NATA News

NATA originally submitted comments questioning the rationale and purpose of the rule changes when they appeared in a 2007 notice of proposed rulemaking. The final rule issued by FAA in August did not address those comments. After consulting with NATA’s Flight Training Committee and others in the training industry on the effects of these changes, NATA Government and Industry Affairs staff began a series of discussions with FAA staff on the problems with the final rule as published. These discussions have led to today’s release of a corrections document.

The corrections made by the FAA allow a level C flight simulator to be used for all training and testing for an additional pilot rating if the applicant meets one of the following:

• Holds a type rating in a turbojet airplane of the same class of airplane, and that type rating may not contain a supervised operating experience limitation;
• Has 1,000 hours of flight time in two different turbojet airplanes of the same class of airplane;
• Has been appointed by the U.S. Armed Forces as pilot in command in a turbojet airplane of the same class of airplane;
• Has 500 hours of flight time in the same type of airplane; or
• Has logged at least 2,000 hours of flight time, of which 500 hours were in turbine-powered airplanes of the same class of airplane for which the type rating is sought.

Pilots who do not meet any of the above prerequisites may still complete all training and testing for an additional rating in a flight simulator if they accept a 25-hour supervised operating experience (SOE) requirement being placed on their rating. Pilots not wanting an SOE and not meeting the above prerequisites must complete a practical test in the aircraft.

NATA is pleased with the FAA’s cooperation in addressing these issues. NATA will be issuing a regulatory report on this correction document that will be available at www.nata.aero today. The correction document is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register tomorrow and will be effective tomorrow as well.

NBAA’s Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference is the industry’s leading annual event for providing timely and valuable information on the topics, trends and challenges facing the professionals responsible for coordinating the use of business aircraft. The conference includes hundreds of exhibits from aviation products and services providers. The event draws a large number of NATA’s FBO and airports members. 

NATA’s FBO Leadership Conference was developed for leading executives and managers of fixed base operations, and features nationally recognized experts who provide the latest intelligence, tactics and strategies to maximize NATA members’ FBOs’ business success.

The synchronization of these two events in a single city, with complimentary dates, will provide business leaders with a premiere opportunity for meeting with customers, learning about the latest products, and gathering the most up-to-date business intelligence and tactics. Under the plan, attendees will still be required to register for each event separately, through the traditional NBAA and NATA avenues.

“NBAA’s Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference will be a great opportunity to provide increased value for one of our core membership constituencies, and to enhance the educational offerings offered by NBAA with business and industry briefings geared to FBO leaders,” said NATA President James K. Coyne.

“Jim is right,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “In this turbulent economic climate, this plan will allow us to provide our associations’ members the networking, marketing and educational opportunities they have come to expect, in one place, at one time.”  

Coyne concluded, “NATA members know that the association has been pursuing alliances like this one, and we will continue to do so to fulfill our mission to help ensure the long-term economic success of our members.”

Click here for more information or to register.

To view NATA’s Legislative Report on H.R. 3371, please click here.

“In the last year, Wichita and surrounding counties have experienced more than 14,000 layoffs— 82 percent of those layoffs have come from aircraft manufacturers and small suppliers due to the downturn in the economy,” Tiahrt said.

“American businesses are the real force behind economic stimulus, and we need to use every available tool to help workers and businesses succeed,” said Tiahrt. “With the aviation sector taking such a hard hit in recent months in South-central Kansas, Congress should pass this market-driven approach to stimulate our economy in Kansas.”

Tiahrt has been a leading advocate for using bonus depreciation as a tool to help stimulate the economy. He was successful in getting accelerated depreciation language signed into law following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that ravaged the economy, particularly the Kansas aircraft industry. Without action by Congress, the current accelerated timeframe for the depreciation tax provision will expire at the end of the year.

• Non-Residential Compatible TTF Access – This type of access would include activities for which space requirements surpass the airport’s ability to offer an on-airport site or the need would absorb so much airport property that it would limit future development for aeronautical activities. The FAA does not encourage this type of access, but a properly structured agreement may be acceptable.
• FBO or other Aeronautical Service Providers TTF Access – The FAA does not support this type of agreement.
• Residential TTF Access – “There are no acceptable forms of residential TTF agreements.”

The draft guidance letter also strongly encourages airport sponsors to submit any TTF agreement to their Airports District or Regional Office prior to approval to ensure compliance with federal grant assurances. The draft includes a list of TTF access agreements the FAA will not approve and general procedures for establishing TTF access. Upon completion of its review, NATA will submit comments to the FAA on the contents of the letter.

