| Business Aviation News & Issues |
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FY2009 Transportation Package Advances in Senate
On June 10, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2009 transportation appropriations bill. Among its many provisions, the bill
increases funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Under the measure, the FAA would receive $15.5 billion next fiscal year, a $590
million increase over current funding levels. Included in that amount is $3.5 billion for the Airport Improvement Program, $9 billion for FAA
operations, $2.75 billion for facilities and equipment and $171 million for research, engineering and development. The bill includes $39 million for
performance-based navigation and $49 million for system-wide information management, two critical parts of the transition to the Next Generation
transportation system. The bill now goes to the full Senate, although it is unclear how soon the measure will actually be considered. For more
information, contact NBAA's Ashleigh de la Torre at adelatorre@nbaa.org.
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NBAA Web Site Has Q&A on Host Change for ICAO Flight Plans
On June 29, the FAA completed a change in all Host systems that will automatically assign preferential routes based on the equipment capability
contained in International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) flight plans. The change was made to help facilitate the transition from the Host
system to the new En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) system, which will replace the legacy Host computer processing system used in 20 air route
traffic control centers. NBAA has been working with FAA officials to ensure a smooth ERAM flight plan transition to the ICAO format for all business
aviation operators. In a recent Q&A, the FAA offered responses to NBAA Member questions on the topic. To view the questions and answers, visit
the NBAA web site at:
http://www.nbaa.org/ops/airspace/
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FAA Addresses NBAA's Concerns on Use of Part 142 Training
Centers
In response to concerns raised by NBAA, the FAA has provided commercial operators that utilize Part 142 training centers with greater flexibility in
meeting line observation requirements for contract instructors or contract check airmen. Previous guidance contained in FAA Notice 8900.37 caused
concern for operators because of the requirement for all contract check airmen and instructors to complete an in-flight line observation program with
each operator for whom they are authorized to contract instruction or checking. For more information, contact NBAA's Operations Service Group at info@nbaa.org, or visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/ops/part135/
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NBAA2008 Exhibit Floor Sold Out; Total Surpasses Last Year
Exhibit space for the NBAA 61st Annual Meeting & Convention (NBAA2008) has officially sold out, with nearly three months remaining until the
event takes place October 6–8 in Orlando, FL. The total number of exhibit booths is 5,302 compared with last year's all-time high of 5,257. More
than 30,000 Attendees are expected at the event, with indoor displays and nearly 100 Information Sessions at the Orlando-Orange County Convention
Center. Additionally, over 120 aircraft will be on static display at Showalter Flying Services on Orlando Executive Airport (ORL). Companies
interested in being placed on the wait list for indoor exhibits should contact NBAA's Linda Peters at lpeters@nbaa.org. For more information about NBAA2008, visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/2008
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NBAA On-Hand for Member Services at Oshkosh
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen and other Association staff will welcome all business aircraft owners and operators at EAA's AirVenture in Oshkosh,
WI from July 28 to August 3. NBAA Members and non-Members are invited to visit the NBAA hospitality tent, located at S-41 on the flight line, where
NBAA's Membership staff will provide information on how NBAA can help make businesses more successful in their aircraft operations, and on the
benefits of Membership. In addition, Operations Service Group representatives will be available to answer questions on business aircraft ownership
and operations, and Conventions staff will take suggestions for NBAA's new event, the Light Business Airplane Exhibition & Conference, scheduled
for March 12 to 14, 2009 in San Diego, CA. Review NBAA's ad in the AirVenture program at:
http://www.nbaa.org/member/news/insider/2008/1008/oshkosh-1008.php
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FAA Letter to Airmen Outlines Updated New York Center Radio Frequencies
The FAA has published Letter to Airmen 08-01 regarding updated radio frequencies to be used in New York Center (ZNY) airspace for direct
center-to-pilot communications. Correct frequencies are normally provided to crews upon entering ZNY, however, in the event that they are not, crews
can obtain correct frequencies from this letter. The frequencies are listed by ZNY sector, and further broken down by navigational fixes in the area.
