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14 CapitalPress.com March 17, 2017 Agricultural pilot denied use of Pendleton airport Safety concerns raised over drone range By GEORGE PLAVEN EO Media Group PENDLETON, Ore. — The owner of a crop dust- ing business says the city of Pendleton will not let him operate at the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport because of safety concerns at the adja- cent Unmanned Aerial Sys- tems Range. Andrew Kilgore, who runs K2 Aerial Application, al- ready flies out of Hermiston and Boardman and wants to add Pendleton to that list. But he said the city will not give him permission to load his plane with fertilizer and her- bicides at the airport, citing a conflict with the nearby UAS test range. Kilgore’s attorney, Mi- chael Schultz, said he is op- timistic they can find a solu- tion. Traditional crop services and drones need not be exclu- sive, he added. AP Photo The Eastern Oregon Regional Airport in Pendleton refuses to let an aerial applicator operate there out of fear his airplane would conflict with an adjacent drone test range. “We’re not asking for spe- cial treatment,” Schultz said. “We just want (Kilgore) to have the opportunity to use a public facility.” In a letter sent March 6 to Pendleton city manager Robb Corbett, Schultz said the city has no rational basis for lim- iting Kilgore from using the airport. Schultz said they would be happy to meet any lawful safety measure the city chooses to implement, but that has not been specified. “Those concerns have not been shared with us,” he said. Corbett and airport man- ager Steve Chrisman declined to comment through city at- torney Nancy Kerns. There was, however, a Pendleton Airport Commission meeting scheduled for Wednesday to discuss temporarily closing its northern-most agricultural pad while UAS operations are relocated. In an action item addressed to the commission, Chrisman said that the UAS range safety officer Darryl Abling has de- termined that there is a safety risk to personnel and equip- ment by allowing operations at the launch pad. “UAS operations are of- ten testing new functionality ... and while every effort is made to mitigate the risks as- sociated with new technology, things can go wrong when it is initially flight tested,” Chris- man wrote. “Having non-par- ticipating personnel (or) equipment in the area poses an unnecessary risk should an anomaly occur.” Kilgore, 32, is a Pend- leton native who returned home after serving in the Air Force and completing his flight training at Central Ore- gon Community College. He launched K2 Aerial Applica- tion in 2013 and serves farm- ers across Eastern Oregon. Kilgore said he has re- ceived many requests to spray fields around Pendleton, which is why he approached the Eastern Oregon Region- al Airport. Time is of the es- sence, he said, since many wheat farmers are already be- ginning to apply fertilizer to their fields. Kilgore already shares the Boardman Airport with Aerovel Corp., another de- veloper of small unmanned aircraft based in Washington. Tad McGeer, the company’s president, said that he and Kilgore have no problems getting along. “We let each other know what we’re doing, and that’s good enough,” McGeer said. “I’m not aware of any reason why there should be a con- flict.” In his letter to Corbett, Schultz indicated that any safety concerns about UAV operations raise a dilemma for the city: Either the pro- gram is dangerous because the city has not worked out proper safety procedures, or it is not dangerous and the concerns are merely an ex- cuse to discriminate against Kilgore. “The city cannot have it both ways,” Schultz wrote. Furthermore, Schultz said farming is the economic ba- sis for the community and the airport should be supportive of bringing in another service where farmers can have their crops sprayed for pests and diseases. Kilgore has received signed letters of support from 16 farmers asking for the airport to make its facilities available. “We believe this is an oc- casion to make additional crop services available for farmers,” Schultz said. Though Schultz said he and Kilgore are reviewing their legal options, he stopped short of saying they were con- sidering a lawsuit. The FFA emblem is a familiar sight in most schools. P.O. Box 307 Canby, OR 97013 888-877-7665 The National FFA and Expo is the highlight of the year for members. ALL ABOUT FFA AND ITS 649,355 MEMBERS FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. FFA membership today is comprised of 649,355 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,859 local FFA chapters throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. FFA operates on local, state and national levels. Student members belong to chapters organized at the local school level. Agriculture educators serve as chapter advisors. Chapters are organized under state associations headed by an advisor and executive secretary, often employees of the state department of education. States conduct programs and host annual conventions. The National FFA Organization is governed by a board of directors, charters state associations and provides direction, program materials and support for local chapters and state FFA associations. FFA was organized nationally in 1928 in Kansas City, Mo. In 1950, Congress granted FFA a federal charter, making it an integral part of public agricultural instruction under the National Vocational Education Act. 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A team of six national officers, typically college students taking a year away from their studies, plays a key role in planning the annual National FFA Convention & Expo and other events. The National FFA Officer Team travels more than 100,000 miles during its year in office. Programs and Activities Local, state and national FFA programs and activities help members develop public speaking skills, conduct and participate in meetings, manage financial matters, strengthen problem-solving abilities and assume civic responsibilities. National FFA Convention & Expo The National FFA Convention & Expo is the organization’s premier gathering during which all FFA competitive events and programs are recognized nationally. The event brings FFA members together to learn, be inspired and celebrate their accomplishments in the organization. National FFA Foundation The National FFA Foundation is headquartered at the National FFA Center and works with business and industry, organizations and individuals to raise funds that support FFA activities at the national, state and local levels. For more, visit FFA.org/Give. National FFA Alumni Association Agriculture teachers rely on more than 225,891 FFA Alumni members and countless volunteers to help ease the outside commitments of teaching. FFA relies on alumni members for student recruiting, scholarship funding, advocacy for agricultural education and support to help stage camps, conferences, conventions and other personal development programs. The National FFA Organization is headquartered at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., as a part of agricultural, food and natural resources education in the Office of Vocational and Adult Education. Its business center is the National FFA Center in Indianapolis. — National FFA Organization 11-1/#13 11-1\#13
