| Business Aviation News & Issues |
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NBAA Opposes User Fees in Senate FAA Funding Proposal
NBAA last week voiced opposition to a new Senate proposal that includes aviation user fees. The proposal, introduced last Thursday, would impose a
per-flight fee on a wide variety of general aviation aircraft used mostly by small and mid-size businesses in areas that often have little or no
airline service. Recent news reports indicate that future portions of the bill also will create a windfall for commercial airlines at the expense of
general aviation. "User fees should not be mistaken for a modernization plan, and the airlines shouldn't be given a financial windfall at the expense
of general aviation," NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said. "This underscores the need for all NBAA Members to voice their concerns about user fee
proposals with their members of Congress." NBAA Members that have not previously used the Association's Contact Congress resource to oppose user fees
can do so by visiting:
http://www.nbaa.org/userfees
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NTSB Issues Final Report in Lidle NYC Plane Crash
On May 1, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) finalized its report on the October 2006 airplane accident in New York City that killed
Yankee Pitcher Cory Lidle. The Board found that the probable cause of the accident was "the pilots' inadequate planning, judgment and airmanship in
the performance of a 180-degree turn maneuver inside of a limited turning space." As part of its report, the NTSB issued a recommendation to the FAA
that would "permanently prohibit visual flight rules flight operations involving fixed-wing, nonamphibious aircraft in the New York East River Class
B exclusion area unless those operations are authorized and being controlled by air traffic control." NBAA agrees with the Board's findings regarding
the probable cause of the accident. The Association makes a number of resources available to promote safe flight at:
http://www.nbaa.org/safety
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Recent Middle East Event Reinforces Need for Security
Vigilance
According to news reports from the Middle East last week, Saudi Arabian intelligence officials prevented several trained pilots and other al Qaeda
operatives from conducting air strikes and car attacks targeted to oil terminals, airports, military installations and cities across the region.
While it appears that al Qaeda intended to target airliners, all aircraft operators should remain vigilant against possible security threats. In the
U.S., Congress and the Transportation Security Administration continue to scrutinize general aviation security, and NBAA will keep working to educate
policymakers about the industry's security record. NBAA Members can review NBAA's Security Best Practices by visiting:
http://www.nbaa.org/ops/security/bestpractices
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Survey to Determine Business Aviation Needs for Storm Information
The FAA's System Wide Information Management (SWIM) program has a goal of distributing data related to the National Airspace System (NAS) to all
appropriate personnel both in and out of the FAA. Weather data is one subset of this data and the FAA is asking for input from system customers.
Specifically, they want to know what storm weather information products should be distributed via SWIM and what storm weather information products
would be most useful to business aviation customers. NBAA encourages Members to take a short 12-question survey, targeted at pilots and dispatchers,
at:
http://www.nbaa.org/surveys/stormwx
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Women in Corporate Aviation Scholarship to Be Presented at NBAA2007
Women in Corporate Aviation, International (WCA) will present a $2,000 scholarship at the NBAA 60th Annual Meeting & Convention (NBAA2007), to be
held September 25 through 27, in Atlanta, GA. NBAA encourages Members to apply for the WCA scholarship, which is open to a woman or man pursuing
professional development and career advancement in business aviation. The scholarship can be used for NBAA Professional Development Program (PDP)
classes, flight training, dispatcher training, upgrades in aviation education, etc., but cannot be used for general business course work. The
deadline for applying is July 23. Direct questions to WCA's Michelle Powell at MPowell@wca-intl.org, or
review application forms and guidelines online at:
http://www.wca-intl.org
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EBACE2007 Exhibit Floor and Static Aircraft Display Sold Out; Totals Surpass Last
Year
More than 10,000 Attendees are expected for the 7th Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2007) to be held May 22
through 24 in Geneva. Indoor exhibit booth space is sold out, with 1,400 booth spaces reserved by more than 340 companies, compared to 1,206 booth
spaces at last year's event. The Static Display of Aircraft is also sold out, with 56 aircraft (54 fixed-wing and two helicopters) confirmed. A wait
list has been started for the exhibit floor, should additional space become available. Companies interested in being placed on the wait list should
contact NBAA's Linda Peters at lpeters@nbaa.org. Co-produced by NBAA and the European Business Aviation
Association, EBACE is the only European exhibition focusing exclusively on business aviation. For Exhibitor information and more, visit the official
EBACE2007 web site at:
http://www.ebace.aero
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EBACE Dates Secured From 2008 to 2012
NBAA and the European Business Aviation Association are pleased to announce that dates for EBACE have been confirmed from 2008 through 2012 at Geneva
PALEXPO. "EBACE is a premier marketing event for business aviation in Europe, and we believe that the City of Geneva – which has Geneva PALEXPO
situated adjacent to Geneva International Airport – to be part of the success of the event," said Kathleen Blouin, NBAA senior vice president,
conventions, seminars & forums. For more information, visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/news/pr/2007/20070504-034.php
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Limited Space Left for Safety Standdown Europe
