JANUARY 2010 PRESIDENT’S REPORT by Peter Hansen
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Keep in Touch! CAAA E-mail: [email protected] Home Page: www.CanadianAerialApplicators.com Phone: 1-780-413-0078 Fax: 1-780-413-0076 VOL. 15 NO. 4 NATIONAL NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2010 PRESIDENT’S REPORT By Peter Hansen The Holiday Season has passed and I was lucky in our communications with Government Agencies, enough to be able to enjoy the Season with family, Crop Protection Companies and The General Public. friends and what helps make Christmas special, the Please take the time to fill it out and return to the Grandkids. The last Board meeting of 2009 was held office. in Reno in Early December in conjunction with the NAAA. Winter storms delayed travel for some of the The CAAA office and board members have been board members to Reno but a successful meeting was working hard to finalize the conference in Regina. Come and enjoy the Conference. See what is new still held. in Technology, Government Regulations and new During the fall Provincial Association and Crop Protection Products. Come and see what your CAAA Fall Board meetings the issue of the Flying membership is doing for you and enjoy the fellowship Farmer Exception has taken up considerable time. that comes with it. The Exemption originated in the Fifties to help In closing I’d like to wish you all the best in 2010 supplement the farmer’s income. A list of conditions and hope to see you in Regina. applied to this exemption. Since then there have been many applicators/farmers that have benefited from this. Today this exemption is still being properly used by some of our members but the extreme abuse of the exemption by some operators has forced Transport Inside: Canada to get involved. At our fall board meeting TC Stated their concerns and their intent of possibly • GM crops causing a rise in pesticide use in US removing the exemption. A Transport Subcommittee • The CAAA working with Transport Canada was formed at our fall meeting, to work with Transport • 2010 CAAA Annual Conference & Tradeshow Canada towards a solution and we will have an update • A sneak peak at the CAAA Auction at the CAAA in Regina • Air safety concerns dismissed • NAAA launches YouTube channel You should be receiving The CAAA Business Survey sometime in January. The Information compiled from our Business Survey has been extremely important CAAA NEW HORIZONS JANUARY 2010 1 PROVINCIAL REPORTS ALBERTA Our second credit speaker was former going to the operator. The membership Mark Kinniburgh RCAF/CAF pilot Gordon Welsby whose enthusiastically approved of the concept session focused on human factors in and a committee consisting of Greg, Hello again from bitterly cold Alberta. aviation. Interesting statistics from the Terry Spence, Calvin Murray, and Clark Drumheller’s temperature, -41 with session: For every million departures Oberholtzer was formed to guide the wind chill, has inspired me to devise a .37% result in accidents. Pilot error program in 2010. When I last spoke with solution for Calgary’s perennial snow among commercial pilots accounts for Greg in November, 16 aircraft had been removal problem. Rather than arresting 65% of accidents and 90% of aviation committed to participate next season. If Parliament Hill scaling climate change fatalities! The primary cause of pilot you’re interested in learning more and/or protestors a more fitting punishment error is NOT GIVING YOURSELF participating please contact a committee would be bussing them to Alberta where, ENOUGH TIME. Another salient point member. Other topics raised included shovel in hand , they could assist in was people must complete a new task SMS, (unless the Mayans were correct clearing residential streets. The Calgary seven times for it to go into long term 2012 is the start date of the GAP analysis economy would benefit and the major- memory and become a conditioned re- process). The continued pilot shortage, ity of protestors would likely become sponse. Unfortunately, after 28 days we (the board formed a committee consisting climate change skeptics! forget 70% of conditioned responses if of Shaun Kinniburgh, Jason Lazenby, they aren’t refreshed. and Ben Loree to explore methods of The 4A’s 39th A.G.M. was held in Red promoting our industry to new pilots). Deer on Nov.9th-10th with 2 sessions, Excellent motivation for periodically As expected, Transports plan to eliminate worth 4 credits, offered. Our first speaker reviewing emergency procedures and the Flying Farmer exemption generated was Jock McIntosh of Alberta Environ- spending several hours each Spring, the most debate. Transport has offered ment with a regulatory update. Jock spraying water, dumping loads, and the CAAA board the opportunity to reiterated that lawn care weed & feed reviewing our G.P.S. before the rush provide input on behalf of members and products would be banned on Jan.1st, begins. The most eye opening (pun in- we have excellent Alberta representation 2010. 