NATA News

On November 14^th and 15^th, NATA will hold its final 2017 Advanced Line Service (ALS) Workshop at Base Operations at Page Field in Fort Myers, 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 advanced aviation fuel handling and quality control, including hands-on training.

NATA thanks our members who are assisting in disaster relief efforts around the nation. NATA has established a webpage to support American Red Cross efforts for areas impacted by natural disasters.

From generous humanitarian donations to collecting supplies and providing fuel, food and other amenities for emergency service crews, NATA aviation business members throughout the country are doing their part to assist in disaster relief.

NATA members are also offering their facilities as staging areas for emergency crews and providing ramp space for evacuated aircraft.

During Hurricane Harvey, Houston-based Universal Weather and Aviation serviced its usual volume of 100 flights per day worldwide, offering trip support, flight planning and handling.The company implemented a business continuity plan — drafted after the 2008 Hurricane Ike — to ensure that customers experienced uninterrupted service. Universal's staff of 30 meteorologists closely followed the storm and the company began putting plans in place 10 days before Harvey made landfall in Texas. While Universal sent most of its 700 employees home before the storm, a dedicated crew equivalent to a typical night shift—50 to 60 people—remained in the third-floor operations center in a six-story building, near NASA's Johnson Space Center, to handle client needs. “We were able to keep our people safe and maintain global operations without affecting any of our customers,” stated Pete Lewis, SVP of Global Operations. “A lot of our customers didn't even know that we were in the middle of the hurricane. For us that is a source of great pride.”

As relief efforts continue in Texas and Florida, EPIC’s supply and dispatch teams are working tirelessly to ensure FBOs, government agencies and commercial airlines are supplied with fuel. In addition to the hurricane relief efforts, EPIC continues to dispatch aviation fuels to FBOs and bases supporting aerial firefighting operations in the Western United States. “We’re doing everything we can to ensure fuel is available for hurricane relief efforts, as well as the ongoing fire support missions in the West,” said Lee Jones, Vice President of Supply for EPIC Fuels.

In the wake of Hurricane Irma, Bohlke International Airways (STX) is currently handling military operations carrying government aid and volunteers for locations throughout the Caribbean. Having narrowly missed the eyewall of category-five Hurricane Irma by 43 miles on September 6, Bohlke International Airways’ St. Croix FBO and Part 145 repair station is the closest operating airport to some of the locations most severely affected by Hurricane Irma — including St. Thomas, St. John and the British Virgin Islands. Bohlke’s FBO became the staging hub for international relief efforts, temporarily hosting the U.S. Air Force; U.S. Navy; U.S. Marines; Air National Guard; Federal Emergency Management Agency; American Red Cross; Salvation Army; and privately-owned aircraft. Read more.

The September/October 2017 FAA Safety Briefing explores the critical role flight instructors play in keeping the National Airspace System safe. Feature articles focus on flight instructor requirements and best practices, as well as the many tools and educational resources that can help sharpen your teaching skills.

Wisconsin Aviation recently named Aaron Hall as its new Avionics Manager. Hall’s aviation career began in 1993 with the United States Navy as an Aviation Electronics Technician. He’s held technical, engineering and avionic positions with Signature Flight Support, Bombardier Aerospace Jet Aviation, Cutter Aviation, and Avidyne Corporation. Aaron has a Doctorate of Science in Aviation Technology and is an FAA DER. He is a private pilot with over 450 hours of flight time. Read more.

The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) is pleased to announce that Grandview Jets, a Washington D.C./Baltimore-based charter operator with a fleet of Phenom 300 light jets, is the ACSF’s newest member. Along with 150 other companies, Grandview supports the ACSF’s vision to advance and enable the highest levels of safety in personal and business aviation through the promotion and facilitation of risk management programs. Learn more.