Source: http://nata.aero/eNewsletters.aspx?newsid=699
Timestamp: 2018-07-16 22:17:49
Document Index: 81495093

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 121', 'art 135', 'art 121', 'arts 121', 'art 135', 'art 121', 'art 135', 'art 135', 'art 121', 'art 135', 'art 121', 'art 135', 'art 135', 'art 121']

##Date## Volume 9 Issue 38
FAA’s Part 121 Flight, Duty And Rest Rule Raises Concern For Part 135
Ø U.S. House Aviation Subcommittee Looks At Pilot Flight And Duty Time Rule
Ø NATA Issues Action Call On California AB 1889
Ø Coyne To Testify This Week On Residential Through The Fence Agreements At Public Airports
Ø Congress Extends Bonus Depreciation
Ø General Aviation Industry Makes Final Push For FAA Reauthorization With Print Advertisement “It’s Time to Fly”
Ø FAA Gives Inspectors Guidance On SMS And FOQA Programs
Ø 100LL Avgas Update
Ø TSA Issues Legal Interpretation On Alien Flight Student Program
Ø Latest Posts From Coyne And Policy Playbook Blog
Ø Mac McClellan to Speak At October FBO Success Seminar
Ø Don’t Miss The Free FBO Success Preview Webinar This Wednesday
Ø LSST Seminar Discounted Hotel Rates End September 24
NATA has conducted its initial review of the FAA’s new proposed rule addressing pilot hours-of-service rules for Part 121 airlines. While the association supports the FAA’s decision to pursue separate rulemaking initiatives for Parts 121 and 135, NATA is deeply concerned about language contained in the proposed rule regarding the FAA’s plan for future Part 135 rulemaking.
NATA has prepared a Regulatory Report that provides additional information on the NPRM as well as a link to download the full NPRM. Click here to read the Regulatory Report.
The association will continue to advocate for the FAA to give proper weight to the ARC proposal if rulemaking is initiated and will continue to work to ensure the FAA gives appropriate consideration to the implications of mandates on the continued viability of the industry.
U.S. House Aviation Subcommittee Looks At Pilot Flight And Duty Time Rule
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Aviation met last Thursday to discuss the issue of pilot flight and duty time for Part 121 commercial air carriers and the recently issued notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), which was released by the FAA on September 10. The NPRM proposes significant changes to pilot hours of service by defining and limiting duty periods and increasing the amount of rest given to pilots.
Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN), Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, applauded the FAA for taking the next step to create safer flight, duty and rest conditions for today’s pilots but reiterated that the administration must remain on task in resolving these pressing issues and that any further delay in moving toward a final rule would be unacceptable to Members of Congress. Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Costello (D-IL) agreed, stating that fatigue science and studies on situational awareness are key in understanding what is needed to maintain safety behind the controls.
NATA is concerned with language contained in the proposed rule regarding the agency's plan for future Part 135 rulemaking. The NPRM stated that “part 135 operations are very similar to those conducted under part 121” and that a comparable, if not identical, notice will be issued to the Part 135 community.
Cargo Airline Association President Stephen Alterman testified before the subcommittee, stating that an understanding of the differences between segments of the aviation industry is important because “…the United States air transportation industry is not a unified whole, but rather consists of separate segments with different operational needs requiring different regulatory approaches.” National Air Carrier Association President A. Oakley Brooks and Air Transport Association Vice President of Operations and Safety Thomas Hendricks agreed, saying that this one-size-fits-all approach is inappropriate for the demands required in other parts of the industry. FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety Margaret Gilligan, Air Line Pilots Association President John Prater, and Washington State University Research Professor and Director of Sleep Performance Gregory Belenky also testified.
NATA will continue to work with other aviation trade organizations, the FAA and Capitol Hill to build on the revised pilot flight, duty and rest regulations to ensure appropriate regulations for on-demand operators.
To read the complete witness testimony, please click here.
NATA Issues Action Call On California AB 1889
Last Friday, NATA issued an action call asking California members and other interested parties to contact Governor Schwarzenegger in support of Assembly Bill 1889 (AB 1889). AB 1889, if signed, would provide a delay in compliance for flight training providers with the rules issued by the California Bureau of Postsecondary Education. This delay is necessary to provide an opportunity for the California Legislature to review the effects of the rules on the flight training industry.
NATA has received strong indications that the governor intends to veto AB 1889 due to provisions in the bill unrelated to the delay for flight training. Because of this, NATA has already begun working on additional strategies to have a compliance delay put into law, but the association still believes that it is important for flight training providers to express their support of AB 1889 to the governor in the event that a last minute deal is reached.
