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Member Update
NATA Member Update
November 18, 2010
In This Issue
W.VA Representative Submits Letter To FAA Concerning Part 135 Flight, Duty And Rest Regulations
NATA President Coyne Featured On AOPA Live
NATA Participates In Flight Training Summit During AOPA Summit
EPA Has No “Timeline” On Avgas Lead Regulation
ACSF Audit Standard Gains International Acceptance
NATA Fuel Handling And Quality Control Guide Now Available For Pre-Order
NATA Holds E-Learn Webinar On Strategic Business Planning For Aviation Facilities
Latest Edition Of ABJ Online Now
W.VA Representative Submits Letter To FAA Concerning Part 135 Flight, Duty And Rest Regulations
U.S. Representative Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) submitted a letter to FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt voicing concern about potential regulations for Part 135 flight, duty and rest regulations. Last month, the FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking for Part 121 air carriers addressing flight, duty and rest regulations and stated that Part 135 should expect a similar if not exact rule in the near future. Representative Capito wrote that “FAA should carefully consider the implications of issuing a blanket rule that would treat Part 135 carriers the same as Part 121.” In addition, the letter urged the FAA to improve the flight, duty and rest regulations for each certificate holder by placing a priority on safety as well as making sure that any new rule or regulation is tailored to the requirements of each certificate.”
To read the entire letter, please click here.
NATA President Coyne Featured On AOPA Live
Last week, NATA President James K. Coyne appeared with Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) President Craig Fuller onstage at AOPA Live during AOPA’s annual Aviation Summit in Long Beach, CA. Coyne stated that “NATA represents aviation businesses that support AOPA members. For aviation to be successful, it’s up to the aviation businesses to keep aircraft flying.” Coyne and Fuller also discussed the outcome of the midterm elections as well as General Aviation Serves America.
NATA Participates In Flight Training Summit During AOPA Summit
Last week, NATA staff and members of the NATA Flight Training Committee participated in the Flight Training Summit hosted by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) directly preceding the AOPA Summit in Long Beach California. Flight training providers have long been faced with the fact that 80% of students beginning initial flight training never complete their training. At the Flight Training Summit, AOPA unveiled research it had completed into the reasons for this low completion rate. After an initial session discussing the results of the research, Flight Training Summit attendees were broken into groups that spent the remainder of the day analyzing possible solutions that may help increase the completion rate for students.
The research performed by AOPA involved focus groups and a phone survey of pilots, both current and lapsed student pilots, and flight instructors. The results pointed to a series of factors including lack of educational quality, customer focus, community, and information sharing as major contributors to the low completion rate for flight training students. The results of the work done by the breakout groups on how to address these issues is expected to be available in the coming weeks.
EPA Has No “Timeline” On Avgas Lead Regulation
According to a recent article in AVweb, an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staff member told attendees at the AOPA Summit, "We do not have a specific timeline for moving forward with a [Notice of Proposed Rulemaking].” EPA engineer Glen Passavant also told the audience that the EPA has completed reviewing the 500 comments submitted to the agency in response to the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) regarding lead use in aviation gasoline. Passavant stated that the agency is working actively with the FAA and industry groups on the issue.
NATA currently participates with the General Aviation Avgas Coalition, which submitted comments to the ANPR stating the industry’s position that the EPA does not have enough information to proceed with the rulemaking process on this issue.
ACSF Audit Standard Gains International Acceptance
The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) Industry Audit Standard (IAS) registration was recently listed as an accepted method of compliance with Safety Management System (SMS) requirements by the Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation (BDCA).
A letter issued on behalf of the Bermuda Director of Civil Aviation states that the BDCA will enforce the requirements of ICAO Annex 6 Part 2 when it becomes effective on November 18, 2010. These requirements affect all operators of general aviation aircraft operated under FAR Part 91 and Part 125 or equivalent with a Maximum Take-Off Weight of greater than 12,500 lbs.
The BDCA will accept several methods of compliance with the requirement for an SMS, one of which includes ACSF registration. This letter has been posted on the DCA Web site at: http://www.dca.gov.bm/default.aspx
The IAS is a universal audit standard developed specifically for charter operators and shared aircraft management companies to accomplish two key functions – to verify compliance with regulatory requirements and to evaluate the level of compliance with recognized SMS standards.
The ACSF audit process and registry were developed to position an operator, through a single audit, to gain world-wide recognition of its SMS program. The IAS is also the only program that evaluates operators every 24 months rather than annually, minimizing the administrative burden on operators and program managers.
The ACSF IAS requires every operator to complete an internal pre-audit prior to scheduling an on-site audit. Doing so enables operators to gauge, before any payment is tendered, how well they will perform during the audit. This system allows an operator to determine in advance of any payment if they are not yet ready to proceed to audit. Operators completing the pre-audit won’t be unprepared and will not waste their money paying for an unsuccessful audit.
Supporting materials are available at www.acsf.aero/audit. Operators wishing to initiate the audit process should contact Russ Lawton or Alison McHugh at 1-888-SAFE-135 (888-723-3135).
NATA Fuel Handling And Quality Control Guide Now Available For Pre-Order
Control Procedures for Airport Service and Support Operations is now available for pre-order for NATA members. The 2011 revision is a complete rewrite that includes full-color photographs and a new easy-to-read format. Refueling and Quality Control Procedures for Airport Service and Support Operations is referenced in FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5230-4A, Aircraft Fuel Storage, Handling and Dispensing on Airports as an authoritative source for "information about fuel safety, types of aviation fuels, fueling vehicle safety, facility inspection procedures, fueling procedures, and methods for handling fuel spills."
The goal of this guide is to provide airport fuel service providers an easily understood, comprehensive review of the many complex standards and requirements for the handling of aviation. The incorporation of full-color photographs adds to the usefulness of the 2011 revision as a teaching tool for new and seasoned fuel handling technicians alike.
The 2011 revision is expected to be available for delivery in mid-December. The regular price for the guide is $150 for NATA members and $250 for non-members. However, NATA members placing a pre-order on or before December 3, 2010, can receive this invaluable guide book for only $130. Don't miss your opportunity to get this industry leading guide book for a pre-publication price. Click the link below to order now.
Pre-Order your Copy of NATA's Refueling and Quality Control Procedures for Airport Service and Support Operation now!
NATA Holds E-Learn Webinar On Strategic Business Planning For Aviation Facilities
Earlier this week, NATA continued its E-Learn webinar series with a webinar on Strategic Business Planning for aviation businesses. Beyond answering the key questions of “where is your aviation business today (point A)” and “where do you want the aviation business to be tomorrow (point B)”, the strategic business plan answers the question of how to get your business from point A to point B.
Presenters for this webinar were Paul Meyers and Jeff Kohlman, both founding principles of Aviation Management Consulting Group (AMCG). AMCG provides a full range of aviation management consulting services, including strategic business planning, to fixed base operators, specialized aviation businesses, airport owners and operators, governmental entities and professional organizations.
The Strategic Business Planning E-Learn Webinar is available by clicking here.
Latest Edition Of ABJ Online Now
The 4th Quarter edition of Aviation Business Journal, the official publication of the National Air Transportation Association and the only journal dedicated to the business of NATA member constituencies has been released and should be arriving in mailboxes shortly. The full 4th quarter edition, as well as past copies, are available in PDF format by clicking here.
This edition of the journal spotlights Mazzei Flying Service, and has articles on health care reform, California’s flight training saga, family-owned/operated aviation businesses, and regular feature articles such as the President’s Message and Inside Washington.
If you have a story idea you would like to see covered in a future edition of Aviation Business Journal, please contact Linda Pylant at lpylant@nata.aero.
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