NBAA Update Archive

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NBAA Update #03-28
Monday, July 14, 2003

NBAA Update is the National Business Aviation Association's weekly e-mail newsletter, providing the latest operational, regulatory and political news for the business aviation community. Send your comments about NBAA Update to update@nbaa.org.

NBAA ENCOURAGES CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL TO HOLD MEIGS HEARING
NBAA is expressing support for a resolution introduced on July 9 by Chicago Alderman Joe Moore (D) that no additional demolition of Meigs Field be allowed until the Chicago City Council can hold a hearing about the airport's future. NBAA is contacting the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners to request a moratorium on further demolition until an alternate win-win proposal can be put forth. NBAA remains focused on efforts to encourage Congressional officials to include language supporting Meigs in the FAA reauthorization legislation currently under consideration in the House and Senate. NBAA urges Members to communicate with their elected officials in support of these efforts. For more information, contact NBAA's Pete West at pwest@nbaa.org. To find and communicate with elected officials, visit the Contact Congress section of the NBAA web site at:
www.nbaa.org/congress

WAAS APPROVED FOR INSTRUMENT FLIGHT USE
The FAA has commissioned the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) for instrument flight use. WAAS enhances the accuracy, availability and integrity of the global positioning system (GPS) and transmits horizontal and vertical guidance capability. Following certification of avionics with various WAAS capabilities and approval of individual approach procedures, pilots using the system will be able to navigate to as low as 250 feet above a runway's end. According to FAA, the first WAAS approaches should be available for IFR use in September at more than 200 U.S. airports. For more information, contact NBAA's Bill Stine bstine@nbaa.org or Bob Lamond at rlamond@nbaa.org.

NBAA SAFETY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION #3:
OUR AIRCRAFT ARE OPERATED DIFFERENTLY BY EACH PILOT. IS THIS SAFE?
Document and adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs) governing the operation of company aircraft. SOPs entail the systematic use of written procedures, checklists and other guidance to perform required tasks. Regardless of the size of your aviation operation, there are clear safety benefits to developing and implementing a set of written, aircraft-specific SOPs that establish roles, responsibilities and expectations for crewmembers from pre-flight through post-flight. SOPs reduce workload and uncertainty while increasing situational awareness. Written procedures also provide a baseline for the continuous improvement of the operation. The Safety Committee has published examples of both fixed- and rotary-wing SOPs, which are available at:
www.nbaa.org/member/safety/manual

PROPOSED CHANGES AT BDR COULD SHORTEN RUNWAY
Renovations at Igor I Sikorsky Memorial Airport (BDR) in Bridgeport, CT could lead to the shortening of Runway 6/24 to allow for a Federally-mandated safety area. Local opposition to the relocation of a road 25 feet from the end of Runway 6/24 would require the runway to be shortened to less than 4,500. NBAA opposes the runway shortening, which would be detrimental to the airport and its users. For more information, contact NBAA's Dean Saucier at dsaucier@nbaa.org.

STMP FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY THIS WEEK
A Special Traffic Management Program (STMPs) will be in effect for Laconia Municipal Airport (LCI), Manchester Airport (MHT) and Concord Municipal Airport (CON) due to the New England 200 and New England 300 auto races. Operators should expect increased air traffic, particularly on Thursday, July 17 and Sunday, July 20 as the race teams and fans arrive for and depart from the races. For more information, contact NBAA's Dean Saucier at dsaucier@nbaa.org or visit:
www.nbaa.org/airspace/notams.htm

STMPs FOR INDIANAPOLIS AND ROCHESTER PLANNED FOR AUGUST
Next month, the FAA is planning to implement STMPs for airports in Rochester, New York and Indianapolis, Indiana. In anticipation of heavy air traffic in conjunction with the Brickyard 400 auto race, slot reservations will be required at Indianapolis International Airport (IND) and Eagle Creek Airport (EYE) between Friday, August 1 and Sunday, August 3. Special procedures also will be in effect from Sunday, August 10 through Sunday, August 17 at seven airports near Rochester, New York, where the PGA Championship golf tournament will be held. For more information about these programs, visit www.fly.faa.gov/estmp. For more information, visit:
www.nbaa.org/airspace/notams.htm

HIGH-ALTITUDE REDESIGN BRIEFING THIS FRIDAY IN DETRIOT, MI
A lunchtime High-Altitude Redesign (HAR) Program briefing will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 18 at GM Corporation's facility, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW). HAR initially will affect traffic at and above FL 390 and eventually be lowered to other altitudes. This HAR briefing was arranged by NBAA's Bob Lamond and will be presented by FAA representatives. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lamond at rlamond@nbaa.org.
www.nbaa.org/ops/airspace/har

DOES NBAA OFFER LOSS-OF-LICENSE INSURANCE?
NBAA Members can purchase a specially designed loss-of-license insurance program underwritten by the Insurance Company of North America. The coverage provides subscribers with a monthly benefit for loss of either an FAA Class I or Class II Medical Certificate. If you are unable to fly as a result of an insured sickness or injury, the plan can pay you up to 48 monthly payments from $1,000 to $5,000 per month, after as little as 6 months of continuous disability. This service is available only to employees of NBAA Member Companies. For the plan benefit information, including commonly asked questions and monthly premiums, visit Harvey Watt & Co. at www.harveywatt.com or call (800) 241-6103.

WRIGHT FLYER REPRODUCTION TO BE ON DISPLAY AT NBAA2003
As part of NBAA's celebration of 100 years of flight, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Countdown to Kitty Hawk exhibit will make a stop at the NBAA 56th Annual Meeting & Convention, October 7 through 9, 2003, in Orlando, FL. The centerpiece of EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk exhibit -- a faithful reproduction of the 1903 Wright Flyer -- will be on display at in Hall C of the Orlando/Orange County Convention Center. In addition to the aircraft, the exhibit at NBAA will celebrate the Wright brothers' first flight with displays on the Wright brothers, aviation history and aviation innovations. For more information on NBAA2003, visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/conventions/2003

MEET NBAA'S NEW PRESIDENT NEXT WEEK AT JUL. 24 DENVER REACHBAC
NBAA will host a complimentary REACHBAC luncheon on Thursday, July 24 at Denver's Centennial Airport (APA). All members of the business aviation community are invited to attend and meet NBAA's new president, Shelley A. Longmuir. Patrick Ahlstrom, acting TSA federal security director for the Denver area, and Paul Smith, NBAA's southwest and mountain regional representative, will be in attendance. The event will be held at 12:00 noon at Signature Flight Support, 8001 South InterPort Blvd., Centennial Airport, Englewood, CO, Tel: (303) 799-8388. To RSVP, contact NBAA's June DeFontes at jdefontes@nbaa.org. See below for the list of events featuring Shelley A. Longmuir. For more information on the Denver REACHBAC event, visit:
www.nbaa.org/seminars/reachbac/rb_2003_07_24.htm

YOUR EMPTY SEATS CAN BE POWERFUL MEDICINE
By letting a cancer patient use an empty seat on your corporate aircraft, you can enable that patient to access critical treatment they might otherwise have to forgo. Often a clinical trial or specialized regimen is only available at one medical center, perhaps thousands of miles from a patient's home. Sometimes a patient must return weekly or monthly. Transportation costs can quickly add up to an impossible burden for a patient whose illness has already caused financial stress. Join with Corporate Angel Network (CAN) to provide cancer patients with free transportation to recognized treatment centers. It's easy and costs you nothing. To add your name to CAN's roster of 500 top U.S. corporations, call (914) 328-1313. To see current destinations and date range of rides needed, please visit:
http://www.corpangelnetwork.org/corporate/seats.html