NBAA Flight Plan Podcasts

Leaders from business aviation groups across the country will meet at NBAA's second annual Regional Leadership Roundtable, set for June 5 in San Antonio, TX. "The objective of the roundtable is to connect the dots between aviation groups all over the country," said NBAA Access Committee Vice Chairman Don Hitch, whose group sponsors the Regional Leadership Roundtable. "They can share information on how to deal with their own challenges and, we think, learn very important lessons from each other."

Among the Top Safety Focus Areas listed by the NBAA Safety Committee, "professionalism" is often the most difficult to define. "That's exactly what the Professionalism Working Group has been focused on," said Marty Grier, Sr., maintenance manager at the Home Depot flight department and member of the NBAA Safety Committee.

Among the Top Safety Focus Areas listed by the NBAA Safety Committee, "professionalism" is often the most difficult to define. "That's exactly what the Professionalism Working Group has been focused on," said Marty Grier, Sr., maintenance manager at the Home Depot flight department and member of the NBAA Safety Committee.

In an airspace increasingly composed of RNAV fixes and the routes they define, the FAA has introduced new phraseology for the delivery of IFR clearances: "climb via" and "descend via." Whether used in conjunction with standard instrument departures (SIDs) or area navigation standard instrument departures (RNAV SIDs), climb via is simply shorthand for fly the departure as published. "Some pilots are confused by this phraseology," said Keith Gordon, director of aviation at Flynn Gallagher Associates in Las Vegas, and a member of NBAA's Access Committee. "But once you understand the basic concept that this is simply verbal shorthand for 'fly the published procedure,' it becomes much easier to grasp."

In an airspace increasingly composed of RNAV fixes and the routes they define, the FAA has introduced new phraseology for the delivery of IFR clearances: "climb via" and "descend via." Whether used in conjunction with standard instrument departures (SIDs) or area navigation standard instrument departures (RNAV SIDs), climb via is simply shorthand for fly the departure as published. "Some pilots are confused by this phraseology," said Keith Gordon, director of aviation at Flynn Gallagher Associates in Las Vegas, and a member of NBAA's Access Committee. "But once you understand the basic concept that this is simply verbal shorthand for 'fly the published procedure,' it becomes much easier to grasp."

Ensuring fitness for duty - physically, mentally, emotionally and cognitively - is one of the most important aspects of a pilot's job, and so crucial that NBAA's Safety Committee has listed it among its Top Safety Focus Areas. Committee members, working closely with the NTSB, FAA, safety experts and Members, will focus intently on various issues that fall under the term "fitness for duty," providing the industry with information and guidelines for avoiding or mitigating the myriad of issues that can impact duty fitness.

Ensuring fitness for duty - physically, mentally, emotionally and cognitively - is one of the most important aspects of a pilot's job, and so crucial that NBAA's Safety Committee has listed it among its Top Safety Focus Areas. Committee members, working closely with the NTSB, FAA, safety experts and Members, will focus intently on various issues that fall under the term "fitness for duty," providing the industry with information and guidelines for avoiding or mitigating the myriad of issues that can impact duty fitness.

Business aircraft operators in India are "cautiously optimistic" about the coming of a new government in June, which may bring with it major changes in that country's policies toward general aviation. Representatives of India's Business Aircraft Operators Association met recently with senior officials from the office of the Director General of Civil Aviation to discuss topics ranging from tax relief for maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities, to a new government policy that would allow commercial carriers to team up with non-scheduled operators to provide regional air service throughout India.

Business aircraft operators in India are "cautiously optimistic" about the coming of a new government in June, which may bring with it major changes in that country's policies toward general aviation. Representatives of India's Business Aircraft Operators Association met recently with senior officials from the office of the Director General of Civil Aviation to discuss topics ranging from tax relief for maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities, to a new government policy that would allow commercial carriers to team up with non-scheduled operators to provide regional air service throughout India.

Business aircraft operators in India are "cautiously optimistic" about the coming of a new government in June, which may bring with it major changes in that country's policies toward general aviation. Representatives of India's Business Aircraft Operators Association met recently with senior officials from the office of the Director General of Civil Aviation to discuss topics ranging from tax relief for maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities, to a new government policy that would allow commercial carriers to team up with non-scheduled operators to provide regional air service throughout India.

Following the announcement earlier this year of the NBAA Safety Committee's 2014 Top Safety Focus Areas, the committee and its associated working groups are working to develop products, resources and tools to help Member Companies elevate safety standards and best practices within their operations. These efforts are being carefully designed within the construct of the 10 identified focus areas -- issues within business aviation that committee members believe require greater attention and increased vigilance across all aspects of flight operations.

Following the announcement earlier this year of the NBAA Safety Committee's 2014 Top Safety Focus Areas, the committee and its associated working groups are working to develop products, resources and tools to help Member Companies elevate safety standards and best practices within their operations. These efforts are being carefully designed within the construct of the 10 identified focus areas -- issues within business aviation that committee members believe require greater attention and increased vigilance across all aspects of flight operations.

The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) is hitting the road next month, hoping to forge alliances with business aircraft operators in several key venues, including the 2014 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE2014). On April 14, the day before ABACE2014 gets underway in Shanghai, China, IBAC and NBAA will be among the sponsors of a half-day safety stand down. The following week, IBAC Director General Kurt Edwards and others will meet with business aircraft operators in Singapore, Hong Kong and Jakarta to talk about issues that range from safety to regulation. It is part of a larger effort by IBAC to interface with Asian operators.

The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) is hitting the road next month, hoping to forge alliances with business aircraft operators in several key venues, including the 2014 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE2014). On April 14, the day before ABACE2014 gets underway in Shanghai, China, IBAC and NBAA will be among the sponsors of a half-day safety stand down. The following week, IBAC Director General Kurt Edwards and others will meet with business aircraft operators in Singapore, Hong Kong and Jakarta to talk about issues that range from safety to regulation. It is part of a larger effort by IBAC to interface with Asian operators.

Steve Hadley, NBAA's Southwest regional representative and director of regional programs, said growing regional cooperation is a factor in increased safety awareness and practices, and said the cooperation between regional groups does not stop there. Many groups receive safety training and materials from NBAA, and many are starting to share the resources they've developed independently, he said.