Industry Facts & FAQs - National Agricultural Aviation Association

Facts about the Aerial Application Industry

There are approximately 1,560 aerial application businesses in the United States.
There are approximately 3,400 total ag pilots in the U.S., including roughly 2,000 hired pilots and 1,400 owner/operator pilots. (Approximately 87 percent of aerial application business owners in the U.S. are also agricultural pilots.)
NAAA represents more than 1,800 members.
According to NAAA records, aerial application operations are located in 45 states—all but Connecticut, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.
Aerial applications are conducted in all 50 states.

Aerial application is often the only, or most economic, method for timely pesticide application. It permits large and often remote areas to be treated rapidly, far faster than any other form of application.
When wet soil conditions, rolling terrain or dense plant foliage prevent other methods of treating an area, aerial application may be the only remaining method of pest treatment.
Aerial application is conducive to higher crop yields, as it is non-disruptive to the crop by treating above it and not within it. A study by a crop protection product manufacturer of applications on corn showed aerial application increased yield 8 percent more than ground application.
Aerial application does not cause soil compaction, hence preventing soil runoff.
The aerial application of crop protection products results in greater harvest yields of crops. This in turn results in less land being used for agricultural production, preserving important wetland and forest ecosystems important to carbon sequestration and habitat to threatened and endangered species.

Based on a 2019 NAAA survey, the agricultural aviation industry treats 127 million acres of cropland aerially each year.
According to the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture there are 347 million acres of cropland used for crop production in the United States. Taking into account some crops are treated more than once during a season, aerial application treats an estimated 28 percent of this cropland.
Nearly 100 percent of forest protection applications are made by the agricultural aviation industry.
In addition to agricultural aviation, the industry provides firefighting and public health application services to combat disease-carrying mosquitoes.
Based on a 2019 NAAA survey, the five most commonly treated crops among aerial application operators are corn, wheat/barley, soybeans, pastures/rangelands and alfalfa, but aerial applications are used on nearly all crops.

On average, each aerial application business has 2.3 aircraft, ranging in price from $100,000 to nearly $2 million depending on hopper size, engine type and engine size.
84 percent of the aircraft used are fixed-wing; the remaining 16 percent are rotorcraft/ helicopters.
Of the combined fleet, 81 percent are turbine powered and 19 percent have piston engines.
Ag aircraft are ruggedly built to handle 30 to 100 takeoffs and landings every day from rough landing strips, and they offer protection and good visibility for the pilot.
Today’s aircraft utilize sophisticated precision application equipment such as GPS (Global Positioning Systems), GIS (geographical information systems), flow controls, real time meteorological systems and precisely calibrated spray equipment.
Precision application equipment results in less pesticide product being applied to more acres and can ensure an even more targeted delivery by further mitigating off-target drift. The ability to precisely apply products also results in greater fuel efficiency.

The average hired aerial applicator pilot has 19.4 years of experience in the industry, whereas the average aerial applicator operator has 27.9 years of experience.
Ag pilots have their commercial pilots’ licenses. They also must be registered as commercial pesticide applicators in the states in which they make applications and must meet the requirements of Federal Aviation Regulations Part 137 which allows for low-level aviation operations.
NAAA developed the Professional Aerial Applicators’ Support System (PAASS) to provide pilots continuing education about safety, security and drift mitigation. PAASS is attended annually by nearly 2,000 pilots and operators and has resulted in markedly improved safety and environmental stewardship statistics.
NAAA’s Operation S.A.F.E. (Self-regulating Application & Flight Efficiency) program enables aerial applicators to attend fly-in clinics and have their aircraft professionally analyzed for spray pattern uniformity and droplet size.
NAAA works with the federal government to invest in researching, developing and testing aerial application technologies to strengthen the safe application of crop protection products by air.

Obstacles– From 2009 to 2018, 9 percent of aerial application fatalities were the result of collisions with towers, while collisions with power lines account for an additional 13 percent of the accidents and 12 percent of the reported fatalities in the industry. NAAA is urging the FAA to provide improved guidance on marking obstacles, including expanding tower marking guidance to include all guy wire and free-standing towers more than 50 feet in height.
Funding– Federal funding for aerial application research must be maintained, as it improves the precision and efficacy of aerial application. In addition, USDA economists have found that every dollar invested in agricultural research has a $20 return to the American economy.
NPDES Permits– NAAA is lobbying Congress to exempt duplicative, unnecessary and burdensome NPDES pesticide general permits for pesticide applications. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide & Rodenticide Act requires the safety of pesticides to water before they may be registered for use.
Taxes and User Fees – The current exemption for agricultural aviation from federal aviation fuel excise taxes must be maintained for ag aviators and they must be exempt from user fees. The majority of agricultural aviation operators do not use public airports; rather they use their own private landing strips and rarely, if ever, use or show up on the nation’s air traffic control system network because they are restricted category aircraft that fly at low altitudes in uncongested airspace.

