NATA News

“We will sincerely miss these two long-time advocates of general aviation,” stated NATA President James K. Coyne. “Rep. Boyd and Rep. Ehlers founded the GA Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives and brought a lot of attention to issues effecting general aviation to Congress and their staff.” 

The House GA Caucus will lose 21 members at the end of the year due to lost election races and retirements. NATA along with other industry stakeholders will continue to work to build a stronger member base in this caucus, considered one of the largest congressional caucuses in the U.S. House of Representatives, to ensure that the issues important to our industry have a voice on Capitol Hill.

The FAA has constituted the Flightcrew Member Training Hours Requirement Review (FMTHRR) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). NATA was asked to participate in the ARC, and NATA Director of Regulatory Affairs Jacqueline Rosser was selected as an industry co-chair for the group.

The ARC was formed in response to a mandate in the Airline Safety Act tasking the FAA to consult with industry to assess the best methods and optimal time needed to train Part 121 and Part 135 flightcrew members properly.

On November 17, members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation heard testimony from Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John S. Pistole as he laid out the agency’s priorities in response to recent security and privacy issues. Those priorities include improving the TSA’s counterterrorism focus through intelligence and cutting-edge technology, supporting the TSA workforce, and strengthening the TSA’s relationships with stakeholders and the traveling public.

Since his swearing in this past July, Pistole has vowed to lead the TSA “through the next stage in its development as this young agency matures into a high-performance, world-class organization.” In addition, Pistole stated that “to defeat the past and recent threats against our country, we must take every precaution to ensure that our screening of cargo and passengers is thorough and well-accepted in order to produce a transportation system that is safe and fair to those who use it.” 

Committee Chairman John Rockefeller (D-WV) agreed, stating, “We must take appropriate action to close any security loopholes, while making sure our global transportation system continues to move people, freight, and goods in an effective manner.” He acknowledged that the TSA has enormous responsibilities and multiple missions, but that it must remain flexible and well-resourced in its response to potential threats.

Last week, the FAA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), that if finalized would require pilots to carry a new pilot certificate (including student pilots) that incorporates a photograph of the certificate holder. This proposed rule would not affect the use of temporary paper pilot certificates when upgrading certificates or adding a rating.

The FAA proposes to implement this new rule over a five-year time period by requiring upgrading of certificates during certain “triggering” events or during a schedule based upon certificate type. The proposed fee for the new photo pilot certificates is $22 and the photo would need to be renewed every eight years. Existing pilot certificates will not expire under the proposal. However, a valid un-expired photo will be required in order to exercise the privileges of the certificate. NATA has produced a full regulatory report that details the proposals contained within this NPRM.

Click here to read the NATA Regulatory Report.

Click here to read the full NPRM.

The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) Industry Audit Standard (IAS) registration was recently listed as an accepted method of compliance with Safety Management System (SMS) requirements by the Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation (BDCA). 

A letter issued on behalf of the Bermuda Director of Civil Aviation states that the BDCA will enforce the requirements of ICAO Annex 6 Part 2 that became effective November 18, 2010. These requirements affect all operators of general aviation aircraft operated under FAR Part 91 and Part 125 or equivalent with a maximum take-off weight of more than 12,500 lbs.

The BDCA will accept several methods of compliance with the requirement for an SMS, one of which includes ACSF registration. This letter has been posted on the BDCA Web site at: http://www.dca.gov.bm/default.aspx

The IAS is a universal audit standard developed specifically for charter operators and shared aircraft management companies to accomplish two key functions – to verify compliance with regulatory requirements and to evaluate the level of compliance with recognized SMS standards.

The ACSF audit process and registry were developed to position an operator, through a single audit, to gain world-wide recognition of its SMS program. The IAS is also the only program that evaluates operators every 24 months rather than annually, minimizing the administrative burden on operators and program managers.

The ACSF IAS requires every operator to complete an internal pre-audit prior to scheduling an on-site audit. Doing so enables operators to gauge, before any payment is tendered, how well they will perform during the audit. This system allows an operator to determine in advance of any payment if they are not yet ready to proceed to audit. Operators completing the pre-audit won’t be unprepared and will not waste their money paying for an unsuccessful audit. 

Supporting materials are available at www.acsf.aero/audit. Operators wishing to initiate the audit process should contact Russ Lawton or Alison McHugh at 1-888-SAFE-135 (888-723-3135).

William F. Haberstock, president and chief executive officer of Million Air Aviation Company, Salt Lake City, and former treasurer for the ACSF was elected to fill the role of vice-chairman for the coming year. Haberstock has more than 35 years of aviation management experience, including 11 years with Keystone Aviation. Throughout his career, he has held positions as chief pilot for Eagle Air; vice president of flight operations and aircraft sales manager for Barken International; and director of flight operations for Beech Aircraft Corporation –Salt Lake City. Haberstock is an airline transport pilot with more than 16,000 hours of flight time. He has served on the National Air Transportation Association Board of Directors and the board of governors for the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, Utah Air Travel Commission.

John Grillo, president of Executive Fliteways, Inc., Ronkonkoma, NY, was selected as the new treasurer for the ACSF. Grillo is a 36-year veteran of the aviation community. He retired from the U.S. Air Force as a major, having flown the C-130 extensively throughout Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. He is the recipient of more than 30 military awards and commendations, including six Air Medals for Valor, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Bronze Star and the Silver Star. Grillo's experience also includes a 22-year career as a captain for American Airlines. Grillo also served on the NATA Air Charter Committee, where he helped establish operational and regulatory standards for our industry.

“We are pleased to have these gentlemen working in their new roles for the foundation,” said James C. Christiansen, chairman of the Air Charter Safety Foundation. “Both have been avid members in their service on the Board of Governors. Their extensive experience and knowledge of the industry have been great attributes for the foundation, and we look forward to working with them to continue the foundation’s mission of promoting and increasing the benchmark of safety in the charter industry.”

Bryan Burns, ACSF Executive Director, was elected to fill the role of president of the foundation. Burns has 28 years of experience in the fixed base operator industry. Prior to joining the ACSF, he was area general manager for Signature Flight Support at the Washington Dulles and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airports, where he was responsible for all daily operations. Burns holds a Bachelor of Science in Air Commerce/Transportation Technology from Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida.

The ACSF continues to grow, with new memberships increasing 27 percent in the last 3 months. The Industry Audit Standard (IAS) remains strong, being the most rigorous standard for Part 135 and 91K operators. It was designed specifically to evaluate both compliance with FAA regulations and the operator’s implementation of a proactive Safety Management System. To date, the foundation has facilitated 54 audits using the IAS, with an additional five audits scheduled through the end of this year.

To learn more about the ACSF and its initiatives, visit www.acsf.aero or call 1-800-723-3135.

The 4th Quarter edition of Aviation Business Journal, the official publication of the National Air Transportation Association and the only journal dedicated to the business of NATA member constituencies has been released and should be arriving in mailboxes shortly. The full 4th quarter edition and past copies are available in PDF format by clicking here. 

This edition of the journal spotlights Mazzei Flying Service, and has articles on health care reform, California’s flight training saga, family-owned/operated aviation businesses, and regular feature articles such as the President’s Message and Inside Washington.

If you have a story idea you would like to see covered in a future edition of Aviation Business Journal, please contact Linda Pylant at lpylant@nata.aero.

NATA’s office will be closed Thursday, November 25, and Friday, November 26, for the Thanksgiving holiday. Normal office hours will resume on Monday, November 29.

NATA’s Board of Directors and staff extend best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving!

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