Contributions of Tuskegee Airmen to Be Honored at NBAA2012
NBAA will bestow its highest award – the 2012 Meritorious Service to Aviation Award – to members of the Tuskegee Airmen squadron on Oct. 31 during a general session of the 65th Annual Meeting & Convention (NBAA2012) in Orlando, FL. "We are honored to present this award to these storied aviators, who in a time of great peril defended the United States and its principles, even as they faced intolerance at home," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. Named for the Alabama home of their training base, the Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American military aviators in the United States armed forces, flying more than 1,500 combat missions from June 1943 through April 1945. Joining the Tuskegee Airmen will be acclaimed filmmaker George Lucas, producer of the 2012 film Red Tails, which recounts the group's history. Read more about the Tuskegee Airmen.

NBAA Supports New FAA Center of Excellence for General Aviation
NBAA Chief Operating Officer Steve Brown said the Association is enthusiastic about working with government and industry on the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) new Center of Excellence (COE) for General Aviation, which was announced by Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood on Sept. 27. Citing the size, scope and diversity of general aviation in the United States, he said, "This innovative partnership with academia and industry will help us take general aviation safety to the next level." In addition to safety, the COE's research and testing efforts will address accessibility and sustainability of general aviation into the future. Read more about the new COE.

FAA Officials to Take Part in Safety Discussion at NBAA2012
Three FAA officials will take part in NBAA's Safety Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 30, the opening day of NBAA2012. Peggy Gilligan, associate administrator for aviation safety, John Allen, flight standards director, and John Duncan, deputy flight standards director, will participate in the meeting to be held from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Room S320D of the Orange County Convention Center. The FAA plays an integral role in setting safety standards across the aviation spectrum. Those attending the Convention are invited to join FAA leaders for an insightful discussion of the agency's challenges and opportunities for aviation safety oversight. Learn more about the safety meeting at NBAA2012.

Sioux Falls Column Says GA Critical for Business, Emergencies
A former president of the Rapid City, SD airport board vigorously defended general aviation (GA), including business aviation, in a column in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader newspaper. "The truth is that every day, aircraft and airports across our state are used to carry out emergency medical, firefighting and disaster relief operations," Bert Corwin wrote in his column, which appeared in the newspaper on Sept. 30. "Throughout our state and the nation as a whole, the adaptability of GA makes it an excellent resource to organizations that perform critical public-safety functions." Read more of Corwin's column.

Cross Check and Avoid Navigational Errors in the NAT
A serious concern for air traffic controllers (ATC) and pilots are navigational errors made when traversing the airspace over the North Atlantic (NAT). While general aviation only makes up about 6 to 7 percent of the traffic in the NAT, it accounts for a relatively high number of deviations. "What really stands out to me is how often crews fly the filed flight plan, and not the clearances given to them by air traffic control," said Peter Ingleton of the International Business Aviation Council. When the aircraft's initial oceanic clearance is later revised by ATC, it's essential the flightcrew correctly enter and cross check the revised clearance. Read more about flying in the NAT in an online extra from the latest edition of Business Aviation Insider.

Cross-Border Issues Conference to Address Key Topics for U.S. and Canadian Operators
U.S. and Canadian government officials and industry experts on border-related concerns soon will come together for the Cross-Borders Issues Conference, which will address common challenges faced by operators transporting business aircraft passengers across the border between the United States and Canada. Co-sponsored by NBAA and the Canadian Business Aviation Association, the event will be held on Dec. 6 and 7 in Canada's capital city of Ottawa, Ontario. New for this year, the conference will cover some of the most talked about issues in business aviation, such as the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) and use of iPads on the flight deck. Learn more and register.

Is In-House International Trip Planning the Right Answer?
The NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers (S&D) Committee will present an education session called "In-House International Trip Planning: Is It the Right Answer?" on the first day of NBAA2012 in Orlando. The session, which will be held Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 2 p.m., will examine whether international trip planning is best handled in-house or by third-party experts. NBAA S&D Committee staff liaison Jo Damato is quick to point out that the Association neither advocates nor opposes one option or the other for any of its Members. "But we want schedulers and dispatchers to look at both sides and make sure they're doing something that's right for them and their flight department," she added. Learn more in this week's NBAA Flight Plan podcast.

