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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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Professional Line Service Training |
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PLST Online provides the most up-to-date training available for line service specialists – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Line service supervisors can conduct the new PLST Online training anytime and from anywhere there is access to the Web. continued |
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139 Fire Safety Training Online |
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This training not only meets and exceeds the requirements of 14 CFR 139.321 but also allows you to interact with other students in a group learning environment, receive the very latest NFPA news, watch live training presentations and much more. |
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Pre-Employment Screening Exam |
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NATA is offering the first pre-employment screening exam specifically for line service technicians and FBO customer service specialists.
With predecessor exams already in use at more than 900 companies worldwide, NATA has adapted the most cost effective and revealing pre-employment testing and post employment testing available for FBO use. |
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| Coyne Sends Letter To President Obama |
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| Last week, NATA President James K. Coyne sent a letter to President Obama about the benefits of personal aviation. The letter was sent by Coyne to address his growing concerns with comments made by the President, other White House officials and Members of Congress. An excerpt from the Coyne letter follows:
Personal aviation is something very special - but the industry that makes this all possible is under attack and may soon face economic collapse. Tens of thousands of jobs have already been shed and the industry is in a tailspin. What threatens these world-class American businesses most of all, you ask? The statements and actions produced by the Administration and Congress since you were elected have been, I believe, unintentionally catastrophic.
To view Coyne’s letter in its entirety, please click here. | |
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| Members Encouraged To Write Members Of Congress On LASP |
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| Recently, NATA submitted its comments on the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) proposed rule. Unveiled by the TSA in October 2008, the LASP rule would govern operations for all aircraft weighing more than 12,500 pounds and require operators of those aircraft to implement an approved security program. The LASP proposal would, for the first time ever, require security programs for thousands of privately operated general aviation aircraft and ultimately seek to combine a number of security programs currently in place for general aviation, including the Twelve-Five Standard Security Program, into a single, uniform program.
The deadline for submitting comments to the TSA regarding the LASP proposed rule was February 27, 2009. NATA and many of its member companies submitted comments on the specific reasons why the proposed mandatory security program for general aviation should not be imposed. NATA Members are now encouraged to contact their Members of Congress and request that they send a letter to the TSA urging that the LASP proposed rule be withdrawn.
To learn more about sending letters to your Members of Congress via the NATA Legislative Action Center, please click here.
To view the association’s comments on the LASP, please click here.
To view the association’s LASP Resource Page, please click here. | |
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| Association Sends Napolitano Letter On Chicago TFRs |
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| Last week, NATA President James K. Coyne sent a letter to Janet Napolitano, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, expressing his deep concern with the temporary flight restrictions (TFR) for the Chicago, Illinois area when President Obama visited the city from February 13 -16, 2009. In his letter, Coyne addressed the significant economic impact these TFRs had on general aviation businesses during the February 13-16, 2009 time period. An excerpt from the letter follows:
“While NATA and its members recognize the importance of protecting the President of the United States, I wanted to alert you to how this TFR impacted the region economically. The TFR during that weekend left dozens of aviation businesses including fixed base operators (FBOs), Part 135 on-demand air charter operations, maintenance facilities and flight schools with a significant loss in revenue. For instance, one of our member FBOs at Chicago Midway Airport lost $50,000-$60,000 in fuel sales revenue. In addition, a local flight school lost $18,000 in revenue due to the inability to train student pilots as a result of the TFR. Should President Obama visit the Chicago area every 5-6 weeks, as some in the press have indicated is likely, similar TFRs will take place another 30-35 times throughout his first term as President, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in operating losses for general aviation businesses in and around Chicago.
The letter concluded with the request that Napolitano consider developing procedures that would allow operators to keep flying and general aviation businesses to operate normally during future presidential TFRs.
To view the complete letter, please click here. | |
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| Education Week Starts Today |
| NATA’s Vegas Industry Expo Planner |
Visit NATA staff in booth #1735 to experience PLST Online in person and to gather information on the following new NATA and ACSF programs and services:
- PLST Online – the most up-to-date Professional Line Service Training, available anytime and anywhere
- ACSF Industry Audit Standard – a comprehensive audit for Part 135 and 91K operators
- AVSiS – safety event reporting and management system for Part 135 and 91K operators
- IC Check - the only real-time compliance-driven flight release system for general aviation aircraft operations
Several new seminars and workshops, as well as a revamped and reenergized LSST program, are being offered this year. Following the enthusiasm and success of last year’s Seminar-at-Sea, NATA will offer two opportunities in October to build FBO success and line service safety aboard a relaxing voyage to Baja, Mexico. Stop by to pick up a copy of our Seminar Catalog.
