NBAA Update Archive

NBAA Update #05-50
Monday, December 12, 2005

NBAA Update is the National Business Aviation Association's weekly e-mail newsletter, providing the latest operational, regulatory and political news for the business aviation community. Subscribe for free or review the archives at www.nbaa.org/update. Send your comments about NBAA Update to update@nbaa.org. Send address changes to membership@nbaa.org.

Business Aviation News & Issues

House Passes Legislation to Criminalize Pointing Lasers at Aircraft/Pilots in Flight
Late last week, the U.S. House passed HR 1400, Securing Aircraft Cockpits Against Lasers Act of 2005. This measure creates federal penalties, including up to a five-year prison term, for anyone who is convicted of knowingly pointing a laser at an aircraft in flight. The bill was sponsored by U.S. Representative Ric Keller (R-FL) and was the outgrowth of a number of recent incidents (100 over the past year) where lasers were pointed at aircraft in flight. Rep. Keller introduced the legislation after a widely reported incident earlier this year of a laser being pointed at business aircraft approaching Teterboro Airport (TEB). One individual has plead guilty to the incident but had to be prosecuted by federal authorities under the Patriot Act since there currently is no statute applicable to such action. This legislation, which would impose a federal penalty for such an offense, now awaits Senate consideration. For additional details, contact NBAA's Dick Doubrava at rdoubrava@nbaa.org.

NBAA Flight Department Essentials for Small Flight Departments and Owner-Flown Aircraft Now Available
Small flight departments and companies new to business aircraft ownership and operations face many challenges as they acquire aircraft and place the aircraft into service. These challenges range from evaluating whether to purchase an aircraft to hiring pilots to choosing a base of operations to understanding applicable taxes. NBAA has published Flight Department Essentials: Helping Your Business Take Flight, an entry-level resource to take the confusion out of setting up a business aviation operation and bring rigor to the safety and management processes for individuals and companies planning to utilize business aircraft. "Flight Department Essentials will serve as a fingertip resource that covers the basics of flight department operations, and NBAA is pleased to make this tool available to our Members," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. A CD-ROM resource, including information from many additional NBAA publications, is included with Flight Department Essentials. For more information or to purchase this product, which is available to NBAA Members for only $95 and to non-Members for $250, contact NBAA at publications@nbaa.org or (202) 783-9286, or visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/essentials

Calculating Entertainment Use Deduction Limitations
The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 and IRS Notice 2005-45 will have significant impact on the federal income tax liability of the business aviation industry. Under the act, the difference between the actual cost of personal entertainment flights taken by "specified individuals" and the amount included in income by these employees is disallowed as a deduction to the corporation. NBAA has posted a new article on the web that examines the impact of this legislation on a hypothetical company from a dollars-and-cents point of view. For more information, visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/govt/jobs2004/

FAA Revises ATC Traffic Flow Management Web Tutorial
The FAA ATC System Command Center, in conjunction with NBAA GA Desk staff, has made significant updates to the format of its web-based tutorial that explains terms, techniques and programs associated with ATC traffic flow management (TFM) in the National Airspace System. The tutorial, developed in response to NBAA's request to the FAA for an Advisory Circular to explain the fundamentals of TFM, is a PDF document available for download so it can be easily distributed among flight ops personnel. NBAA recommends that Members incorporate this useful material into basic and recurrent training for all operations department personnel, especially pilots, dispatchers and schedulers. To review the tutorial, select "Traffic Management for Flight Ops Personnel" from the "Products" menu at http://www.fly.faa.gov. For more information about the NBAA GA Desk, visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/gadesk

What Is an Aircraft Accident and When Do I Report It to the NTSB?
The NTSB defines an accident as an "occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft that takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, and in which any person suffers death or serious injury, or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage." An incident is an occurrence other than an accident that affects or could affect the safety of operations. Regulations require operators to notify the NTSB immediately of aviation accidents and certain incidents. Reporting information, as well as links to the applicable regulations (49 CFR 830) and the NTSB regional offices to report to, may be found on the NTSB web site at:
http://www.ntsb.gov/aviation/report.htm

