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NATA News - NATA Spearheads Effort to Help FAA Combat Illegal Charter
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View HTML Version of Newsletter   July 2, 2018 — Volume 17, Issue 27 
NATA Headquarters will be closed Wednesday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day.
  This Week's Top Stories 


Supreme Court Nominee Debate May Stall Progress for Senate FAA Bill

The announcement last week of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s forthcoming retirement means a long summertime battle in the Senate for a replacement. While Republicans look forward to the debate ahead of November’s midterm elections, Democrats are beginning to fear the demands of their voters on this and other pressing issues, leading to what appears to be a long-drawn-out deliberation and a shift in focus of what legislation gets Senate floor time. For the past several months, it appeared the Senate FAA bill would be granted floor time in the July work period, with Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) providing an optimistic perspective of speedy consideration and passage before the September 30th deadline. However, a backlog of judicial nominations, numerous appropriations bills, and various other pieces of legislation, like water resources and immigration, are vying for floor time, pushing any hope of finding time for an FAA bill farther away from reality. Chairman Thune remains optimistic, recently stating that he still believes the bill can get done in July. 


Follow NATA’s social media accounts for updates on when, or if, an FAA bill will be passed this year.

 


Make a Difference at NATA’s Ground Handling Safety Symposium: Your Opportunity to Advance Safety | September 11-12 in Ashburn, VA (IAD)

Don’t miss the opportunity to attend the 2nd annual NATA Ground Handling Safety Symposium (GHSS) focused on the operational safety needs of FBOs and other GA ground handlers. This acclaimed two-day event is intended for safety professionals, directors of safety, line service managers, operations managers, flight departments and more. Attendees of the GHSS will investigate, explore, and discuss the latest issues and trends in ground handling safety. NATA is seeking industry professionals willing to participate in the GHSS by sharing their experiences and expertise. Topics include:


- FBO or GA ground handling personnel

- Ground handling fatigue management & fitness for duty

- Just culture & accountability

- Generational leadership

- Addressing turnover and talent acquisition

- Ground handling incidents and near-misses (these sessions will be closed to the press and attendees will be required to agree to confidentiality)


For more information, please click here




NATA Maintenance Committee Urges Consistency for Part 135 Aircraft Conformity Inspections

On July 27th, the FAA issued proposed Advisory Circular 135-CODO Part 135 Operator Aircraft Configuration Inspection. This AC provides information concerning the placement of aircraft into service for Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part 135 commuter and on demand operations. The lack of FAA guidance and consistency regarding conformity inspections for Part 135 aircraft, has been a long-standing concern of NATA. Over the last few years, the Aircraft Maintenance and Systems Technology Committee has been encouraging the FAA to publish guidance regarding this activity. The Committee will submit comments on the FAA’s new proposed Advisory Circular and encourages NATA members and industry to do so as well. 


Please submit comments to NATA’s Aircraft Maintenance and Systems Technology Committee liaison Carol Giles at carol@carolgiles.com. You can also submit comments to the FAA by email or mail, click here for further details.


 


NATA Spearheads Effort to Help FAA Combat Illegal Charter

For the past several months, NATA and its Illegal Charter Task Force have been working with the FAA to develop a process to bring awareness to illegal air charter activity. Illegal charters bypass the FAA’s safety standards in order to undercut the pricing of legitimate businesses by creating a potential safety hazard, putting legitimate operators at a competitive disadvantage, and dodging the payment of appropriate federal excise taxes. The goal of the Task Force is to work in conjunction with industry and the FAA to identify operators that attempt to evade the rules and regulations that constitute a legal charter operation, and ensure the protection, safety and integrity of an industry held to a very high standard. On June 29th, the FAA issued a penalty against an illegal charter operator, alleging the operator failed to hold the required operating certificate for the flights being performed. This penalty brings to light the ramifications for operating an illegal charter business and it’s expected that more will come as the Task Force helps to highlight business practices that do not meet regulatory requirements. Click here to see more of what NATA is doing to combat this issue.


 
  Industry Updates
 
 

Last week, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council formally adopted 
Standards and Recommended Practices regarding the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). According to ICAO, one of the technical applications of this market-based emissions off-setting scheme applies to airplane operators emitting more than 10,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions from international operations per annum. ICAO’s press release called this progress “a clear demonstration of the unwavering commitment, on behalf of both governments and airlines, to minimize the future impact of international aviation on the global climate." 

The CORSIA initiative is one of several pillars for civil aviation to reduce its carbon emissions worldwide. In May 2018, NATA along with a coalition of general aviation organizations launched the “Business Aviation Guide to the Use of Sustainable Alternative Jet Fuel (SAJF).” NATA is committed to supporting efforts to reduce general aviation carbon emissions and believes it is imperative for the industry to work in a collaborative manner to both educate the aviation community on SAJF and make its widespread use a reality. If you have a question or need help regarding CORSIA, please contact Megan Eisenstein at meisenstein@nata.aero.

 
 
 
  
 


NATA Commends Wyoming and Washington Governors for Supporting General Aviation



NATA and the Alliance for Aviation Across America issued joint press statements in support of two proclamations that support general aviation’s vital contributions to communities in Wyoming and Washington. “Local airports and aviation businesses across Washington support skilled jobs that boost the economies of communities large and small,” stated NATA Executive Vice President and General Counsel Tim Obitts, following the release of a proclamation from Washington Governor Jay Inslee, who declared June ‘Aviation Appreciation Month’ across the state. According to the proclamation, Washington’s 42 charter flight companies, 105 repair stations, 41 flight schools, and 120 FBOs serve 10,195 general aviation aircraft annually and support 8,147 aviation-related jobs across the state. In Wyoming, Governor Matt Mead proclaimed June as ‘General Aviation Appreciation Month,” noting Wyoming’s 31 public-use general aviation airports contribute over $73 million annually to the economy and support over 400 jobs. “NATA and our member companies across the state applaud Governor Mead for highlighting this important industry and the critical resources that it provides to Wyoming,” Obitts stated.

