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March 5, 2018 — Volume 17, Issue 10 |
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| This Week's Top Stories |
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NATA Applauds Move to Remove ATC Privatization Proposal from FAA Reauthorization Bill
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Last Wednesday, House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) notified Capitol Hill that he would work on an FAA reauthorization bill that does not include a proposal to privatize our nation’s air traffic control system.
NATA President Marty Hiller applauded the decision to put differences aside and work with the Senate to pass a comprehensive long-term FAA reauthorization bill. “This is a victory for the general aviation industry, and our success is due to the hard work and collaboration of our members across the country who wrote, called and met with their Members of Congress to explain the detrimental impact this proposal would have on the industry,” stated Hiller.
The FAA’s current authorization expires March 31st, therefore a short-term funding extension is anticipated. Chairman Thune recently stated that the goal is to pass a comprehensive, four-year FAA reauthorization bill by August. NATA will continue to work with Chairmen Thune and Shuster, and Congress on a bipartisan bill that provides stable FAA funding and maintains the United States’ status as the world’s safest airspace system.
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NATA and General Aviation Coalition Call for Contract Tower Funding in FY2019 Transportation Appropriations Bills
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NATA joined other major aviation groups last week in a letter to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees in support of funding for the FAA Contract Tower Program. The groups requested $172 million to fund the program in FY2019, an amount sufficient to fund all 254 contract towers currently in the program, annualize funding for towers that will be added in FY2018, and provide full-year funding for several new airports expected to be added to the program in FY2019. The groups highlighted the fact that the program has been providing “cost-effective and essential air traffic safety services for over three decades” and currently comprises 254 smaller airports in 46 states. “Together, these 254 towers handle approximately 28 percent of all air traffic control tower (ATCT) aircraft operations in the U.S. but only account for about 14 percent of FAA’s overall budget allotted to ATCT tower operations and save FAA and taxpayers approximately $200 million per year. More importantly, the safety and efficiency record of the FAA Contract Tower Program has been validated numerous times by the FOT Inspector General, as well as by FAA safety audits.”
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House Aviation Subcommittee Reviews Aviation Safety
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On Tuesday, February 27th, members of the House Aviation Subcommittee held a hearing on the state of aviation safety. Subcommittee Chairman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) opened the hearing with an overview of safety in the aviation community in recent years, stating “the general aviation (GA) community makes up a large and diverse part of our national airspace, including over 200,000 aircraft and approximately 500,000 pilots.” LoBiondo commented, “Again, due to collaboration between Congress, the FAA, and the aviation community, GA fatality rates have declined significantly over the past decade.” He added that, “in fiscal year 2016, there were still over 200 fatal GA accidents and over 350 total lives lost” — indicating where there is room for improvement in the GA community. Ali Bahrami, Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, FAA, mentioned last year was the safest year in GA history to date, and the FAA “has worked tirelessly to make a more proactive approach that instills a culture of safety — both in the industry and inside the FAA.” Other topics discussed included runway safety, the growing concern over drone regulation, how launches to space are regulated and investigated, and ATC reform.
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Leverage Service to Attract Air Charter and Aircraft Management Clients | Choice of Two April Seminar Dates and Locations
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NATA is very pleased to partner with ServiceElements, International to introduce the Competitive Strategies for Client Services Seminar: How Air Charter and Aircraft Management Companies Leverage Service to Win in the Marketplace. Designed specifically for professionals in the charter management world, the program will explore the attributes of modern service expectations and help attendees develop a plan to meet and exceed those expectations both professionally and company-wide.
This workshop recognizes that each organization is unique and creates results based on its specific business, goals, customers and team members. Attendees will also learn how to tailor their operation’s service strategies based on their own experiences. Utilizing service scenario simulations, group exercises and class discussions, the seminar is tailored to build service confidence and skill in all attendees.
