Saskatchewan Aerial Applicators
Update Jul 1/2020
Membership Map
Welcome to our 2020 Member Map. Search your location to find a Saskatchewan Aerial Applicator in your area.
2020 Memberships are now open. To be displayed on our Map, visit the Canadian Aerial Applicators Website
Are you Graduating from Aerial Application Training?
2019 & 2020 Graduates are eligible for a free one-year SAAA membership!
Contact: saaa.administration@sasktel.net
Presidents Message
Saskatchewan Covid-19 Update
April 7, 2020
Dear SAAA Members
During this time of the COVID-19 lockdown, the SAAA board has been working very hard to ensure the upcoming season. We have been in contact with Saskatchewan Pesticide Inspector; Danielle Neisz. Danielle has stated that anyone needing a pesticide license renewal, shall still be granted. If someone (a Pilot) is up for there 5 years training renewal and is short some or all credits, they will be granted a one- year extension on the training requirements. You must still renew your license. If someone is having issues with renewals, please contact a board member and we will work to help get the right people on it.
Any new licenses will still need to pass the Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Pesticide Applicators Course. Kevin Patrick from Saskatchewan Polytechnic has stated that they are currently working on putting all courses online. He is unsure when the Pesticide Applicators Course will be up and running but once it is, we will be informed. Contact with Saskatchewan Polytechnic is to be done by email.
All Operators needing to renew a Pesticide Service License you can still and must still renew. Renewals for both Service and Applicators license email is payments will be taken over the phone.
For the Temporary Foreign Worker’s, we have been in contact with the Saskatchewan Government and have been told it is a Federal matter and so we are teaming up with the CAAA to help operators get pilots in. If anyone is needing some help please let us know, we will do our best to help out any way we can.
Our spray season is slowly approaching, and things are changing rapidly for our province and our country. Our goal is to be ahead of any issues pertaining to Covid19 before the season starts. The SAAA and CAAA are working on making sure we are listed as essential services to ensure we will not be grounded. This being said, it is all of our responsibility to be professional throughout this. We must use social distancing and proper procedures to ensure not only your safety but the safety of your employees and customers. Our hope is these times will be in the past before the 2020 spray season begins. If anyone needs help or sees any issues, please notify any board member as soon as possible.
Looking forward to a great season, I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
Chad Vanderbyl SAAA President
News
Share The Air Awareness Posters
June 24, 2020
Saskatchewan Aerial Applicators have developed a Share The Air posters to bring awareness of the increasing number of low-level ag aircraft flying throughout the growing season. SAAA has asked Saskatchewan Aviation Console (SAC) and Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) to circulate these posters to all members and ask their members to hang both poster at their local airport terminal/clubhouses to help bring awareness and educate fellow aviators flying through Saskatchewan skies this summer.
Awareness Posters are available for download. Please help spread the message!
Welcome to DriftWatch
Communication + Cooperation + Collaboration = Successful Co-existence
DriftWatch ™ was designed by staff from the Purdue University Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Agricultural Communications departments with input and support from Purdue University Cooperative Extension Specialists. It is now operated by FieldWatch, Inc, a non-profit company created by Purdue in collaboration with interested agricultural stakeholder groups. For more information, visit www.fieldwatch.com.
This DriftWatch registry tool is meant to help pesticide applicators and specialty crop growers communicate more effectively to promote awareness and stewardship activities to help prevent and manage drift effects. Our data set is overseen by state-appointed stewards who verify each area submitted to the registry. The boundaries on the map are not property lines, but user-submitted specialty site designations. Furthermore, DriftWatch is not intended to be a registry for homeowners or for sites less than half an acre in size.
This site features a powerful map interface that clearly shows applicators the locations of registered specialty sites so they can use the information in their ongoing stewardship activities before they spray.
In addition to user-submitted sensitive crops, the map interface provides other data layers that give further insight into sensitive and protected areas, as well as help, identify county/township/section jurisdictions.
Crop Spray Challenge
May 2020
To help offset immediate fundraising shortfalls at STARS due to Covid-19, Colin Bevan – Kindersley Air Spray is challenging all other Sask. Crop Sprayers to raise some extra funds for STARS.