Space is quickly filling for the first-ever Safety Standdown Europe. The seminar will be held May 24 and 25 in Geneva, Switzerland, immediately
following the 7th Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2007). Offered by NBAA, Bombardier Aircraft Company and the
European Business Aviation Association, this free seminar builds on the successful Safety Standdown held each year in Wichita, KS. Similar to that
event, Safety Standdown Europe will inform business aircraft operators about the latest safety issues directly affecting them, and will provide tools
to reduce an operator's safety risk exposure. To register and for additional details, visit:
http://www.safetystanddown.com
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CBAA to Receive Award for Development of Business Aviation in Canada
Next month, during its 34th Induction Ceremony on June 6 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame will honor the Canadian Business Aviation
Association (CBAA) with the Belt of Orion Award for Excellence. Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, which pays tribute to people who pioneered and
advanced aviation and aerospace in Canada, is recognizing CBAA for its sustained, ongoing commitment and dedication to the development of business
aviation activities in Canada. NBAA congratulates CBAA for this honor. Learn more about CBAA at:
http://www.cbaa.ca
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Santa Monica Runway Dispute Heads for Showdown
The City of Santa Monica's proposal to substantially shorten the runway at Santa Monica Airport (SMO) by using declared distances to establish runway
safety areas may be headed for a confrontation with the FAA. NBAA opposed the city's first proposal to shorten the runways by more than 800 feet at
one end and by 300 feet at the other. NBAA pointed out that those runway safety areas were not required, that other measures could be taken if
necessary and that the effect of the runway shortening would be to close the airport to business jets with a maximum takeoff weight of more than
23,000 pounds. The Association also provided an action alert, with messages and contact information, to help NBAA Members who use SMO write to the
City Council in opposition to the proposal. The FAA agreed with the opinion of NBAA, expressing concerns about the proposal to the city with a letter
and direct testimony. Nevertheless, the Airport Commission voted during the last week of April to adopt the city's runway safety area proposal and to
add 300 feet of closed runway. The City Council must act on the proposal before it can become effective. If it were to become effective, it would put
future federal funding for the airport at risk and substantially diminish its value to business aviation. NBAA continues to work with the FAA to
oppose the city's proposal. For additional information about how individual NBAA Members can support the Association's work in this area, contact
NBAA's Dan Burkhart at dburkhart@nbaa.org. Visit the NBAA SMO page at:
http://www.nbaa.org/ops/airports/smo/
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FAA Houston-Area Customer Focus Meeting, May
16
FAA Houston Center is inviting all operators to a Houston-area customer focus meeting on May 16, hosted by David Conley and Greg Dunne from the
Houston TRACON Traffic Management Office. The meeting will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Hampton Inn located at 502 North Sam
Houston Pwy., Houston, TX 77060, (281) 820-2101, and will cover trends and updates for Houston airspace, along with plans for construction at Houston
Intercontinental (IAH). RSVP and direct agenda item requests to Conley at david.conley@faa.gov. To download
a detail meeting agenda, visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/ops/airspace/hou_cf0507_000.doc
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FAA Dallas-Fort Worth Customer Forum, May 22
The FAA DFW TRACON/Center will hold a joint customer forum on Tuesday, May 22 to discuss air traffic issues with operators throughout the Dallas-Fort
Worth Metroplex area. DFW Tower, TRACON and Center will be represented at the meeting and will provide briefings on various topics such as area
navigation (RNAV), runway status light system (RWSL), airport construction projects, airspace use, traffic management initiatives and Class B
airspace. The meeting will be held at DFW Center from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. NBAA Members who would like to attend should contact FAA's Greg Juro at
greg.juro@faa.gov, no later than May 16. For more information, contact NBAA's Bob Lamond at rlamond@nbaa.org.
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Southern Colorado Group to Address Safety Issues on May 9
The Southern Colorado Regional Group (SCRG) will hold its quarterly luncheon this Friday, May 9, and Greg Feith, former senior NTSB accident
investigator, will be the featured guest speaker. Feith has investigated hundreds of aircraft accidents during his 20 years with the NTSB, and he
received the Aviation Week and Space Technology Laurel Award for his investigation of the Valuejet DC-9 fire in 1996. A briefing on the status of the
FAA reauthorization proposal also will be provided. The luncheon will be held at 11:30 a.m. on May 9 at the Radisson Inn, 1645 Newport Road, Colorado
Springs Municipal Airport (COS). RSVP by May 8 to SCRG's Chic Myers at cmyers@flyintegrityair.com.
For more information, contact NBAA's Steve Hadley at shadley@nbaa.org.
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Nebraska Business Aviation Association Annual Event
The Nebraska Business Aviation Association (NeBAA) will hold its annual event in Omaha, NE on May 14-16. The event will start on Monday, May 14, with
a Sponsor Appreciation BBQ at the Werner Enterprises Flight Operations Hangar. The Annual Golf Tournament will be held Tuesday, May 15, at The
Players Club at Deer Creek. The final day, Wednesday, May 16, will be the Mechanic's Seminar held at the ConAgra Foods hangar. Proceeds from the
tournament will benefit the NeBAA Scholarship Fund, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), and the NeBAA. For more information, contact NBAA's
John Balsiger at jbalsiger@nbaa.org or Bill Sibbersen at William.Sibbersen@conagrafoods.com.
