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Mississippi Agricultural Aviation Board
About the Mississippi Agricultural Aviation Board:
Mississippi is the only state in the United States to have a board that regulates the activities of the aerial application industry.
The function of the Agricultural Aviation Board is to supervise and regulate for the public good all commercial aerial applicators within the State of Mississippi. This consists of persons engaged in the aerial application of pesticides, poisons, seeds and chemicals, and the registration of all such commercial agricultural aircraft and pilots.
The Agricultural Aviation Board was created by the Agricultural Aviation Licensing Act of 1966 and revised under the new law of 2002. The Board is delegated the responsibility to require registration of all agricultural aircraft in the State of Mississippi in order to protect the general health and safety of Mississippi farmers and the general public.
Under the Agricultural Aviation Licensing Law the Board is composed of five members: two are licensed applicators to be appointed by the governor and one is the executive officer of the Department of Environmental Quality, or his designee, a registered forester and a licensed engineer with agricultural emphasis.
The Law provides for a fee system to be collected by the Board to enforce the provisions of the Act and is therefore self-supporting.
As set forth by the federal Environmental Protection Agency policy and regulations, and as authorized by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act, the Agricultural Aviation Board is empowered to enforce the Agricultural Licensing Law which covers the off-target movement of pesticides (nonhormone-type herbicides) from treated areas.
The Board assists the Federal Aviation Administration in seeing the aircraft are airworthy and pilots are knowledgeable of the operation of agricultural aircraft. Sometimes the Board is called on to assist the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the Bureau of Narcotics and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In order to meet EPA requirements that all aerial applicators of restricted use pesticides be certified, the Board requires that all pilots who operate in the state be recertified each year in the category of Aerial Application. This procedure must be accomplished before any pilot's license is issued.
Duties of the Board consists of the following:
Mississippi is the only state in the United States to have a board that regulates the activities of the aerial application industry.
The function of the Agricultural Aviation Board is to supervise and regulate for the public good all commercial aerial applicators within the State of Mississippi. This consists of persons engaged in the aerial application of pesticides, poisons, seeds and chemicals, and the registration of all such commercial agricultural aircraft and pilots.
The Agricultural Aviation Board was created by the Agricultural Aviation Licensing Act of 1966 and revised under the new law of 2002. The Board is delegated the responsibility to require registration of all agricultural aircraft in the State of Mississippi in order to protect the general health and safety of Mississippi farmers and the general public.
Under the Agricultural Aviation Licensing Law the Board is composed of five members: two are licensed applicators to be appointed by the governor and one is the executive officer of the Department of Environmental Quality, or his designee, a registered forester and a licensed engineer with agricultural emphasis.
The Law provides for a fee system to be collected by the Board to enforce the provisions of the Act and is therefore self-supporting.
As set forth by the federal Environmental Protection Agency policy and regulations, and as authorized by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act, the Agricultural Aviation Board is empowered to enforce the Agricultural Licensing Law which covers the off-target movement of pesticides (nonhormone-type herbicides) from treated areas.
The Board assists the Federal Aviation Administration in seeing the aircraft are airworthy and pilots are knowledgeable of the operation of agricultural aircraft. Sometimes the Board is called on to assist the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the Bureau of Narcotics and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In order to meet EPA requirements that all aerial applicators of restricted use pesticides be certified, the Board requires that all pilots who operate in the state be recertified each year in the category of Aerial Application. This procedure must be accomplished before any pilot's license is issued.
Duties of the Board consists of the following:
- Contacts aerial applicators to confirm certification requirements.
- Inspects aircraft to insure airworthiness of each aircraft.
- Inspects airstrips to insure safety requirements are adhered to.
- Verifies physical dates and biennial flight review dates of pilots; and annual dates of aircraft.
- Investigates accidents of agricultural aircraft.