Aerial application of crop protection products is an essential tool for American farmers.

FAQs

Aerial application is often the safest, fastest and most efficient, and most economical way to get the job done. Aircraft help in treating wet fields and spraying when crop canopies (i.e., orchards) are too thick for ground rigs. When pests or disease threaten a crop, time is critical. An airplane or helicopter can accomplish more in one hour than ground equipment can in one day. This means less fuel used, less air pollution and no soil compaction. Aircraft are necessary to low or medium-tillage farming systems, which can reduce soil erosion by as much as 90%. Aerial application provides food, fiber and bioenergy for the world’s growing population and protects our natural resources.

The world population continues to grow at a fast pace. Today there are 6.6 billion people, but it is estimated there will be more than 9 billion people by the year 2050. World food needs will double, but land area suitable for farming is not increasing. To produce future food, fiber and bioenergy and leave room for wildlife we must increase production on the land we are now using. High-yield agriculture benefits the environment by producing maximum crop yields from a small amount of land.

Like the human body, all plants need proper nutrition and protection from diseases and pests to attain maximum growth. This is true regardless of the farming system.

“Pesticides are a key part of modern agriculture, contributing to the dramatic increases in crop yields achieved in recent decades. Pesticides are used in both organic and conventional farming. Through the use of pesticides, farmers are able to produce crops profitably in otherwise unsuitable locations, extend growing seasons, maintain product quality and extend shelf life. In fact, it’s better pesticide science that has allowed North America to triple its food production while maintaining the same amount of forest cover as existed a century ago,” said Dr. Patrick Moore, Greenpeace Co-Founder and Chairman and Chief Scientist of Greenspirit Strategies.

All crop protection products must meet tough safety standards. Only one in 20,000 chemicals actually survives the 8–10 year process of development, testing, and registration by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Costs to test a pesticide’s safety can range in price from $160 to $200 million.

Nearly 900 scientists and program officials from the EPA make sure that products are properly registered to comply with federal law. Once on the market, they are monitored by the EPA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state pesticide enforcement agencies. This stringent regulatory system ensures the safety of our food, the safety of the products to the environment, to water and to the farm workers that mix, load and apply the products.

The American Cancer Society states:

“Many kinds of pesticides are widely used in agriculture in the production of our food supply. People who eat more fruits and vegetables, which may contain trace amounts of pesticides, generally have lower cancer risks than people who eat fewer fruits and vegetables. Pesticides play a valuable role in sustaining our food supply. When properly controlled, the minimal risks pesticides pose are greatly overshadowed by the health benefits of a diverse diet rich in foods from plant sources.”

Aerial application helps make it possible for us to have these fresh fruits and vegetables year round. Pesticide use has resulted in increased availability and a variety of low cost, fresh fruits and vegetables year round. This has had significant impact on human health because there is strong evidence that increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease, including many cancers. Crop protection products also play a role in enhancing the safety of the food supply by reducing levels of natural toxins, such as mycotoxins and reducing the potential for contamination of fresh produce by food borne human pathogens.

Yes, organic farmers employ the services of aerial applicators. Because organic spraying is preventative, aerial applicators spray organic crops with approved organic pesticides almost daily to prevent any infestations from starting. Like conventional farming, timing is crucial and when spraying needs to be done for organic fields, it needs to be done quickly. According to the National Organic Program (NOP), which is overseen by the USDA, organic crop pests, weeds and diseases must be controlled primarily through management practices including physical, mechanical and biological controls. Also according to the National Organic Program, when these practices are not sufficient, a biological, botanical or synthetic substance approved for use on the ‘National List’ may be used. Substances that may be used include horticulture oils, sulfur, copper, pyrethrum, rotenone, Bt and spinosad.

According to former USDA Secretary Dan Glickman:

“The organic label is a marketing tool. It is not a statement about food safety. Nor is organic a value judgment about nutrition or quality. Organic is about how it is produced. Just because something is labeled as organic does not mean it is superior, safer or healthier than conventional food. All foods in this country must meet the same high standards of safety regardless of their classification. For nutrition information, look at the nutrition label. And as for quality, that is a matter of personal preference.”

