NBAA Flight Plan Podcasts

Alarmed at the increasing number of aircraft coming under attack by lasers on the ground, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Randy Babbitt in this edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast describes new civil penalties, invoking a rule normally used in the air. "These fines are a new tool that we're going to use in combating a rise in these laser events," Babbitt said.

For victims of tornado-ravaged Joplin, MO, the steady stream of business airplanes with life-saving supplies has been like an airlift from heaven. Attorney Robert McKenzie with the Chicago law firm of Arnstein and Lehr, LLP, said the air lift provided by his company and several other Chicago-area businesses was assembled in less than 24 hours. "Business airplanes are meant to get company personnel from point to point quickly - when used for disaster relief, that advantage is magnified."

On this week's NBAA Flight Plan podcast, Pat Costello, South Dakota's secretary for economic development, reports that his state is developing aviation-oriented business properties across the state.

While business aviation is an industry built around commerce, Dr. John Kasarda at the University of North Carolina envisions entire cities built around what he considers the center of commerce in the 21st Century: the airport. Kasarda explores this idea his new book, Aerotropolis. He suggests that today businesses are as connected across the globe as they are across the street. For that reason, the Aerotropolis, a city with an airport as its focal point, is central to competing in a global economy.

Scott Rose is the new chairman of the governing board for the NBAA Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) program, perhaps one of the most prestigious leadership programs in the entire industry. In this edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, Rose explains the evolution of the CAM program and its role in developing the aviation leaders of tomorrow. Rose says his emphasis is on the big picture - the combined efforts of flight crews, maintenance technicians and dispatchers - to create a seamless aviation operation.

In remarks before the Atlanta Aero Club on May 5, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Randy Babbitt said a final FAA reauthorization bill would help the agency's planning and management of the large-scale, long-term work involved in completing the transformation of today's ground-based aviation system into a satellite-based Next Generation (NextGen) system. Once the necessary NextGen technologies are installed, Babbitt pointed out, savings in costs and time would follow for all aviators. Following his remarks in Atlanta, Babbitt was interviewed for this week's NBAA Flight Plan podcast.

Sugar Land is an example of an airport that not only works for the community, but works with the community. In this week's NBAA Flight Plan podcast, hear from the local mayor, Chamber president and others about the local support the airport enjoys.

"More than 50 percent of the entire workforce in aviation and aerospace is over the age of 50," reports Jamail Larkins, one of the youngest aerobatic pilots ever and the FAA's first Ambassador for Aviation and Space Education. In this issue of NBAA Flight Plan, Larkins and Desert Jets President Denise Williams talk about a new internship program to attract students to careers in business aviation.

Worried about flying anywhere near Japan, given the ongoing crisis at the tsunami-ravaged Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear facility? On this edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, experts say operators need not be concerned.

Two House members who lead the Congressional General Aviation Caucus discuss their legislative priorities for the Caucus on this week's edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast. Reps. Sam Graves (R-6-MO) and John Barrow (D-12-GA), who serve as Caucus Chairs, detail their work to communicate the importance of business aviation to citizens, companies and communities.

As Washington officials prepare for a possible government shutdown, people in business aviation are asking: could a shutdown affect the industry? NBAA Senior Vice President for Operations and Administration Steve Brown has the answer, because as a former government executive with the FAA, he prepared for two possible shutdowns. "People who control air traffic, process flight plans and are involved in weather decision-making... all of that should proceed as normal." But not everything would remain the same, as Brown points out in a special edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast.

Today is the deadline for submitting comments to the public docket in opposition to the FAA's proposal to severely limit the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen explains why it's critical that the business aviation community make its voice heard on the issue.

On stage, you'd figure country music star Aaron Tippin as alternately patriotic, romantic and irreverent. But you'd probably never figure him for a pilot, or even an airframe and powerplant mechanic. Tippin is one of two keynote speakers at NBAA's 26th Annual Maintenance Management Conference (MMC), April 4-8 in San Diego, CA.

The window for submitting public comment to the FAA regarding proposed, onerous changes to the Block Aircraft Registration (BARR) program is beginning to close, and if you value your privacy or that of your flight operation, now is the time to speak up. The comment window closes on April 4, and Doug Carr NBAA's vice president for safety, security and regulation says "The more comments we get the more important it will be for government officials to respond to all of these positions."

In this special, expanded edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, John and Martha King tell podcast host Pete Combs the reasons they rely on the BARR for their business, and how their security could be compromised if the FAA's proposed changes to the BARR are implemented.