NBAA Weighs In on OSHA Proposals for Business Aircraft
NBAA submitted comments on Jan. 22 raising questions about a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed-policy to allow Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) oversight of aircraft cabin workplace safety issues. The proposed policy, required by the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, could potentially establish OSHA oversight of certain occupational safety and health requirements such as recordkeeping, blood borne pathogens, noise, sanitation, hazard communication, anti-discrimination and access to employee exposure/medical records for employees on aircraft in operation, other than flight deck crew. Read more about the FAA's proposal.

FAA Recommends Pilots Spend Less Time Using Autopilot
A recent FAA safety alert for operators (SAFO) recommends that pilots take control of their aircraft more often. The SAFO states that professional flight crews and pilots of increasingly advanced aircraft should turn off the autopilot and hand-fly during "low-workload conditions," including during cruise flight in non-RVSM airspace. It also recommends operators should "promote manual flight operations when appropriate," and develop procedures to accomplish this goal. Learn more about the FAA's recommendations.

NBAA Asks Members to Reach Out to New Members of Congress
NBAA is reaching out to members of the 113th Congress as they settle in on Capitol Hill for a session NBAA views as being of the utmost importance to business aviation. The Association is also calling upon its Members to make their voices heard. "This is going to be a little different beginning for a Congress," said NBAA Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Lisa Piccione. "Usually when a new Congress is convened, we have several months to meet new members. But we're going to have several major issues come up on Capitol Hill in very short order, so we do want to make sure that members of Congress hear from their constituents about the importance of business aviation and all the jobs that are associated with it." Read more about what you can do to help ensure Congress hears the industry's voice in this week's NBAA Flight Plan podcast.

No Plane No Gain Resources Central in Industry Youth Event
Pat Lambrix, president and owner of Cleveland, OH-based Soluna Air Charter, took part Jan. 23 in a panel discussion on careers in aviation at The Ohio State University Center for Aviation Studies, and used the occasion to introduce students to NBAA. She shared copies of the No Plane No Gain Pocket Guide, which highlights how business aviation helps companies succeed. She also provided copies of another campaign advocacy resource, NBAA's Business Aviation Fact Book, which uses respected data to quantify the industry's value. Lambrix requested the publications from the Association after realizing that her participation in the panel discussion at OSU would reach many college students who already had at least some interest in aviation. Read more about this NBAA Member's student outreach effort.

Texas Legislator Announces Formation of State GA Caucus
Texas State Rep. John Kuempel (R-Seguin) recently announced the creation of the Texas General Aviation (GA) Caucus to promote the role of general aviation in the nation's second-most populous state. "I am looking forward to providing members of the Texas legislature with an opportunity to learn more about the economic impact that general aviation has on their local communities, and exposing them to aviation issues in the districts, of which they may not have been aware," Kuempel said. Read more about the new GA Caucus in Texas.

Airport in Focus: Naples a Good Neighbor and Boon to Local Economy
Calling itself "The Best Little Airport in the Country," Naples Municipal Airport (APF) serves the needs of general aviation in southwest Florida and pumps $273 million into the local economy. With just under 400 based aircraft and about 85,000 aircraft operations annually, the airport is focused on its general aviation customers. Military helicopters, the Coast Guard, Civil Air Patrol, air medical and mosquito control flights and the Collier County Sheriff's Aviation Unit also operate from the airport. Read the full NBAA story about how Naples Airport provides a model for flying safely and quietly.

NBAA Helping EASA Develop On-Demand Crew Rest Rules
In a move that could change the way crew rest is regulated in the European Union, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has invited NBAA to take part in the formulation of new rules that would, for the first time, differentiate rest requirements for charter operators from those that cover scheduled air carriers. Right now, EASA regulations on crew rest have a one-size-fits-all flavor, said NBAA Vice President for Safety, Security, Operations & Regulation Doug Carr. They make no allowances for the very different nature of the on-demand charter business when compared to scheduled airline operations. Carr is one of 10 people in the working group, which has been created to tackle the issue of creating crew-rest regulations for European on-demand operators between now and the end of October. Read more about the issue of crew rest regulations.

Changes Made to In-Flight Broadcast Procedures for Africa Region
Due to limited air traffic control facilities, the International Air Transport Association has modified the in-flight broadcast procedures for the African Flight Region (AFI) effective Mar. 7. Ten minutes before entering the AFI Flight Information Region (FIR), pilots should monitor and report on 126.9 MHz. If departing an airport within the region, monitoring is expected to start as soon as possible and continue until clear of the AFI FIR. A list of occasions when reports should be made and the items to be included in each is available in the notice. For more information, visit NBAA's African Region webpage.