 
 
 Association Highlights
 


Q2 Aviation Business Journal Available Online | Read About NATA’s Presidents Council, FBO Pricing, FAA Grant Assurances and Much More



NATA’s 2018 Q2 issue of the Aviation Business Journal is available online.


Highlights from this issue:

   - Member Profile: Hopscotch Air
   - Viewpoint: Gaining Altitude on Value
   - Call Sign Chaff
   - Introducing this Year’s NATA Industry Excellence Award Recipients
   - A Federal Grant Assurance Primer
   - The Future of Aviation
   - Security Risks: Are You Aware?
   - Congress Passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017: What Now? What’s Next?
   - The Myths of FBO Consolidation
   - Aviation Safety: Slow and Steady Wins the Race
   - Safety 1st Update: A New Approach to Training
   - NATA Ethics Statement
   - Stay Out of the Illegal Charter Trap, Keep Your Leases Legal


As always, we thank our advertisers and Member Support Level participants, click here to read now.

 
 

 
 
 

Participate in NATA’s 2018 Compensation Survey Today

 

Please participate in NATA’s 2018 Compensation Survey. All information will be kept strictly confidential and cannot be tied back to the respondent or reporting location by anyone (including NATA), and will be reported only in aggregate with other responses. 

The survey will provide valuable information that allows NATA members to:
   - Stay competitive in your region
   - Assess your current benefit and salary offerings

   - Take an in-depth look at your operation from every position


View the survey outline here and participate by contacting Jake Legere at jlegere@nata.aero

Members that participate will receive a complimentary copy of the survey results.

The survey deadline is July 31, 2018.

 
 
 
  Events
 


Let Your Voice Be Heard | NATA Industry Town Halls and Air Charter Forums to Return in August


NATA Industry Town Halls provide aviation business leaders across the region the opportunity to sit down together and discuss the challenges, risks and opportunities within our industry — including regional matters and a legislative and regulatory update.

September 13 | Jet Aviation | Bedford, MA
September 25 | Epps Aviation | Atlanta, GA
November 15 | Banyan Air Services | Ft. Lauderdale, FL


NATA Air Charter Forums allow attendees to discuss issues impacting the Part 135 community, including illegal charter, federal excise taxes, the pilot shortage, FSDO relationships and more.

August 14, 2018 | Priester Aviation | Chicago, IL
Additional dates TBA


RSVP is required for both the town halls and forums, lunch is included complimentary.



 
 


Raise the Bar: NATA Safety 1st Professional Development for Your Entire Team

 

Beyond the Basics: Advancing Your Line Service Team

Join NATA Safety 1st on July 31-August 1 at the Advanced Line Service (ALS) Workshop* in Austin, TX. This two-day workshop is designed to develop your line service team members into the next leaders of your company. In addition to fundamental fuel quality control training, the agenda includes sessions on motivation and leadership techniques, customer service and fire safety training, and the impact of human factors on aviation ground handling. Other workshop dates and locations are available here.


QC Counts. Are You Prepared?

The new Certified QC Inspector Workshop* on September 18-19 at Wilson Air in Charlotte, NC will provide attendees with a comprehensive advanced education in everything fuel handling related. Enhance your knowledge on fuel characteristics, filtration, sampling and testing, maintenance, and setting up a conformant inspection program. This workshop will include both classroom instruction and hands-on experience in the most common fuel quality control tasks. 

Additionally, this course will cover the importance of QC record keeping and documentation, along with how to prepare for a QC audit.


The Premier Event for FBO & Ground Handling Safety Management & Education

The 2nd annual NATA Safety 1st Ground Handling Safety Symposium will return September 11-12 at the NTSB Training Center in Ashburn, VA. The Symposium is a two-day event developed by the NATA Safety Committee to promote safety at FBOs and other general aviation ground handling businesses/operations. The Symposium is designed for aviation professionals, including directors of safety, line service managers, operations managers and flight departments. In addition to networking opportunities, attendees will hear from industry experts and share their own ground handling best practices in an open forum format.
 
 
 
  Member Spotlight
 


Heritage Aviation Conducts Safety Stand-Down

 

Heritage Aviation recently conducted a company-wide safety stand-down aimed at creating greater customer value by placing a focus on safety. The one-day event is relatively unique to the FBO industry and included guest speakers from the Giles Group and Aviation Business Strategies Group (ABSG). Topics covered included human factors, FAA Regulations, the true cost of an incident/accident and a sophisticated approach to building a successful internal safety culture. "Everybody gets busy with their own responsibilities, so we thought it would be appropriate to step away for a day with the whole group, and focus on our number one value, Safety.” said Tim McCole, Vice President. "Our presenters brought over one hundred years of industry experience and expertise, and the latest thinking on Safety Management Systems. The day was absolutely relevant and on target for the Employee Owners of Heritage Aviation.” Learn more at www.flyheritage.com.

 
 
 


World Fuel Services Receives a Gulfstream Supplier of the Year Award


World Fuel Services (WFS) received a Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation 2018 Supplier of the Year Award earlier this month. WFS will receive this recognition for its continued innovation and investment in Gulfstream’s journey toward environmental sustainability. Since 2016, WFS has provided Gulfstream with more than 375,000 gallons of a renewable fuel blend that has been used to fly the Gulfstream corporate fleet over 500,000 nautical miles. WFS has partnered with Gulfstream for two decades, providing fuel and aviation solutions to support the management of its business-critical operations at international and business aviation sites across America. Learn more at www.worldfuel.com.

 
 
 
 
 
 


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