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NAAA, General Aviation Groups Advocate to FAA Airspace Safety Imperatives for Crewed Aircraft Ahead of UAS BVLOS Rulemaking

Recently, NAAA participated in a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) listening session along with other aviation stakeholders to hear the agency’s concepts under consideration for an upcoming Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) rulemaking. Some of the concepts presented by the FAA were disconcerting, such as questioning the use of longstanding right-of-way requirements, and considering mandating equipage for crewed aircraft not deemed to be failsafe for crewed aircraft to detect an uncrewed aircraft’s presence and vice-versa. As such, NAAA, working with seven other national general aviation industry groups responded to the FAA’s listening session concepts in a letter dated December 22, 2023. The letter, which you can read by clicking here, emphasizes the general aviation organizations that the FAA’s commitment, first and foremost, should be to aviation safety. The letter also underscores to the FAA that the foundational responsibility of complying with the 14 CFR 91.113 right-of-way regulation does not change because the aircraft is being operated remotely instead of by a pilot occupying a cockpit. The letter also underscores general aviation’s opposition imposing or expanding any existing aircraft equipage mandate in order to enable BVLOS UAS operations as part of the rulemaking; that BVLOS UAS should be equipped with sufficient DAA technology; and that shielded areas should not be based on an earlier FAA UAS BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee’s definition that UAS would have §91.113 right-of-way over all other aircraft within shielded areas (the volume of airspace within 100 feet vertically and horizontally of any obstacle or critical infrastructure) and not have to equip with DAA in that same space. Rather, the letter states, shielded areas should be grounded in the tangible, physical shielding of a UAS operating within these zones, rather than a mere proximity to undefined obstacles.

The FAA is currently scheduled to release its UAS BVLOS NPRM between August and November of this year. Read the letter to the FAA here. 
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NAAA Comments on FAA’s Proposed Changes Aircraft Airworthiness Certification to Address Potentially Unnecessary Regulatory Burdens to Certify Ag Aircraft

To ensure that ag aircraft manufactures aren’t unnecessarily burdened by the regulatory approval process, NAAA submitted comments this week to FAA’s notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for amendments to the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC), specifically the part related to the certification of restricted category aircraft.

There were three main points made in the comments:

  • Language regarding issuance of a restricted category type certificate to former military aircraft needs to be written to ensure that aircraft originally produced for civilian use before being modified for military use are eligible for a restricted category type certificate following their release from the military.
  • FAA’s new list of proposed special purpose operations for restricted category aircraft should include all possible types of operations assigned to agricultural aircraft to avoid future issues where a specific type of ag operation is covered under Part 137 but is not listed as a special operation in MOSAIC.
  • Due to the important nature of agricultural and firefighting aircraft, both should continue to be exempt from noise requirements.

NAAA also reached out to FAA personnel familiar with the NPRM, who indicated the goal for the list of special purpose operations is to expand, not reduce, the list of operations that a restricted category aircraft can be used for. They also stated they do not intend to require agricultural aircraft to be subjected to noise requirements. Click here to read NAAA’s full comments. 
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Huff-Daland Duster Now Located at the National Air & Space Museum

The Huff-Daland Duster is now displayed at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC on the National Mall. Huff-Daland Dusters Inc. – the forerunner to Delta Air Lines – is the first known aerial application business established that conducted the first commercial dusting of crops with its own specially built aircraft, the Puffer.

The museum just completed a five-year $250 million renovation and receives roughly 1.9 million visitors per year. That’s more than the Udvar-Hazy Center, where the Huff-Daland Duster resided for the past several years before moving to the downtown DC museum. This is even greater exposure for visitors to learn about the early beginnings of the aerial application industry. Delta Air Lines donated this aircraft to the museum in 1968. The museum is free to visit, however, you must obtain a timed entry for the day of your visit. Learn more here.

The National Air & Space Museum is the largest of the Smithsonian’s 19 museums and it is committed to educating and inspiring people to foster appreciation for the importance of flight to humanity. Over the years, the Smithsonian has acquired other aircraft that have conducted aerial application work, including the Curtiss JN-4D Jenny and most recently, the Air Tractor 400A Dusty Crophopper, donated by Rusty & Lea Lindemann to commemorate the aerial application’s 100th anniversary. Both aircraft are currently on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

To learn more about Huff-Daland and the history of the aerial application industry, purchase Agriculture’s Air Force: 100 Years of Aerial Application, which commemorates the industry’s 100th anniversary. Also, the recently released Speed, Safety, and Comfort: The Origins of Delta Air Lines, written by James John Hoogerwerf, former Delta Boeing 767 captain and aviation historian, on the history of Delta.
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Four Ag Pilots Honored with The Wright Brother Master Pilot Awards at Missouri AAA Convention

Pictured left to right: Travis Schwien (FAA), Mike Lee, Ginger Lee, Linda Hall, Danny Hall, Randy Darter (accepting on behalf of his father, Lloyd Darter), Stan Hunter & Randall Ottinger (FAA).

