Leaders of the North American association and SINDAG talked about institutional strategies, continuous improvement policy and communication with society

The Brazilian National Union of Agricultural Aviation Companies (SINDAG) and NAAA must share, in the coming months, information and insights on agricultural aviation legislation and communication actions with the public in both countries. The exchange of cards between the institutions of the two largest agricultural aviation markets on the planet also intends to advance on the work of institutional relations and actions for continuous improvement in the sector, among other topics. That was the tone of the conversation between representatives of both institutions this Wednesday (7), on the NAAA Ag Aviation Expo, in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The Brazilian ag-aviation entity is represented at the NAAA event by the president Thiago Magalhães Silva and by the CEO Gabriel Colle and the COO Cláudio Júnior Oliveira. The three also represent the Brazilian Institute of Agricultural Aviation (Ibravag) at the event and are part of a delegation of 16 people (among ag-aviation entrepreneurs and Brazilian technology and equipment suppliers) who are participating in the fair, at the Knoxville Convention Center.

SCENARIOS: Andrew Moore and Thiago Silva talked about exchanging experiences between the aero-agricultural entities of both countries

COLLE: expectation is that Sindag’s best participation at the NAAA Expo will have its reciprocal to North American partners at the Brazilian AgAv Congress, in July 2023

COLLABORATION

The possibility of an effective partnership between SINDAG and the NAAA was discussed between Colle and the NAAA’s CEO Andrew Moore. “We agreed to define a common agenda to work on the actions of the entities”, summarized the Brazilian leader. According to him, the expectation is that the conversation with the North Americans may have another face-to-face meeting in just over seven months – in the schedule of the Brazilian Agricultural Aviation Congress (AgAv Congress), July 18th to 20th in Sertãozinho, São Paulo State.

“The challenges for US ag aviation are like those in Brazil. Especially being able to communicate to society the significance and safety of such an important tool for agriculture”, points Colle. In addition, the two entities have a lot to contribute to each other due to the experience of continuous improvement programs in both countries – such as the North American C-PAASS and, in Brazil, the Good Practices in Ag-Aviation program (BPA Brasil, in Portuguese acronym).

SINDAG has been present at the NAAA meeting since 2016, through a reciprocity agreement with the AgAv Congress. Since 2018, the Brazilian delegation has also represented the Brazilian Agricultural Aviation Institute (IBRAVAG), founded in that year. For the leaders of the South American country, the meeting in Knoxville is being the best connection between the two countries – also in the wake of agreements between Brazilian suppliers of technologies and his North American partners.

BRAZILIAN MARKET

“We’ll certainly have more North American exhibitors at the AgAv Congress next year, due to the space for publicity we had in the NAAA Expo”, bets Thiago Magalhães. The SINDAG’s president highlights the estimated entry this year of around 70 new turboprop agricultural aircraft in Brazil – produced by the companies Air Tactor (the largest manufacturer in the world, located in Olney, Texas) and Thrush Aircraft (from Albany, Georgia). Add to that the 63 Ipanema 203 agricultural aircraft (by piston engine) sold by Embraer, as announced by the Brazilian manufacturer this Wednesday.

Numbers that, if confirmed, should represent a growth of more than 5% in the Brazilian ag-aviation fleet, which had started 2022 with 2,432 aircrafts on the crops – according to a survey by the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC). Which also means increased demand for embedded technologies, services, and other products. In addition, of course, to the qualification of personnel and management systems.

“We are happy for the relationships built also in search of research and qualification for Brazilian agav operators”, pointed out director Júnior Oliveira. “Including the SINDAG stand is next to the space of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)”, he highlights, about contacts in search of technicians from USA for future experiences exchange events no Brazil.

The program that ends today in the Knoxville Convention Center also featured a lecture, to the USA ag-aviation operators, by Brazilian consultant and researcher Henrique Campos (SABRI). Emphasis too on Perfect Flight, Zanoni Equipamentos (in partnership with Turbine Conversions) and Aeroglobo Aeronaves (representative in Brazil of Air Tractor company). In addition, Brazilians had meetings with businessmen and representatives of ag-aviation entities from Uruguay and Paraguay – in addition to Canada, China, and other countries.

See below more images and videos about the Brazilian participation in the 2022’s NAAA Ag Aviation Expo:

In meetings with aircraft manufacturers, Colle, Oliveira, the president of Air Tractor, Jim Hirsch (with his wife Letha) and the president of Sindag, Thiago Silva, talking about scenarios, market perspectives and projects in Brazil…

… and the Brazilian AgAv leaders were also conversation with the president of Thrush Aircraft, Mark McDonald (second left), and his representative in Brazil Arthur Lorga

Brazilian delegation at the NAAA Expo – standing, left to right: Cláudio Júnior Oliveira (SINDAG), Milton Rodrigues Neto and Renata Porto (Porto Aero), Raíssa Varago and Lucas Zanoni (Zanoni Equipamentos), Vinicius Velho (Perfect Flight), Lourival Lopes Freitas and Ludmilla Lopes (Tradicao Aero Agricola), Arthur Lorga (Thrush Aircraft) and Gabriel Colle (SINDAG) – seated: Fernando Martin (Aeroglobo), Juliano Mastella (Zanoni Equipamentos), Thiago Silva (SINDAG) and Henrique Campos (SABRI – Sabedoria Agrícola)

Facundo Holzmann (Paraguay), Júlio Placeres (Uruguay), Thiago Silva e Marcelo Oliver (Uruguay)

Andrew Moore, NAAA CEO, and Gabriel Colle, SINDAG CEO

Vinicius Velho and Destiny West – Perfect Flight

Graham Lavender – AgAir Update magazine

Juliano Mastella, Ann Grahek and Lucas Zanoni – Zanoni Equipamentos and Turbine Conversions

Thiago Magalhães Silva – president of SINDAG (only in Portuguese)

Gabriel Colle – CEO of SINDAG (Portuguese)

Cláudio Júnior Oliveira – COO of SINDAG (Portuguese)

Henrique Campos – SABRI (Portuguese)

Lourival Lopes – Brazilian agricultural operator (Portuguese)

Fernando Martin – Aeroblobo/Air Tractor (Portuguese)