Iowa Department of Transportation

Ag Aviation Summit provides information to Iowa pilots

AMES, Iowa – As corn and soybean growers prepare to hit the fields for the 2006 growing season, agricultural pilots from around Iowa are gearing up to provide aerial application services to assist farmers in combating insects and other crop problems.

As part of that effort, an Ag Aviation Summit was held March 17 in Ankeny to identify issues and improvements for the state's agricultural aviation industry. Attending the summit were representatives of the Iowa Ag Aviation Association (IAAA), National Ag Aviation Association (NAAA), Iowa Public Airports Association (IPAA), Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), Iowa Department of Agriculture, and Federal Aviation Administration. The summit was organized and hosted by the Iowa DOT's Office of Aviation.

Summit discussions focused on operations at public airports, safety and security, public awareness of the role of agricultural aviation, and licensing requirements. A total of 54 Iowa businesses are licensed through the Iowa Department of Agriculture to conduct agricultural aviation operations. Additionally, more than 100 additional out-of-state operators are licensed in Iowa .

One of the issues discussed at the summit included nuisance complaints involving agricultural aviation operations. Post-9/11 concerns by the public regarding potential terrorist activity and the transformation of rural living to include non-farmstead homes and acreages have increased the numbers of complaints in recent years. Agricultural aviation pilots are licensed and regulated by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Federal Aviation Administration, and are legally allowed to deviate from normal altitude and clearance requirements to the extent necessary to perform aerial applications.

This was the first Ag Aviation Summit of its kind in Iowa . Participants agreed future collaborative efforts will be beneficial in the enhancement of agricultural aviation in the state. For more information on agricultural aviation issues, an executive summary of the Ag Aviation Summit is available on the Iowa DOT Office of Aviation's Web site at iawings.com by clicking on Publications & Education/Ag Aviation ( http://www.iawings.com/publications/Ag_Aviation.htm ).

For further information, contact Tim McClung with the Iowa DOT Office of Aviation at 515-239-1689, or Quentin Childs with the Iowa Ag Aviation Association at 515-967-3761.

News Release