Overwhelmingly positive

Always willing to take a step forward – whether is it being an early adopter of technology or the latest AAAA program like AIMS, or hosting regulators to help them understand your industry – Lindsay and his partner Susan’s company Rural Air Work show what can be achieved through perseverance, commitment and a dedication to excellence.

AAAA also recognised pilot Mick East who works with Field Air Finley with our Professional Pilot Award. Application pilots face lots of pressure to get it right every time – whether because of environmental, meteorological or efficacy considerations. Mick has done an outstanding job in always balancing the interests of clients, the business and most importantly the number one priority of the professional pilot – safety.

Our industry was executing the agile, nimble, innovation mantra long before it became a popular political slogan. Our long-standing Convention innovation session focussed on solutions as diverse as enclosed chemical loading systems (to further reduce occupational hazards), automated engine trend monitoring, new aircraft on their way to Australia from both Thrush Aircraft and Air Tractor and prescription farming metering systems.

Problem solving is at the heart of innovation.

A centrepiece of the Convention was the launch of our new Powerline Safety Program that asks members to make a commitment to marking wires, using electronic mapping of networks where available and to work with their clients to improve on-farm electrical safety. We welcomed Essential Energy, Ergon Energy and QBE Aviation Insurance as Foundation Safety Partners in the program. And we immediately had members signing on wanting to get started.

AAAA also awarded the Leland Snow Innovation Award to Essential Energy for the outstanding work they have done to provide network mapping to our industry and to initiate a cost effective marking system that included design of a new style marker that can be fitted live-line.

Add to that the work AAAA has been doing on the rewrite of the Australian Standard AS3891-2 as lead drafter to improve powerline markers and their use, and you begin to see the value, over time, of the dripping tap.

Relationships in our industry are the currency of success and great ongoing support from trade exhibitors and sponsors speaks volumes about AAAA and our members. Our best trade exhibitor award went to John Ellis of Pilot Life Insurance and Ian Wood of Trisponder-Satloc. These gentlemen have been a fixture at Conventions for decades and always try and deliver something new for the industry and individuals.

‘Relationships are the currency of our success.’

Similarly, our sponsors enable us to provide four days of information, training and inspiration – as well as a healthy slice of fun. The support we receive year in and out from organisations like Air Tractor, QBE and CASA to help spread the safety message is simply critical to our performance. Without sponsorship, the many program streams we deliver – including training, publications, accreditations, meetings, research and regulatory support – are just not possible.

The Convention theme this year was ‘Fire and Ag’ – recognising the Association name change a few years ago and our greater involvement in helping fire agencies secure a more positive relationship with the industry and better consultation.

Hearing from the fire agencies on the importance of aircraft to rapid initial attack – to keep fires small – and the millions of dollars of value aircraft put back into communities by often averting disasters – is simply inspiring. The technology, systems and R+D both government and industry put into aerial firefighting is confidence-building.

When you are part of a service that the community relies on and which creates community resilience, it is an uplifting experience.

If meaning in your life is important and aviation is the way you express it, then being a part of the Australian aerial firefighting and agricultural community is simply awesome.

There’s never been a better time to look at aerial application as a career and make a long-term investment in yourself.