NATA, PAMA MEMBERS MEET
Funding, security
foremost as industry gears up for convention
by Lindsay M. Hitch
AIRPORT BUSINESS spoke with the National Air Transportation Association
(NATA) and the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) about
issues in preparation for the AS3 show, March 26-28 in Indianapolis. At
the forefront of members' concerns: evolving security requirements, economic
relief, training initiatives, new maintenance regulations, and community
relations.
ONE STEP AHEAD
The general aviation community is still awaiting specific security regulations
for its operations. In an effort to provide guidance to FAA on practical
security legislation, NATA is working on several initiatives, including
the Business Aviation Security Task Force.
"Security continues to remain a question," says David Kennedy,
manager of government and industry affairs for NATA. "The entire
security apparatus has been, and appropriately [so], built around the
scheduled air carriers."
"There's a concern out there about, 'Is this going to trickle down?
Is there going to be more legislation that's going to require additional
security at parts of the airport that at this point in time don't require
security?'" asks David Schober, manager of governmental and technical
affairs for PAMA. "As of now there's nothing on the horizon, but
that's not to say that something doesn't pop up somewhere along the line."
"The traveling public is crying for security measures, but on the
other side of it ... specifically with small airplanes, there really is
no way that we've been able to define where security could be effective,"
says Schober. "The security issue is one of those things that's going
to be on for a while."
A report on general aviation security was mandated as part of the Aviation
and Transportation Security Act; DOT conducted the review. Kennedy says
that the report essentially says, 'GA covers a broad range of aviation
and will be difficult to regulate.' NATA is encouraging its members to
be proactive when it comes to security, otherwise FAA and Congress will
get involved and the industry probably won't like their answers.
FLIGHT SCHOOLS
The FBI visited many flight schools shortly after September 11. "I
would say without exception I did not get a complaint about that involvement.
Everybody really said, 'Yes, let's sit down and look at the records ...
What do you guys need?' And they worked really hard to do that,"
says Kennedy.
"The question I keep getting asked is 'Who's in the airplane?'"
relates Kennedy. "How do you control it?"
One component in aviation security is the physical security of the facility
and the airport itself. The other, says Kennedy, is having a relationship
with the customer. "It can be a positive thing, because it is about
customer service, and it's about building on that. And I think there are
ways to do it that are not intrusive but at the same time will help answer
that question of, 'Who's in the airplane?'"
The Business Aviation Security Task Force's flight school component met
in early February in Vero Beach, FL. The group is working on a program
to increase security at flight schools. Part of that program will focus
on ensuring only the right people have access to aircraft and flight training.
Jim Coyne, president of NATA, says the recommendations from the February
meeting will be presented at the convention.
"The events in Tampa have really created a lot of questions about
what flight schools should or shouldn't do to improve security,"
says Coyne. "A lot of people are making very critical remarks about
flight school security."
NATA was involved in discussions with FAA regarding security enhancements
for flight schools prior to their release in early January. The recommendations
closely parallel NATA's Business Aviation Security Task Force suggestions,
but Kennedy says NATA is happy that each facility is able to select which
it will implement.
INSURING THE FUTURE
As both an ongoing issue and a result of September 11, insurance costs
and availability continue to be an issue for aviation businesses. "It
takes a lot of work on the businesses' part to be very active with their
agents, with their underwriters, demonstrating that they aggressively
manage the safety aspects of it and try and minimize losses," says
Kennedy.
TRAINING: INTEGRATING SAFETY & SECURITY
In December 2001, NATA announced its acquisition of the Aviation Training
Institute (ATI) from Aviation Resource Group International (ARGI). The
acquistion adds line service training materials to the NATA Safety 1st
Program's written and practical tests.
Amy Koranda, manager of education and training for NATA, says that aviation
insurance providers are lauding the training program. "They're going
to be ... cross-referencing when they do FBO audits, looking to see, 'Have
these folks trained and tested?' And they're actually looking for the
NATA Safety 1st program."
The next training module under development will cover security. Koranda
says the outline for a security video is in the works and that NATA is
waiting for FAA regulatory requirements to be determined before proceeding
with the project. Once completed, the Safety 1st program will be comprised
of ten modules on line safety and security. The video will be distributed
to NATA Safety 1st/ATI participants.
ECONOMIC RELIEF
The fight for a general aviation relief bill drags on. Eric Byer, manager
of legislative affairs for NATA, says that NATA is doing all it can to
push an economic relief bill through Congress.
The General Aviation Reparations Act, introduced by Rep. John L. Mica
(R-FL), was in the hands of the Aviation Subcommittee in December. NATA's
Coyne says there is a good chance Mica's bill will be voted on or appended
to another vote in the coming months, though nothing is certain.
According to Byer, there is a large contingency of Democrats more concerned
with compensation for unemployed airline workers that may get in the way
of the Mica bill. There is also another bill from Senators James Inhofe
(R-OK) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) that calls for $400 million for general aviation
businesses that NATA is working on pushing through the Senate.
The Mica bill includes grants and loans through the Small Business Administration
to cover actual losses related to September 11. The difficulty with that,
is quantifying those losses and justifying them when applying for the
loans, says Schober. And, he adds, even if the bill does go through, it
will be a long time before aviation businesses see any of that relief
money.
Compensation has been established for Part 135 carriers, but those operations
are being compared to Part 121 carriers when it comes to doling out the
funds. NATA has expressed concern to DOT, explaining that the nature of
charter operations is entirely different from scheduled airlines.