FAA Emphasizes HF Communication Requirements for Operations to/from Bermuda
The FAA is emphasizing the requirements of FAR Sec. 91.511, Radio Equipment for Over Water Operations. The emphasis centers around the requirement for operators to have HF communications unless the "VHF gap" of 30 minutes or less exists. Many operators are calling NY Oceanic to request waivers that cannot be issued. For more details and the FAA point of contact, visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/ops/airspace/bermuda20051212.php

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Regional News

NBAA Regional Forum Comes to Boca Raton, FL, on Jan. 19
NBAA will host its next Business Aviation Regional Forum at Avitat Boca Raton on Boca Raton Airport (BCT) in Florida. Regional Forums are learning and networking experiences designed to meet the needs of regional business aircraft operators, those wishing to learn more about business aviation and vendors across the United States. The Boca Raton Forum will feature approximately 30 aircraft on Static Display, 50 indoor Exhibitors and hundreds of Attendees. For more information, or to register, visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/cs/forums/20060119

IS-BAO Workshop Scheduled for Boca Raton in Conjunction With Regional Forum
At the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) Users Forum held during last month's NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention, participants indicated that attending an IS-BAO Workshop made the process of implementing the standard significantly easier. The first IS-BAO Workshop of the coming year will be held on January 20, in Boca Raton, the day after the NBAA Regional Forum. The complete 2006 IS-BAO Workshop schedule, along with registration forms, is available online at:
http://www.ibac.org/is-bao/Audit%20Workshop.htm

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NBAA News

Bolen Editorial Promotes NBAA Products as Managerial Resources
"One of the most important ways NBAA serves its Members is through the development of products that provide guidance and practical 'how-to' knowledge for aviation department managers," stated NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen in the 2005 Journal of Business Aviation Management, which recently mailed to the Membership. "The common thread among resources like the Journal of Business Aviation Management, Flight Department Essentials and Management Guide is the contribution of experience and expertise to the products by industry veterans from all corners of the business aviation community. Their work to inform these and other managerial resources underscores the value of NBAA as a clearinghouse for packaging and dissemination of information that helps business aviation professionals on a day-to-day basis." Review the full editorial online at:
http://www.nbaa.org/ops/adm/bamj/2005/12/editorial.php

Gene Kranz to Keynote Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference
The keynote speaker of the NBAA 17th Annual Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference will be Gene Kranz, former NASA director of mission operations, who will discuss the role of schedulers and dispatchers as the "mission control" of their flight departments. This event, to be held January 25 to 27 in San Antonio, TX, gives schedulers and dispatchers the most up-to-date information on issues directly related to their role in the corporate flight department. More than 1,500 people are expected to attend the 2006 Conference, which also will highlight the products and services of hundreds of Exhibitors. More than 270 booths have been reserved and space is still available. The full agenda and online registration are available via the NBAA web site at:
http://www.nbaa.org/cs/sdc/2006/

Many Professional Development Opportunities for Schedulers Next Month
In conjunction with the NBAA 17th Annual Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference this January, NBAA will host six Schedulers Professional Development Program (SPDP) Courses in San Antonio, TX. The courses to be held on January 23 are titled "Vital Communication Skills for Today's Business Aviation Leaders" and "Corporate Aviation Ethics." The January 24 courses are "Basic Corporate Aircraft Scheduling and Customer Service," "Crew Resource Management" and "Persuasive Speech." The final course, to be held on January 28, is called "International Trip Planning for Corporate Aircraft Schedulers & Dispatchers." For descriptions of each course or to register, visit the Conference web page at:
http://www.nbaa.org/cs/sdc/2006/

NBAA Update Advertising Opportunities Now Available
NBAA Update, business aviation's most informative e-mail newsletter, now offers several advertising opportunities designed for your company to reach a wide audience of business aviation professionals. Over 17,000 subscribers from all segments of business aviation receive NBAA Update each week. To learn more or to reserve your spot, contact NBAA Sales Representative Melissa Murphy at mmurphy@nbaa.org or visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/about/ratecard/update.php

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