House Transportation Leaders Oppose User Fees for Deficit Reduction
In a move applauded by NBAA, transportation leaders in Congress last week urged the co-chairs of the deficit reduction "Super Committee" to reject the Obama Administration's proposed per-flight user fee as a means of raising revenue. "The president's proposed $100 per flight fee is an arbitrary number with no basis for its establishment," wrote House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-7-FL) and his Republican committee colleagues in a letter to Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-5-TX) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the co-chairs of the Congressional Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction. "We strongly support the current aviation financing structure," the transportation leaders wrote, referring to the easy-to-pay, efficient-to-collect fuel tax. Read more of the lawmakers' letter.

GA Leaders Welcome Harrison Ford at Meeting With Senators
Noted actor and aviator Harrison Ford met on October 18 with members of the Senate General Aviation (GA) Caucus to discuss the importance of aviation to citizens, companies and communities across the U.S. The meeting, held in the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC, was attended by a number of senators who belong to the caucus to help spread the word about the importance of general aviation in America. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen was among the industry leaders who welcomed Ford to the meeting, where industry priorities, including the GA community's opposition to an Obama Administration proposal for per-flight user fees, were discussed. At the event, both Ford and the senators expressed their strong support for all of general aviation, including business aviation. View the photo gallery.

TSA Plans to Produce Revamped Security Proposal by Year-end
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials have told NBAA that they hope to issue a new proposed business aircraft security program by the end of this year. The new proposal, which is expected to be markedly different from the Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) offered several years ago, will need to be reviewed and approved by the Department of Homeland Security and Office of Management and Budget before being published for public comment. "TSA heard our concerns about the most egregious elements of the original LASP proposal," said Doug Carr, NBAA vice president for safety, security & regulation. Read more about the expected new security proposal.

Buffett's No Plane, No Gain Ads an Effective Advocacy Tool
When Shayne Walters, vice president of business development at PowerDirect Marketing, saw the new No Plane, No Gain advocacy campaign ads featuring internationally renowned businessman and investor Warren Buffett in a recent edition of the Wall Street Journal, he knew he had to show them to everyone in his company. "Like Mr. Buffett, I believe in face-to-face meetings to extend business relationships," said Walters, who is considering using business aircraft to enable PowerDirect to meet clients in person more often. "I plan to share [the ads] with the senior management, as well as our entire sales team." Order free copies of a pocket guide featuring Buffett's new No Plane No Gain ads, and learn how Walters intends to use the Buffett ads.

New Study in Houston Finds: No Plane No Gain
A new study by GRA, Inc. and the University of Houston shows just how vital airports are in a city's overall financial picture. GRA, Inc. Vice President Richard Golaszewski said his study establishes a strong link between the aviation infrastructure in Houston and its ability to attract both international visitors and international trade. With three strong airports – two of them having major general aviation components – Craig said Houston is well established as an aviation enterprise city. The city's airports contributed more than $27.5 billion to the regional economy last year and provided jobs for more than 47,000 people. For details, listen to the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, and read an article about the Houston Airport System study.

Ireland's Shannon Airport Wants to Build Business Aviation Presence
Shannon Airport is more than an important access point for Ireland and a convenient pre-clearance point for entry into the United States. "Shannon Airport is an uncongested airport," said, Joe Buckley, airport business development manager. "You can leave the terminal and be at your desk within 10 minutes." Local officials, who are working to increase the presence of business aviation at the airport, understand the economic value of business aviation activity. In 2010, companies using Shannon generated over 3 billion euros in revenue, with 600 million euros returned to the community surrounding the airport. Learn more about Shannon's potential for business aviation.

GA Desk Helps Teterboro Users Stay on Top of Changes
For the past decade, NBAA's General Aviation (GA) Desk, located on aviation's front lines at the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center, has offered Members access to the most up-to-date airspace and airport information available. The need for such a service has been highlighted as New Jersey's Teterboro Airport (TEB) undergoes a number of infrastructure upgrades. "The business model for business aviation is based on flexibility," noted Dean Snell, assistant manager, GA Desk. "We are there to ensure that flexibility remains." Learn more about recent GA Desk efforts.

NBAA's Piccione to Keynote Columbus-Area GA Networking Event
NBAA Senior Vice President, Government Affairs Lisa Piccione is the featured speaker at the General Aviation Business Partners networking event to be hosted by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority (CRAA) on Thursday, October 27, in Columbus, OH. Those in attendance will include general aviation (GA) business partner representatives, stakeholders, and supporters and allies from the GA communities at all three Columbus-area airports. The event will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Port Columbus International Airport's Emergency Operations Center. For more information, contact CRAA's Mark Mulchaey at MMulchaey@columbusairports.com. Learn more about the Columbus-area GA airports.

Call for Speakers: 2012 NBAA Regional Forums
NBAA is pleased to announce its call for speakers for education sessions at the Association's 2012 Business Aviation Regional Forums. Proposals for presentations are welcome on topics such as safety and risk management, maintenance and technical issues, airspace and airport access, aircraft and flight operations, aviation management, aircraft ownership, and career and leadership development. Proposals are due to NBAA by December 1. Review and download the call for speakers form.

Funding Available for Leadership Conference; Apply by Nov. 1
Applications are due by November 1 for the NBAA Corporate Aviation Management Scholarship, which funds qualified candidates to attend the NBAA Leadership Conference, to be held February 22 and 23, 2012, in San Diego, CA. Attendance at the NBAA Leadership Conference promotes the professional development and leadership skills of individuals seeking careers in flight department management. Those who currently work in the business aviation industry or attend a university-level aviation program are encouraged to apply. Learn more and download the application.

Barden Scholarship Winners Announced; Apply Now for 2012
NBAA congratulates the following five students for receiving the 2011 NBAA/UAA Janice K. Barden Aviation Scholarship: Elyse Hildebrandt, Western Michigan University; Amber Lloyd, Purdue University; Nicole Maillet, Florida Institute of Technology; Zachary Waller, University of North Dakota; and Charles Zera, Western Michigan University. This scholarship provides tuition reimbursement for undergraduates studying aviation-related curricula and is made possible by the University Aviation Association (UAA). The application period for the 2012 Barden Aviation Scholarship is still open, and submissions are due November 1. Learn more about the 2011 winners and access the 2012 application.