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NATA is the National Air Transportation Association
Founded in 1940, NATA aggressively promotes safety and the success of aviation service businesses through its advocacy efforts before government, the media and the public as well as by providing valuable programs and forums to further its members’ prosperity.
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| Congress Approves 14th Extension Of FAA Reauthorization Legislation |
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| Last week, Congress approved a one-month extension of aviation programs through August 1, 2010. The current extension was to expire July 3, 2010.
The bill, H.R. 5611, the “Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2010, Part II," ensures that aviation programs, taxes, and trust fund spending authority will continue without interruption while Congress works on completing a long-term FAA reauthorization act. The most recent long-term FAA reauthorization act, the Vision 100–Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act (P.L. 108-176), expired on September 30, 2007. Although the U.S. House of Representatives passed an FAA reauthorization bill during the 110th Congress, and again last year, the U.S. Senate didn’t act on the bill until March 2010. Further, the reauthorization bill has never been formally sent to conference and, as a result, negotiations have been conducted informally on the staff level. But the issues that now remain unresolved are largely the more contentious “member-level” issues, such as the provision in the House-passed bill that would shift FedEx ground operations from being covered by the Railway Labor Act to the National Labor Relations Act. That would put FedEx on the same footing as UPS and, among other things, allow ground employees, now only allowed to unionize nationally, to organize locally. It is unknown whether this issue will be resolved by the current deadline, August 1, 2010, or if the legislation will be further delayed until the end of the year.
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| Second Bill In CA Legislature Amended To Provide Relief For Flight Training |
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Last week, Assembly Bill 1140 (AB 1140) was amended by California Assemblyman Roger Niello to provide an 18-month delay for flight training facilities to comply with rules issued by the Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education. In regards to amending AB 1140, Assemblyman Niello stated, “It's important that when an unforeseen and unintended consequence occurs after the passage of legislation we recognize that and adjust accordingly. In this case, the legislature did not take into account the unique nature of the flight instruction industry in California with the passage of AB 48. California already has a difficult regulatory climate for businesses to navigate. We can't continue down that path. The legislature needs to pass AB 1140 and provide the extension for the industry while it evaluates the appropriate level of regulation that will protect students and ensure the viability of the industry."
AB 1140 is now the second active bill in the California legislature to offer a delay in compliance for flight training facilities. AB 1889, amended last month by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino and passed by the Senate Business and Professions Committee, provides a 12-month delay in compliance for facilities certified to perform flight training by the FAA. Both AB 1140 and AB 1889 also contain provisions to require the California legislature to hold informational sessions during the delay in compliance to investigate the appropriateness of regulating flight training.
NATA has released an action call asking its California members to contact their state representatives to request their support of AB 1140. The California legislature began its summer recesses on July 2 and is expected to return to session in early August. Significant hurdles remain to the passage of both AB 1889 and AB 1140. NATA and its lobbyist in Sacramento, along with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and other industry groups, will be hard at work throughout the summer to find a solution to this issue.
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| Senate Confirms Weener And Rosekind To NTSB |
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The U.S. Senate approved the nominations of Dr. Earl Weener and Dr. Mark Rosekind by unanimous consent to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Weener, is a fellow at the Flight Safety Foundation and retired from Boeing as a chief engineer in the company’s commercial airplane division. During his confirmation hearings in March, Weener told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, "I have been actively involved in advancing safety, more specifically aviation safety, for more than four decades as a private citizen, as a participant and technically trained professional in the commercial or private sector and as an active professional and consultant, educator and advocate in the not-for-profit sector. As an individual, at the beginning of my aviation career, I flew as an air taxi pilot and endeavored to teach people to fly airplanes safely. I continued as a flight instructor throughout my college days to the present." The White House nominated Dr. Weener to the NTSB in January 2010.
Dr. Rosekind was involved in investigative work early in his career on flight crew fatigue while working for the National Aeronautics Space Administration. During his confirmation hearings in November, Rosekind stated, "My own passion has been to study human fatigue and apply scientific knowledge to improve performance and safety in diverse settings, including all modes of transportation.” "Fatigue has been on the NTSB's Most Wanted List since its inception in 1990. Clearly, over the years the NTSB's findings and my professional endeavors have led us to the same conclusion: that effectively managing fatigue is a critical factor in human performance and transportation safety.” Rosekind was nominated to the NTSB in October 2009.
