NATA News

The FAA has issued an Advisory Circular (AC) providing details pertaining to the use of the Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program (VDRP) for violations of the drug and alcohol testing regulations. When the violation disclosure procedures outlined in AC 120-117 are followed, the FAA will not pursue enforcement action for FAA drug and alcohol testing program regulation noncompliance. This AC is specific to drug and alcohol testing programs and complements AC 00-58B, which provides overall guidance on the FAA’s VDRP. Operators are encouraged to become familiar with both AC’s and the requirements to use the program.

The IRS updated rates for certain commercial transportation federal excise taxes and fees that are subject to annual inflationary adjustment. For transportation in calendar year 2018, the Domestic Segment Fee is $4.20, the International Facilities Fee increases to $18.30 per passenger and the fee for transportation beginning or ending in Alaska or Hawaii is $9.20 per passenger.

 

The 7.5% tax on amounts paid for passenger transportation and the 6.25% rate for cargo are not indexed to inflation and remain unchanged. The 2018 rates are found on page 20 of the IRS Revenue Procedure 2017-58.

In recent NATA Safety 1^st blog articles, the association posted International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Energy Institute (EI) communications on the future of aviation fuel filter monitors. On January 22^nd at 2:00pm, NATA will address this issue during a live webinar: Filter Monitors: Recent Changes and What You Need to Know. NATA staff will be joined by expert panelists from Airlines for America (publishers of the ATA Spec 103) and Facet Filters who will provide a brief background on filter monitors, explore the recent changes and discuss how those changes will affect current industry standards and practices.

 

The webinar will also offer insights on the future of filter monitors and address audience questions. This live webinar is open to all NATA members free of charge. If you are not an NATA member and would like to register, please contact safety1st@nata.aero.

 

Register today!

NATA's 2017 Q4 Aviation Business Journal is now available online.

 

Highlights from this issue:

 

- Member Profile — Indiana Flight Center

- 2017 Aviation Leadership Conference

- The Future is Now: Flight Standards Service Realigns

- Arresting a Dangerous Descent for Insurers

- Lessons from NATA’s Inaugural Ground Handling Safety Symposium

 

As always, we thank our advertisers and Member Support Level participants. Click here to read.

Nominations forms are now available for the 2017 Industry Excellence Awards and the 2018 Aviation Maintenance Technician Employer Award Program. Each year, NATA presents awards to the exceptional individuals and companies that have helped to improve the general aviation community. The recipients of the following awards are chosen based upon NATA member-submitted nominations:

The Industry Excellence Awards, along with the AMT Employer Awards, will be presented at a luncheon held during NATA’s Aviation Business Conference in June 2018. For more information, please click here. To submit an online nomination form, click here.

NATA’s FBO Success Seminar returns by popular demand! Join your colleagues March 6-7, 2018 at Atlantic Aviation | Miami-Opa Locka to learn new FBO management techniques, gain essential operational and service knowledge, and connect with fellow attendees at a networking forum. This seminar is designed for FBO owners, operators, general managers, new managers, finance personnel and other key FBO employees who are interested in building a more successful FBO. Attendees will hear from industry experts John Enticknap and Ron Jackson, who have decades of experience in FBO services, marketing, and training. Seats fill quickly, register today!

Schubach Aviation recently announced its partnership with Immunotherapy Foundation (IF) for its sixth-annual donation-per-mile giving campaign. IF, a Solana Beach nonprofit that funds research for cancer treatment and eradication, will receive one cent for each mile flown on Schubach Aviation’s private charter flights this year. The 2018 campaign is expected to raise $12,000 for IF, which was founded by the late Ralph Whitworth, a longtime Schubach Aviation client, and his wife Fernanda in 2015. "Giving back to the local community has long been a core tenet at Schubach Aviation. It is our responsibility and privilege,” said Schubach Aviation founder Henry Schubach. "Ralph Whitworth was one of my first airplane charter customers over 20 years ago. I flew him for many years and we had the privilege of flying him and his family during his precious final years. I'm honored to have this opportunity to support his legacy and the important work the Immunotherapy Foundation is enabling." Read more.

Register now for the 2018 Air Charter Safety Foundation Safety Symposium at the NTSB Training Center in Ashburn, VA. The event takes place March 13-14, 2018. The Symposium is the annual gathering of the air charter and business aviation industry where current and emerging safety challenges are reviewed and discussed. This year’s theme is "Promoting the Highest Levels of Aviation Safety.” For more information, please click here.