NATA News

Costello said he favors maintaining the current mechanism of using fuel taxes to support the aviation trust fund. "This is an issue that we have had bipartisan agreement on in recent years, and there is no reason to reconsider it. I will not support a budget or an FAA reauthorization bill that includes user fees," he said.

NATA issued an action call to association members asking them to reach out to their Member of Congress and request that he or she co-sign the Costello/Petri letter to President Obama opposing aviation user fees. This is a time-sensitive issue, contact your member today.

The General Aviation Caucus has been reinstated in the U.S. House of Representatives for the 112th Congressional session. The General Aviation Caucus is open to all Members of the U.S. House of Representatives despite party affiliation or committee assignments. In the previous Congress, the caucus had over 135 members, a substantial size for a congressional caucus.

U.S. Congressmen Sam Graves (R-MO) and John Barrow (D-GA) will serve as co-chairman of the caucus. It is the goal of Reps. Graves and Barrow, along with general aviation industry groups including the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Experimental Aircraft Association, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, National Air Transportation Association, National Business Aviation Association, Alliance for Aviation Across America, Air Care Alliance, Commemorative Air Force, Recreational Aviation Foundation, Antique Aircraft Association, and International Council of Air Shows, to ensure that the caucus has a large membership to draw upon to highlight important issues facing the general aviation industry.

The caucus intends to hold regular meetings on issues affecting general aviation, including legislation to reauthorize the FAA, the pending release of the revised rule on the Large Aircraft Security Program, and issues involving aviation security.

NATA released an action call to its members last week asking for their support by requesting their Member of the U.S. House of Representatives to join or re-join the General Aviation Caucus.

The U.S. Senate General Aviation Caucus has not been reinstated at this time; however, it is expected to be in the coming weeks.

In early 2010, the California flight training industry was taken by surprise by new state regulation that deemed that flight training facilities were private post secondary educational facilities and subjected them to stringent rules designed for private college’s and vocational schools. These rules were designed to protect students’ investments in their education. Facilities soon learned that the law authorizing flight training to be included in the new rules was passed by the California legislature without seeking any input or comment from the industry. A survey performed by NATA indicated that the new rules could cause up to 90% of flight training businesses to close.

In response to these new rules, NATA began a legislative effort to seek relief for flight training facilities. Due to the hard work of the association, NATA member companies and other industry members and associations, a delay in compliance was passed by the legislature providing the flight training industry time to make its case to lawmakers. Flight training facilities are now operating under that delay, which remains in effect until July of this year.

Late last year, NATA and others in the industry began the process of educating California legislators on the unique nature and diversity of operations in flight training. NATA’s lobbyist is now diligently working with the California legislature to identify and pass a long-term solution that offers protections to students while allowing the flight training industry in the state to continue to thrive. NATA expects that this effort, like the one undertaken last year, will require the combined effort of the entire industry.

As the Illinois State Legislature considered ways to raise additional revenue, one proposal generated significant concern. The legislature considered imposing a tax on the gross receipts for on-demand air charter transportation.

Ultimately, the new tax was dropped, but it does raise concerns for air charter operators in Illinois and other states seeking to raise revenue. NATA was in contact with the Illinois Aviation Trades Association and alerted them to the fact that the federal government prohibits the states from imposing taxes or fees on interstate air transportation via a provision in the United States Code. This restriction would have ultimately prevented the tax from being imposed, but it could have been a difficult process to have the tax formally rescinded had it actually been passed.

NATA strongly encourages members to alert the association to any state initiative that would pose an issue for aviation businesses.

Last week, NATA filed comments in response to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in which the FAA proposed significant changes for equipment, staffing, training and weather minimums for all helicopter air ambulance operations. Also included in the rulemaking were changes affecting all Part 135 helicopters as well as a proposal to alter load manifest requirements for every Part 135 operation (whether the aircraft is fixed-wing or helicopter).

The FAA proposed to change the existing load manifest requirements in §135.63 to apply to all operators. NATA objected to that proposal and suggested that the FAA follow previous industry recommendations to expand the requirement to only aircraft that are turbine powered.

NATA also called on the FAA to provide additional time to comply with some of the more burdensome requirements for new equipment and staffing that were proposed for helicopter air ambulance operators.

Review NATA’s comments.

Read NATA’s Regulatory Report on the NPRM.

• Many A&Ps who currently hold maintenance supervisory positions would be unable to retain their IA.
• Individuals with an IA would be lost due to this policy change.