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| Congress Introduces Resolution Supporting Backcountry Airstrips And Recreational Aviation |
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Members of the U.S. House of Representatives General Aviation Caucus, Dennis Rehberg (R-MT), Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), Allen Boyd (D-FL), Mike Simpson (R-ID), and Walt Minnick (D-ID) introduced House Resolution 1473 (H. Res 1473) to support backcountry airstrips and recreational aviation on America’s public lands.
Backcountry airstrips provide significant benefits to the general public that are often unknown such as search and rescue, fire management, research, disaster relief and wildlife management. Unfortunately, these airstrips are repeatedly the target for closure by the federal government or special interest groups. H. Res 1473 was introduced to bring awareness to the importance of backcountry airstrips and recreational aviation.
The resolution sponsors sent a letter to their colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to gain support for resolution. Once they gain the desired support, H. Res 1473 will be on the calendar for a vote in the House.
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| FAA InFO Addresses Passenger Use Of Electronic Devices |
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A new FAA Information for Operators (InFO) document provides operators with guidance on how to respond to passenger non-compliance with crewmember instructions related to the use of Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs).
FAA InFO 10009 states that the agency continues to receive reports of repeated passenger non-compliance with directives to cease use of PEDs during restricted phases of flight.
Recommended actions in the InFO include ensuring that the preflight briefing includes information on the use of PEDs and that detailed information is collected should any passenger not comply with crewmember instructions.
The FAA also reminds operators that the use of any PED brought on-board an aircraft is generally prohibited unless the aircraft operator has determined that a particular PED will not interfere with communication and navigation equipment.
Operators should ensure that their training and procedures address:
- PEDs approved for use on board their aircraft;
- Prohibition of PEDs not on the operator’s approval list;
- Times when approved PEDs can and cannot be used;
- PED’s modes of operation that can and cannot be used;
- How and when to inform passengers of the aircraft operator’s PEDs policies and procedures;
- How to handle noncompliance with crewmember safety instructions on the use of PEDs; and
- Preparing company incident reports following a passenger interference incident.
More information on PEDs is available in AC 91-21.
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| GA And Part 135 Annual Activity Survey Underway - NATA Urges Participation |
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| The General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA Survey) for reporting on calendar year 2009 is now underway, and your help is needed. The FAA's annual GA Survey is the only source of information on the size and makeup of the general aviation and Part 135 fleets, the number of hours flown, and the reasons people fly. The data helps to determine funding for infrastructure and service needs, assess the impact of regulatory changes, and measure aviation safety.
If you received a postcard invitation or survey form in the mail, please complete the survey today. You can complete the survey on-line at www.aviationsurvey.org (use aircraft N-Number to login) or complete and return the survey form you receive in the mail using the postage-paid envelope. If you have already completed this year's survey, thank you! Your help is appreciated.
Why is your participation important?
- Your help is needed to prepare accurate estimates of aviation safety. Information from this survey is used to calculate fatal accident rates for general aviation and Part 135 aircraft.
- A focused effort is being made by the FAA to improve the data quality for high-end, high-use aircraft, a significant part of the general aviation fleet. As a result, 100% of on-demand Part 135 and turbine aircraft are being asked to participate in the 2009 GA Survey.
- Your responses are completely confidential. PA Consulting Group is an independent research firm that conducts the GA Survey on behalf of the FAA and prepares statistical reports. Individual information is not shared with the FAA.
- An abbreviated survey form is available for owners of multiple aircraft. If you own three or more aircraft and received several survey forms, please contact PA Consulting.
Questions? Lost the survey form? Own three or more aircraft? Please contact Theresa Tennant of PA Consulting Group toll-free at 1-800-826-1797 or email Theresa.Tennant@paconsulting.com.
NATA thanks you for your help!
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| NATA Participates In 2010 AAAE GA Issues Conference |
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| Last week, NATA Director of Regulatory Affairs Michael France joined with National Business Aviation Association President Ed Bolen and other high level staff from the General Aviation Manufactures Association, the National Association of State Aviation Officials and the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) in the “State of the Industry” panel discussion at AAAE’s 2010 GA Issues Conference. The panel discussed topics including the economy’s effect on our industry, the future of airport funding and the FAA’s progress on NextGen. Overall the panel expressed cautious optimism about the economy’s, and our industry’s, emergence from the recent recession.
Later in the conference, France also moderated a panel that discussed environmental issues including the future of leaded aviation gasoline, greenhouse gas emissions regulation and green aviation facility construction. The 2010 GA issues conference, held in Morristown, NJ, covered a variety of other topics such as airport revenue, runway safety and several security topics related to general aviation and concluded with a tour of the security facilities at nearby Morristown Municipal Airport.
