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June 11, 2018 — Volume 17, Issue 24 |
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| This Week's Top Stories |
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FAA Responds in Favor of Asheville Regional Airport in Part 13 Complaint
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On June 7th, the FAA’s Airports Division, Southern Region issued a Part 13 complaint review letter, concluding the allegations filed by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) against the Asheville Regional Airport (KAVL) “are not supported and that no further review is warranted.” In August 2017, the FAA received the Part 13 complaint, asserting that the airport sponsor is operating “in a manner that is inconsistent with its federal obligations” and alleging “egregious FBO pricing” practices. NATA immediately submitted a letter in response to the complaint, stating that the “assertions made in this complaint reflect a misunderstanding of a number of key points.” As noted in the complaint review letter, the FAA determined that “the GARAA [Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority] is currently in compliance with Grant Assurance 22, Economic Nondiscrimination and Grant Assurance 23, Exclusive Rights.”
“NATA and its aviation business members are pleased that the FAA took the necessary time and steps to understand the complexity of the issue and to consider the views of all stakeholders. The FAA’s complaint review letter illustrates the profound role of airport sponsors in upholding their federal obligations, and ensuring fees are reasonable and access to the airport is available to all users,” stated NATA President Marty Hiller.
“FAA’s response confirms NATA’s long-held belief that AOPA’s assertions reflected a misunderstanding of the economics of aviation businesses, the pricing of aeronautical services, industry consolidation and the airport sponsor-tenant relationship,” added Hiller.
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NATA 2018 Annual Meeting and Aviation Business Conference This Week | Registration Is Available Onsite
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The association is excited for this week’s NATA 2018 Annual Meeting and Aviation Business Conference on Tuesday, June 12 through Thursday, June 14 at the Grand Hyatt Washington. We are expecting record attendance this year and the conference agenda covers a variety of topics impacting FBOs, airports, air charter operators and MROs. Session topics include combating workforce shortage issues, the impact of unethical aviation business practices, taxes on aircraft management services, safety management systems, changes to pilot training and more! Listen to NATA’s latest podcast discussing what to expect at this year’s conference.
Thank you to our 2018 Annual Meeting and Aviation Business Conference sponsors and exhibitors: Aeroplex Group Partners, Air BP, Air Charter Guide, Atlantic Aviation, Avfuel, Aviation Management Consulting Group, Capital Aviation, Castle and Cooke Aviation, Chubb, Conklin & De Decker, Duncan Aviation, Enterprise Rent A Car, EPIC Fuels, Executive Jet Management, Gulfstream Aerospace, Jet Aviation, Phillips 66, Pentastar Aviation, Priester Aviation, NATA Compliance Services, NATA Safety 1st, Net Jets, Porter County Regional Airport, Ross Aviation, Signature Flight Support, Solairus Aviation, Stuart Jet Center, TAC Air and World Fuel Services. Sponsorship opportunities are still available starting at $250. For more information or to register, please visit www.nata.aero/abc.
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NATA Safety 1st Subscription Program Reaches Enrollment Milestone
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NATA Safety 1st announced last week that 100 aviation businesses from around the globe have enrolled in the Subscription Program, providing companies unlimited use of all NATA Safety 1st Training content for one fixed annual or monthly fee regardless of employee turnover, retraining or evolving training needs.
“We are very excited to reach this NATA Safety 1st milestone. The subscription program was launched in response to member and user input, and its success highlights the value it provides to aviation businesses,” stated Michael France, NATA’s Managing Director of Safety & Training. “The Safety 1st Subscription Program is a powerful tool for businesses that seek to empower their training staff to effectively support employee development. Under the program, trainers make decisions based upon need, not cost.”
The Safety 1st Subscription program is based upon an annual fee calculated by the number of training “slots” a company needs. Employees filling a training slot can be assigned any content within the Safety 1st program at any time. If an employee leaves the company, that slot is opened for a new hire to begin training immediately at no additional cost. If you would like more information, email safety1st@nata.aero.
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Aviation Business Journal Available Online | Read About this Year’s Industry Excellence Award Winners, Hopscotch Air and Much More
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NATA’s 2018 Q2 issue of the Aviation Business Journal is available online.
Highlights from this issue:
- Member Profile: Hopscotch Air
- Viewpoint: Gaining Altitude on Value
- Call Sign Chaff
- Introducing the Year’s NATA Industry Excellence Award Recipients
- A Federal Grant Assurance Primer
- The Future of Aviation
- Security Risks: Are You Aware?
- Congress Passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017: What Now? What’s Next?
- The Myths of FBO Consolidation
- Aviation Safety: Slow and Steady Wins the Race
- Safety 1st Update: A New Approach to Training
- NATA Ethics Statement
- Stay Out of the Illegal Charter Trap, Keep Your Leases Legal
As always, we thank our advertisers and Member Support Level participants, click here to read now.
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| From the FAA |
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FAA Releases PAFI Program Update
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On June 4th, the FAA issued an unleaded avgas progress update announcing the flight test program is approximately one-third complete and the engine test program is about halfway complete. The FAA states, “Differences in the two PAFI fuels as compared to 100LL are being evaluated for impacts and mitigations. While these issues are assessed, PAFI flight testing and some engine testing have been halted.” The testing completion date for the PAFI program will be December 2019.
The FAA is inviting fuel producers currently developing high-octane unleaded fuels to participate in a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the agency “to bring their data for evaluation and consideration for possible detonation, operability, and performance testing at the FAA’s William H. Hughes Technical Center.”