To download the letter, visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/airspace
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NBAA Working to Prevent Shortening of Sikorsky Memorial Airport Runway
For several years, NBAA has worked to promote the establishment of a runway safety area (RSA) at Sikorsky Memorial Airport (BDR) in Bridgeport, CT
that would be satisfactory to the FAA, operators and the local community. Recently, the U.S. Army has discussed selling the land where part of the
RSA would be located. The absence of this portion of land could force the FAA to reduce the runway length at BDR, making the runway too short for
typical jet operations. As this would adversely affect local business, NBAA is working closely with the Connecticut Business Aviation Group, FAA,
Flight Operations System and Connecticut state legislators to mitigate any shortening of the runway at BDR. For more information, contact NBAA's Dean
Saucier at dsaucier@nbaa.org.
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Weekend Runway Closures at Seattle Boeing Field Through
Mid-August
Seattle Boeing Field (BFI) Runway 13R/31L will be closed from 8:00 a.m. (PST) on Saturday to 4:00 a.m. (PST) on Monday during the following weekends
due to scheduled taxiway and intersection improvements: July 19–21, August 9–11 and August 16–18. There is also a possibility of
closure the weekend of August 23–25 if weather forces delays to the scheduled improvements. Numerous approaches will not be available due to the
runway closure. Details can be found on the FAA's notices to airmen web site later this week, at:
https://pilotweb.nas.faa.gov/distribution/home.html
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Missouri Governor Signs Effective Aviation Tax Policy
The Governor of Missouri signed beneficial aviation tax legislation on July 3 that will exempt from state and local sales tax the purchase of
materials, replacement parts and equipment for use directly upon, and for the modification, repair, replacement and maintenance of aircraft, aircraft
power plants and aircraft accessories from January 2009 to January 2015. This act also increases the cap on the amount of jet fuel sales tax that can
be deposited into the State Aviation Trust Fund from the current $6 million to $10 million. Finally, the act modifies the definition of "commercial
aircraft" for aircraft taxation purposes, reducing the weight threshold from 7,000 to 3,000 pounds. For more information, contact NBAA's Bob Quinn at
bquinn@nbaa.org.
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Chicago Group to Meet This Friday
The Chicago Area Business Aviation Association (CABAA) will hold a meeting this Friday, July 18 at J.A. Air Center Corporate Hangar on Aurora
Municipal Airport (ARR), located at 43W700 U.S. Route 30 in Sugar Grove, IL. The meeting, sponsored by Cessna Aircraft and J.A. Air Center, will take
place from 11:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. A Citation Sovereign and Mustang will be on display at the event. For additional information, contact NBAA's bquinn@nbaa.org. To register, visit the CABAA web site at:
http://www.cabaa.com
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ORBAA Promotes National Aviation Hall Of Fame Ceremony
The Ohio Regional Business Aviation Association (ORBAA) promotes the heritage of Ohio's aviation legacy in many ways, particularly by promoting the
Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, OH. The 47th annual enshrinement of new members to the Hall of Fame will occur on Saturday, July 19. As part of the
weekend festivities, the President's Reception and Dinner will be held on Friday, July 18. For details on the new inductees and reservation
information, visit the Hall of Fame web site at:
http://www.nationalaviation.org
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Georgia Business Aviation Association Safety Day This Summer
Atlanta once again will host the Georgia Business Aviation Association's (GBAA's) annual Safety Day on August 27, at the Marriott Century Center. The
event will include information sessions on topics including safety management for the scheduler/dispatcher, landing distance calculations,
distraction management, hangar safety and more. For more information, contact NBAA's Harry Houckes at hhouckes@nbaa.org, or visit the GBAA web site at:
http://www.gbaa.org
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NBAA Recognizes Four New Certified Aviation
Managers
NBAA congratulates four individuals who successfully passed the Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) Examination in May and have earned the official
title of Certified Aviation Manager. They are: Brian Bockholt, captain and training office, Briggs & Stratton Corp.; Paul Erickson,
standardization captain, ExxonMobil Aviation; Chad Lahman, director of aviation, Level3 Communications; and Denise Wilson, chief pilot, Desert Jet.