In its comments, the association stated, “NATA would like to request that the FAA considers its comments in developing the final policy change in order to alleviate a negative impact on Repair Stations, FBOs and A&P’s nationwide, while providing acceptable means for the agency to determine IA eligibility.”

To view NATA’s comments, please click here.

A copy of the notice of proposed policy can be found here.

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 a comprehensive, easy-to-understand review of the many complex standards and requirements for the handling of aviation fuel. 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 webinar, held last week and hosted by NATA Director of Regulatory Affairs Michael France, provided attendees an overview of aviation fuel quality control policy, procedures and inspections for general aviation fuel service facilities. A recorded version of the webinar is available by clicking here.

The 2011 revision of the guidebook Refueling and Quality Control Procedures for Airport Service and Support Operations is available to purchase now at www.nata.aero/store. The cost of the guidebook is $195 for NATA members and $250 for non-members.

One year ago, the NATA launched a revolutionary automated risk assessment tool called RA Check. This online tool combines a highly comprehensive FAA-endorsed Risk Assessment Tool with the automation necessary to make its use quick, easy, and accurate.

Since its inception last year, RA Check has fulfilled a vital role in safety management programs with the perfect combination of sound safety risk assessment methodology and convenient automation features. Safety and compliance tools such as RA Check are greatly improving the business balance between safety and productivity. So far, more than 100 companies have utilized RA Check for risk assessment and today this tool becomes even more convenient and accommodating with its second major release.

The new version of RA Check includes several enhanced features:

• RA Check can now also be used as a stand-alone tool without integrating with CTA’s Flight Operating System (FOS).
• It is now possible to customize criteria settings – operators can set parameters to their own specifications and even eliminate and add criteria as necessary.
• Improved accuracy of automatic calculations through the use of more advanced data sources and algorithms.

The key benefits of RA Check include:

• Streamlines processes –
  • Automates the criteria of the Turbine Aircraft Operators Subgroup (TAOS) Flight Risk Assessment Tool formula and returns an Online response.
  • Can still integrate with CTA’s Flight Operating System (FOS) limiting manual data entry.
  • Automatic and user-generated email alerts for risk assessment reports and risk factor questionnaires that may be viewed and addressed on your Smart Phone.
• Raises situational awareness by focusing only on factors that pertain to each particular flight.
• Alerts crewmember about proactive safety measures for a particular flight.
• Reduces training time, standardizes results and removes subjectivity.
• Sets realistic operational thresholds.
• Takes the most comprehensive Risk Assessment methodology and makes it as easy to implement as the most basic of models.

The program was developed by, and is hosted and managed by, NATA. A free 30-day trial registration and further information are available online at www.nata.aero/racheck.

NATA’s 2011 FBO Leadership Conference takes place February 7-8 immediately preceding NBAA’s Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference in Savannah, Georgia. This is a must-attend event for FBO leaders to meet with their customers and find out about the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.

Continuing last week’s NATA News article, the second day conference agenda items include:

• Winning Business and Life Strategies

Listen to keynote speaker Bobby Clampett review his business and life strategies learned from being a PGA golfer, CBS Sportscaster, author and pilot.

• The Future of Aviation Gasoline

During this panel discussion, experts from leading aviation associations will review the history and future of lead regulation as well as the efforts the industry is undertaking to work proactively towards a lead-free future.

• Airport Minimum Standards – A Value to the Future of Your Business

Industry experts discuss the value of comprehensive Airport Minimum Standards in protecting the future of your business.

• Maximize Time and Increase Productivity at NBAA’s S&D

NBAA and NATA staff will cover the best ways not only to hit your target market, but also grow your market share with lasting business relationships.

To view the full program agenda, catch the preview video or register for the conference today, visit www.nata.aero/fbolc.

Next month, NATA will host its third annual Spring Training event February 21-24, 2011, coinciding with the Cygnus Aviation Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. Spring Training is a combination of three independent NATA seminars in one location: the Line Service Supervisors Training Seminar, the Safety 1st Trainer Seminar and the Environmental Compliance Seminar.

Still wondering how attending NATA’s Spring Training week would benefit you or your company? Click here to read a blog post from an insider, NATA Director of Regulatory Affairs Michael France, who also has a line service manager credential on his resume.

France discusses attending his first NATA Line Service Supervisor Training (LSST) seminar. He talks about how the seminar helped him build contacts and understand more about the industry. “It was during that first seminar that I made the decision that general aviation and FBO operations were more than just an industry, they were my industry,” says France.

For a preview video of Spring Training hosted by France and NATA Director of Safety and Training Amy Koranda, click here. For more information on Spring Training Week, please visit www.nata.aero/springtraining.