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| Have You Checked Out NATA’s Workers’ Compensation Plan? |
| Take a Look at the Updated Brochure |
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The NATA Workers’ Compensation Plan was created in April 1975, with three specific goals in mind:
- Provide NATA members with a dependable long-term market for Workers’ Compensation insurance;
- Structure the plan in such a way that if the overall loss experience of the participating members is favorable participants would share in the return of a portion of the premium at the end of the policy year (Good Experience Return); and
- Make joining the plan as easy as possible.
The NATA plan is underwritten by USAIG (United States Aircraft Insurance Group), the nation’s largest aviation insurance organization and a division of Berkshire Hathaway. They have provided the coverage since the plan’s inception.
NATA’s Workers’ Compensation Plan is available to any member who meets USAIG's underwriting requirements for participating in the plan. NATA membership notwithstanding, USAIG can underwrite Workers' Compensation insurance only for individuals or firms directly involved in the operation, servicing, maintenance, storage, repair or sale of aircraft. While the NATA plan is available in most states, it cannot be written in Ohio, North Dakota, Washington and Wyoming. Its availability in other states may vary due to rating and tax considerations.
Click here to view the brochure or have your agent/broker check with USAIG at (212) 859-3988.
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| Benet Wilson To Discuss Success With Social Media |
| Register for the July 13 Webinar |
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Aviation Week’s Benet Wilson will join Voce Connect’s Josh Hallett and Duncan Aviation’s Beth Humble for a discussion on how the industry is utilizing social media tools, how to fit these channels into your business plan, determining the ROI, advice on how to get started in social media, and much more. Register today for the July 13 Success With Social Media Webinar.
Benet Wilson – Aviation Week's Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation; http://twitter.com/AvWeekBenet or http://twitter.com/benetwilson
Benet has been a trade journalist for 17 years, covering issues as diverse as aviation, employment and training, welfare reform, economic development and agriculture/agribusiness. She also spent five years in senior corporate communications positions at Delta Air Lines, Rolls-Royce North America and Mesa Air Group. Benet received a degree in Broadcast Journalism from American University, and graduate courses at George Washington University in Publication Management & Design. She is on the board of directors for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Aviation Communication Program and is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
Click here for a replay of Benet’s recent social media radio show.
Josh R. Hallett – Director, Voce Connect at Voce Communications & Social Media Counselor to Disney Parks, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Yahoo, eBay and others. www.hyku.com
Beth Humble – Duncan Aviation’s Team Leader - Market Research; http://twitter.com/DuncanAviation or http://twitter.com/bhumble
Follow NATA at http://www.twitter.com/nataaero, http://www.facebook.com/nataaero and http://www.youtube.com/nataaero.
Click here to register for July 13, 2010 (12:00 noon EDT) – Success With Social Media Webinar - Only $49.95.
Click here for additional E-learn webinar descriptions.
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| Survey Question |
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Do you believe Congress will pass a long-term FAA reauthorization bill in 2010?
Participate in survey.
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| Aviation Fuel Quality Control Fact Of The Week |
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One of the key components of any aviation quality control chain is the inspections of fuel and equipment carried out on a regular basis by trained technicians. These inspections verify the current quality of fuel and help to ensure that all fuel handling equipment is functioning properly. Different inspections are usually performed on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis and records of these inspections are maintained on file.
One of the greatest dangers to quality control is known in our industry as “pencil whipping.” For those unfamiliar with the term, pencil whipping is when inspection records are completed without the corresponding inspection or test actually being completed. There are numerous reasons why pencil whipping occurs, including lack of time, poor weather or forgetfulness. Having quality control records falsified through pencil whipping is a serious infraction that threatens the quality of a facility’s fuel supply.
One of the easiest methods for fighting pencil whipping involves a simple policy statement that requires technicians to bring the quality control inspection record or checklist with them when they are performing an inspection. Having the checklist in the field while the inspection is performed acts as a motivator to performing the inspection properly as well as prevents the accidental missing of simpler inspections. Managers and supervisors can look at the inspection records and easily tell if they are being used appropriately. A clean white sheet of paper with perfect handwriting is a sure sign that that record has not left the office. On the other hand a record with some fingerprints and dirt on it indicates that the technicians are using the checklist when carrying out their inspections.
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| NATA Offices Closed Today, July 5th |
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| In observance of the July 4th holiday, NATA Headquarters will be closed. Normal office hours will resume on Tuesday, July 6.
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