Because “crop dusting” doesn’t begin to describe the way the industry has developed since it began in 1921. For one thing, most applications today are in liquid form, so the word “dusting” doesn’t say enough. For another, today’s aerial applicators do much more than their predecessors did. The best term for them might be “Crop Doctors,” because they must administer the proper treatment, at the correct dosage and time, to keep the plants healthy.

In addition to controlling insects, weeds, and diseases that threaten crops, they perform many other vital jobs. Aerial applicators “plant” seed from the air into flooded rice fields; spread rye grass seed in cornfields prior to harvest to prevent soil erosion; and they fertilize and add nutrients to soil for healthy crops and forests. Aircraft are also used to help clean up oil spills in the ocean and harbors, feed fish, protect human health by controlling flies and mosquitoes that carry harmful diseases. They protect our natural resources by reducing disease and pest infestations in forests and other areas inaccessible by ground equipment. Aerial application aircraft are also an important tool in fighting fires and preventing fires from spreading.

Today’s operators fly both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft especially designed for this purpose. These aircraft range in price from $100,000 to $1,400,000. They are ruggedly built to handle 30 to 100 take-offs and landings every day from rough landing strips, and they offer protection and good visibility for the pilot. Today’s aircraft utilize sophisticated precision application equipment such as GPS (Global Positioning Systems), GIS (geographical information systems), flow controls, real time meteorological systems and precisely calibrated spray equipment to make sure the pilot is accurate in applying the correct amount of product onto the crop. On the ground, the airplanes are loaded by workers uniformed in protective clothing using closed mixing and loading containment systems to ensure safety to the environment and the worker.

Aerial applicators are highly-trained professionals who have made a very large investment in their business. Like all Americans, they are concerned with human health, the environment, security and performing their job in a responsible manner. More than 90% own their own business and operate their aircraft. The average aerial applicator has over 20 years experience in the industry, but a number of new agricultural pilots enter the aerial application industry each year. Many of these operations are family businesses with family members responsible for aspects such as product mixing, aircraft maintenance, refueling, bookkeeping, work scheduling, weather monitoring, field scouting, and customer relations.

The professionals who apply crop protection products operate under the watchful eye of federal and state agencies. These agencies have at the top of their lists public health and worker safety and environmental protection. They include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT) and individual State Departments of Agriculture, Ecology and Environment.

Regulatory personnel inspect operations and require strict and specific documentation of each field sprayed. These same agencies continually monitor environmental and public health to assure that we continue to have the safest, least expensive, and most abundant food supply in the world.

Although the aerial application industry had security measures in place before the tragic events of 9/11/01, the National Agricultural Aviation Association and its membership have aggressively promoted enhanced security procedures developed in the wake of 9/11/01.

A few security measures pertaining to the ag aviation industry include: comprehensive background checks by local, state and federal agencies; the development of site security operation plans in compliance with the DOT; and installation of hidden security switches to prevent unauthorized startup of the aircraft.

The aerial application industry continues to work closely with local, state and federal officials and we are committed to doing everything we can to help government officials make sure that public safety concerns do not deprive the American people of the benefits they receive from agricultural aviation.

From the beginning, the aerial application industry has strived to improve equipment and techniques to provide for accurate and effective delivery of products to crops. In the 1960s the National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) was established to foster industry development to the highest standards. NAAA developed the Professional Aerial Applicators Support System (PAASS) to educate pilots about safety, security and drift mitigation. PAASS is committed to reaching every aerial applicator in the U.S. with the latest information regarding these issues. In addition, the NAAA works with the federal government to invest in researching, developing and testing aerial application technologies to strengthen the safe application of crop protection products by air.

Being an ag pilot is one of the most exciting jobs in aviation. It requires tremendous skill and precision. If you enjoy aviation video games or enjoy the outdoors and rural living, you may be a perfect addition to the agricultural aviation industry. It’s not an easy job, it takes a significant amount of training and the hours during the busy flying season can be long. But it is a fulfilling job. Ag pilots provide an essential service to farmers, foresters and the public at large. Ag pilots love their ability to soar through the skies in beautiful and serene farm country. In many areas across the country it is also a seasonal job, which can allow for other leisure or professional opportunities during the off season. Visit our Careers Section to read about careers and mentoring in the aerial application industry.