• Creating an uniform floor for the Class B airspace above the Hudson River Class B airspace Exclusion
• Mandating the use of certain now voluntary operational procedures such as use of aircraft lights and position reporting
• Requiring pilots to carry current charts on board during operations in the Exclusion
• Separating traffic by altitude depending on whether it is local or just transiting the Exclusion

At the beginning of this process, NATA’s concern was that the proposed safety regulation would have the potential to limit general aviation access to the New York / New Jersey Metropolitan area. In its comments to the FAA, NATA stated:

“NATA would like to applaud the FAA for developing solutions that, while enhancing safety, do not restrict access to the area by general aviation visual flight rule pilots.”

The publicly submitted comments will now be reviewed by FAA staff prior to the publishing of a final rule.

NATA’s comments are available for download here.

H.R. 3678 was introduced in response to Security Directive (SD) 1542-04-08G (SD-8G) issued last year that required pilots based at airports serving commercial air carriers to get a badge in order to have unescorted access to the airport. While SD-8G has been troublesome for many airports throughout the country, one of the major concerns was the use of an SD to promulgate regulations where no imminent threat existed. 

To view NATA’s Legislative Report on H.R. 3678, please click here.

NATA is pleased that this legislation was introduced as a stand-alone piece of legislation. It’s imperative that additional Members of Congress co-sign the legislation for the bill to move forward. Please write to your Member of Congress today and urge their support on this important legislation.

To view NATA’s Action Call, please click here.

To view a copy of the legislation, please click here.

Please contact Kristen Moore, kmoore@nata.aero for more information.

A recent FAA Information for Operators Document, InFO 09016, explains that there is still a mistaken belief permeating the industry that aircraft are safe to fly when small amounts of frost and other contaminants are adhering to aerodynamic and/or control surfaces. The FAA goes on to state that some believe that leading edge contamination is not a factor.

These assumptions are false as demonstrated by numerous accident investigations and research.  The FAA urges operators to ensure that pilots understand that even small amounts of contamination can have adverse impacts on aerodynamic and control capabilities of an aircraft.

The FAA recommends:

• Pilots become familiar with the appearance and feel of their aircraft’s surfaces when dry or wet to use as a baseline for detecting when ice or frost is present.  Tactile and visual inspection is the best way to determine contamination.
• Pilots should be especially alert for signs of contamination when conditions are favorable for frost or ground icing.
• Operating procedures should be clear in requiring that all frost, snow, ice and slush must be removed prior to flight, regardless of how spotty or thin.

Click here to download InFO 09016.

APHIS imposes an international passenger fee and a commercial aircraft clearance fee on all international commercial flights arriving in the U.S., with few exceptions. These fees do apply to Part 135 air charter flights and their passengers. 

The following rates apply to flights:

The aircraft inspection fee applies to both passenger and cargo flights. Passenger-carrying flights where only pre-packaged snacks that do not contain meat or fresh fruits/vegetables are served may be exempt from the aircraft inspection fee. Please consult the APHIS regulations for more information.

APHIS regulations related to these fees are available at 7 CFR 354.3.

The fee increase was originally scheduled for October 1, 2009, but was delayed by APHIS to the new date of November 1, 2009.

McHugh is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where she received a Master of Science in Aeronautics, specializing in aviation safety systems and management, and a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Systems Maintenance. She holds a Commercial Pilot certificate and an Airframe and Powerplant certificate. 

As the association's manager, regulatory affairs, McHugh will be responsible for handling issues that affect the association’s maintenance and air charter members.

"Alison’s background in both operations and maintenance, coupled with her advanced understanding of safety management systems makes her a valuable asset for our industry and the association," explained Eric R. Byer, NATA vice president of government and industry affairs."

In addition to her NATA responsibilities, McHugh will provide support to the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF). Her duties with the ACSF include development and management of the ACSF Industry Audit Standard and other safety programs of the foundation. 

"We are fortunate to have someone of Alison’s talent join the NATA government and industry affairs team and are confident that she will excel in her duties for both NATA and the ACSF," concluded Byer.

To view Coyne’s blog please click here.

Byer’s blog post is a call to action. While Congress fights to agree on new health care legislation, NOW is the time to act so that we can continue to demonstrate our political strength on Capitol Hill. Find out what you can do to solidify GA’s support in Congress.

To view Byer’s blog please click here.