Agriculture Association Takes Little Whirlybirds Seriously

The National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) Board of Directors held a vote to bolster their activities in the uncrewed sphere, coming away in favor of creating an Uncrewed Aerial Application System (UAAS) Committee.

The Committee will advise the Association on uncrewed aircraft systems issues, development, and regulation, as well as give them a useful way to weigh in on the topic in the public eye. The Committee will "ensure the low-altitude airspace is safe for crewed and uncrewed aircraft as the number of UAS in low-altitude airspace grows", while becoming the local expert on all things uncrewed within the NAAA. That should prove quite handy to have for those in the Ag sphere, given the increasing cost benefits that come along with UAVs. Those already operating some crop dusters could find themselves branching out to take smaller, more varied jobs without too much additional fuss, in the right market. The Committee will help memberships figure out how to integrate such systems to their own fleets, whether that comes down to aerial application systems, regulation, or environmental guardianship.

“The purpose of the UAAS Committee is to reach the crewed or legacy ag aircraft operations and operators of the new UAS technology on the imperative issues of airspace safety, environmental professionalism, regulatory compliance and aerial application efficacy—issues of mutual interest to both forms of aerial application,” said Andrew Moore, chief executive officer of NAAA.

The NAAA stressed that the UAAS Committee will be "balanced between crewed and uncrewed NAAA members and all policies proposed will go to the board for final approval." Members must be drawn from the NAAA in order to be selected by the President for a term.

FMI: www.agaviation.org