NBAA Flight Plan Podcasts

Businessman and pilot Brad Pierce is worried about the government's plan to limit participation in the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program, which keeps his flights from being monitored in real-time by unknown third parties using online tracking services. "We are a small business," Pierce says. "To do something that would negatively effect our positive growth during these bad times...I think that would be a huge mistake."

As the business aviation community battles the government's plan to severely limit the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program, the president and CEO of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association says NBAA Members are by no means alone in the battle. "This struck me at the outset as somebody's solution to a problem that didn't exist," said AOPA President Craig Fuller. He shared his thoughts in a recent NBAA Flight Plan interview. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen similarly addressed AOPA's Members through a recent interview on AOPA Live, the Association's online video channel.

The Helicopter Association International's annual Heli-Expo in Orlando, FL, provides a good opportunity to check in on the rotor end of business aviation. At least one industry expert believes sales of rotor-wing aircraft are about to see an up-tick. "The pipeline will fill up nicely and we'll be in good shape next year - particularly on the delivery front," said Brian Foley, an aviation analyst based in Sparta, NJ.

It's perhaps one of the most expensive insurance claims in aviation history. As many as 20 aircraft were damaged or destroyed in when the roof of the Dulles Jet Center hangar buckled under the weight of almost 30 inches of ice and snow in February 2010. Lawsuits surrounding the collapse are still pending in court and could take years to settle, but losses could exceed $400 million. What should you look for when you negotiate a hangar lease? In this edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, Tim Bonnell, president of PIM Aircraft Insurance, says you should keep a wary eye on the loss-provisions of your contract.

While sounding a note of cautious optimism about what appears to be a budding recovery for business aviation, General Aviation Manufacturers Association President and CEO Pete Bunce raised a red flag about the need for more government resources to provide the mandatory certifications for airplane manufacturers' products. Bunce's comments came amidst a State of the Industry press briefing and webinar recently hosted by GAMA.

In the month since the 112th Congress was gaveled into session, FAA reauthorization has emerged as a major policy priority in Washington. In this edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, Association President and CEO Ed Bolen explains why NBAA Members should be encouraged by the proposals being advanced by the White House, House and Senate.

New airport construction happens so rarely these days, you can count the number of airfields built in the United States during the past decade on one hand, and have a few fingers left over. In this week's edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, Blake Swafford, manager of the new Paulding County Northwest Atlanta Airport in Dallas, GA, says the facility will be good not just for the county, but for the regional area

As civil unrest disrupts business in Cairo and other cities in Egypt, business aviation is helping people exit the country quickly and safely. Air Partners, a charter aviation broker with offices in 20 countries, has evacuated thousands of people from the area. In this week's edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, Air Partners Vice President Philip Mathews reports "The turnarounds, which ordinarily you'd expect to take only 60-minutes, are taking up to three or four hours."

The newly formed, San Antonio-based Partnership for Corporate Aviation Training (PCAT) has been formed to help flight operations of all sizes in the area conveniently and cost- effectively share safety expertise. Hadley and the PCAT organizers believe the group's efforts will be especially valuable to smaller flight departments, which often don't have the time or the budgets to attend in-service training and obtain advanced safety certification.

In a special edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, NBAA attorney Jol Silversmith discusses the larger meaning of the recent decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals against banning certain aircraft from Santa Monica Airport. "What Santa Monica was attempting to do was assert that localities can pick and choose which aircraft can serve their airports," Silversmith reports. "That's a very dangerous position for business aviation, because the next airport may decide they want a far more-reaching ban than Santa Monica [sought]." While Silversmith welcomes the court's ruling, he cautions, this fight for business aviation isn't over yet.

The Super Bowl is a major regional event, and NBAA has worked with government officials and FBOs in Dallas to ensure that all aviation traffic - including business aviation - flows smoothly. What should companies using business aviation know before flying into the area at the end of next week?

How are airport officials reaching out to the communities that surround them? In this edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, Darci Nuziel, assistant administrator at Addison Airport in Texas, discusses how community outreach is helping airports get the word out in both good times and bad. The podcast opens a three-part web article series about Addison's airport advocacy.

Although any serious consideration of Safety Management System (SMS) requirements appears to be years away, NBAA is there when government officials discuss the matter, as the Small Business Administration did last week.

As a new Congress convenes NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen reports that it will be as important as ever that NBAA and its Members communicate the No Plane No Gain message, especially with the 100 new lawmakers elected in November. "We know the No Plane No Gain message resonates," Bolen reports. "We've got to get everybody engaged, communicating with ... their elected officials."

From finding an unleaded replacement for avgas, to the TSA's Large Aircraft Security Proposal, to safety management system requirements, Flight Plan highlights the progress of regulatory challenges facing business aviation. In the final installment of the year-end NBAA Flight Plan podcasts, regulators and industry experts discuss the challenges and developments that may come in the new year.