IS-BAO Workshops Coming to 30 Locations Worldwide in 2013
With the new year, the International Business Aviation Council has kicked off its workshop schedule on the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO). The first IS-BAO Workshop was held in San Antonio, TX last week in conjunction with NBAA's Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference. This year, IS-BAO workshops are coming to nearly 30 locations nationwide, as well as internationally, including Canada, Brazil, the UK, Switzerland and Australia. The next workshop is Feb. 5 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. See the full IS-BAO workshop schedule online.

New Business Aviation Group Forms in Nevada
The Nevada Business Aviation Association, which formed last December, recently held its first membership meeting in Las Vegas, and in less than a month, more than 60 members have joined the new group. "Our mission is to serve and enhance the industry in the state of Nevada," said Reza Karamooz, president of the new association and CEO of Las Vegas-based Lucky Jets, an aircraft charter brokerage company. "We have never had this type of organization in our state." Learn more about the new Nevada group.

FAA Makes Change in New York Center Oceanic Clearance Procedures
The FAA has announced it will modify procedures used to issue oceanic clearances to eastbound aircraft entering minimum navigation performance standard (MNPS) airspace in the New York Center Oceanic Control Area (CTA) from an FAA facility. The FAA is changing the delivery method of the three components to an oceanic clearance – route, altitude and speed. Effective Feb. 5 at 7 a.m., the FAA will consider the airport clearance an aircraft receives on the ground before departure to be the route portion of the clearance. Altitude and speed assignments will be given prior to entry into the New York Center Oceanic CTA. View the FAA notice on NBAA's North American Region site.

Parking Reservations Required at Lakefront Airport Super Bowl Weekend
All operators using New Orleans Lakefront Airport (NEW) on Super Bowl weekend, Feb.1 to 4, must obtain a prior permission required (PPR) parking reservation at their FBO before their flight. There will be no requirements to obtain a slot through the FAA's e-STMP program for any airports in the New Orleans area for the Super Bowl; however, NBAA strongly encourages operators to call their FBO prior to their flight to confirm parking and services. For more information, check the Super Bowl XLVII host committee website and the NBAA Super Bowl webpage.

FAA to Terminate Direction Finder Service in Alaska
The FAA announced that it will decommission direction finder (DF) service in Alaska effective Feb. 15 at 12:01 a.m. local time. DF service, which has been used to help lost or disoriented pilots get back on course, has become obsolete given the rise of GPS and ADS-B navigation technology, and because the equipment is no longer manufactured, continued maintenance of the system is impossible. In 2007, the FAA shut down all DF sites located elsewhere in the U.S. after conducting a safety risk management analysis. Pilots are advised to contact flight service station as appropriate as early as possible if a potential emergency or distress situation is anticipated or encountered. For more information, contact Bob Lamond, NBAA Director of Air Traffic Services, at rlamond@nbaa.org.

NBAA Announces Recipients of S&D Scholarship, Training Awards
Numerous monetary and training scholarship awards were given at last week's Schedulers & Dispatchers (S&D) Conference. The S&D committee announced that $41,000 in scholarship funds were awarded to seven individuals in 2013 seeking to advance their aviation careers through continuing education. Additionally, there were 14 recipients of the 2013 Schedulers & Dispatchers Training Scholarship. These training awards, given in conjunction with annual sponsors, promote the career development of current and aspiring schedulers and dispatchers. Read more about this year's monetary award recipients and training award recipients.

Three Individuals to Receive Leadership Conference Scholarship
Three individuals have been selected by the Association's Corporate Aviation Management Committee as recipients of the 2013 Leadership Conference Scholarship. Each scholarship includes a value equivalent to $1,845 to cover expenses associated with attendance at NBAA's 2013 Leadership Conference, taking place on Feb. 12 and 13 in Austin, TX. The Leadership Conference is designed for current and future leaders in every facet of the business aviation industry – both aircraft operators and vendors who provide products and services within our industry. Read more about the scholarship winners.

Leadership Conference Early Bird Registration Ends Tomorrow
Tomorrow, Jan. 29, is the final day to register at the early bird price for NBAA's Leadership Conference. This year's conference will give Attendees the tools to take full ownership of leadership roles in their organization. The keynotes and sessions will help Attendees motivate and mentor staff, equip their team to handle uncertainties and lead with a vision for the future. Sign up for the conference, Feb. 12 and 13 in Austin, TX, and plan to stay an extra day for the Professional Development Program (PDP) course titled Human Resource Management Law and Ethics on Feb. 14. Register for the Leadership Conference now.

International Operators Conference Covers Differences Across the Globe
This year marks the 40th anniversary of NBAA's International Operators Conference, with a gala celebration and an in-depth program on how overseas rules and regulations, execution of procedures and phraseology can vary significantly from the domestic environment. Held in San Diego, CA from Mar. 4 to 7, the conference features sessions on international trip security, customs and border issues, avionics requirements and many other topics, as well as the annual regional reviews for all corners of the globe. Register now for the International Operators Conference.