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- NAAA AGDISP Press Release Aims to Generate Additional Resources to Modernize Drift Model by Highlighting Recent Cotton Foundation
- GRASSROOTS ALERT: FAA Proposed Part 108 – Drones Given Right of Way Over Manned Aircraft – Your Comments Needed
- Register Now for 2025 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo in Reno
- Superseding AD Issued for GE Engine M601 Compressor Case
NAAA AGDISP Press Release Aims to Generate Additional Resources to Modernize Drift Model by Highlighting Recent Cotton Foundation
Earlier this week, NAAA issued a press release to multiple and widely circulated agricultural media sources throughout the U.S., detailing the efforts to modernize the pesticide drift model software AGDISP (Agricultural DISpersion) and the Cotton Foundation’s recent grant aiding in the modernization efforts. NAAA hopes that other pesticide stakeholder organizations and grower groups will join in supporting the modernization project. A modernized AGDISP will help in rewarding pesticide application users using proven drift reduction technologies and techniques with more regulatory flexibility.
NAAA CEO Andrew Moore will be speaking on the topic on RFD-TV at 9 a.m. CST today.
AGDISP, developed by the U.S. Forest Service in the 1980s, is used by EPA to model the movement of spray in the environment after it has been released from a sprayer. The modernization effort is being carried out by the AGDISP Modernization Project (AMP), whose goal is to update and improve AGDISP. These improvements to AGDISP are essential to improve accuracy and make the model accessible to other software developers, so AGDISP can be further adapted to include modeling of other drift reduction technologies and application conditions to benefit all stakeholders across the pesticide industry, regardless of application type (aerial, ground, unmanned aerial, etc.).
AMP, established by NAAA two years ago, is investing $600,000 over five years to modernize AGDISP. The funding raised to date— $335,000—comes from a generous $35,000 donation from the Cotton Foundation awarded late last month; a five-year, $250,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control via the American Mosquito Control Association; and $50,000, to date, from the National Agricultural Aviation Research and Education Foundation. The Cotton Foundation funding came through a special project focused on priority research for the cotton industry.
A modernized AGDISP will more accurately estimate off-target spray movement for all types of pesticide applications when EPA conducts ecological, endangered species, and human health risk assessments. It will also allow the drift reduction benefits offered by new application technologies and techniques to be recognized by EPA, which in turn should result in less restrictive and more flexible application requirements on labels. A key feature of the modernized version of AGDISP is that it will continue to be available to the public and an open source. This means the EPA can use it for risk assessments and companies developing new application technologies can incorporate it into their research. Read the full press release here.
GRASSROOTS ALERT: FAA Proposed Part 108 – Drones Given Right of Way Over Manned Aircraft – Your Comments Needed
The FAA has recently released its proposed Part 108 which would enable routine beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operating below 400 FT AGL. If adopted into a final rule as written, this would severely compromise the safety of manned aerial application operations. You can review the full Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and/or FAA’s Fact Sheet, but NAAA has read it cover to cover and there are two headline takeaways:
- UAS Have Right-of-Way. Part 91 would be amended to give Part 108 UAS right-of-way over all other aircraft unless that other aircraft is broadcasting ADS-B or electronic conspicuity (EC). EC is a yet to be approved/standardized anonymous type of ADS-B to be available at an unknown date as a portable or installed unit.
- Shielded Areas. Part 108 would establish shielded areas wherein UAS do not have to yield right-of-way to any aircraft, regardless of ADS-B or EC. These shielded areas are defined as areas where no manned aircraft are expected to operate, including areas within 50 feet of powerlines and substations, railroad tracks, bridges and pipelines. FAA contends that there is only a “remote possibility” of an agricultural aircraft operating in a shielded area, and thereby a low collision risk with a UAS operating there.
If this sounds alarming to you, you are not alone and your voice is needed now. The FAA is seeking public comment on this NPRM through October 6, 2025. NAAA will be submitting comments – you can view NAAA’s Draft Comments to get a feel for how the association is responding. However, what is truly needed now is your individual, unique comments emphasizing your personal experiences to inform FAA of the extreme danger posed by the proposed shielded areas. This could be as short as a paragraph or as long as you find necessary. NAAA urges you to include the following in your comments:
- Scope of Your Operation. Specify geographical area, acres treated, crops treated, number of farmer customers, etc. Add any specific data that demonstrates further societal/economic value of your operation.
- Your Operations in Shielded Areas. Explain and quantify the regularity with which you fly in the proposed shielded areas (i.e. within 50 feet of powerlines and railroad tracks). Estimate the number of times you fly within 50 feet of a wire per day during the application season (considering each individual pass over/under/along wires). Estimate by how many feet you regularly clear a wire when descending into or climbing out of a field.
- Your Difficulty in Spotting Drones. Explain how the unique challenges of ag aviation, including low-altitude obstacle avoidance and focus on the application itself, make it impractical to be on the lookout for drones in shielded areas.