NATA is requesting set-aside funds to cover on-demand carriers. Jacque
Rosser, manager of flight operations for NATA, explains that many operators
that have applied for funds and have received them, have in fact received
about 10 percent of the total of their losses.
The set-aside funds would cover the majority of losses, and would be open
to all operators, including those who had already received some economic
relief and those who had not yet applied. NATA is also requesting a right
of appeal for operators who feel they were not given sufficient funds.
"We heard that the airlines, if they had an operating cost of six
cents per mile, they were getting four cents per mile. For the charter
operator, ... they were looking at 25 cents per mile cost and up, but
getting that same four cents," says Rosser.
Rosser says there is overwhelming support for the separate funds within
the industry and expects to hear one way or the other by March.
NEW FINAL RULES
In recent months, FAA has released the final rule on the revamped FAR
Part 145 and the final rule on life-limited parts (FAR Parts 43 and 45).
NATA and PAMA report that for the most part, industry comments were incorporated
into changes between the NPRMs and final rules.
The new Part 145 was released as a final rule, but left two large sections
unchanged. FAA will revisit and redefine the categories of classes and
ratings, and define and set requirements for quality assurance systems
under Part 145. Schober anticipates recommendations from the Aviation
Rulemak-ing Advisory Committee (ARAC) in the next several months.
The ARAC is working to determine what repair stations with Part 145 certificates
will need to do in terms of quality assurance. An ARAC is also examining
the rating systems included in Part 145. NATA is participating in the
interpretation of the new rule and anticipates no major problems with
its implementation.
The revamped Part 145 calls for recurrent training programs for maintenance
technicians. Schober says that for now the requirement is merely to have
a program and follow it; exactly what the program should entail has not
been defined. Advisory material is said to be in the works, but FAA has
not yet published it.
The final rule on the disposition of life-limited parts was released mid-January.
Schober says, "Fortunately the FAA took most of the comments that
industry gave and tried to incorporate them as best they could ... The
removal of parts actually becomes a maintenance task, where it was never
before. The person who removes the part now is responsible for maintaining
the record on the serviceability of that life-limited part," he says.
AFFECTING AMTs
Criminal negligence and liability are still a hurdle for PAMA members.
Schober explains that technicians aware of an unsafe act who make that
information known could be called into a court of law to defend themselves
in civil litigation and even criminal prosecution. PAMA feels that alerting
FAA of safety hazards and averting accidents is important, and that the
threat of criminal liability should be removed.
"Since the manufacturers have the statute of repose that says, 'If
the airplane is 18 years old or older, we aren't liable for it,' the plaintiff
attorneys are looking elsewhere to file suits," says Schober. And
other than the obvious implications, PAMA cites the difficulty this liability
has created in recruiting new A&P mechanics.
Schober says that PAMA will be involved in several meetings on the issue
in the next few months.
And the mechanic shortage, while not much of an issue today, may actually
be worse when it resurfaces, says Schober. "Of all of those mechanics
that were laid off, some percentage of them are going to find employment
in fields outside of aviation and not return. However long it is until
the airlines are back up to their normal schedule, they're going to need
that many people to go back to work to keep the airplanes flying. But
if those people have gone and found jobs elsewhere, then all of a sudden
we've got to fill in, in a much shorter timeframe, with people out of
schools that we recruit into the industry," Schober says. "When
the industry recovers, the shortage is going to be significantly worse."
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
A few of the marquis
events at AS3 in Indianapolis
GARVEY TO BE HONORED
NATA will present its Distinguished Service Award to FAA Administrator
Jane Garvey at the AS3 show. Garvey will be presented with the award at
the NATA Industry Excellence Awards luncheon on March 26. Garvey will
also speak at the convention.
RALPH HOOD TO SPEAK
AIRPORT BUSINESS's own "Ground Clutter" columnist Ralph
Hood is scheduled to speak at the Aviation Services and Suppliers Supershow.
Hood will also speak at the Women in Aviation conference, March 13-15
in Nashville.
A FOCUS ON TRAINING
NATA, as part of its ongoing emphasis on training, will be promoting its
9-module Professional Line Service Training Program, a key part of its
Aviation Training Institute acquisition last December. NATA will combine
the ATI training with the NATA Safety 1st Program to provide a comprehensive,
more affordable solution to FBO's line service training needs.
NOISE: NATIONAL VS. LOCAL CONTROL
Noise continues to be a community relations issue for airports and aviation businesses around the country.
The latest struggle
has been at Vero Beach (FL) Municipal Airport, where the city manager
put out a notice limiting touch and go operations. NATA sent a letter
explaining that such decisions cannot be made at will by local municipalities
and the notice was withdrawn.
"It's always going to be an issue for an airport, and all of the
airport businesses have to actively manage that part of their business.
When you talk about real noise, it is perception, it's not reality. There
are a few individuals out there who really perceive this noise and it
really bugs them," says David Kennedy, manager of government and
industry affairs for NATA. "Those people can also be very active
and very vocal about their opposition to it."
NATA's Community Relations Toolkit will now include a video. Clif Stroud,
director of communications, explains that the video is intended to be
shown to community groups in place of or in addition to presentations
from pro-airport groups. The video covers the advantages of having a local
airport.
THE ONGOING SUBPART K ISSUE
At least one fractional ownership operator (Bombardier) is electing to operate under Part 135 rather than Part 91, due to grounding issues related to 9/11.
MEIGS FIELD UPDATE
While a major hurdle was overcome in the fight to save Meigs, its long-term survival is not yet assured.