NATA continues to participate on the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative (PAFI), a government and industry collaboration, and we will be sure to keep you apprised on the development and deployment of a new unleaded aviation fuel(s) that can be available for the general aviation fleet. For further questions or concerns, please contact Megan Eisenstein at meisenstein@nata.aero.
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FAA Safety Briefing: Transitioning to a Different Aircraft?
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The lack of transition training has been cited as a causal factor in many general aviation accidents. Accidents frequently result from pilots being unprepared for challenges presented by the new, or different, aircraft they are flying. It is important to remember when pilots are legally certificated to operate aircraft within a specific category and class, significant differences can exist among different types of aircraft within that category and class and there is a need for effective transition training. Many accidents occur when pilots fly aircraft they’re unfamiliar with. The first 50 to 100 hours in a new aircraft type are particularly dangerous, especially when a formal transition training program isn’t followed. View the Safety Briefing here.
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Industry Update
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Airlines for America Extends Several Important Filter Monitor Deadlines
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Airlines for America (A4A) released Bulletin 2018.1 last week in response to industry feedback for compliance dates affecting filter monitors. The new bulletin supersedes the previous dates issued in A4A bulletin 2017.2 and extends them to December 31st, 2018 for the following action items:
- Upgrade 2-inch diameter filter monitors to EI 1583 7th edition
- Upgrade 6-inch diameter out-to-in filter monitors to EI 1583 7th edition
- Convert 6-inch diameter in-to-out filter monitors to EI 1581 Filter Water Separators
The extension is welcome news for many operators who currently utilize filter monitors and may have been surprised by the announcement late last year that filter monitors, which are widely used around the world for aviation fuel filtration would be phased out of operation by December 31st, 2020. NATA has and will continue to follow this issue closely to bring you the latest developments.
If you’re unfamiliar with the filter monitor issue you can get caught up by visiting NATA’s Safety 1st blog, The Safety Net where we bring you the latest industry news affecting safety, training, fuel and ground handling operations.
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Association Highlights
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Participate in NATA’s 2018 Compensation Survey Today
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| Please participate in NATA’s 2018 Compensation Survey. All information will be kept strictly confidential and cannot be tied back to the respondent or reporting location by anyone (including NATA), and will be reported only in aggregate with other responses.
The survey will provide valuable information that allow NATA members to:
- Stay competitive in your region
- Assess your current benefit and salary offerings
- Take an in-depth look at your operation from every position
View the survey outline here and participate by contacting Jake Legere at jlegere@nata.aero.
Members that participate will receive a complimentary copy of the survey results.
The new survey deadline is June 30, 2018.
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Events
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Enhance Your Safety Team’s Professional and Technical Development | Three NATA Safety 1st Events in August and September
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NATA Safety 1st will offer three events to enhance safety professionals’ leadership and technical skills, as well as heighten their understanding of several aspects within ground handling aviation safety. These events will encourage knowledge-sharing and best practices and cover top challenges and opportunities within the general aviation safety community.
On July 31-August 1, NATA Safety 1st will hold its popular Advanced Line Service (ALS) Workshop at Austin Executive Airport in Texas. The second annual NATA Safety 1st Ground Handling Safety Symposium will return September 11-12 at the NTSB Training Center in Ashburn, VA. On September 18-19, NATA Safety 1st will hold its new Certified QC Inspector Workshop at Wilson Air in Charlotte, NC.
Visit www.nata.aero/events for more information or to register for an upcoming NATA event.
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Member Spotlight
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Boca Raton Airport Unveils New Customs and Border Protection Facility
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On May 31, 2018, a brand-new U.S. Customs Border and Protection Facility opened at the Boca Raton Airport. The unveiling was celebrated the previous evening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception, which was attended by many of Boca Raton’s government, civic and business leaders. Before May 31, 2018, international flights had to stop at another airport to clear Customs before returning to the Boca Raton Airport. Now that the Customs facility is complete, you’ll be able to fly directly into BCT, which increases safety, prevents low altitude flights, reduces noise created by additional flights, and enhances the overall flying experience. Learn more at www.bocaairport.com.
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Lynx FBO Network Acquiring Napa Jet Center
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Last week, the Lynx FBO Network (Lynx), a portfolio company of The Sterling Group, announced that it is acquiring Napa Jet Center, the premier general aviation service provider in the Napa Valley. The acquisition of Napa Jet Center will mark Lynx's seventh acquisition since inception and second this year and represents another opportunity for Lynx to invest significant resources towards developing a best-in-class fixed base operator (FBO) facility with industry-leading service ratings. Lynx plans to execute significant investments in the Napa facility, including the design and development of a world-class FBO campus reflective of the FBO's role as the gateway to the Napa Valley. Learn more at www.lynxfbo.com.
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Air BP Enters into Airport and Business Aviation Initiatives to Offset Flight Emissions
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Earlier this month, Air BP announced carbon offsetting initiatives with an airport in Spain and a business aviation company in Brazil to mark the fifth anniversary of Teruel Airport. Through these initiatives, all carbon emissions related to Jet-A1 and Avgas 100LL aviation fuel supplied by Air BP during May will be offset through BP’s Target Neutral program that invests in carbon reduction projects around the world. The carbon emissions related to the use of all aviation fuels supplied by Air BP to Brazilian aircraft management company Avantto Aircraft Administration for the next 12 months will be offset through BP Target Neutral. The program has offset 3.17 million tons of CO2e during its 11 years of operation. Learn more here.
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Q1 2018 Issue
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