There is a LOT more to this NPRM than just shielded areas, but NAAA finds this issue to be of paramount concern to the lives of aerial applicators. Please consider commenting – the only way to effect change is for aerial application pilots and operators to comment in great numbers with fact-based arguments. You can submit your comments here, either by directly entering text or uploading a document. Be sure to reference Docket Number: FAA-2025-1908 in your comments.
Please do not copy and paste NAAA’s Comments – FAA gives credibility to thoughtful, original comments and assigns less weight to duplicative form letters. Use your own words and experiences to inform FAA of the realities of manned aerial application and make them understand the impact that these new regulations would have on your safety as a pilot and/or on the safety of your pilots as an operator.
NAAA is working diligently with other government agencies, industry associations and coalitions to also comment in representation of the aerial application industry’s real concerns with this NPRM. By educating and leveraging influential voices ranging from agricultural commodity groups and agencies to general aviation organizations and transportation safety agencies, NAAA will ensure that the safety concerns of manned aerial application are heard.
Register Now for 2025 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo in Reno
We look forward to seeing you at the 2025 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo in Reno, Nevada, Nov. 17-19. Attendee registration is now open for the annual convention. Exhibitors can purchase booth space here.
NAAA’s registration system will allow you to register and pay for all events at one time, including:
- Ag Aviation Expo registration for yourself, your spouse, children and other employees in your company.
- Saturday, Nov. 15 – Flying in the Wire & Obstruction Environment and Turning an Ag Plane Safely Courses (free, but registration is required)
- Sunday, Nov. 16 – Betting for PAASS: Casino Night NAAREF Fundraiser
- Monday, Nov. 17 – Support Committee’s ‘Sip, Savor and Socialize’ Food & Wine Tasting (capped at 100 participants)
Besides great programming, you’ll enjoy a vibrant city offering a mix of gaming, great food, drinks, and adventure in Reno, where high desert charm meets high-energy entertainment. Reno offers a lively mid-town area packed with local breweries and bars, unique eateries and year-round festivals. Explore the Riverwalk District, try your luck at iconic casinos, or take a short drive to the breathtaking landscapes of Lake Tahoe. Reno delivers a perfect blend of culture, fun and unforgettable Western spirit.
Whether you’re an industry veteran or a low-time or no-time ag pilot, the Ag Aviation Expo promises to deliver invaluable insights, the latest technological advancements, and a chance to connect with peers from across the nation and the world. Join us in Reno for an unforgettable experience that will help you soar to new heights in your ag aviation journey.
Ag Aviation Expo Details
- Dates: Nov. 17-19
- Schedule of Events here
- NAAA Hotel Room Block: Open
- Attendee Registration Open
- Exhibit Booth Sales: Open
- Sponsorship Opportunities here. We have sponsorships available for all budget sizes.
- Flying Into Reno: Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) has eleven airlines providing more than 120 daily departures and arrivals. Learn about travel here.
- Auction Donations: Please consider donating to 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 Amy May with your donation details.
- Never been to Reno? Learn more here.
Superseding AD Issued for GE Engine M601 Compressor Case
The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2024-06-02 (dated April 11, 2024), which applied to several GE Aviation Czech M601 turboprop engines. Prompted by a report of a crack on the centrifugal compressor case mount pad weld area caused by poor welds, AD 2024-06-02 required a detailed visual inspection (DVI) and, if necessary, replacement of the compressor case.
Since AD 2024-06-02 was issued, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency has issued EASA AD 2024-0194 (dated October 15, 2024), which adds repetitive DVIs at intervals not to exceed 100 flight-hours, or 300 takeoffs or 6 months, whichever occurs first. If a crack is detected, the compressor case must be replaced.
FAA’s superseding AD 2025-18-08 includes all requirements from the EASA AD and is effective October 21, 2025.
In Case You Missed Last Week’s NAAA eNewsletter
Click here for the September 11, 2025 eNewsletter to read:
- NAAA Fights for Aerial Applications of Dicamba on Dicamba Tolerant Crops
- MAHA Health Strategy Report Lowers Volume About Pesticide Concerns
- GRASSROOTS ALERT: Your Comments to FAA are Urgently Needed to Oppose Requiring Manned Aircraft Provide Drones Right of Way
- NAAA Operator Member Liam Zahm Interviewed by Farm Progress on the Future of Hybrid Aerial Application Operations
- Boost Your Safety Skills Around Wires and Proper Aircraft Maneuvering; Sign up for NAAA’s Ag Aviation Safety Training Day Set for Nov. 15 at the Ag Aviation Expo
- FAA Releases Airworthiness Concern Sheet for Fuel Additives in H80/M601 Engines
- AD Issued for MD Helicopters 369 and 500 Tail Rotor Pedal Support Brackets