April14,2015DocketManagementFacilityU.S.DepartmentofTransportation1200NewJerseyAvenue,SEWestBuildingGrotmdFloor,RoomWl2-140Washington,DC20590Re:CommentExtensionRequest,"OperationandCertificationofSmallUnmannedAircraftSystems"DocketID:FAA-2015-0150ToWhomItMayConcern:TheNationalAgriculturalAviationAssociation(NAAA)respectfullyrequestsanextensionofthecommentperiodfor60daysonDocketFAA-2015-0150,"OperationandCertificationofSmallUnmannedAircraftSystems."Aerialapplicatorshavebeenprotectingthenation'scroplandsince1921,nearly94years.TheNAAAwasfoundedin1966andconsistsofmorethan1,900membersin46states,andrepresentstheinterestsofsmallbusinessownersandpilotslicensedascommercialapplicatorsthatuseaircrafttoenhancetheproductionoffood,fiberandbio-fuel;protectforestry;protectwaterwaysandranchlandfrominvasivespecies;andcontrolhealth-threateningpests.Aerialapplicationisimportanttoagriculture,forestryandpublichealthprotectionbecauseitisbyfarthefastestmethodofapplication.Furthermore,whenthepresenceofwater,wetsoilconditions,rollingtelTainordenseplantfoliageorlatestagecropspreventstheuseofothermethodsofpesticideapplicationduetotheriskofcropdamage,aerialapplicationmaybetheonlyremainingmethodoftreatment.NAAAestimatesthat71millionacresofcroplandaretreatedviaaerialapplicationintheU.S.eachyear.Thisdoesnotincludetheaeriallytreatedpastureandrangelandofwhichthereare614milliontotalacresintheU.S.orthe671milliontotalforestryacresand61milliontotalurbanacresintheU.S.-aportionofwhicharetreatedbyall'.Aerialapplicatorsflyaslowafewfeet abovegroundlevelwhenmakingapplicationsanduptoseveralhundredfeetinthetumaroundsandwhileferrying,thusitisvitalthatsafelow-levelairspaceexiststoensurethesepilotscancontinuetodotheirjobssafely.ThereareapproximatelyI,000,000agriculturalaviationflightsflowneachyear.Additionally,accordingtotheAssociationofUnmannedVehicleSystemsInternational(AUVSI)andLuxResearch,agricultureispoisedtobeasignificantuseforsmallunmannedaircraftsystems(UAS)followingcommercialintegration.AUVSIestimatesa$13.6billioneconomicimpactwithinthefirstthreeyearsofintegrationand$82.1billion between2015and2025.LuxResearchsaysthatagriculturedronescouldgenerate$350millioninrevenuesby2025fromanestimated330,000U.S.units.1440DukeStreet,Alexandria,Va.22314Telephone:(202)546-5722Fax:(202)546-5726www.agaviation.orgAsthesenumbersindicate,aerialapplicatorscanexpecttoseealargenumberofsmallUASoperatinginandaroundtheairspacetheyareoperatingwithinarelativelyshorttimeafterthisproposedruleisfinalized.ThisrapidgrowthinsmallUASuseposesagreatersafetyrisktoaerialapplicatorscomparedtomanyotherNationalAirspaceSystem(NAS)operationsbecauseaerialapplicatorsareamongtheselectgroupofNASusersthatoperateatthelowaltitudes(500feetandlower)thattheproposalwouldpermitsmallUASoperations.Otherusersofthisairspaceprovideavarietyofvitalservicestothenation.TheseusersincludeEmergencyMedicalServices(EMS),airtankerfirefightingaircraftandtheirleadaircraft;powerlineandpipelinepatrolaircraft;powerlinemaintenancehelicopters;fishandwildlifeserviceaircraft;animalcontrolaircraft(USDA-APHIS-ADC);militaryhelicopterandfixed-wingoperations;seismicoperations(usuallyhelicopters);livestockroundup(ranchingoranimalrelocation);aircraftGISmappingofcroplandfornoxiousweedpopulationsandthelike.NAAAisconcernedthatthewidespreaduseofUASasprojectedinagriculturalareaswithoutbeingsafelyintegratedforagaviatorstotrackandsee,willresultinconditionsripeforlow-levelagriculturalaviationaccidents.Notonlycouldthisresulttoharmanddeathforagriculturalpilotsandchemicalspillsresultinginenvironmentalendangerment,butitcouldalsoresultinablackeyeforthepromisingUASindustry.Becauseoftheaddedriskstoaerialapplicatorsandotherlow-altitudeNASusers,alongwiththelengthandcomplexityoftllis195pagerule,79pageeconomicanalysisandhundredsofotherpagesofdocumentswithinthedocket;werespectfullyrequesta60dayextensiontothecommentperiodfortheproposal.WiththeextendedcommentperiodNAAAintendstoperformadditionalregulatoryanalysisinordertoprovideathroughresponsetotheFAAthatisfullyrepresentativeoftheuniquerisksposedtoaerialapplicatorsoperatinginandaroundtheairspacetobesharedbysmallUAS.Thankyou.Sincerely,AndrewD.MooreExecutiveDirectorNationalAgriculturalAviationAssociation