STARS is a charitable, non-profit helicopter air ambulance organization that works with community partners to save lives through rapid and specialized emergency medical care and transportation. Throughout these challenging times, STARS’ air medical crews, pilots and helicopters continue to be mission-ready 24/7, available to fight for the life of the next patient in need.
Kindersley Air Spray is donating $0.10 per acre. What can you do?
If you wish to take part in this and would like to support STARS, please contact Tammy Beauregard at STARS tbeauregard@stars.ca 1(306) 659-1508
Transport Canada COVID-19 Update
The following message to Canada’s aviation community has been issued by Transport Canada:
COVID-19 poses a significant challenge to Canada’s healthcare system. Regulatory bodies at all levels of government are working to limit the strain on the system.
To that end, all persons who currently hold a valid Transport Canada aviation Medical Certificate (MC) expiring on or before June 1st, 2020 may continue to exercise the privileges of their permits, licenses, or ratings until August 1st, 2020 subject to the conditions listed in the Exemption notice dated 17 March 2020.
Furthermore, no medical examinations for new aviation MCs will be conducted until at least May 1st, 2020.
All aviation MC holders shall continue to comply with the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) in all respects, and the CARs continue to apply in all respects other than the Exemption noted. Aviation MC holders are reminded that they shall not exercise their privileges if they cease to hold a valid MC by meeting any of the circumstances set out in section 404.06 of the CARs.
A copy of the official Transport Canada communications is included below, including Section 404.06 of the CARs.
March Celebrates Women in Ag Aviation
Laura Lawrence, a Saskatchewan Aerial Applicator member was recently interviewed for AgAir Update March edition that Celebrates Women in Ag Aviation. Laura has been flying for Provincial Airways based out of Moose Jaw and has recently joined the SAAA board.
When it comes to aviation, it always helps if a parent is your aviation mentor. Canadian ag-pilots Laura Lawrence's father flew in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a flight instructor in the PC-9. He was a pilot for the Canadian Snowbirds Air Demonstration Squadron. He later became a captain fir WestJet. While Laura was growing up, she often flew "right seat" with him.
Laura got her chance at an aviation career by working at a local ag operators airport on the ground crew while earning her Commercial Pilots License and later flying a C-172 for aerial photography work. She decided to become an ag pilot and attended Battlefords Airspray school for her training. She started her first season in a C-188 Ag Wagon in 2017. in 2018, she flew the AT-401 and now has thee seasons completed.
Laura agrees on something that is very common for women flying as in: Growers arrive at the airstrip and ask her,
"Where is the pilot?" and she replies, "I'm the pilot."
Growers feel a little embarrassed and surprised. They are not used to seeing a woman flying a spray plane. It’s only a matter of time and the surprised faces are replaced with a more natural look, "Hi aviatrix! Are you the pilot spraying my field today?"
Unmarked Tower Update
November 1, 2019
We have been recommended to report any unregistered cell or meteorology towers that exceed 50' AGL to NAV CANADA.
In the past, creating a tower database was extremely challenging. New technology like ForeFlight has created the ultimate tool that every pilot should have in their cockpit.
ForeFlight has the ability to filter and magnify low-level obstacles in your area and will for-warn pilots if they're approaching a low-level hazard.
If Foreflight doesn't recognize a tower you have spotted. Nav Canada may be unaware of it.
"NAV CANADA is committed to becoming the world's most respected air navigation service. Our main focus is operating a safe and efficient system, however to ensure that we are meeting your expectations we want to hear from you. NAV CANADA is listening."
NAV CANADA Customer and Stakeholder Services provides customers with a single point of contact to express concerns or to obtain answers to your questions about NAV CANADA.
The hours of operation are from 8:00 to 18:00 EST, Monday to Friday.
There are several ways to contact NAV CANADA depending upon the nature of your question or concern. Please select one of the following:
Telephone
1-613-563-5588
North America
1-800-876-4693
Toll-free fax line
1-877-663-6656
HEAD OFFICE
Address
77 Metcalfe Street
Ottawa, ON K1P 5L6
Mailing Address
NAV CANADA
P.O. Box 3411 Station 'T'
Ottawa, ON K1P 5L6
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