PAASS Program Briefing Rotorcraft Forum Fort Worth, TX. Rod Thomas 2014 President National Agricultural Aviation Research & Education Foundation

Transcription

1 PAASS Program Briefing Rotorcraft Forum Fort Worth, TX Rod Thomas 2014 President National Agricultural Aviation Research & Education Foundation

2 Why am I here & who am I?

3 Our spray helicopter

4 Our spray planes

5 Winter seeding

6 The next ag aircraft I want

7 Paperwork Killer

8 Aerial Application Industry Overview Why treat crops by air? Able to treat undulating terrain and wet soil conditions that prohibit the use of other forms of application Quickly treat large acreages (3 to 4 times as fast as other forms of application) Prevent soil compaction Less intrusive; Prevents damage to crops by not disrupting foliage.

9 Aerial Application Industry Statistics 2012 Total number of active ag aircraft: 3,607 1 Ag hours flown 2012: 955,851 1 Percent of industry - airplanes: 85% 1 Percent of industry - helicopter: 15% 1 Estimated number of pilots: 2,700 2 Number of Aircraft per business: FAA 2012 General Aviation Activity Survey 2 NAAA 2012 Industry Survey

10 Aerial Application Industry Helicopter Specific 2012 Number of active ag helicopters: Helicopter ag hours flown 2012: 141,546 1 Average hours per helicopter: 264 Percent of helicopter accidents: 20.6% 2 Helicopter accident rate: Total ag industry accident rate: FAA 2012 General Aviation Activity Survey 2 NAAA Accident Records & FAA GA Survey 3 Accidents per 100,000 ag hours

11 Education NAAREF & PAASS NAAA s sister organization - the National Agricultural Aviation Research and Education Foundation (NAAREF) - developed the Professional Aerial Applicators Support System (PAASS) - in PAASS is a comprehensive educational program for aerial applicators focusing on safety, security and drift mitigation.

12 PAASS GOALS Improve security awareness Reduce the number of Ag Aviation Accidents Drift Incidents Accomplish these goals through education

13 MODULE TOPICS Ag Airfield Watch Human Factors in Ag Aviation Chemical Drift Mitigation Hangar Ag Flying

14 Offered at approximately 24 state and regional ag aviation association conventions each year. Many SLA s offer CEU s for PAASS attendance. PAASS has received funding from EPA and FAA. Many Insurance companies offer discounts and or additional coverage to pilots for attending PAASS. PAASS attended by nearly 2,000 ag pilots and aerial application operators each year.

15 Program Development & Presentation Educational content designed by distinguished program content committee (University PhD s, crop protection product manufacturers, insurance company reps, aircraft & spray equipment engineers). Presented by experienced pilots, operators and other allied industry personnel professionally trained that speak the audience s language.

16 PAASS Program Emphasis on flying helicopters safely Geared to both current & potential helicopter pilots Builds on Human Factors training from previous years

17 Ag Aircraft Accident Rates Before & After PAASS Began Agricultural Aircraft accidents are down. Avg. accident rate pre- PAASS ( ) accidents per 100,000 ag hours flown Avg. accident rate after PAASS began ( ) accidents per 100,000 ag hours flown Accidents per 100,000 hours

18 Conclusion Through the PAASS & Operation S.A.F.E. educational programs, the professionalism of the aerial application industry is augmented and the stewardship of the environment is promoted. Technological developments through USDA and private research enable equipment and educational content material for aerial application to be more environmentally friendly, precise and efficacious.

19 Shifts in Aerial Activity High commodity prices support increased application activity mid to late season Fungicides have a good record for consistent yield increases when used with intensive farming practices More aircraft are operating in the Midwest than a few years ago The desired timing supports the need for Aerial Applications

20 Concerns This shift in activity has prompted many calls and some complaints Many times when people are not accustomed to this activity the calls will not necessarily be a complaint Some fertilizer plants, registrants, and distributors are directly operating aircraft without the special knowledge to do so

21 Concerns Experienced local operators are adapt at working with the local sensitive areas and parties and are invaluable in reducing problems Many new operators getting into the business Some existing airplane operators or new operators are adding helicopters to the fleet

22 Concerns New helicopter justification is explained by operating around wind farms and in the vicinity of built-up areas or small, irregular fields These operations create a safety concern for inexperienced pilots This concern is being addressed through education in the PAASS program

23 Questions and Comments

24

25 THANK YOU! Rod Thomas, 2014 NAAREF President Phone: Gooding, ID NAAA Website: