NATA News

• Cain, Mica Highlight Aviation Business Roundtable
  
• Judge Dismisses California Avgas Coalition Lawsuit On Legal Technicalities
  
• Chairman Mica Sends Letter To Super Committee Opposing The $100 Per Flight Fee On Aviation
  
• FAA Issues Proposed Rule Allowing All Pilots To Update Certain Aircraft Navigation Databases
  
• EPA Extends SPCC Compliance Deadline For Farms – Compliance Date For Aviation Facilities Remains November 10, 2011
  
• Urge Congress To Oppose The President’s $100 Flight Fee Today!
  
• Harrison Ford Meets With Senate GA Caucus To Discuss Issues Affecting Industry
  
•  November FBO Success Seminar: Fuel Summit 2011
  
• Last LSST This Year – Don’ Miss It Or Special Offer Good Through Today!
  
• Emergency Response Planning Webinar Next Month 

Today, NATA is hosting its annual Aviation Business Roundtable in Arlington, Virginia. The two-day meeting consists of high-level meetings with some of the most influential decision makers in Washington, D.C. and within the aviation industry to discuss key financial and political issues affecting the aviation business community. This year’s lineup of speakers is highlighted by Republican Presidential Candidate Herman Cain, as well as:

• Congressman John Mica (R-FL), Chairman, U. S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  
• J. Randolph Babbitt, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration
  
• Ted Leonsis, Washington Sports Teams’ Owner
  
• Joe Lombardo, Executive Vice President, Aerospace Group, General Dynamics
  
• John G. Rosanvallon, President and CEO, Dassault Falcon Jet Corporation
  
• Pete Bunce, President and CEO, General Aviation Manufacturers Association
  
• Marion C. Blakey, President and CEO, Aerospace Industries Association
  
• Todd Hauptli, Senior Executive Vice President, American Association of Airport Executives
  
• Edward M. Bolen, President and CEO, National Business Aviation Association
  
• Michael Boyd, President, Boyd Group International, Inc.
  
• Michael Scheeringa, President, Signature Flight Support
  
• Greg Arnold, President and CEO, Truman Arnold Companies
  
• Clive Lowe, Vice President, Business Development, Atlantic Aviation
  
• Jim Hopkins, Vice President, Sales & Charter, Landmark Aviation

“We look forward to an outstanding two days of meetings,” stated NATA President and CEO James K. Coyne. “This event has truly become a platform for our members to voice their concerns on critical issues confronting their businesses to some of the most influential decision makers in Washington, D.C.”

Please click here to view the 2011 Aviation Business Roundtable program.

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Last Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Anthony Ishii granted the Center for Environmental Health’s (CEH) and California State Attorney General’s Office’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the California Avgas Coalition. The coalition’s lawsuit had asked Judge Ishii to issue an injunction preventing the CEH from utilizing a California state law known as Proposition 65 to sue the FBOs and avgas distributers that compose the coalition over the lead content of aviation gasoline. Judge Ishii’s decision to dismiss the coalition’s lawsuit was narrowly tailored on two legal technicalities and did not include an opinion on whether the application of Proposition 65 to an aviation fuel was preempted by federal law, as the coalition had claimed.

With the coalition’s lawsuit dismissed, the CEH immediately filed suit in state court on Thursday claiming 46 named and up to 200 unnamed companies had violated Proposition 65 by selling avgas and not providing warnings to individuals living near the airport. In its suit, the CEH asks the court to prohibit the sale of leaded avgas unless the companies provide detailed warnings explaining that the companies are exposing the individuals residing near the airport to lead. Additionally, the CEH demanded that the companies pay the CEH’s legal fees and significant civil penalties (by statute, the CEH is allowed to keep 25% of any civil penalty with the balance going to the state).

The California Avgas Coalition is currently weighing its legal options in response to the CEH’s suit.

“We are deeply disappointed with the judge’s ruling last week that dismissed the coalition’s federal suit on two technicalities,” stated NATA Vice President of Government and Industry Affairs Eric Byer. “We are extremely concerned about the impact this ruling has on FBOs and fuel providers throughout the state of California that are now facing additional litigation and escalating costs as a result of the CEH’s complaint. And for the first time, there are serious concerns about the future availability of avgas in California. All of these concerns have been brought to bear because of Proposition 65 and a private group's relentless effort to penalize FBOs for doing what the FAA and the airports require them to do -- sell leaded avgas to general aviation aircraft.”

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U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica (R-FL) submitted a letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and all the members serving on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction highlighting his committee’s views on various transportation initiatives of the Joint Select Committee’s proposal to cut federal spending and stating its opposition to the $100-per-flight fee on aviation.

Mica wrote that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has long supported user fee programs under its jurisdiction such as the Airport and Airways Trust Fund and the Federal Highway Trust Fund, however, user fees should not be used to reduce the federal deficit. The letter offers strong support for the current aviation financing structure, where users pay for services and infrastructure improvements that benefit them. “The President’s $100-per-flight fee is an arbitrary number with no basis for its establishment,” Mica said. In addition, Mica addressed the importance of not eliminating Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds for large to medium-sized airports. The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction’s proposal would reduce AIP funding from $3.5 to $2.4 billion per year, which the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure strongly opposes because the AIP funding has been at $3.5 without any increases since 2006.

NATA appreciates the efforts of Chairman Mica to submit his recommendations to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. This committee’s proposal is due by November 23, 2011.

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Last week, the FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would allow all pilots to perform updates on certain aircraft navigational databases. Under current rules, the update of aircraft navigational databases is classified as preventative maintenance, allowing pilots to perform the update only on aircraft operated under Part 91. This proposed rule would allow pilots operating aircraft under Part 135 to perform the updates on “self-contained, front-instrument panel-mounted and pedestal-mounted air traffic control (ATC) navigational system database[s].”

NATA issued a regulatory report on the NPRM to its membership in which the association expressed concern with the limiting language of the NPRM: “NATA is pleased that the FAA has begun this rulemaking project. However, NATA believes that the FAA has not fully addressed the issue. Numerous aircraft flight management systems that utilize a data loader to update their navigational databases are not included in this proposed rule.” 

The NPRM is open for public comment until December 19, 2011.

Click here to read the full NPRM.

Click here to read the NATA Regulatory Report.

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Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agiency (EPA) issued an extension, for farms, to the compliance date for the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) rules. The SPCC rules have undergone multiple changes over the last 10 years, and the compliance date has been extended multiple times and is currently set for November 10, 2011. Last week’s compliance date extension for farmers does not affect aviation facilities that will still need to ensure that their SPCC plans are in compliance with the current rules by November 10.

NATA recently completed a webinar detailing the various changes to the SPCC rules over the past decade and the major factors aviation facilities should consider to ensure that their plans are in full compliance. A recorded copy of the webinar is available for purchase for $49.95. A recorded copy of the SPCC Compliance Webinar will give your facility the latest information on compliance with the complex SPCC rules and will include featured speaker George Gamble, founder of 2G Environmental. 2G Environmental was founded in 2003 and has extensive experience in aviation specific SPCC plans and other areas of environmental compliance.

To purchase a copy of the SPCC Webinar or for more information on the upcoming SPCC compliance deadline, please contact: Michael France, NATA director of regulatory affairs, at mfrance@nata.aero .

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In an attempt to find ways to trim the deficit, President Obama proposed as part of his economic growth and deficit reduction plan, a $100 per-flight fee on general aviation and commercial aircraft that use the air traffic control system. Specifically, the fee is aimed at private aircraft which, according to the administration, do not pay their fair share of costs of operating within the aviation system. The administration anticipates that this proposed fee would raise an estimated $11 billion over 10 years.

NATA recently sent an action call to its members requesting support by writing to their Members of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and expressing concern over this burdensome fee. Visit NATA’s Legislative Action Center for more information on how to reach your Members of Congress.

In October, members of the House sent a letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction opposing the tax and fee proposals. The letter emphasizes the detrimental impact such a fee would impose and reiterates that the industry agrees that the current system of aviation excise taxes is stable, efficient and a reasonable source of funding.

For more information on NATA’s position, read our action call here

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Harrison Ford, actor, pilot and general aviation advocate, met with members of the U.S. Senate General Aviation Caucus last week to raise awareness for general aviation’s many vital contributions to our states and the nation. Caucus co-chairs Senators Mark Begich (D-AK) and Mike Johanns (R-NE) kicked off the session with an explanation that general aviation (GA) isn't a luxury and that in some cases it is often a necessity. The lack of understanding of the role GA plays in the United States has placed it in jeopardy, they said.

“It really has brought great value to my life. I'm very grateful for the experience, and I'm very happy to have the opportunity to represent the interests of the general aviation community,” Ford told 12 members of the Senate GA Caucus during a roundtable discussion in Washington, D.C. Ford learned to fly 15 years ago, and since that time he has inspired youth through the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program, participated in the 2010 Special Olympics Airlift to Lincoln, Nebraska, and transported supplies to Haiti after the devastating earthquake last year. Ford also has received the prestigious Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy in 2010.

