NATA News

Last week, the FAA issued advisory circular (AC) 120-68G, Pilot Records Improvement Act of 1996, canceling AC 120-68F, Pilot Records Improvement Act of 1996, dated May 31, 2012. The updated AC will assist parties that request or respond to PRIA records including the pilot/applicant and hiring/former employers. The agency is currently developing a new application called the Pilot Records Database (PRD) and “will soon begin to replace PRIA and provide electronic responses within a fraction of the time that the current process requires. The PRD will be used to facilitate the gathering and sharing of pilot records among the FAA and air carriers in a clearinghouse managed by the FAA. Air carriers and operators will have direct, uninterrupted access to pilot records in order to make a more informed hiring decision through PRD rather than submitting multiple requests and waiting for the return of those records from multiple sources.”

Michigan recently celebrated aviation's role in the state at NATA member Duncan Aviation's Battle Creek location. Michigan Senator Gary Peters praised the state's aviation businesses, "The type of engineering talent and the type of skilled labor that goes into these aircraft that we see here with us today and are produced and maintained in Michigan are cutting edge state of the art. It's very exciting." General aviation supports 23,000 jobs in Michigan, and has more than a $4 billion economic output annually. To read more, click here.

At the end of the year, the McKinnon St. Simons Island Airport in Brunswick, Georgia plans to open its new terminal building and 83-room hotel. "They are finalizing the exterior, doing landscaping and so forth. They are still planning to open at the end of this year," Robert Burr, executive Director of the County Airport Commission said. "So it's all good news. It's moving along nicely and it's starting to look pretty." The $15 million project is entirely funded by NATA member Golden Isles Aviation and S&J SSI. "It's an outstanding opportunity for this area. It very unique that an airport for general aviation — that is one without carrier service — can justify, business-wise, a hotel," Burr said. The new terminal will feature 6,000 square feet of space which will host the FBO that serves aircraft, pilots and passengers, as well as rental car agencies, lobby space, conference rooms, a pilots' lounge and an outdoor event space. For more information, click here.

According to ARGUS’ research, May 2016 overall activity recovered from an April drop, rising 2.2% over May 2015. May business aviation flight activity posted an anticipated month over month increase from April, finishing up 3.5%. Results by operational category were all in the black for the month, notably fractional operators posted the largest monthly increase, up 5.3%. The Part 135 and Part 91 sectors recorded a solid rise from April, up 5.2% and 1.9% respectively. Aircraft categories saw gains as well with the turboprop market leading the way for the largest monthly increase, up 7.4% from April. The small and large cabin markets followed, posting increases of 2.3% and 1.9%, in that order. Mid-size cabin aircraft posted a slight 0.9% increase for the month. The largest monthly change, for an individual segment, occurred in the fractional turboprop segment, up an astounding 33.3% from April. A full copy of this report can be found at TRAQPak Business Aircraft Activity Reports. Click here for more information.

On September 20^th and 21^st, NATA Safety 1^st will hold its new Advanced De-Icing Workshop at TAC Air in Salt Lake City, Utah. The workshop will provide instruction on safety protocols associated with de-icing procedures, advanced de-icing techniques and hands-on de-icing training. All attendees will be provided the Safety 1^st De/Anti-Icing Online Training module which must be completed in advance of the workshop. The preliminary agenda is available here. For questions regarding registration or sponsorship opportunities, contact Elizabeth Nicholson at (202) 774-1532 or enicholson@nata.aero.

On July 13^th, Conklin & de Decker Associates, Inc. and NATA will once again offer the only tax seminar designed for commercial operators. This year, the Tax Seminar is tailored as a one-day session and will be held at the Jet Linx headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. The Commercial Operators Tax Seminar looks at tax issues that you face every day in your operations including: federal excise taxes, state taxes, audits, international fees, and depreciation and passive activity loss rules. For the seminar agenda, click here. To register for the tax seminar, click here. Sponsorship opportunities are available, please contact Shannon Chambers at schambers@nata.aero.