Ag Aviation & Aerial Application

Counsel That Knows Part 137

Drift liability, hangar leases, UAS regulations, aircraft transactions — Kole holds an ATP rating and works as an aerial applicator.

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An Attorney Who Understands Ag Aviation Because He Lives It

Agricultural aviation is one of the most heavily regulated and liability-intensive sectors in agriculture. Aerial applicators face exposure from multiple angles: FAA enforcement under Part 137, EPA regulations on chemical application, state pesticide laws, drift complaints from neighbors, and the inherent physical risk of low-level flying.

Most attorneys have never sat in a cockpit, let alone flown 10 feet above a cornfield at 140 mph. They don’t understand the difference between Part 91 and Part 137 operations, what a Congested Area Plan requires, or how drift liability is assessed.

Kole Pederson does. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) rating — the highest certification the FAA issues — and actively works as an aerial applicator. He understands the FAA regulations, the EPA requirements, the state pesticide laws, and the operational realities because he deals with them every day he flies.

This means our legal advice is grounded in operational reality. We don’t just know the law — we know the work.

flightKole’s Aviation Credentials

  • verifiedAirline Transport Pilot (ATP) Rating
  • verifiedActive Aerial Applicator (Crop Duster)
  • verifiedPart 137 Operations Knowledge
  • verifiedLicensed NE & MN Attorney

Why Entity Isolation Is Non-Negotiable for Ag Aviation

If you farm and fly, those operations must exist in separate legal entities under proper agricultural business law. Period. This is not optional — it is the single most important legal decision an ag aviator can make.

Aerial application carries catastrophic liability exposure. A drift claim can result in very significant damages. A crash can result in wrongful death suits, property damage, environmental contamination, and FAA enforcement actions — simultaneously.

If your flying business and farming operation share the same legal entity, a single aviation incident can put your farmland, equipment, and generational wealth at risk. The judgment from an aviation accident becomes a judgment against everything you own.

We create an airtight entity wall between the aviation operation and the farming operation. We set up separate LLCs, separate bank accounts, separate insurance policies, and separate operating agreements.

Kole next to a crop duster airplane on a rural airstrip

The Midwest Ag Law Process

We don’t do hourly billing, and we don’t hand you a stack of paper and wish you luck. Our process is designed to be transparent, thorough, and completely finished when we’re done.

1

Risk Assessment

We evaluate your current business structure, insurance coverage, and operational practices. We identify liability gaps that could expose your farming operation to aviation risk.

2

Entity Isolation

We create separate legal entities for your farming and flying operations. Each entity has its own bank accounts, insurance policies, and operating agreements.

3

Compliance & Contracts

We ensure Part 137 compliance, draft application contracts, create drift response protocols, and set up the documentation systems that protect you when a complaint arises.

Ag Aviation Legal Services

Legal counsel from someone who actually flies.

shield

Part 137 Compliance

Entity structuring, operating certificates, pilot contracts, and FAA compliance for commercial aerial application operations.

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Drift Liability Protection

Proactive strategies to minimize drift liability, respond to complaints, and defend against claims. Includes record-keeping systems.

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Aircraft Transactions

Purchase agreements, lease agreements, hangar leases, partnership buy-ins, and other aviation business transactions.

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Entity Isolation

If you farm and fly, those operations must be in separate legal entities. A crash or drift claim must not reach the family farm.

What Our Clients Say
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Sandramere Seed & Supply Co. profile picture
Sandramere Seed & Supply Co.
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Kole helped us develop HR documents and create some customer forms for our business. Kole really helps put legal language in understandable form. We really appreciate his thorough nature and ability to ask the right questions to uncover issues we had not considered. His agricultural knowledge is extremely valuable. Thanks Kole! We really appreciate you!
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James Jensen profile picture
James Jensen
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Working with Kole was easy and convenient. He answered all our questions and helped us get our trust established quickly.
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Brandon Boardman profile picture
Brandon Boardman
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Kole's personal experience and understanding in agriculture makes him a great attorney for all of your farms estate planning. He's very prompt, professional and he really cares about your needs. What a great guy.
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Mary Mollenhauer profile picture
Mary Mollenhauer
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Working with this firm feels less like hiring a lawyer and more like bringing on a strategic partner for your legacy. They truly understand the complexity of multi-generational farming operations and approach every plan with both precision and long-term vision. For families managing significant agricultural assets, this is exactly the kind of counsel you want in your corner.
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Mitch Mender profile picture
Mitch Mender
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Kole is a bright and compassionate attorney. He knows what he is doing!
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Pooja Vasudev profile picture
Pooja Vasudev
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Kole Pederson walks the walk and talks the talk! As a former aerial applicator, he has fully lived the agricultural life so he is qualified to assist farmers, ranchers, and agricultural business owners with their estate planning/probate, business law, and real estate legal needs. Kole is diligent, resilient, and down to earth with a genuine commitment to help clients. In this day and age, when everything has become less tangible and very technological - Kole is the kind of attorney agricultural folks can benefit from having on their side!
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Matt Snoberger profile picture
Matt Snoberger
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Kole was easy to work with and has vast knowledge of agriculture and a lot of common sense. One of the easiest people I’ve ever worked with.
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Flynn Baker profile picture
Flynn Baker
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I have worked with Kole on a legislative and policy committee for a non profit organization. Kole's input was incredibly valuable; especially navigating legal jargon and procedures as well as his attention to detail and timeliness. I am glad to have worked with him and trust his recommendations and actions in legal matters.
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Becky profile picture
Becky
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I was doing an online search for an attorney and ran across Midwest Ag Law. I called and Mr. Pederson actually answered the phone himself, which Never happens these days! Unfortunately, he doesn't do Guardianship cases, but was very kind and went out of his way to give me some referrals!
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Curt Friesen profile picture
Curt Friesen
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Legal work made simple. Very professional firm that delivered everything I needed, when I needed it, and at a reasonable price. Great to work with and will use them again.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need separate entities for farming and flying?expand_more
Aerial application carries extreme liability exposure — drift claims, crash liability, environmental violations. If your flying business and farming operation share an entity, a single aviation incident can put your farmland at risk.
Can you help with FAA Part 137 compliance?expand_more
Yes. We assist with Part 137 operating certificates, agricultural aircraft operator agreements, pilot employment contracts, and compliance with FAA operational requirements.
Do you handle aircraft purchase agreements?expand_more
Yes. We draft and review aircraft purchase agreements, bill of sale documents, partnership buy-in agreements for shared aircraft, hangar leases, and related aviation business contracts.

Need an Attorney Who Understands Aviation?

Kole knows the cockpit and the courtroom. Schedule a free consultation to discuss your ag aviation legal needs. Flat-fee pricing.