Four agricultural aviation pilots were honored with The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on January 11 at the Missouri Agricultural Aviation Association’s annual meeting. The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, considered the FAA’s highest honor for pilots certified under the Code of Federal Regulations, is bestowed upon individuals who have 50 or more years of civil and military piloting experience or 50 or more years combined in both piloting and aircraft operations.

Recipients of the award were Mike Lee of Earl’s Flying Service in Steele, MO; Danny Hall of Kewanee Ag Service in Kewanee, MO; Lloyd Darter of L & P Aviation in Mountain Grove, MO; and Stan Hunter of Mid-Continent Aircraft Corp. in Hayti, MO.

The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award is named in honor of Orville and Wilbur Wright, two American aviation pioneers credited with inventing, building, and flying the world’s first successful motor-operated airplane. The Wright Brothers made the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft with the Wright Flyer on December 17, 1903 at Kitty Hawk, NC. The brothers were also the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed-wing powered flight possible. For more information on the award, click here.
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Dr. Carrol Voss Elected to National Ag Aviation Hall of Fame

The National Agricultural Aviation Hall of Fame Nominations Board is pleased to announce that Dr. Carrol Voss is being inducted into the National Agricultural Aviation Hall of Fame (NAAHOF). Dr. Voss was a pioneer in the helicopter aerial application industry and will be enshrined into NAAHOF on Wed., November 20, 2024 at the Ag Aviation Expo in Fort Worth, Texas.

Dr. Voss had a background in entomology and aviation and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. During World War II, he served as a Navy Flight Instructor for the Martin PBM Mariner and Consolidate Catalina PBY flying boats. Inspired by Joe Mashman’s helicopter dusting tests in 1946, Voss obtained his helicopter pilot’s license in 1949.

After a decade of working in helicopters and agriculture, Dr. Voss established his own business Ag Rotors in 1958 in Gettysburg, PA. While not the first to apply materials with helicopters, he significantly refined pesticide application through testing various nozzles on specific pests. Voss applied seeds with helicopters using an external sling bucket and was an early advocate and operator for frost control with helicopters.

Ag Rotors ran a flight school, training about 100 pilots annually, including those transitioning from military service, often from the Vietnam War. Dr. Voss played a key role in training helicopter pilots for state police departments. He was a member of the Helicopter Association International and supported the National Agricultural Aviation Association.

In 1983, Dr. Voss authored a paper on helicopter application for Gypsy Moth, addressing environmental concerns and emphasizing organization and communication. Dr. Voss was the first to successfully apply glyphosate to Phragmites test plots in Maryland.

He contributed to vector control research globally and received the Sikorsky Humanitarian Service Award for mosquito eradication in New York. Dr. Voss also received the Twirly Birds Les Morris Award in 1995 and Helicopter Association International’s Bell Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.

Dr. Voss also served as a consultant with the World Health Organization, assisting in the establishment of aerial application programs in Africa for insect infestations. In addition, he was a consultant for aerial application in South America, India and the former USSR.

Overall, Dr. Carrol Voss made significant contributions to the helicopter aerial application industry, combining his expertise in entomology and aviation to advance agricultural aviation practices and disease control. Read more about Voss in Agriculture’s Air Force: 100 Years of Aerial Application, pgs. 116-119.
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Save the Date: Ag Aviation Expo 2024 Taking Place Pre-Thanksgiving

Join us in Fort Worth, Texas the full week before Thanksgiving for the 2024 Ag Aviation Expo! Taking place November 18-21 at the Fort Worth Convention Center and Omni, the expo will be a few weeks earlier than usual this year – be sure to mark your calendar now!

Fort Worth is a great destination and a first for the Ag Aviation Expo. In addition to attending the Ag Aviation Expo, enjoy dozens of restaurants and bars within walking distance of all hotels in the NAAA room block. Known for the Historic Stockyards, featuring the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive, Fort Worth, Texas has so much to offer. World famous Billy Bob’s offer music, entertainment and a ton of fun at the world’s largest honky tonk! Fort Worth’s downtown Sundance Square district offers endless entertainment and dining options.

The Fort Worth Aviation Museum explores the region’s shift from largely an agricultural center to one of the largest aviation industries in the world. The museum’s collection of 30+ warbirds dates from 1943 to the present and features a U.S. Navy Blue Angel F/A-18 Hornet in the outdoor “Petting Zoo” where visitors can get up close and touch the aircraft. Indoors, you will find the B-36 Peacemaker and interactive Forward Air Controllers Museum, a T-38 cockpit simulator and computer simulator flights. The museum is also home to the OV-10 Bronco Association and its collection of Vietnam and Desert Storm-related stories and exhibits.

