NATA was saddened to hear of the passing of Michael “Mick” Pittard. Pittard owned Hoosier Air Sales, which was later known as Indianapolis Aviation; Kokomo Aviation; and the FBO at Lafayette Airport, which became Purdue Aviation. Pittard also founded the commuter airline Direct Air and the on-demand air charter operator Aviation Charter Services. After graduating from North Central High School in Indianapolis and serving two years in the Navy, Pittard earned a degree in accounting from Ball State University in 1967.
In accordance with Article VI, Section 3 of the NATA Bylaws, the annual meeting of members will be held in conjunction with NATA’s Committee Meetings, Day on the Hill, and Air Charter Summit on June 21, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The meeting will take place during a luncheon at The Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. The purpose of the meeting is for the election of directors and other issues as properly may come before the members. Please send your RSVP to attend the Annual Meeting to Jillian Williams at jwilliams@nata.aero. Separate registration for the Day on the Hill and Air Charter Summit is required.
The last day and time to complete training in the current LMS is June 26th at 23:59 CDT. The current LMS will remain online for records-only access through June 28th, before going dark until July 1st to prepare for the launch of NATA’s new LMS.
Last month, another incident of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) contaminating jet fuel occurred at an FBO in the Southwest United States reminding us of the importance of diligence and training in mitigating this very real threat. In this latest report, the affected aircraft lost both engines before making a dead-stick landing approximately 280 miles away. Even though no injuries were reported, the risks for more catastrophic results remain high. Since 2017, the 5 reported incidents of DEF contamination of jet fuel have resulted in multiple in-flight engine failures and significant damage to aircraft fuel systems and engines. Miraculously, none of these cases have resulted in an aircraft crash…YET. Remember, DEF contamination is preventable.
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Today, the FAA issued a SAFO informing the aviation community that several highly visible and notable recent events demonstrate the need for continued vigilance and attention to mitigation of safety risks. This SAFO applies to all aircraft operations conducted under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Parts 91, 91 subpart K (Part 91K), 121, 125, 129, and 135.
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
“Regulations adopted (in Nov of 2011) by the Federal Civil Aviation Agency in Mexico (Agencia Federal de Aviacion Civil – AFAC) mandate certain fixed-wing turbine aircraft, based on the number of passenger seats (excluding crew seats), or fixed-wing turbine aircraft with MTOW that falls within the published rule, including cargo aircraft and aircraft operating under Part 91 with a Mexican registration to carry certain flight data recorders. Foreign air carriers with Mexican authorization also need to comply, but foreign operators (non-Mexican registration) under Part 91 do not” (for full context refer to Page 18 of Avionics News in the July 2021 issue). The deadline for 100% fleet compliance for specified aircraft is December 31, 2022.
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
NATA urges all members operating in the state of New York to contact Governor Kathy Hochul TODAY and ask her to veto Senate Bill S7493A, which would allow anyone to sue pilots, flight departments, line service personnel, or company employees for alleged rotorcraft noise pollution by a flight operation in the state of New York, even if the operation complied with federal law and regulations.
The FAA has released the first aircraft standardized training curricula for use in training pilots at Part 135 operators.
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took a long-anticipated first step in a multi-step process to use its authority to address aircraft fuel lead emissions through the issuance of a preliminary endangerment finding.
Friday, September 30, 2022
In a flurry of legislative activity this week before breaking for midterm elections, Congress moved forward on several pieces of aviation legislation and passed a continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown through December 16.