NAAA’s national convention is heading to a new destination—Knoxville, Tennessee, a town with something for everyone. Besides attending the 2022 Ag Aviation Expo, Dec. 5-8, visit Knoxville to experience the unique mix of natural beauty, outdoor adventure and cultural attractions.
Whether you are a veteran operator, a fledging ag pilot or an allied supplier to the ag aviation industry, you won’t find a better venue than Knoxville and the Ag Aviation Expo to help you achieve your professional goals and business objectives.
Here are some of the exciting events scheduled for the 2022 Ag Aviation Expo.
Kickoff Breakfast Speaker: NAAA is pleased to welcome Captain Scott Kelly, a former NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Navy captain, as the kickoff speaker the 2022 Ag Aviation Expo Kickoff Breakfast on Dec. 5. Kelly is also a U.S. spaceflight record holder and an experienced test pilot, having logged more than 15,000 hours of flight time in more than 40 different aircraft and spacecraft. A veteran of four space flights, he piloted Space Shuttle Discovery to the Hubble space telescope in 1999 and subsequently commanded Space Shuttle Endeavour on a mission to the International Space Station in 2007. Kelly’s long-duration space flight experience includes two flights on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and two stays aboard the International Space Station as commander: the first a 159-day mission in 2010-2011, followed by his record-breaking 340-day mission in 2015. Be sure to purchase a Kickoff Breakfast ticket to hear from Captain Kelly!
Flying in the Wire and Obstruction Environment Course: NAAA is hosting “Flying in the Wire and Obstruction Environment,” a course acclaimed by professional airplane and helicopter operators worldwide, on Sunday, Dec. 4, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The course will be taught by Utilities/Aviation Specialists Inc., a unique group of aviation safety practitioners who provide safety auditing, specialized training, installation of safety management systems and technical aviation consulting. Both fixed-wing and helicopter pilots will benefit from this course. It gives low-level aviators the essential skills needed to operate an aircraft in wire and obstruction environments safely. Learn how to identify signs of wires, why ag aviators hit wires they already knew were there, and how to avoid them going forward. This add-on course is highly recommended and could very well save your life. The fee to attend is $100 per person; visit AgAviation.org/wirecourse to register.
General Session Featuring Dr. Stan Musick and Michelle Miller, the Farm Babe: The NAAA General Session on Dec. 6 will feature Dr. Stan Musick and the Farm Babe, Michelle Miller. This session will be full of valuable information, whether it’s Dr. Musick’s health and flight physical suggestions or Ms. Miller’s suggestions to espouse the benefits of pesticides societally. For more details, visit AgAviation.org/generalsession.
NAAA Trade Show: There is no better place to conduct all your business in one spot than the NAAA Trade Show. View helicopters and Air Tractor and Thrush aircraft and connect with 150+ exhibiting companies offering products and services to better your business. View the current list of exhibitors at AgAviation.org/tradeshowfloor. The NAAA Trade Show is also an outstanding opportunity to network with other operators and ag pilots. As the convention’s top draw, nearly 3 out of 4 attendees spend most or all the allotted time (7 to 12 hours) on the trade show floor.
Education Sessions and CEUs: Earn potential CEUs at the Aerial Application Technology Research Session and more than a dozen educational sessions at the 2022 NAAA Expo.
2022 NAAA Awards: The Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet on Dec. 8 will honor individuals and companies in the aerial application industry. The nomination deadline for the 2022 NAAA Awards is Sept. 9. Visit AgAviation.org/awards for more information.
AXEing for PAASS (NAAREF Fundraiser): AXEing for PAASS is a fundraising event for NAAREF and the PAASS Program where participants throw axes at a giant dartboard-like target. Anyone can play and win! Join Ag Aviation Expo attendees for this friendly competition on Sunday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. This terrific social event has the added benefit of raising money for NAAREF and PAASS and the lifesaving and environmental stewardship benefits those entities achieve. Teams consist of four players each. Visit AgAviation.org/axeingpaass for more details and to register for the event.
Hotel Registration: NAAA is offering room blocks at five hotels at different price points and in different sections of the city. Visit AgAviation.org/hotel to book your hotel room and read about the location of each hotel. Please book your hotel room by Nov. 3. All Ag Aviation Expo events except AXEing for PAASS will take place at the Knoxville Convention Center.
Attendee Registration Rates and Discount Options: Online registration is open at AgAviation.org/conventionregistration. Pre-registration pricing is available until Nov. 4 (this pricing saves you $75 per person).
To avoid the higher attendee fee, NAAA recommends NAAA membership to attend the show and save money. Join NAAA now to maximize the calendar year membership benefits and obtain the cheaper convention registration rate (membership runs Jan. 1–Dec. 31; membership is not pro-rated). To become an NAAA member, call (202) 546-5722 or visit AgAviation.org.
Pre-registration NAAA Member Pricing
- Member: $270
- Member Spouse: $205
- Child (under 18 with paid adult): Free
Pre-registration Non-Member Pricing
- Non-Member: $1,005
- Non-Member Spouse: $340
Additional A La Carte Items
- Kickoff Breakfast AND Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet: $125 each set
- Monday Kickoff Breakfast ticket: $50 each
- Thursday Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet ticket: $90 each
Low-Time Ag Pilot Registration: NAAA is pleased to offer a special discounted registration price to pilots with less than five years of experience. Qualifying pilots can attend the 2022 Ag Aviation Expo for $205. (Price includes access to all events except the Monday Kickoff Breakfast or Thursday Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet; tickets for those events may be purchased separately.) Further details are available at AgAviation.org/conventionregistration. (Scroll down to the Low-Time Pilot Registration section.)
Those are some of the things to look forward to at the 2022 Ag Aviation Expo. Visit AgAviation.org/convention for more information.
