By Ray Newcomb, 2024 NAAA President, and Andrew Moore, NAAA Chief Executive Officer
On behalf of the National Agricultural Aviation Association, we would like to invite all AgAir Update readers to the 2024 Ag Aviation Expo in Fort Worth, Texas, Nov. 18-21. This is the first time NAAA has hosted our annual convention in the Lone Star State.
Besides great Ag Aviation Expo programming, you’ll enjoy a variety of offerings to eat, drink, and play in a great city. The cowboy way of life meets modern culture in Fort Worth, TX. This urban oasis is home to several entertainment districts (including a walkable downtown), an aviation museum, and the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive in the historic Stockyards. Be sure to visit Billy Bob’s Texas, the world’s largest honky-tonk, featuring live music, line dancing, food, fun, and history.
Education sessions are offered for new pilots, experienced pilots, spouses, and support staff. If you want to grow your business, find a job or sell a product or service in the aerial application industry, the 2024 Ag Aviation Expo is the place for you! Make the most of the enriching education sessions, valuable networking opportunities and a world-class trade show that will showcase Air Tractor and Thrush ag aircraft and a number of different helicopters.
The 8-hour Flying in the Wire and Obstruction Environment Course will take place on Saturday, Nov. 16. The course is acclaimed by professional airplane and helicopter operators worldwide and gives low-altitude aviators the essential skills needed to safely operate an aircraft in wire and obstruction environments. This course is for both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter pilots. Learn how to identify signs of wires and why ag aviators hit wires they already knew were there. This course may very well save your life – don’t miss it. The Tylor Johnson Legacy Foundation and Johnson Family are graciously sponsoring the registration fees of each operator and pilot attending this year’s course. NAAA and NAAREF thank the Johnson Family and the Tylor Johnson Legacy Foundation for funding ag pilots to attend this essential training complimentary. Advanced registration is still required at www.agaviation.org/convention.
Sunday evening, Nov. 17, saddle up for an unforgettable experience as NAAREF hosts another entertaining fundraising event for NAAREF and PAASS. Bucking for PAASS will be a rip-roaring good time, where participants can ride a mechanical bull to raise money for PAASS. You don’t need to ride the bull to participate! This is a terrific social event with the added benefit of raising money for NAAREF and PAASS and the lifesaving and environmental stewardship benefits those entities achieve. The cost to attend is a $110 per person donation to NAAREF. Advance registration is requested at www.agaviation.org/convention.
Monday morning’s Kickoff Breakfast speaker is Kevin Humphreys, an inspiring and transformative international keynote speaker, mentor, author, and helicopter pilot. After graduating at the top of his pilot’s course at just 21 years old, Humphreys went on to serve in the Australian Army for 20 years, flying Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters. He deployed on numerous overseas operations; however, towards the peak of his career, he contemplated suicide and suffered a breakdown due to PTSD, anxiety, depression, alcohol abuse and a toxic culture; it wasn’t a war zone that tore him apart. Humphreys not only got back on his feet but also back in the air again, spending the next ten years as a Search and Rescue helicopter pilot, flight instructor/examiner, Chief Pilot and Director of Operations. Make sure to purchase a breakfast ticket as part of your registration at www.agaviation.org/convention.
Several education sessions are on tap throughout the week, including the Aerial Application Technology Research Session and programming focused on precision agriculture, low-altitude aviation, crop protection products, engine performance and maintenance, helicopters, airframe, and other ag aviation company sessions. Some states offer CEUs for education sessions. Visit www.agaviation.org/convention for a full list of CEU opportunities at the expo.
NAAA’s General Session on Tuesday, Nov. 19, will feature a mock trial presented by Anderson & Riddle, LLP law firm, who has represented aerial applicators in all types of matters for over 31 years. Founding partner Geff Anderson handled his first drift claim in 1993. Partner Shannon Dugan has represented aerial applicators for her entire career. The mock trial will present a direct and cross-examination of a pilot and an expert witness in an aerial drift case. The second segment of the General Session will focus on the H2A Program. Noah Parr is the Director of the Farm Labor Contractor Department for USA Farm Labor and will present how the H2A program assists agricultural aviation employers nationwide in properly staffing their businesses. He will discuss what it takes to qualify for the program and its various benefits and pitfalls.
This year’s career-development programs are frontloaded to give new and low-time ag pilots increased opportunities to interact with experienced operators and pilots after the sessions. The Compaass Rose Session is being offered Sunday, Nov. 17; NAAREF’s “Ask the Expert” Speed Mentoring Session will take place Monday, Nov. 18; and we recommend all low-time ag pilots attend the Flying in the Wire and Obstruction Environment Course on Saturday, Nov. 16. Compaass Rose is an information-sharing session geared toward low-time and prospective ag pilots. It is led by the PAASS presenters, our roving, professional ag aviation safety instructors. Speed Mentoring is a fast-paced orientation session for new and prospective ag pilots where experienced industry experts meet with small groups of attendees in short mentoring rounds to answer questions in a more personal setting. The experts may represent operators, pilots, and ag insurance representatives.
The Athena presenters and PAASS presenters are coming together for the NAAREF Relationship Drift Session on Wednesday, Nov. 20, which 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. Relationship Drift is similar in format to the popular Compaass Rose program, but instead of facilitating better relations between inexperienced pilots and more experienced operators, the new session is designed to foster ties between operators/pilots and their spouses or significant others and office crew.
For specific solutions for your business, look no further than the NAAA Trade Show Nov. 19-20. The world’s largest agricultural aviation trade typically features over 150+ exhibitors, showcasing crop protection products, parts and supplies, aircraft and engine manufacturers, maintenance, insurance services, GPS units and more.
Don’t miss the fun of the Live Auction, which also happens to be our biggest fundraiser. Bid on a new PT6A-34AG engine from Pratt & Whitney Canada, a custom four-person golf cart donated by Air Tractor and many other great items donated by industry supporters. Visit www.agaviation.org/convention for a list of all the auction items. The action gets underway Nov. 19 at 5:30 p.m. on the trade show floor.
Throughout the week, there will be no shortage of opportunities to network and make new acquaintances. From Monday’s Welcome Reception to the trade show floor to the Live Auction reception and concluding at Wednesday’s Farewell Reception, you’ll be able to attend a different reception nearly every night. Finally, we encourage you to make plans to attend the Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet on Nov. 20, where we will honor distinguished awardees for their impressive contributions to the industry.
That’s just a small taste of what you will find at the 2024 Ag Aviation Expo. There is much more information within these pages and on NAAA’s website at www.agaviation.org/convention. Please join us for what promises to be an unforgettable week!