The full action call can be read on www.nata.aero or by clicking here.
Coyne To Testify This Week On Residential Through The Fence Agreements At Public Airports
NATA President James K. Coyne will testify on Wednesday, September 22, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Aviation on residential through-the-fence (RTTF) agreements at public airports. The FAA recently issued a proposed policy related to RTTF agreements at federally funded airports. This policy would subject existing RTTF agreements to closer oversight and scrutiny and prohibit federally obligated airports from entering into any new RTTF agreements.
NATA supports the FAA’s proposed policy and believes the FAA proposal is in accordance with existing federal grant assurance requirements and applicable case law with regard to prohibiting new RTTF agreements, while providing a reasonable accommodation for existing agreements to continue.
A copy of NATA’s complete testimony will be posted to www.nata.aero on Wednesday, September 22.
To view the committee hearing page and access the live webcast, please click here.
Congress Extends Bonus Depreciation
Last week, the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 5297, the Small Business Lending Fund Act of 2010, which contained a provision to allow bonus depreciation on equipment purchases in 2010, including general aviation aircraft.
Bonus depreciation allows a business to accelerate 50 percent of the depreciable value of a capital investment in the first year instead of spreading it out over five years and is a proven tool for increasing aircraft sales. Aircraft purchased before the end of 2010 must be placed into service by the end of 2011 to receive bonus depreciation.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed similar legislation, H.R. 5297, on June 17, 2010. The two bills will now be reconciled and sent to the president for his signature.
General Aviation Industry Makes Final Push For FAA Reauthorization With Print Advertisement “It’s Time to Fly”
The current extension of FAA Reauthorization legislation expires on September 30. With few days left in the legislative session before the extension deadline, NATA joined the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, National Business Aviation Association and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association in drawing attention to the critical need to pass legislation to reauthorize the FAA. The advertisement appeared in Politico, a local Capitol Hill publication. The ad highlights that an FAA reauthorization bill has been delayed 15 times since authorization expired almost three years ago and each temporary extension saps time and resources desperately needed to move general aviation forward. In addition, the ad promotes the industry’s worth to the U.S. economy and urges swift passage of a reauthorization bill.
Last week, NATA joined several aviation industry groups, including the Aerospace Industries Association, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Cargo Airline Association, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and the National Business Aviation Association in a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood supporting implementation of a U.S. – European Union bilateral aviation safety agreement.
FAA Gives Inspectors Guidance On SMS And FOQA Programs
In a recent Notice, the FAA has provided information on the status of Safety Management Systems (SMS) requirements, the inspector’s action when SMS programs are referenced in FAA-approved manuals, and the impact of international enforcement of flight data analysis program requirements on air carriers.
In Notice 8900.133, the FAA explains that International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards call on nations to require SMS programs, approved by the aviation authority, for commercial operators. The FAA has not yet promulgated an SMS requirement for U.S. commercial air carriers. ICAO also calls on nations to require noncommercial operators to have SMS programs; however, these programs would not necessarily be required to be approved by the FAA.
Because the FAA has not initiated rulemaking to require SMS, it has filed a “difference” with ICAO. The Notice states that the FAA has received assurance from other ICAO member states that they will not deny U.S. operators entry to their country if an SMS program is not in place.
However, there is another ICAO requirement that has resulted in some operators being denied entry by a foreign nation. ICAO has adopted a standard that calls for nations to require commercially operated aircraft over 27,000 kg (59,525 lb) to establish a flight data analysis program.
In the U.S., this type of program is known as a flight operational quality assurance (FOQA) program. The FAA explains that it is aware of at least four instances where U.S. commercial aircraft were denied entry to a nation for not having a program.
The FAA does not require FOQA programs; however, most Part 121 and some Part 135 operators do have them voluntarily. According to reports received by NATA, France is the nation primarily responsible for denial of entry when a FOQA program is not in place. NATA’s magazine, Aviation Business Journal, published an article related to this and other international issues last year. That article, “Guidance for International Operations,” may be read by clicking here.
NATA strongly encourages operators conducting international operations, to make themselves aware of the flight data analysis program requirements being enforced by some nations to ensure that unexpected denials for entry are not encountered.
