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NATA News - NATA Provides Statement on Pilot and Mechanic Shortages for Small Business Committee Hearing
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View HTML Version of Newsletter   October 1, 2018 — Volume 17, Issue 39 

   This Week's Top Stories 


NATA Provides Statement on Pilot and Mechanic Shortages for Small Business Committee Hearing

On Wednesday, September 26, the House Small Business Committee’s Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce convened a hearing with industry stakeholders to examine the pilot and mechanic shortages and their impacts on small businesses.

 

In a letter submitted for the record, NATA President Gary Dempsey praised the subcommittee for bringing this issue to light in a time where the decline of pilots and mechanics can be felt across the industry. “Aviation businesses are continuously seeking to hire skilled pilots and mechanics, however the gap between supply and demand is increasing and small aviation businesses are finding fewer opportunities to support the activity needed to maintain business,” Dempsey noted. Addressing the negative impacts of the shortages, Dempsey highlighted NATA programs that encourage pilots and mechanics to enter the workforce, including the association’s Young Aviation Business Professionals events and collaboration with the Civil Air Patrol “to explore options to provide CAP Cadets education and experiences within the GA industry.”

 

For more information about the hearing, visit the Small Business Committee hearing overview


 


NATA Praises House Passage of Comprehensive FAA Reauthorization Legislation

A long-term FAA reauthorization bill moved one step closer towards becoming law last Wednesday, when the House of Representatives approved H.R. 302, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.


In a statement released after House passage, NATA President Gary Dempsey praised House and Senate transportation leaders and their staffs “for their hard work and dedication to producing a legislative package that supports the needs of the aviation business community and provides long-term funding for the agency.” The bill, which provides $96.7 billion in funding to the FAA over five years, supports continued efforts toward regulatory consistency, safety provisions that improve the quality of Part 135 incident reporting data and call for a review of permissible flight-sharing and programs to promote the aviation workforce by supporting the next generation of aviation maintenance technicians. The bill also includes an NATA-requested provision that calls for a review and report of the Illegal Charter Hotline and recommendations for improving the Department of Transportation’s efforts to combat the issue. The legislation is expected to pass on the Senate floor around Wednesday, allowing President Trump plenty of time to enact the bill into law before the October 7th deadline.




NATA Town Halls and Forums Promote Membership and Industry Engagement

Last week, NATA held the fifth in its series of 2018 Industry Town Hall meetings at Epps Aviation (PDK) in Atlanta, GA. This event was the first opportunity for NATA members and industry to meet with Gary Dempsey in his new role as NATA President. Dempsey was joined by NATA EVP Tim Obitts along with airport officials and other Atlanta-area aviation business professionals, including leaders from FBOs and air charter providers. NATA welcomed attendees with opening remarks before the group discussed an array of topics affecting general aviation.”

“A top priority of the Association is to visit with members throughout the country and hear directly about their pain points and successes,” stated Dempsey. Obitts added, “We continue to see recurring themes around workforce challenges and the threat of illegal charter, to the extent that we also host Air Charter Forums to talk with Part 135, 91 and other aircraft operators about their specific concerns.”

NATA town halls and forums are free to attend and include a complimentary lunch, thanks to member company hosts and sponsors AirSure Limited and Gogo Business Aviation. Read more.

Click here for upcoming town hall and forums dates.


    
 


Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Updates Advisory Circular (AC) 120-26M | Assignment of Aircraft Call Signs and Associated Telephonies

On September 10, the FAA published an updated Advisory Circular (AC) on the assignment of aircraft call signs and associated telephonies, AC 120-26M. This AC includes current guidance on a variety of call sign issues, including flight school requests for ICAO three-letter designators, requirements for pilot-programmable ADS-B equipment, and the relationship between ADS-B call signs and radio call signs for priority handling of air ambulance operations.


Notably, Section 2.4 contains specific examples of flight plan and airborne radio telephony requirements for air ambulance operations requesting priority handling. Affected NATA member organizations are urged to ensure they are familiar with the latest guidance and underlying FAA JO 7610.12.  

 

Questions and comments can be directed to NATA’s Senior Advisor Chris Baum at cbaum@nata.aero.


 

 
   Association Highlights
 


NATA FAA Medical Certification Services for Part 135 and 91 Operators

 

The NATA FAA Medical Certification Services Program, administered by Harvey Watt & Co., was previously available only when combined with insurance products or through airlines for their pilots. Now all Part 135 air carriers and their pilots and Part 91 corporate flight departments are eligible for this program featuring a budget-friendly flat, per-pilot monthly fee. NATA members will also enjoy a special discount.


Benefits include:

   -  Unlimited confidential access to doctors and nurses
   -  A subscription to Harvey Watt’s monthly Aviation Medical Bulletin
   -  Expert representation in submitting documents to the FAA, responding to FAA inquiries, expediting recertification case reviews and appeals and presenting cases to specialty FAA board hearings


View a sample of the Aviation Medical Bulletin, one of the health-related resources provided by this valuable program.

Get started by clicking here.


 
 
   
 


Interact with and Learn from NATA and Aviation Safety Professionals

 

“The Safety Net” blog is a great place for trainers and administrators to share thoughts on safety and training issues, ask questions, share comments or even make suggestions for using Safety 1st online training more effectively. Recent posts include recaps on the 2nd annual Ground Handling Safety Symposium and the inaugural Certified QC Inspector Workshop, information about the Safety 1st OnSITE program, and diesel exhaust fluid contamination resources. Subscribe to “The Safety Net” to stay informed and engaged with the Safety 1st community.


