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EDUCATIONAL FLYERS NOW AVAILABLE EMPHASIZING COMPLIANCE, SAFETY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONALISM PROTOCOLS FOR SPRAY DRONE OPERATORS & THEIR CUSTOMERS (3/19/2026): Educational flyers providing details to spray drone operators and their customers on licensing, regulatory and insurance requirements, in addition to best management practices, are now available in an effort to ensure compliance and professionalism in the spray drone industry. The spray drone operator flyer lists the licenses, certificates, registration and insurance requirements that spray drone operators must fulfil in order to be in compliance, in addition to equipment testing, and educational and best management practices that should be followed to ensure a professional operation. The spray drone operations’ customer flyer outlines those same requirements and practices to best ensure they are contracting with a professional spray drone service and address their liability. Read More
CHECKLIST FOR PILOTS SUBJECT TO THE DISCHARGE OF A FIREARM TARGETING AN AG AIRCRAFT: Read More
NAAA OFFERS HEALTHCARE OPTIONS TO NAAA MEMBERS: Read More
BAYER CROP SCIENCE JOINS AG INDUSTRY EFFORTS TO MODERNIZE SPRAY DRIFT MODEL USED BY PESTICIDE REGULATORS (3/2026): Bayer Crop Science joined efforts to modernize AGDISP, the pesticide spray drift model. The effort is being carried out by the AGDISP Modernization Project (AMP), which aims to update and improve AGDISP. AMP, established by NAAA, is investing $600,000 over five years to modernize AGDISP. The funding raised to date— $520,000— includes a $50,000 donation from Bayer, a $30,000 donation from the National Corn Growers Association, a $35,000 donation from the Cotton Foundation, a five-year, $250,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control via the American Mosquito Control Association, $100,000 from NAAA and $55,000 from NAAREF. Read More
NAAA ADVOCACY SCORES ANOTHER VICTORY IN ALLOWING STATES GRANT HAZMAT ENDORSEMENT EXEMPTIONS FOR CLASS A CDL DRIVERS TRANSPORTING UP TO 1,000 GALONS OF JET A (1/2026): After years of advocacy, NAAA was successful amending Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regs allowing states to waive the hazardous materials (HM) endorsement for agricultural aviation company Class A CDL drivers transporting up to 1,000 gallons of Jet A. The final rule was released January 9 in the Federal Register and can be found by clicking here.
NAAA RELEASES FRAT TOOL (5/2025): NAAA Agricultural Aviation Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) – A checklist you can employ or adapt to your operation to enhance safety and aid in ensuring you are safe to fly. Organized with short sets of questions meant to be answered based on how frequently you should review them, this tool provides simple yes/no questions for an ag pilot to check annually, monthly, daily and before each flight with a final reminder that no flight, job or customer is worth your life. FRAT – Caution Wire Environment – A printable safety reminder to accompany the FRAT. FRAT – Keep a Scan Going – A printable safety reminder to accompany the FRAT.
EPA ACCEPTS NAAA’S RECOMMENDATIONS TO UPDATE AND IMPROVE ACCURACY OF AERIAL DRIFT MODEL IN ITS ESA INSECTICIDE STRATEGY POLICY (9/2024): The EPA accepted NAAA’s recommendations to improve the accuracy of the models used to estimate the amount of drift from aerial applications as part of the agency’s endangered species insecticide strategy. NAAA has advocated to the EPA for many years to utilize the Tier III model in AgDRIFT and use more realistic assumptions for aerial applications. Read More
WATCH FAA SAFETY TEAM WEBINARS FOR PART 137 UAS PILOTS & OPERATORS: The FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) has presented several webinars for Part 137 UAS Pilots and Operators. View all webinars here.
FAA APPROVES FREQUENCY 122.925 FOR AIR-TO-AIR COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN AG AIRCRAFT (8/2024): NAAA has worked to secure permission from the FAA to use frequency 122.925 for radio communications between agricultural aircraft. FAA indicated the use of 122.925 “may be encouraged to enhance the situational awareness and safety of the participating [ag aviation] operators and others who choose to monitor/use the frequency.” Read More
NAAA & NAAREF RELEASE AGRICULTURAL AIRMAN GUIDELINES (AAG) (5/2024): AAG is a comprehensive resource to assist in preparing for or administering a 14 CFR §137.19(e) Knowledge and Skills Test. NAAA encourages operators and pilots to explore the AAG and discover how it can enhance ongoing knowledge, risk management and skills training within their operations. Read More
NAAA ENDORSES AND ENCOURAGES AG AIRCRAFT GPS DATA COLLECTION EFFORT PROTECTING MANNED AG AIRCRAFT FROM DRONES (2/2024): NAAA has a longstanding partnership with Mississippi State University (MSU) to collect GPS data logs donated by its members. Since the project’s inception in 2017, the data collected and analysis performed by MSU has fueled NAAA’s efforts in representing the safety interests of aerial applicators to regulators. Read More
REPORT ILLEGAL DRONE APPLICATIONS: NAAA receives constant reports from commercial manned and unmanned aerial application businesses about drone application work that is being conducted outside of the law. NAAA has been told that unregistered drone activities, in addition to allegations that label directions, including required gallons of carrier per acre, active ingredient measurements per acre and boom length limits, are being violated. Professional commercial applicators that apply by air—either as part of a farming business or a separate aerial application business—must be licensed. Read More
NAAA PROVIDES PROOF OF DISTANCE NEEDED TO SAFELY TURN AN AG AIRCRAFT TO REFUTE CLAIMS MADE BY WIND FARMS, TOWERS, OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS: NAAA has developed useful information to refute proposed setback distances from wind turbines and other tower-like obstructions. The information may be used by operators and state associations when dealing wind farm and tower companies claiming that their obstructions do not hamper aerial application activities to crops. Read More
MARK AND LOG TOWERS TODAY TO AVOID LIABILITY AND COMPLY WITH UPCOMING FAA REGULATIONS: Many landowners and farmers might not be aware that due to provisions in both the FAA Extension, Safety and Security Act of 2016 and the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, towers between 50 and 200 feet tall with an above-ground base of less than 10 feet in diameter in rural areas are legally required to be marked and/or logged in a database the FAA is currently developing. Read More
NAAA AD ENCOURAGES GROWERS TO LEARN BEFORE THEY LEASE TO WIND ENERGY COMPANIES: NAAA created an ad that encourages landowners and growers to consider all the facts and potential ramifications before they lease their property to a wind energy entity. The ad is available to members in a variety of sizes and colors to place in their local newspapers and ag publications. Read More