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Table of Contents
- NAAA Takes the Message of Ag Aviation’s Importance to Local Schools
- Total Acre Farming: Matt Crabbe’s Aerial Application Adventures on RFD-TV
- Best Management Practices for Spraying with an Unmanned Aerial Spray System Released by the Unmanned Aerial Pesticide Application System Task Force
- NAAA Announces EPA’s Change in Aerial Drift Model Use Through Press Release to Agriculture Media
- NAAA Support Committee Events at Ag Aviation Expo
- Beware of Fraudulent Email
- AD Issued for Tension Torsion Straps on Various Huey Models
- AD Issued for R44 Driveshaft Yoke
NAAA Takes the Message of Ag Aviation’s Importance to Local Schools
This week NAAA presented to local school children in the metropolitan Washington, DC area about the importance of aerial application to crop production, forestry protection and public health protection. NAAA’s CEO Andrew Moore gave the presentation to fourth and sixth grade STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) students at the Fort Belvoir Home Educators in Fairfax County, Virginia. NAAA advocates that members of the ag aviation community reach out to their local schools to teach about the importance of aerial application to youth. NAAA has numerous materials on its website to help facilitate the importance of the industry to young students here.
Total Acre Farming: Matt Crabbe’s Aerial Application Adventures on RFD-TV
In an August 19 segment for RFD-TV’s Total Acre Farming, NAAA member Matt Crabbe discusses the vital role of aerial application in pest and disease management for farmers and landowners. Crabbe guides the interviewer through the process of applying products to fields using aerial methods. Matt highlights the tireless efforts of the NAAA to support the industry as well as the educational resources available from the NAAA to both members and non-members. Total Acre Farming is a weekly program that averages around 40,000 viewers throughout the week. To see more of Crabbe’s interview, click here.
Best Management Practices for Spraying with an Unmanned Aerial Spray System Released by the Unmanned Aerial Pesticide Application System Task Force
The Unmanned Aerial Pesticide Application System Task Force (UAPASTF) recently released a best management practices (BMP) document to help better facilitate making safe and effective pesticide applications using Unmanned Aerial Spray Systems (UASS). UAPASTF is a coalition of pesticide registrants focused on providing data on UASS to government agencies in order to support UASS and assist with pesticide risk assessments.
The BMPs include numerous topics on using UASS to make applications including a summary of current regulations, user safety for pesticide handlers working with UASS, and equipment setup and operation to maximize spray deposition on the target and minimize off-target drift. Because UASS use is more common in some other countries, the regulations and label compliance section provides information for several countries including the USA.
The BMP document includes a thorough application checklist, covering the pre-application, during application, and post application phases of the mission. Other sections include:
- Mixing and loading UASS safely
- Cleaning, maintenance, and handling
- Effective swath width
- Spray coverage
- Calibration
- Setting up UASS for specific target pests and crops
- Tanks mixes
- Adjuvants
- Impact of weather on application accuracy
Click here to read the full UAPASTF BMP document for making applications with UASS.
NAAA Announces EPA’s Change in Aerial Drift Model Use Through Press Release to Agriculture Media
On Monday, September 30, NAAA sent a press release announcing that EPA has accepted NAAA’s recommendations to improve the accuracy of the models used to estimate the amount of drift from aerial applications in numerous pesticide application risk assessments and as part of the agency’s endangered species insecticide strategy. The press release has been picked up by Farm Journal’s The Daily Scoop, Agri-Marketing Update eNewsletter and the CropLife Magazine website.
CropLife Magazine’s website has 192,000 monthly views. The Daily Scoop eNewsletter is read by 20,000+ farmers, ag retailers and crop consultants nationwide and Agri-Marketing Update’s eNewsletter has 10,000 subscribers. The press release has also been distributed to numerous national agricultural groups and pesticide manufacturers and associations to further aide in the registration of pesticides for aerial use.
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. In a support document for EPA’s recently released insecticide strategy, EPA indicated they had accepted NAAA’s recommendations and used the Tier III AgDRIFT model and most of NAAA’s suggested assumptions when drafting the insecticide strategy. The support document strongly suggests EPA will use the more accurate Tier III model with updated assumptions for all ecological risk assessments going forward. Similar EPA policies related to the reregistration of pesticides have also resulted in the agency moving towards Tier III of AgDRIFT and using wind directional buffers—points advocated by NAAA.
“With EPA’s movement to the Tier III model of AgDRIFT for aerial applications,” said Andrew Moore, chief executive officer of NAAA, “it shows the agency’s commitment to enhance its accuracy and base policy on sound science. It will also aid pesticide manufacturers in their efforts to register products for aerial use and ensure ag aviation’s customers can continue to rely on aircraft to judiciously apply needed pesticides to protect their crops without unnecessary and burdensome regulations.”
NAAA Support Committee Events at Ag Aviation Expo
We look forward to seeing you at the 2024 NAAA Ag Aviation Expo in Fort Worth, TX, Nov. 18-20. The NAAA Support Committee has organized several fun events at the Ag Aviation Expo for spouses/significant others, family members, and office crew. Save $75 by pre-registering by Oct. 18 for what promises to be an outstanding convention!
