this year’s awardees? There are nine NAAA Award categories and one NAAREF Award. Nominations are due Aug. 5.

NAAA Award Categories

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 Allied Memorial Award: Recognizes NAAA members 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.
  • 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 2025 NAAA Award recipients will be honored at the Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet on Nov. 19 in Reno, NV.

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Fraudulent Companies Trying to Book Hotel Rooms for NAAA Ag Aviation Expo

NAAA received notification that an independent third-party company is contacting our NAAA Allied members to book sleeping rooms in Reno for the 2025 Ag Aviation Expo. These companies go by several names and they are all scams. They are NOT associated with NAAA or any hotel in Reno; ignore their emails and calls. Your hotel room should only be booked through https://www.agaviation.org/ag-aviation-expo/travel/.

Please remember that no one from (or on behalf of) NAAA or the Atlantis will contact you (by phone, email, etc.) to book a hotel room. NAAA recommends making your own hotel reservations using the information in our NAAA publications or at https://www.agaviation.org/ag-aviation-expo/travel/. Do not trust these companies; they will take your money, and you may not have a hotel room in Reno.

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In Case You Missed Last Week’s NAAA eNewsletter

Click here for the July 17, 2025 eNewsletter to read:

  • NAAA and Other General Aviation Industry and Congressional Leaders Meet at Wingnuts Flying Circus Airshow in Tarkio, Missouri 
  • NAAA Member Matt Crabbe Shares Aerial Application Best Practices on Farm Journal Podcast
  • NAAA Ag Aviation Expo Booth Sales Opened Last Week with Success
  • Fraudulent Companies Trying to Book Hotel Rooms for NAAA Ag Aviation Expo
  • 2026 NAAA/Syngenta Leadership Training Program Applications Accepted Until Tomorrow, July 18

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