Joining Begich and Johanns at the roundtable were Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Joe Manchin (D-WV), James Inhofe (R-OK), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), John Thune (R-SD), John Boozman (R-AR), Mark Pryor (D-AR), and John Hoeven (R-ND), as well as Representative Sam Graves (R-MO), co-chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives General Aviation Caucus.

Senator Begich mentioned the many threats facing the industry such as the proposed $100-per-flight user fee, a proposal that would hurt business jet depreciation schedules, a lack of privacy causing flight information to be publicly available in real-time status, and a four-year lack of long-term FAA funding.

To view AOPA’s video clip of the briefing, please click here.

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The FBO Success Seminar: Fuel Summit 2011 was developed for FBO owners, operators, general managers and other key employees to explore the dynamics of an ever changing marketplace and offer strategies to help improve an FBO’s bottom line. The focus of the Atlanta seminar is on increasing fuel sales while maintaining the highest possible margins. Click on the links below to hear what Tina Gillis & Lisa Kessler of FltPlan.com and Andrea & Dan Montgomery of Montgomery Aviation have to say about this valuable seminar.

FltPlan.com Talks About What Makes NATA's FBO Success Seminar Such a Success
Visit the 2011 FBO Success Seminar page and click on the link below the video player to find out what long-time NATA supporters, FltPlan.com’s Tina Gillis and Lisa Kessler, have to say about NATA’s FBO Success Seminar. FltPlan.com has been a sponsor of this event from the very beginning and continues its support with the upcoming seminar in Atlanta on November 8-10. NATA Director of Safety and Training Amy Koranda interviews Gillis and Kessler about why they feel that this is one of NATA’s most important seminars.

Click here to listen to some of the most important reasons for attending this November.  

Third-Time Attendees, Andrea And Dan Montgomery, Talk About Benefits Of Attending The FBO Success Seminar

See what long-time NATA FBO Success Seminar attendees Andrea and Dan Montgomery of Montgomery Aviation have to say about why they will attend this seminar a third time in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 8-10. NATA Director of Safety and Training Amy Koranda interviews Andi and Dan about why they feel that this is one of NATA's most valuable seminars, time and time again. Click here to listen to some of the most important reasons for attending this November.  

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NATA’s Line Service Supervisor Training (LSST) seminar will conclude the year in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 7-8. If you haven’t renewed your supervisory fire safety certification (14 CFR Part 139.321), this is your last chance before our next LSST in 2012. Additionally, there is a special offering – if you sign up on or before October 24, you will receive a free copy of NATA’s Refueling and Quality Control Procedures for Airport Service and Support Operations – a value of $195! Copies will be handed out at the seminar.

Take less than a minute to view Dr. Todd Dewett’s video invitation to the LSST in Atlanta, November 7-8, by visiting NATA's 2011 LSST page. Dr. Dewett is one of the most popular and knowledgeable speakers at the seminar along with Reed Fuller, ServiceElements, McBreen & Kopko, Walter Chartrand, Amy Koranda and Michael France.

We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta!

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NATA is pleased to present the newest topic in our E-learn Webinar Series, Emergency Response Planning. This one-hour webinar will provide air charter operators with information on the following key areas related to an emergency response plan (ERP):

• Why do you need an ERP?
• What should your ERP look like?
• How do you know your ERP will work?
• What should you do if something bad happens?
• Lessons learned from “The Real World”

Join us on Thursday, November 10 at noon, for this informative session that will give attendees valuable insight that can be directly applied to their aircraft operations.

The Emergency Response Planning webinar will be presented by Dave Hewitt of Hewitt and Company. Hewitt, a trained and experienced accident investigator, has over 20 years of experience in leading emergency response planning and execution for both small and large operations.

Click here to register now. Registration for this webinar is $49.95 per location and includes a copy of presentation materials and link to a recording of the webinar.

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11/07/2011 - Atlanta, GA
Line Service Supervisor Training

03/05/2012 - Las Vegas, NV
2012 Spring Training

NATA E-Learn Webinars

11/10/2011 - NATA Emergency Response Plan Webinar

11/22/2011 - NATA and USAIG Slips & Falls Webinar


Fuel Quality Control Webinar Series - Special package discounts are available.

Click here to view a listing of archived webinar recordings.