More Chances to Win In Vegas
Your odds of winning in Vegas just got better. Stop by NATA’s booth #1735 to enter the drawing for FREE PLST Online Training. You must be present at the drawings to win.
Daily drawings to win FREE PLST Online Training:
Tuesday – 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday – 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday – 11:30 a.m.
Wednesday – 2:30 p.m.
Thursday – 11:30 a.m.
Keynote Address – Achieving Success Despite Overwhelming Odds
Tuesday, March 10th 11:00 a.m.
Today’s challenges and uncertainties are many, growing and oftentimes seemingly insurmountable. All attendees are invited to meet Stephen Hopson and hear the first deaf instrument rated pilot’s uplifting story. From learning how to speak clearly without ever having heard a sound to becoming a stockbroker to becoming a pilot and motivational speaker – nothing was off limits for Stephen. Leave feeling that same way.
It’s not too late – register onsite! | |
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| Air Charter Safety Symposium Resounding Success |
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| Last week, the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) hosted its 2009 Air Charter Safety Symposium, a unique event for the on-demand and shared aircraft ownership industry.
Nearly 100 industry leaders gathered at the Symposium, held in cooperation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) at their Training Center, and devoted two days to learning how to implement, achieve and maintain a healthy safety culture.
As part of the ACSF’s on-going efforts to highlight safety concerns and encourage voluntary action to reduce risks, the ACSF announced its Top 10 Safety Action Items. This list focuses on areas where there should be safety improvement, increased study and/or specific action to implement existing concepts shown to improve safety. The top three action items, which were each highlighted in separate sessions, are:
- Implementation of Safety Management Systems
- Industry Use of Risk Assessment Tools
- Addressing the Risks of Unstable Approaches
NTSB Board Members Robert Sumwalt and Deborah Hersman delivered presentations focusing on Safety Management Systems and current aviation safety issues affecting the aviation industry. Both praised the ACSF for its leadership role and commitment to ensure a culture of continuous aviation safety improvements.
Other presentations highlighted security, Aviation Safety Action Programs, family disaster assistance planning for small businesses and risk assessment tools.
Presentations from the Symposium will be made available to the public on the ACSF’s Web site at www.acsf.aero/symposium. | |
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| ACSF, EJM Strike Deal On Industry Audit Standard |
| 80 Operators Will Undergo Audits From 2009-2010 |
| The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) and Executive Jet Management (EJM) have announced an agreement whereby 80 operators that provide supplemental lift for EJM will undergo the ASCF’s Industry Audit Standard (IAS) starting next month and concluding by the end of 2010. The 80 operators that will be audited under the ACSF Industry Audit Standard range from small and medium-size operations to the largest Part 135 on-demand air charter companies.
The ACSF Industry Audit Standard (IAS) is a revolutionary program built from the ground up to set the standard for the independent evaluation of an air charter operator’s and/or shared ownership company’s safety and regulatory compliance, and incorporates Safety Management System evaluation.
Under the agreement, 39 operators that provide charter support for EJM will undergo audits in 2009 with the remaining 41 operators being audited in 2010. “The ACSF Industry Audit Standard encompasses those safety and best industry practices essential to the continued development and success of the air charter and management industry,” said Ben Murray, President and CEO of Executive Jet Management. “We are excited to partner with the ACSF to conduct the audits of our approved charter vendors. We believe this new standard represents the next evolution in safety and outstanding customer service that will continue to move our industry forward.”
Executive Jet Management, one of the NetJets family of companies, is a Part 135 certificate holder operating a large fleet of managed aircraft. EJM, recognizing the value of the IAS for those operators that provide supplemental lift to NetJets and EJM, approached ACSF earlier this year to negotiate an agreement. “NetJets and Executive Jet Management look forward to these 80 charter companies completing the rigorous process to become an IAS registered operator,” commented James C. Christiansen, president, NetJets Aviation, Inc. “As I have stated previously, our industry needed to coalesce around one comprehensive audit standard and the Air Charter Safety Foundation has provided the community with the model standard.”
Information on the ACSF Industry Audit Standard is available at www.acsf.aero/audit. Operators wishing to initiate the audit process should contact Russ Lawton at 1-888-SAFE-135 (888-723-3135) or via email to audit@acsf.aero. | |
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| House Committee Approves FAA Reauthorization Legislation |
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| On March 5, 2009, the U.S. House of Representative Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure unanimously passed H.R. 915, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2009. The bill is similar to a reauthorization measure that passed the House last year.
