FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
David Almy
Vice President, Membership, Marketing and Communications
800-808-6282
dalmy@nata.aero
IT’S ‘SAFETY 1ST’ FOR OPERATIONS AT TETERBORO AIRPORT AS NATA PROGRAM TAKES OFF
Alexandria, VA, June 6, 2008 – Fulfilling a commitment to be a model general aviation airport for safety and operations in the United States, Teterboro Airport has become the first in the nation to implement a new airport-specific flight crew briefing, produced by the National Air Transportation Association’s (NATA) Safety 1st program.
Funded by a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Safety 1st briefing is a customized online training tool that gives pilots and other flight crew members flying into and out of Teterboro Airport access to critical safety information about the airport, including its location, layout, operations, regulations, and safety and security procedures. With superb clarity and graphics, the Safety 1st briefing presents pilots views of specific hot spots, scenarios for common pilot errors, aircraft lighting configurations, take-off procedures, and other information that is critical to safe aircraft operations at the airport.
“This briefing takes Teterboro Airport one giant step closer to reaching its goal to become the industry’s number-one safety and security model for general aviation airports,” said former Congressman James K. Coyne, co-chair of the Teterboro Airport Industry Working Group and president of the NATA. “This valuable addition to the safety and security initiatives at Teterboro gives airport and flight crews the most up-to-date information about the airport and how they can contribute to the safety and well-being of the airport’s operations and, indeed, its entire surrounding community.”
Officials and staff of Teterboro Airport worked closely with NATA and Avstar Media to develop the Safety 1st briefing software and template for the online program and then customized it with Teterboro’s unique characteristics. The software and template will be offered to other airports to customize to their specific operations.
“Teterboro was chosen to pilot this Safety 1st program in cooperation with NATA because the airport is in close proximity to a dense community and because we are dedicated to keeping this community safe,” said Russ Lawton, NATA director of safety and security, who spearheaded the implementation of the Safety 1st program at Teterboro Airport. “Safety 1st furthers the actions of the Teterboro Airport Industry Working Group and the safety standards the group has upheld with its Pledge to the Community.”
“The Safety 1st program is a major advance in pilot training and a significant addition to the Pledge to the Community initiatives,” said Port Authority Chairman Anthony R. Coscia, who has made safety at Teterboro Airport a high priority for his administration and who was the impetus behind the Working Group’s formation. “We are dedicated to building a safer Teterboro Airport and continuing its role as a general aviation airport and economic engine for the entire region.”
The Teterboro Industry Working Group was founded in 2006 to bridge the interests of the aviation community and airport neighbors proactively and voluntarily and to offer practical and workable local solutions that address the unique nature of Teterboro Airport. Comprising experienced aviation experts representing the airport’s fixed base operators, airport users and tenants, and national and local aviation industry associations, the Working Group is the first all-industry group to step forward voluntarily to work with its owner, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, to address community concerns.
The Working Group’s Pledge to the Community identified five major recommendations, which have been put into place over the past two years:
• a ban on Stage II aircraft, the noisiest type of aircraft
• a nighttime curfew between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., with air ambulance operations being the only exception
• a ban on aircraft weighing more than 100,000 pounds
• an NATA Safety 1st Management System
• a program of aviation/airport security best practices, including Airport Watch, a partnership program of the Airport Owners and Pilots Association and the Transportation Security Administration, and the acquisition of a state-of-the-art surveillance and perimeter intrusion alert system
For more information about the Safety 1st program please contact Russ Lawton at (800) 808-NATA or via email at rlawton@nata.aero.
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NATA, the voice of aviation business, is the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before the Congress and federal agencies.
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