A new round of airspace changes implemented across Florida in mid-August brought dozens of new procedures intended to improve safety and efficiency at airports frequently utilized by business aircraft operators, and the rollout appears to be flowing smoothly. “From what we’ve seen so far, it’s been really positive,” said Sandy Showalter, director of aviation at Six Star Inc. “Orlando Executive (ORL) put two new RNAV departures in … and we’ve seen much more efficient climbs. That’s a big difference.”
In this episode of NBAA’s “Flight Plan,” host Rob Finfrock speaks with:
Sandy Showalter, director of aviation, Six Star Inc.
Ernie Stellings, senior manager, NBAA Air Traffic Services
Unstabilized approaches, get-there-itis, flight-plan continuation bias and not fully understanding aircraft runway performance are reasons why runway excursions continue to be one of the most common safety challenges facing Part 91 operators. Training on how to effectively deal with such events can help reduce the threat, but having a backup plan may be most important.
Smaller Part 91 operators face the same challenges as their larger counterparts, but they do so with fewer resources. That makes it important for the aviation manager to not only set the right example, but for everyone in the department to lead from their respective positions to create a safe and professional operation.
Aircraft refurbishments continue to be in high demand, with new paint, cabin refreshes and connectivity solutions just a few of the popular upgrades available for business aircraft. Many times, it's ideal to combine this work with scheduled maintenance or overhauls, so planning ahead and scheduling refurbishment during maintenance downtime is as important as ever.
NBAA joined with five industry associations in submitting comments on the FAA's notice of proposed rulemaking on the operation of advanced air mobility vehicles in the National Airspace System. While the NPRM represents significant progress toward the start of commercial AAM operations as soon as 2025, industry stakeholders noted a few concerns.