To view the NATA legislative report on H.R. 915, please click here. | |
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| Aviation Groups Send Letter To Capitol Hill On General Fund Contribution |
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| Last week, NATA and other aviation industry group sent a letter to aviation leaders on Capitol Hill thanking the House of Representatives for their efforts in producing the FAA Authorization Act of 2009, H.R. 915. The letter also urges House leaders to return to the robust general fund contributions to the FAA budget that have been made in decades past.
To view the complete letter sent by the aviation industry, please click here. | |
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| FY 2010 Legislative Report Now Available |
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| The White House recently issued to Congress a $3.55 trillion federal budget for fiscal year 2010 that funds investments in energy, healthcare and education initiatives. The proposal also includes $800 million for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen); however, the proposal also states that by 2011 aviation excise taxes will be replaced with a direct user charge.
According to the Office of Management and Budget, the budget deficit for this fiscal year will top $1.75 trillion and then start declining, to $1.17 trillion in FY10 and to $532.6 billion in FY13. However, reducing the deficit is going to come from tax increases on businesses and some upper middle-class beginning in 2011. In addition, a $646 billion cap-and-trade regime that would require companies to pay for the right to emit greenhouse gases will also be a significant contributor to the nation’s debt reduction.
NATA’s legislative report on the FY 2010 budget is now available for member review by clicking here.
To view NATA’s Press Release on the FY10 Budget, please click here. | |
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| Write Your Members Of Congress Today To Stress The Importance Of America’s Aviation Businesses |
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| Late last year, Congress held a series of hearings to determine whether the Big Three auto manufacturers, Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler, warranted federal assistance due to their companies’ financial struggles. During one hearing, Members of Congress blasted the three testifying CEOs for using private aircraft to travel to the hearing when asking Congress for billions of dollars in federal assistance. As a result, provisions were included in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate bills that would have required companies receiving federal funding to divest themselves of corporate aircraft. The legislation wasn’t passed in either chamber and the Bush administration released Troubled Asset Relief Act (TARP) funds from the U.S. Treasury to General Motors and Chrysler. The terms of this loan included provisions prohibiting the purchase or lease of private aircraft.
The recently passed $787 billion economic stimulus package and the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Act of 2008 were passed to aid the ailing economy while sustaining or creating jobs. The decision of lawmakers, advertently or inadvertently, to sever general aviation industry jobs because the Big Three automakers flew corporate aircraft to Washington, D.C. for committee hearings has become a problem for the industry. Public perception is that general aviation or business aircraft are strictly luxury assets -- contrary to the truth which is that general aviation plays a vital role in the health of the American economy. The general aviation industry must ban together to educate lawmakers and the public about the role it plays in our economy and remind them that we too are struggling amidst our nation’s ailing financial situation.
Please click here to contact your Members of Congress today to highlight the vast importance of the general aviation industry to the American economy! | |
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| Members Encouraged To Contact Their Congressional Officials On Lack Of FAA Standardization On Regulatory Interpretations |
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| One of the biggest burdens confronting the general aviation industry is the varying interpretation of FAA regulations by the agency's Regional, Aircraft Certification (ACOs) and Flight Standards District Offices (FSDOs). Currently, there are 9 FAA regions, 10 ACOs and more than 80 FSDOs that each issue approvals on a wide range of maintenance and operational requests made by regulated entities. These regulated entities include Part 135 on-demand charter operators, Part 145 repair stations, and Part 61 and 141 flight training facilities.
Affected regulated entities continue to be challenged by regulatory interpretations that regularly vary from one inspector within one FSDO or ACO, to another. These varying interpretations of how to achieve or demonstrate compliance with FAA regulations (FARs) are estimated to cost general aviation businesses hundreds of millions of dollars annually when previously approved actions are subject to "re-interpretation."
Inconsistent and varying interpretations of FARs are not only costly for the industry, they also demonstrate a shortcoming in the FAA's ability to coordinate its workforce and ensure that the decision-making abilities vested in inspectors are respected across all divisions of the agency, impairing efforts to achieve a uniform safety standard nationwide.
To eliminate the unnecessary and costly regulatory re-interpretation process that currently exists between FAA field offices, NATA recommends the following action:
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| NATA Weekly Survey |
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| Should Congress require the FAA to standardize all regulatory interpretations made by its inspector workforce?
Participate in survey. | |
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| Aviation's Effect On The Environment - Did You Know? |
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| NATA’s quick facts on the aviation industry's effect on the environment are designed to ensure that members take every step necessary to minimize the effect aviation has on the environment while recognizing the initiatives the industry has taken to reduce global warming.
Fact:
The March 6th edition of National Journal’s Congress Daily included an interesting article on how offsets are a critical component to President Obama’s climate initiative.
To read the complete story, please click here. | |
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