Bolen Sounds Call to Action to Grow GA Caucuses
As 2013 gets underway and a newly elected Congress confronts an unpredictable legislative landscape, it's important that the voice of business aviation continues to be heard on Capitol Hill. That's why NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen today sent out a call to action for NBAA Members to help grow the bipartisan House and Senate GA Caucuses, which, he said, "inform legislative debates by highlighting the value of general aviation (GA) in creating jobs, helping companies succeed, connecting communities and supporting humanitarian endeavors." Bolen pointed to a letter people can send to their elected representatives through the Association's online Contact Congress resource to urge lawmakers to become members in the caucuses. Send your message to Congress today.

Business Aviation Advocates Engage in Aircraft-Emissions Policy Deliberations
With a vote by the European Parliament scheduled for April on whether to "stop the clock" on full implementation of the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS), members of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) High-Level Group continue meeting in Montreal to work on a global plan for addressing aircraft-emissions policy. The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) also continues its concurrent meetings in Montreal, with top NBAA officials participating. IBAC's goal is to ensure that the non-commercial aviation sector is fairly represented in any solution considered by ICAO. Listen to this week's edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast to learn more about the work of ICAO and IBAC.

Mixed Picture for General Aviation Fatalities in 2012
Though U.S. business jets flown by full-time crew last year added a fourth year to their fatality-free run, a new preliminary analysis of business aviation accidents showed that the total number of business jet accidents inched up, according to Bob Breiling, of Robert E. Breiling & Associates. During the same period, the total number of U.S. turboprop accidents decreased, noted Breiling. Also recently released was the National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary statistics for 2011, which showed some marked improvements in business aviation safety. Read more about the latest safety statistics.

NBAA Renames Annual U.S. Show 'Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition'
The Association today announced that the name for its largest annual U.S. event has been changed from "Annual Meeting & Convention" to "Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition" ("BACE"). In announcing the change, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen noted that, given the global nature of business aviation, the Association co-hosts dedicated, business-aviation-only events around the world. The new name for NBAA's largest event brings it into alignment with the other shows. "NBAA's largest U.S. show has up to this point been referred to as an 'annual meeting,' but in recent decades, it has grown in size and importance to be much more than just a meeting, and this change reflects that reality," Bolen said. Read more about the NBAA Convention name change.

'No Plane No Gain' Message Central to Kansas Congressman's GA Advocacy
Doing his part to correct misperceptions about general aviation, Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-4-KS) used a recent "Dear Colleague" letter to put forward the facts about the industry's importance to citizens, companies and communities. The letter, which is the first in a series of missives the congressman intends to send to his fellow lawmakers each month, highlights messages at the core of the No Plane No Gain advocacy campaign, which is jointly sponsored by NBAA and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Read more about Pompeo's letter to lawmakers.

Virginia Mayors Protest Proposed Aviation User Fees
Protests against Obama Administration-proposed user fees for general aviation continue to surface, as another dozen mayors and city managers have added their names to a petition objecting to the fees. The user fee, included in the president's federal spending proposals, would add $100 for each GA flight. The latest signatures, from officials in Virginia, bring to 126 the number of city and town mayors and managers across the country objecting to the proposed new fee. To date, local officials from 48 of the 50 U.S. states have signed the petition. In addition to protesting the proposed user fees, the local leaders also object to the president's description of GA business flights. Read more about the petition.

NAT Datalink Mandate Looms for Business Aircraft
On Feb. 7, ICAO rules will require aircraft flying to Europe be equipped with cockpit datalink systems in order to access two preferred routes in the North Atlantic Organized Track System (NAT OTS). The two systems required, Controller-Pilot Datalink Communications (CPDLC) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C), enable more direct and reliable communication with air traffic control, provide an alternative to radio and make possible tighter spacing between aircraft. However, only a small fraction of business aircraft are ready for the transition. Read more about the new datalink requirements in the new digital edition of Business Aviation Insider.

Thailand's Brief Business Jet Ban Highlights Importance of Advocacy
A temporary ban on business aircraft at Phuket International Airport in Thailand during the recent holiday season is an example of why NBAA's work with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is so important, said Doug Carr, NBAA's vice president of safety, security, operations & regulation. Established in 1989, APEC supports sustainable economic growth and prosperity among its 21 member nations that circle the Pacific Ocean. Focusing on trade and economic issues, APEC understands the airlines' contribution to each of their economies, said Carr, "but business aviation is a relatively new topic for them, so we should not expect rapid changes until they fully understand its contributions." Read more about NBAA's work with APEC.

Glideslope Interference Possible on Teterboro Approach
In recent months, flightcrews have reported glideslope anomalies when flying the ILS approach for Teterboro Airport (TEB) Runway 19. It is believed this anomaly is caused by aircraft on the ground crossing Runway 19 on Taxiway Q, passing immediately in front of the ILS 19 glideslope antenna. The resultant interference with the glideslope signal has triggered premature glideslope capture, followed by a "fly up" flight director/autopilot command once the aircraft causing the interference exits the glideslope critical area. These deviations can cause loss of separation with arrivals directly overhead into Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). For more information, visit the Teterboro Users Group site.

Now On Air Mail: Groups Share Advice on Regional Safety Days
Last week on NBAA's Local Business Aviation Groups Air Mail list, leaders of regional aviation groups from around the country shared tips on developing valuable and cost-effective safety days. Such collaboration among NBAA Members is key goal of the NBAA Access Committee. Air Mail is NBAA's Members-only social network for the discussion of business aviation topics. To review the discussion, NBAA Members must log in to Air Mail Forums.

ICAO President to Keynote ABACE2013 in Shanghai
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council President Roberto Kobeh González will serve as a keynote speaker at the 2013 edition of the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE2013). Scheduled for April 16 to 18 at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, ABACE is the region's largest show dedicated strictly to showcasing business aviation products and services. "China and the broader Asian region are playing an ever-increasing role in the global aviation community, so it is fitting that the president of the world's aviation oversight body will speak at the Opening General Session for ABACE," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. Read more about ABACE2013.

Leadership Expert to Keynote Next Week's Conference
The annual NBAA Leadership Conference is next week, Feb. 12 and 13 in Austin, TX, and the closing keynote speaker will be James Kouzes, one of most influential thinkers on leadership worldwide. With more than 30 years experience in leadership training, Kouzes is ranked by The Wall Street Journal as one of the best executive educators in the country. He is the co-author of the best-selling book The Leadership Challenge, which has sold more than 2 million copies. At the conference, Kouzes will explore how leaders have an impact on the lives of others and how they can impact their legacy. Register for the Leadership Conference.

NBAA2013 Call for Speakers Open Through Feb. 28
The quality, breadth and depth of education sessions at NBAA's Convention are, in large part, due to volunteer contributions from industry participants. NBAA is soliciting speaking proposals by Feb. 28 for this year's Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA2013), which will be held from Oct. 22 to 24 in Las Vegas, NV. Proposals must be educational in nature and include specific learning objectives. NBAA welcomes presentations 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. Submit a speaker proposal for NBAA2013.

Compensation & Benchmark Survey Now Open
The NBAA Compensation & Benchmark Survey provides in-depth data on aviation department salaries and operational information to help Members better evaluate their flight departments. Every year, the survey elicits responses from hundreds of aviation departments, providing compensation data on thousands of employees. Only NBAA Member Representatives at companies that operate aircraft are eligible to take the survey. Survey respondents will have free online access to the results. All submissions are kept confidential and no individual results are posted. The 2013 survey will be open until March 6. Learn more and take the survey.