2-4D has been detected in 90% tended) section of the session concerned on the CAAA Transport Canada Com- of water samples downstream of urban circadian rhythms, sleep, and fatigue. mittee. I expect details of their dialogue centers, ten times the concentrations Most people experience four complete with Transport will be forthcoming at detected in rural locations! NON REM/ REM cycles during the Regina. Elections introduced one new night with REM sleep serving a similar Although the usual concerns of over- board member; Welcome Ben Loree. function for the brain as defragging pro- zealous acreage owners, (low-flying, Many Thanks to our departing board vides a computer. The most beneficial odors, lack of notification), were reported member Brent Lange. Thank You Clark (REM) sleep occurs as body temperature in 2009, the vast majority of complaints Oberholtzer for once again MCing in reaches its lowest point, which happens involved industrial operators and high your inimitable style. Thank You Jill, Joy, to coincide with the start of an ag-pilots clearance sprayers. Jock concluded his Shauna and the rest of the Managewise day (4-6 AM)! One more reason to find session by revealing Alberta has the team for planning our A.G.M. and operat- a quiet dark spot, far from the telephone, dubious distinction of the dirtiest used ing the office efficiently and effectively for an afternoon power nap. pesticide containers in the country. 1.13 throughout the year. Congratulations to million Containers were removed in The review of Financial Statements Peter Hanson for being the 2009 recipient 2009 which constituted 1000 tons of during the 4A A.G.M. revealed that due of the Long Term Applicator Recogni- plastic recycled and 9000 square meters to the fee increase approved last year, as tion. Twenty five years engaged in any of saved landfill space. Although I doubt well as, a donation from the Wild Rose occupation is admirable, remaining in aerial applicators are part of the problem, Fund, the 4A’s finished 2008 solidly in one as consistently challenging as aerial (we’re too cognizant of the value of pest the black and are poised to post a modest application is truly commendable! control products), it’s imperative that all surplus in 2009. Greg Scott presented a Although attendance was down, users triple rinse in order to prevent used novel method to boost Association rev- exhibitor numbers and sponsorship sup- pesticide containers from being labeled enue through aircraft advertising. Income port increased from last year and our hazardous waste. from this initiative would be split 2/3rds silent auction generated above average to the 4A’s with the remaining 1/3rd 2 CAAA NEW HORIZONS JANUARY 2010 revenue. Thank You to all who attended that has to be done for SMS Back to this side of the border, I and contributed! I look forward to seeing encourage everyone to attend the CAAA • Operating certificates. everyone in Regina. Merry Christmas convention in Regina. The CAAA is an and Happy New Year to you and yours! It is going to be a busy year. I hope invaluable tool for our industry, without everything goes well for you. Have a safe it we would probably not be here today. SASKATCHEWAN and profitable year! So come out and learn what’s new in our David Bouchard Sask Trivia – Did you know that industry, connect with some old friends, meet some new ones, have some fun, and Hello from Saskatchewan! Merry Albert Einstein played goal for the support our industry! Christmas and Happy New Year! It seems Canwood Canucks in Saskatchewan for that it was just last week that we were one Winter while working on his theory Be safe, stay warm, and may you and combining and doing field work. We of relativity. (From the Saskatchewan yours have a wonderful holiday season. Book of Everything by Kelly-Anne barely have the machinery put away and ECC now we have snow on the ground and are Riess) Paul Zimmer preparing for Christmas. MANITOBA It has been another different year – cold Steve Kiansky In Central Canada we have enjoyed late Spring, cool Summer and Fall with a pretty good November weather wise, above average temperatures in November Seasons Greetings from Manitoba. allowing all but a few growers to get the that helped save our crops. Abnormal is Winter is here once again, Snow on the rest of their late maturing crops off the becoming normal. In our area we have ground, everyone huddled by the fire fields and into the bins. A grower meeting actually seen some pretty good yields. (a minus forty degree wind chill has I attended last week confirmed better than Everyone is wondering where all the that affect); we finally have a chance to expected yields, pleasantly surprising grain came from considering the weather reflect on the year past.