Air Traffic Control Tower Begins Operations at Hernando County Airport
The newly constructed air traffic control tower at Hernando County Airport (BKV) in Brooksville, FL is now staffed and ready for operations. The tower opened today at 7 a.m., and the local airspace will be reclassified to controlled airspace. Hours of operation for the tower will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. The facility is staffed by an experienced team of five full-time air traffic controllers and a manager. The controllers are all retired FAA controllers. Combined, they boast 194 years of FAA air traffic control experience. For more information, contact Airport Manager Don Silvernell at dsilvernell@hernandocounty.us.

FAA Reminds Pilots of Expansion of Bulldog MOA in Georgia
The FAA's Eastern Service Center is notifying operators that the Bulldog Military Operations Area (MOA) is expanding effective Nov. 15. While the Atlanta sectional aeronautical chart will not be updated with this change until March 7, 2013, the FAA is working to make general aviation operators based near Augusta and Swainsboro, GA aware of the expansion. The change will especially affect pilots flying beneath the Bulldog B MOA (below 10,000 feet MSL) in the new Bulldog C and E MOAs. IFR charts for the airspace are still correct and more information will be available in the military section of notices to airmen (NOTAMs) published on Oct. 18. Contact NBAA Air Traffic Services with any questions at airtraffic@nbaa.org.

Austin-Bergstrom Implements Parking Reservation System for F1 Race
A heavy volume of air traffic is expected in the Austin, TX region due to the Nov. 18, Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix event. As such, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) has established a reservation system to ensure ramp space availability for arriving aircraft. All aircraft operators planning to fly into AUS from Nov. 12 to 21 will be required to have a prior permission required (PPR) number in order to park as well as drop off passengers. Airport officials advise that a PPR reservation does not satisfy customs and immigration clearance requirements and international operators should contact Austin CBP at least 30 days prior to the desired arrival. Review the AUS arrival procedures and reservation instructions.

Still Time to Register for NBAA2012 in Orlando
There's still time to register for NBAA's flagship Convention coming to Orlando's Orange County Convention Center from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, with outdoor static displays at both the convention center and nearby Orlando Executive Airport (ORL). With more than 1,000 Exhibitors already signed up, this year's show will feature a full program of education sessions and outstanding keynote speakers, including Congressman John L. Mica (R-7-FL), FAA Acting Administrator Michael Huerta, Forbes Publisher Rich Kargaard and electronics pioneer Bill Crutchfield. Plus, Mary Matalin and James Carville will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the political arena in this election year. Members save $200 on NBAA2012 registration. Join NBAA to take advantage of discounted Member rates.

Headed to Orlando? Sign Up for the NBAA Tax Conference
Held the two days before NBAA2012 opens, on Oct. 28 and 29, the NBAA Tax, Regulatory & Risk Management Conference is an interactive opportunity to learn about the latest regulatory and tax policy changes affecting business aviation. In breakout sessions and discussion-based workshops, Attendees can zero in on the federal, state and local regulatory and tax updates most relevant to them. This year's program will explore federal excise tax, hobby loss and passive loss rules, state taxes, aviation insurance and other advanced topics. Sign up for the 2012 Tax Conference today.

Last Chance to Register for This Week's Free ADS-B Webinar
NBAA will present a free live webinar on ADS-B at 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 17. Sponsored by ACSS, this webinar will provide an overview of ADS-B and discuss how it can increase safety and improve flying efficiencies by minimizing flow delays, improving situational awareness while taxiing and in-flight, increasing in-flight efficiencies and reducing pilot workload. Preregistration is required; register for this free ADS-B webinar.

New Edition of NBAA's LBA Buyer's Guide Now Available
Available exclusively for NBAA Members, the 2012 edition of the NBAA Light Business Airplane (LBA) Buyer's Guide is now available. First published in 2009, the guide provides an overview of all the light business aircraft currently in production to help small businesses find the right airplane for their needs. Sample copies of the guide have been made available for this month's Light Business Airplane Conference, jointly hosted by NBAA and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association in conjunction with AOPA Summit in Palm Springs, CA and NBAA2012 in Orlando. Download the LBA Buyer's Guide.