Wilson new head of pilot’s group

Barry Joe Wilson was elected president of the Arkansas Agricultural Aviation Association at the organization’s 45th annual convention in Little Rock last month.

Wilson, the co-owner of Wil-Co Flying Service in DeWitt, had previously served as vice-president of the AAAA, whose members include over 400 pilots and operators from throughout Arkansas. In 2006, Wilson was voted the organization’s Operator of the Year.

The purpose of AAAA is, Wilson explained, to provide a “unified voice in all that happens in state government” concerning the agricultural aviation industry. The organization has a representative on the State Plant Board and a lobbyist in Little Rock. But Wilson said the group’s major focus is on safety and representing the “professional pilots” who fly for agricultural aviation.

“We’re not crop dusters any more,” Wilson said. “We’re ag-aviators.” The newest planes cost up to a million dollars and are filled with new high-tech equipment. “The technology has increased tremendously in the past ten years,” Wilson said. “This is a big issue.”

But the biggest concern is, “staying on top of safety,” Wilson said. This year’s convention focused heavily on safety and re-certification, Wilson said. He added that going to the safety training not only promotes better operations, but also “you get a break on your insurance.”

Wilson will serve two years as president. “It’s an honor,” he said.

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Wilson new head of pilot’s group

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