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NBAA's Brown to Address South Florida Meeting, May 16
Steve Brown, NBAA senior vice president, operations & administration, will speak about the FAA funding debate at the next meeting of the South
Florida Business Aviation Association (SFBAA). The event will be held on May 16 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Avitat on Boca Raton Airport
(BCT), and refreshments will be served. RSVP to SFBAA's Scott Ramsden at scott@ramjetaviation.com or
Tracy Gough at tgough@wfscorp.com, or for more information, contact NBAA's Harry Houckes at hhouckes@nbaa.org.
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NBAA Recognizes Seven Certified Aviation Managers
Last week, NBAA announced that seven individuals successfully passed the Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) Examination administered by the Association
in February and April 2007. The certification process seeks to raise the level of professionalism and quality of management within flight
departments. For each individual, the CAM designation recognizes achievement and knowledge in business management, leadership, operations, personnel
management, and technical and facilities services across the industry. The next CAM Exam will be administered on September 24 in Atlanta, GA, in
conjunction with the NBAA 60th Annual Meeting & Convention. The deadline to apply for the September exam is August 6. To learn more about the CAM
Exam and recent recipients, visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/news/photos/20070503
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NBAA Accepts Contributions for David W. Ewald Journalism Scholarship
Last week, NBAA announced the creation of a new scholarship created in honor of David W. Ewald, beloved figure in business aviation, and long-time
publisher of Business & Commercial Aviation. The scholarship, which focuses on journalism, is one of several offered by NBAA to promote
professional development within the business aviation community. Contributions may be made payable to NBAA and sent to the David W. Ewald Scholarship
Fund, c/o NBAA, 1200 Eighteenth St. NW, Suite 400, Washington DC, 20036-2527, (202) 783- 9000. Further details and an application form will be
published when available at:
http://www.nbaa.org/scholarships
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NBAA Tax Forum to Instruct Owners, Operators on Current Laws and
Regulations
Aviation tax issues are at the heart of all business aircraft operations and transactions. Knowledge of tax law and regulations is critical to proper
planning. The NBAA Business Aviation Taxes Forum is designed to help accountants, attorneys, advisers and flight department personnel keep up with
the latest tax and legal developments affecting business aircraft owners and operators. After an introduction to the aviation regulatory environment,
knowledge of which is essential for proper tax planning, presenters will address a variety of current tax topics at an intermediate to advanced
level. Ample time will be allowed for questions and answers. The event will take place at the Allegro Hotel in Chicago, June 1. For more information,
and to register, visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/events/taxforum/20070601
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Emergency Response Planning Workshop
May 7–8, 2007, Tucson, AZ
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FSF/NBAA 52nd Annual Corporate Aviation Safety Seminar
May 8–10, 2007, Tucson, AZ
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IS-BAO Implementation Workshop
May 21, 2007, Geneva, Switzerland
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7th Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2007)
May 22–24, 2007, Geneva, Switzerland
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Safety Standdown Europe
May 24–25, 2007, Geneva, Switzerland
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Business Aviation Taxes Forum
June 1, 2007, Chicago, IL
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Business Aviation Regional Forum
June 8, 2007, St. Louis, MO
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IS-BAO Implementation Workshop
June 20, 2007, Atlanta, GA
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Flight Operations Manual Workshop
June 25–26, 2007, San Diego, CA
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Management Fundamentals for Flight Departments Workshop
June 27–28, 2007, San Diego, CA
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12th Annual Flight Attendants Conference
June 29–30, 2007, San Diego, CA
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Application Deadline for September CAM Exam
August 6, 2007
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Emergency Response Planning Workshop
September 23–24, 2007, Atlanta, GA
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Management Fundamentals for Flight Departments Workshop
September 23–24, 2007, Atlanta, GA
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Professional Development Program (PDP) Course: Aviation Resource Management
September 23–24, 2007, Atlanta, GA
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16th Annual Tax, Regulatory & Risk Management Conference
September 23–24, 2007, Atlanta, GA
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Professional Development Program (PDP) Course: Mastering Communication Skills
September 24, 2007, Atlanta, GA
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Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) Exam
September 24, 2007, Atlanta, GA
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60th Annual Meeting & Convention (NBAA2007)
September 25–27, 2007, Atlanta, GA
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Flight Operations Manual Workshop
September 28–29, 2007, Atlanta, GA
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11th Annual Safety Standdown
October 22–25, 2007, Wichita, KS
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Business Aviation Regional Forum
November 8, 2007, Oakland, CA
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IS-BAO Implementation Workshop
November 9, 2007, Oakland, CA
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Review the Full NBAA Events Calendar
http://www.nbaa.org/events
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Review Future NBAA Convention Dates
http://www.nbaa.org/conventions/futuresites.htm
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