Additional Ag Aviation Expo details:

  • NAAA Hotel Room Block Open: Late February
  • Attendee Registration Open: July 1
  • Exhibit Booth Sales Open: July 1
  • Pre-Registration Deadline: October 4
  • Never been to Fort Worth? Learn more here
  • Flying Into DFW: Fort Worth is located 30 miles west of Dallas, and Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW) is accessible by every major city in the continental U.S. in four hours or less. Getting from DFW to Fort Worth is easy via cab, Uber, Lyft or you can take the TEXRail.
  • Flying your own aircraft: Check out Fort Worth Meacham International Airport (FTW).

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The FAA has issued an airworthiness directive (AD 2024-01-03) for GE Aviation Czech H80 engines which requires revising the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) of the existing engine maintenance manual (EMM) and the operator’s existing approved engine maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new and more restrictive instructions and associated thresholds and intervals for life-limited parts, as specified in European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2023-0021.

This AD supersedes AD 2023-01-07, previously reported by NAAA, due to a manufacturer revision of the ALS of the EMM. This AD is effective February 27, 2024.
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Renew Your 2024 Membership Today; Grace Period Ends Feb. 15

If you have not renewed your NAAA membership for 2024, the grace period ends on Feb. 15! We urgently request your continued support by renewing your NAAA membership for 2024. While you have been busy aiding farmers to produce a safe, affordable, and abundant supply of food, fiber, and bioenergy, NAAA has been busy making sure low-altitude airspace is safe for your aerial application business to operate, as well as ensuring that you have the pesticide products you need to do your job. 

This year, NAAA is focusing on external communications to farmers in largely circulated ag publications touting the benefits of aerial application and hiring ag pilots to handle spraying work. NAAA is contributing articles and ads throughout 2024 in Farm Journal’s publications promoting aerial application services and how their readers can directly search the location of your aerial application business to a potential circulation of 150,000 ag retailer, crop consultants and farmers throughout the U.S.! Read our first article here. Sign up for a free issue of The Daily Scoop here and subscribe to The Scoop magazine here. 

Several of NAAA’s services conducted on your behalf, include: 

  • The second year of C-PAASS, our professional certification program for aerial applicators that take additional steps to augment their professionalism through education and testing, positioning themselves to be recognized and rewarded by their insurance providers, pesticide manufacturers, and customers. Learn more at https://education.agaviation.org/. 
  • Submitting no fewer than 270 comments since 2017 to the EPA to keep aerial applications on pesticide labels enabling you to keep a deep inventory of pesticide tools without unnecessary and burdensome restrictions.
  • Development of a health care insurance policy in 2024 for NAAA members to purchase for their families and employees at competitive rates.

Supporting NAAA as a member helps provide NAAA with more resources so that we can in turn provide you with more and more membership assets. Continued benefits in 2024 to members include legal consultation on federal aviation laws, discounts for attending or exhibiting at the Ag Aviation Expo, staying connected to members through the print and online NAAA Membership Directory and receiving NAAA publications and eNewsletters, social media briefings and substantive web content at AgAviation.org. 

Please make it a priority to renew your NAAA membership—the payoff far exceeds what you will spend in dues in the form of effective advocacy that reduces regulation and taxes affecting your aerial application business and trade association membership dues are tax deductible. If you prefer to pay over the phone, please call (202) 546-5722.
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NAAA & NAAREF Board Meetings Feb. 15-17 in Alexandria, VA

The February 2024 NAAA & NAAREF Board and Committee meetings will take place next week, Feb. 15-17 in Alexandria, Virginia. Click here to view a schedule.

All meetings are open to NAAA members. If you are not a board or committee member but are interested in attending, please contact Lindsay Barber for more details.

Hotel Details
Hilton Old Town Alexandria
1767 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

The Hilton Old Town is located directly next to the King Street Metro stop (take either the Blue or Yellow Line), which is the second stop south of Reagan National Airport (DCA). If you don’t want to take a cab, Lyft or Uber, you can use the Metro and there is now an app that you can download to pay directly from your smartphone. You can view a map of the metro system here.

The room block is closed. Contact Lauren Henretty with hotel questions.

Board Books: The Board book was provided to board and committee members on Feb. 5. If you did not receive it, please contact Lindsay Barber for a link. 
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Update Your Information for 2024 Membership Directory

The deadline to provide any corrections to your membership listing is today. Please review your listing and provide any changes to guarantee accurate inclusion in the 2024 NAAA Membership Directory.

Have you moved or changed employers since you renewed your NAAA membership? Allied companies, have you reviewed your company description lately? Ensure your listing in the 2024 NAAA Membership Directory is correct by logging into your account. If any information has changed, please let us know right away. 

You can provide your information by:

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