Register or learn more:
April 3-4 | Sheltair | Fort Lauderdale, FL
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| Industry Updates |
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FAA Lifts SAS Data Collection Requirement
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On February 20th, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued FAA Notice 8900.451, in response to a letter challenging the policy for completing the Safety Assurance System (SAS) data collection tools (DCTs). This resource is intended for the FAA inspector to use with the FAA’s risk-based oversight system. When the FAA established its SAS, it created an external portal, where the certificate holder and/or applicant for a 14 CFR Part 121, 135, and 145, could access and upload its operating information, including manuals, signed operations specifications, scoped DCTs and more. However, the FAA’s policy and implementation prior to the latest Notice were unclear, resulting in situations where applicants and certificate holders were filling out the DCTs.
Citing the Paper Reduction Act, the letter pointed out that requiring industry to fill out the DCTs was truly data collection and the FAA needed to get approval from OMB, or halt the practice. NATA urges members to plan ahead, as it will allow time for the agency to adjust. While the FAA can’t require the completion of the DCTs, it may be more efficient to consider completing them voluntarily, as an approval process has the potential to go quicker if the information is provided to the FAA.
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| Association Highlights |
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Replace Paper and Pen Record-Keeping with NATA’s New Digital Safety 1st Fuel QC Management System
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Last month, NATA unveiled the Safety 1st Fuel QC Management System (Safety 1st FQMS), a cloud-based digital tool for general and business aviation fuel quality management inspections, record keeping and auditing. The Safety 1st FQMS replaces traditional pen and paper record keeping with an intelligent system that increases management visibility, employee accountability and operational safety. Key features include digital storage and access to all quality control (QC) records; an easy-to-use, mobile-optimized inspection platform; and Compliance Sentry technology that provides a 24-7 eye on your QC system. Location and date/time-stamping of inspections increases team accountability by enabling managers to verify where and when inspections were performed. Learn more.
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| Events |
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NATA’s 10th Annual FBO Success Seminar to Take Place This Week in Miami
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On March 6th and 7th, NATA will host its 10th annual FBO Success Seminar — instructed by Aviation Business Strategies Group Principals Ron Jackson and John Enticknap — at Atlantic Aviation | Miami-Opa Locka. Attendees will learn new FBO management techniques, gain essential operational and service knowledge and connect with fellow attendees at a networking forum.
NATA would like to thank our host Atlantic Aviation and our sponsors:
AC-U-KWIK
Effective FBO
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Total FBO/World Fuel Services
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| Member Spotlight |
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Van Nuys Airport Association Announces New Appointment to 2018 Board of Directors
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Last week, the Van Nuys Airport Association (VNAA) announced the appointment of Paul Giczewski of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation to its Board of Directors. In his role, Giczewski will help oversee the non-profit organization’s strategic efforts to promote the general aviation industry, foster economic growth, and build collaborative business and community partnerships. In his current position as senior manager of Facility Services, Giczewski is responsible for Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation’s facilities management, security, emergency preparedness, government relations, real estate support and asset management on the West Coast. He brings 32 years of solid and diverse experience in the aviation and aerospace industries to the VNAA. “The VNAA focuses on resolving critical issues that impact airport users and operators, with the goal of extending the many benefits of aviation to the local community,” said VNAA President and Aeroplex/Aerolease Group President and CEO Curt Castagna, who also serves on NATA’s Board of Directors. Read more.
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Winchester Regional Airport Authority Seeking Executive Director/Airport Manager
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NATA member Winchester Regional Airport Authority (WRAA) is seeking an experienced aviation leader to serve as Executive Director / Airport Manager. In addition to overseeing the day-to-day operations of the airport, the individual in this role will be responsible for clearly communicating the airport’s vision and working effectively in a collaborative setting with all stakeholders, including customers, employees, vendors, regulatory agencies, the Board of Directors, and the broader Winchester community. The deadline to apply is March 30, 2018 for consideration. NATA members may log onto www.nata.aero to view this job opportunity and similar listings in our Classifieds section.
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| ACSF News |
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ACSF 2018 Safety Symposium | Next Week March 13-14 in Ashburn, VA
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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.
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