NBAA’s Small Operator Learning Series Addresses Unique Challenges

Dec. 8, 2022

To help small flight departments with issues they may face, NBAA created the Small Operator Learning Series to share insights into budgeting, effective communication strategies, maintaining safe operations and more from flight department leaders and industry experts.

“The majority of NBAA’s membership is made up of small operators, those with one or two aircraft,” said Noah Yarborough, NBAA’s manager of operations. “Leading a small flight department can feel like a lonely space, but these learning sessions are incredibly valuable resources developed by small operators, for small operators.”

The series of online courses are developed by the Small Flight Department Subcommittee with feedback from other flight departments, said Dylan Miller, Challenger 604 captain and co-chair of NBAA’s Small Flight Department Subcommittee.

“There’s value in benchmarking other flight departments,” said Miller. “And even if we can’t address an operator’s exact scenario, the online sessions provide additional resources to get a specific answer.”

Attendees who complete all eight sessions of the series can receive one Certified Aviation Manager credit toward application or recertification.

NBAA provides several resources for small flight departments, including best practices for maintenance in a small flight department and the Small Flight Department Safety Guide.

“Business aviation is a dynamic industry and no two small flight departments are exactly alike,” said Joe Samudovsky, co-chair of NBAA’s Small Flight Department Subcommittee. “However, these online sessions and other resources are an opportunity to connect with other small flight departments that are dealing with similar issues who have found ways to handle those challenges.”