Monday, Nov. 18: Ag Aviation Expo Support Committee Event (RSVP required) 11:00 a.m.– 2:00 p.m. Enjoy a country line dancing lesson and tasty Texas snacks at the World’s Largest Honky Tonk, Billy Bob’s. Reservations are required; a $25 fee includes lunch, drink ticket, and transportation to and from the venue. Reserve your spot while registering for the Ag Aviation Expo here. Partially Sponsored by GarrCo Products Inc. and Star-Flex.
Wednesday, Nov. 20: Athena Project Presentation (no RSVP required) 9:45–11:45 a.m. Attend the Athena Project presentation titled, “What Is Your Game Plan? How to lead your team to victory this season.” The program covers information beneficial to anyone working in the industry and family members. The program is written by the Athena presenters and committee members for office bookkeepers, working loaders, operators, pilots and family members. The program covers information beneficial to anyone working in the industry and family members. Attend this session, whether you’re a spouse, office crew or family member, to gain inspiration, encouragement, and advice on better ways to serve our industry. All are invited. Sponsored by Chuck Holzwarth Flying Service.
Wednesday, Nov. 20: NAAREF Relationship Drift (no RSVP required) 3–4:45 p.m. The Relationship Drift Session will look at how personal relationships affect pilot decision-making and safety. Men and women should attend this session together, including couples and office crew. This is similar in format to the popular Compaass Rose program, but instead of better facilitating relations between inexperienced pilots and more experienced operators, the new session is designed to facilitate relations between operators/pilots and their spouses or significant others and office crew. All are invited! Sponsored by Rotorcraft Repair & Manufacturing.
Beware of Fraudulent Email
NAAA received notification that scammers have sent an email to several members offering attendee lists to the Ag Aviation Expo. THIS EMAIL IS SPAM AND NOT AFFILIATED WITH NAAA; PLEASE DELETE IT. NAAA does not email members to offer lists of any kind and NAAA does not solicit selling lists of attendees/visitors.
Also, no one from (or on behalf of) any of the hotels or NAAA will contact you to book a hotel room. NAAA recommends that you make your own hotel reservations using the information that we provide to you. Do not book a room with any company that calls you directly.
If you are unsure if an email is legitimately from NAAA, please feel free to email information@agaviation.org for clarification. Any message from NAAA will come directly from information@agaviation.org, naaaexpo@agaviation.org or a staff member’s email address.
There are several reports of entities trying to scam people by having them give money toward fraudulent efforts. Do not fall victim to one of these scams.
AD Issued for Tension Torsion Straps on Various Huey Models
The FAA has adopted a new Airworthiness Directive (AD) for Bell Textron Inc. Model 204B, 205A, 205A-1, 205B, 210, and 212 helicopters and various restricted category UH-1 variants with a certain part-numbered tension torsion (TT) straps installed by supplemental type certificate (STC) No. SR03408CH.
This AD was prompted by an accident involving a Bell Textron Inc. Model 212 helicopter, which experienced a separation of a main rotor blade from the main rotor head and subsequent impact into terrain shortly after takeoff. Initial investigation determined the TT strap failed at 664 hours time-in-service (TIS). Investigations into individual wire failure mechanisms are ongoing with early indications suggesting some wires possibly failed in tensile overload and other in fatigue.
This AD requires removing affected part-numbered TT straps from service and prohibits installing those TT straps on any helicopter.
View AD 2024-19-17 to check affected TT part numbers and affected restricted category aircraft models; several models are known to currently be used in aerial application operations.
This AD is effective October 11, 2024.
AD Issued for R44 Driveshaft Yoke
The FAA has adopted a new Airworthiness Directive (AD) for all Robinson Model R44 and R44 II helicopters. This AD was prompted by reports of a fractured clutch shaft forward yoke (yoke) on the main rotor (M/R) drive due to fatigue cracking.
This AD requires, within 100 hours time-in-service (TIS), visual inspections of a certain part-numbered flex plate, yoke and flex plate bolts, and depending on the inspection results, replacing affected part(s). In addition, it requires replacing a certain part-numbered yoke after accumulating 2,200 hours TIS (except for R44 S/N 30001 and subsequent, 2,400 hours TIS), or within 12 years since first installation, or as an alternative to removing the part from service, performing a 10x or higher power magnification visual inspection and magnetic particle inspection to check for any crack, seam, lap, shut or any flaw which would require replacement of the yoke.
View AD 2024-19-11 for more specific requirements.
This AD is effective October 31, 2024.
In Case You Missed Last Week’s NAAA eNewsletter
Click here for the September 26, 2024 eNewsletter to read:
- EPA Accepts NAAA’s Recommendations to Improve Accuracy of Aerial Drift Model
- EPA’s Endangered Species Insecticide Strategy Ensures Aerial Applications of Insecticides can Continue Thanks to NAAA’s Efforts
- NAAA Promotes Aerial Application Cover Crop Seeding Services in The Scoop Magazine
- Pre-Register for the Ag Aviation Expo to Avoid Long Lines Onsite
- Operation SAFE Analyst Training Back on For Late October 2024
- AD Issued for AS350 AStar and AS355 Twinstar