 
 
 
   Events
 


Room Block Closes Next Week for NATA’s Aviation Leadership Conference | November 6-7 in DC

 

Join NATA and your colleagues for the November 6-7 Aviation Leadership Conference (ALC) in Washington, D.C. The ALC is the premier event focused on senior aviation leaders like you — featuring opportunities for executives to tap into a wealth of industry knowledge from business and government policy experts. The event also offers many opportunities to network and engage in meaningful discussions on enhancing business operations and addressing industry issues. The program begins with a welcome reception on Tuesday, November 6 at 6:00 p.m. and continues Wednesday, November 7 with a full day of sessions and a concluding networking reception that evening.


Thank you to our current sponsors for supporting this year’s ALC: Air BP, Avfuel, Bakersfield Jet Center, Boca Raton Airport Authority, Jet Aviation, Lynx FBO, NATA Compliance Services, Pentastar Aviation, Phillips 66, Priester Aviation, Ross Aviation, Solairus Aviation, Stuart Jet Center and TAC AirSponsorship opportunities are still available, starting at $300.


The room block ends Friday, October 12th, hotel room availability and discounted rate pricing are limited. For more information or to register, please visit www.nata.aero/alc.


 

Register Now for NATA’s Popular Certified CSR Program | November 13-14 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL

 

On November 13-14, NATA will hold the final offering of its popular Certified CSR Program at Banyan Air Services in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The two-day seminar will provide attendees with valuable knowledge and skills to create successful customer service experiences. Attendees will also learn how to deal with disgruntled customers and turn a marginal customer transaction into a fulfilled client transformation.

 

The upcoming Certified CSR Program will be instructed by Aviation Business Strategies Group (ABSG) founders, John Enticknap and Ron Jackson. Ron and John are industry experts who have decades of experience in FBO services, marketing and training. Check out ABSG’s latest blog post about running a successful FBO business. Reserve your seat today, this seminar sold-out twice last year. Click here for the most recent seminar agenda to see what the workshop will cover.


 
 
 
   
 


NATA Holds Final 2018 Advanced Line Service Workshops This Fall

 

NATA will hold its final two 2018 Advanced Line Service (ALS) Workshops on October 24-25 (Long Island, NY) and November 6-7 (Orlando, FL). This popular two-day workshop includes discussions on motivation and leadership techniques, customer service training and the impact of human factors on aviation ground handling. In addition, attendees will learn about advanced aviation fuel handling and quality control, including hands-on training.

Click here to register for the last two ALS workshops of 2018. 


   Member Spotlight
 


APP Jet Center Fort Pierce Achieves IS-BAH Safety Certification

 

Last week, APP Jet Center Fort Pierce announced that it achieved Stage I IS-BAH (International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling) certification, a highly regarded safety program administered by the International Business Aircraft Council (IBAC). The International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) is a set of global industry best practices for business aviation ground handlers that features, at its core, a safety management system (SMS). The IS-BAH follows the long-established structure of the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) Program and incorporates the NATA Safety 1st Ground Audit Program. As one global industry code of best practices, IS-BAH will provide standardization to handlers and operators around the world to meet the upcoming SMS requirements from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Learn more about IS-BAH here


 
 
 
  
 


Bombardier Business Aircraft Receives Certificate for Global 7500

 

On September 28, Bombardier Business Aircraft announced that its leader aircraft, Global 7500, has been awarded Transport Canada Type Certification. This accomplishment will pave the way for entry-into-service this year and will follow-up with certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) promptly. David Coleal, President of Bombardier Business Aircraft, stated, “Thanks to the rigour and innovation of our design and test program, the Global 7500 aircraft has succeeded in elevating every standard by which a business jet is measured – comfort, luxury, performance and a smooth ride. At entry-into-service, this aircraft will meet the latest and all of the most stringent certification requirements and is set to redefine international business jet travel. We couldn’t be more proud of this achievement.” Read more about Bombardier and their groundbreaking certification here


 
 
   ACSF
 


AviationManuals ASAP Reporting Program Goes Live With ACSF

 

Last week, AviationManuals announced they are going live with their Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) offered for business aviation operators in cooperation with the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) ASAP program. This effort combines the FAA/ACSF ASAP with AviationManuals SMS software for “one-stop” reporting. The ASAP program allows Part 135 and 91 operators to participate in a voluntary safety reporting agreement with the FAA to help improve safety throughout the industry. ACSF then aggregates the data to track safety trends. Submissions can now be made directly from AviationManuals’ ARC SMS software application, simplifying the process and decreasing the user’s time and effort. “Our mission is clear: to promote the highest level of aviation safety,” said ACSF President, Bryan Burns. “With all the flight reporting required by business and charter operators, streamlining processes where you can is a win-win scenario for the industry. Now ASAP submissions can be made directly through AviationManuals’ SMS software, eliminating the need for double entries.” Learn more at www.acsf.aero.


 
 
 
 
 
 


Q2 2018 Issue

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NATA is the National Air Transportation Association. Founded in 1940, NATA aggressively promotes safety and the success of aviation service businesses through its advocacy efforts before government, the media and the public as well as by providing valuable programs and forums to further its members' prosperity. 
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