100LL Avgas Update
Last week, NATA Director of Regulatory Affairs Michael France along with General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) Vice President of Engineering and Maintenance Walter Desrosier and National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Senior Vice President, Operations & Administration Steve Brown provided to attendees at the National Association of State Aviation Officials annual conference in Wichita, Kansas, an update on the industry’s efforts regarding the future of aviation gasoline. The briefing focused on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) actions on lead in aviation gasoline as well as the role state aviation officials could play in responding to the EPA’s actions.
NATA, GAMA and NBAA as well as the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the Experimental Aircraft Association, the American Petroleum Institute and the National Petrochemical Refiners Association are the core members of the General Aviation Avgas Coalition. The coalition is working to respond to the EPA’s actions regarding lead emissions from general aviation aircraft. The coalition is in the process of developing a plan that will provide a path to a lead-free future for general aviation.
As part of its role within the coalition, the AOPA has begun publishing a newsletter providing important updates and information on the industry’s efforts. This newsletter is also being made available to NATA’s membership. This week’s newsletter covers topics including:
Latest News on lead and avgas
Facts on aviation fuel
Questions and answers on lead in avgas
The latest edition of AOPA’s Avgas Newsletter is available to NATA Members here.
TSA Issues Legal Interpretation On Alien Flight Student Program
Last week, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued a legal interpretation regarding recurrent training and the Alien Flight Student Program (AFSP). The interpretation specifically laid out what types of activities do not qualify as recurrent training under the AFSP and include:
Heads Up Display (HUD) Training
Enhanced Vision System (EVS) Qualification
Operator Specific Proficiency Checks
Special Airport Qualifications
In addition to clarifying the definition of recurrent training, the interpretation also changed the security threat assessment (STA) process for Category 4 submissions to permit recurrent training. This new process would allow alien flight students who have successfully completed an STA within the previous year to begin training without waiting for a new STA to be performed, once the TSA has received all required paperwork. The interpretation issued by the TSA, available for download here, provides additional details on the procedure.
Latest Posts From Coyne And Policy Playbook Blog
NATA President’s Capitol View Blog Post: “One Question To Ask Every Candidate” by NATA President James K. Coyne.
Policy Playbook Blog Post: “Minimum Standards, Minimal Confusion” by NATA Manager, Regulatory Affairs Dennis Van de Laar
Veteran aviation writer, editor and pilot Mac McClellan will be a featured guest speaker at the Ft. Lauderdale FBO Success Seminar on October 5-7. Over the past 30 plus years, Mac has flown just about every general aviation aircraft introduced into the marketplace. Through the process of evaluating aircraft, he has encountered both good and bad FBO service and will share his experiences from a pilot’s perspective.
NATA’s FBO Success Seminar in Ft. Lauderdale will also feature a comprehensive session with a special focus on fueling. As part of this acclaimed event, several major oil companies and third-party fuel brokers will participate in a lively roundtable discussion and field questions from FBO owners and operators in attendance.
Mac has been a pilot for 37 years and an aviation writer for more than 30. He holds an ATP certificate with type ratings in Learjets and Citations. He also has a commercial helicopter pilot license and is a certified instrument flight instructor. Mac began his aviation writing career in 1976 with Business & Commercial Aviation, which, at the time, was a companion to Flying. Mac was technical editor at B/CA and moved over to Flying in 1980 with the same title. During his years at Flying, Mac has been based in Kansas City and Grand Haven, Michigan, before returning to the main office, then in Greenwich, Connecticut, to become editor-in-chief in 1990.
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Plus, register for our other webinars!
9/22/2010 - FBO Success Preview Webinar - What To Expect October 5-7, 2010, In Ft. Lauderdale, FL (FREE) Noon - 1:00 p.m.
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Visit www.nata.aero/webinars for more details.
LSST Seminar Discounted Hotel Rates End September 24
And, don't miss the chance to take advantage of discounted hotel rates – deadline September 24. Make your reservations by clicking here.
Do you believe the FAA should issue a flight and rest rule for Part 135 similar to the proposal recently issued for Part 121?
NextGen is now for the thousands of air traffic controllers who train at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City.”
That is the opening line from a recent article posted on the “NewsOK” Web site that reviews how new NextGen technology has already been incorporated into training for new air traffic controllers. The article provides insight into the way the air traffic controllers are trained using traditional radar technology as well as newer, more advanced NextGen technology.
“"It's our future,” said Lindy Ritz, administrator of the Mike Monroney Center. “You will see the safest aviation system in the world. It will increase safety and efficiency and also decrease the environmental footprint.”
"The only way to increase capacity is to get more accurate positioning,” Darnell said.”