Through the certification process, NBAA and the CAM Governing Board seek to raise the level of professionalism and quality of management within
flight departments. The next CAM Exam will be administered in July and September in a computer-based format. The next paper-based exam will be
administered on October 5, in conjunction with the NBAA 61st Annual Meeting & Convention in Orlando, FL. Read the press release at:
http://www.nbaa.org/news/pr/2008/20080711-039.php
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NBAA Gold Wing Award Applications Due July 15
Applications for the 2008 NBAA Gold Wing Award are due July 15. The NBAA Gold Wing Award is presented annually for excellent, accurate and insightful
reporting on issues related to business aviation by trade or non-trade media in print, web-based or broadcast formats. The NBAA Gold Wing Award
recognizes journalism's important role in reporting the significant contributions of business aviation to the national economy. For more information,
visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/about/awards/gold
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4th Annual NBAA Charities Auctions Now Accepting Donations
Donations are now being accepted for NBAA's 4th Annual Charities Auctions, which will be held in conjunction with the 61st Annual Meeting &
Convention. The Live and Silent Auctions support NBAA Charities, a charitable fund established to provide assistance from the Association and the
business aviation community to a wide range of philanthropic organizations. The Live Auction will be held during the NBAA Charities Gala on the
evening of Tuesday, October 7. Silent Auction items will be on display prior to the Charities Gala. To donate items for the NBAA Charities Auctions,
or for more information, contact NBAA's Dina Green at dgreen@nbaa.org, or visit the NBAA2008 web site at:
http://www.nbaa.org/2008
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Podcast on Smoke, Fire and Fumes Available on NBAA Web Site
NBAA has made available several podcasts and presentations from the 13th Annual Flight Attendants Conference held last month, one of which is "Smoke,
Fire and Fumes," presented by Captain H.G. "Boomer" Bombardi. The session, attended by 276 people, discusses the effects of smoke, fire and fumes
(SFF) in the cabin and how flight attendants play a crucial part in helping the cockpit crew determine the proper solution to an SFF event. To
download this podcast and more, visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/events/fac/2008
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Business Aviation Insider Sponsorship Opportunities
Available
Sponsorship opportunities are available for upcoming issues of Business Aviation Insider, the official Member publication of NBAA. An
award-winning publication highly respected by NBAA's Members, Insider is mailed bimonthly to 11,000 NBAA Member employees, distributed to
thousands more at NBAA events and archived online. The publication covers virtually all aspects of the industry, including operational issues,
developments in the federal policy arena, NBAA events and Member benefits and profiles of NBAA's diverse Membership. NBAA provides a rate card online
for interested sponsors, which includes publishing dates, the 2008 editorial calendar and artwork specifications. To view the 2008 sponsorship rates
and information, visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/membership/benefits/publications/
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Registration Open for 12th Annual Safety Standdown
The 12th Annual Safety Standdown will be held this year from October 20 to 23 in Kansas City, MO. The event, jointly hosted by NBAA, Bombardier, the
FAA and National Transportation Safety Board, will cover a variety of topics critical to aviation safety. Flightcrew medial training and CPR training
and certification modules will be offered before the three-day general session. Also recently added is a one-day maintenance workshop on human
factors in aviation safety, which satisfies FAA requirements for inspection authorization renewal and the Aviation Maintenance Technician Award.
Registration is open now. To register or learn more, visit:
http://www.safetystanddown.com
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Business Aviation Regional Forum
September 10, 2008, Bedford, MA
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12th Annual Chairman's Charity Classic Golf Tournament
October 4, 2008, Orlando, FL
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PDP Course: Record Keeping and Regulatory Compliance
October 4, 2008, Orlando, FL
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17th Annual NBAA Tax, Regulatory & Risk Management Conference
October 4–5, 2008, Orlando, FL
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Emergency Response Planning Workshop
October 4–5, 2008, Orlando, FL
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Flight Operations Manual Workshop
October 4–5, 2008, Orlando, FL
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PDP Course: Goal Achievement and Conducting Valuable Performance Reviews
October 5, 2008, Orlando, FL
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Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) Exam
October 5, 2008, Orlando, FL
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61st Annual Meeting & Convention
October 6–8, 2008, Orlando, FL
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Maintenance Manual Workshop
October 9, 2008, Orlando, FL
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Management Fundamentals for Flight Departments Workshop
October 9–10, 2008, Orlando, FL
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NBAA Light Business Airplane Exhibition & Conference
March 12–14, 2009
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Review the Full NBAA Events Calendar
http://www.nbaa.org/events/date
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Review Future NBAA Convention Dates
http://www.nbaa.org/events
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