NBAA Flight Plan Podcasts

As NBAA Members know, the business aviation community has in recent years weathered one of the worst economic storms in memory, as a result of the ongoing global recession and misperceptions about the industry. However, recent flight data and other figures suggest that the situation may be stabilizing. In this edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, Brian Foley, of Brian Foley Associates, discusses the outlook for business aviation at the 2010 half-year mark. Foley, an analyst who tracks industry data, has issued a press release focusing specifically on the piston aircraft segment.

Ed Bolen, NBAA president and CEO, and Brian Humphries, EBAA president and CEO, discuss the strong industry support at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE2010) in Geneva, Switzerland and how it may point to industry recovery.

This episode of NBAA Flight Plan podcast offers a wealth of tips, tools and information to prepare light business airplane operators for thunderstorms and flying in the summer weather. John Collins, a CFI in South Carolina, discusses the risks of hazy weather and being prepared for thunderstorms with new technologies.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the aviation agency of the United Nations, has been developing requirements for safety management systems for NBAA Members and the general aviation community. Don Spruston, International Business Aviation Council, and NBAA's Doug Carr, vice president of safety, security and regulations, describe these rules as a systematic way of addressing safety although it doesn't specify technology. Learn more about how this could affect your operations in this week's NBAA Flight Plan.

Last week's welcome news that the burdensome aircraft tax proposal in Washington state had been defeated followed a weeks-long advocacy campaign in which NBAA and its Members worked as part of a unified grassroots coalition that included the Pacific Northwest Business Aviation Association, Members of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Washington Pilots Association and others. The decision by the diverse group of stakeholders to band together in opposition to the tax was critical to the win in the battle. In this week's episode of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, NBAA Northwest Regional Representative Kristi Ivey discusses the lessons from the advocacy effort that NBAA Members can apply to legislative initiatives in their states.

In the wake of a recent National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report finding that under-inflated aircraft tires were a major factor in the fatal crash of a Learjet 60 on September 19, 2008, this edition of NBAA Flight Plan looks at, and looks at technology an equipment to help operators carefully monitor tire pressure. "We try to teach pilots and mechanics that the single most important thing you can do is to maintain the tire pressure," says Keat Pruszenski, Manager of Customer Support Engineering in Michelin North America, Inc.'s Aircraft Tire Company Division in an interview on the topic. Nathan Smith, Business Development Manager in the Sensing & Utility Systems Division for Crane Aerospace, describes a wireless tire pressure system that has been developed to ensure proper tire pressure before every flight.

In this podcast, Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) president Bill Voss discusses safety trends and best practices for business aviation operations. Voss discusses the role of automation in influencing safety trends, and the challenges of ensuring companies' safety programs have the funding and resources needed in a challenging economy. The podcast was prepared as NBAA and FSF were preparing for the 2010 Corporate Aviation Safety Seminar (CASS), scheduled for May 11 to 13, 2010, at the Hilton El Conquistador in Tucson, AZ.

In what might be considered a local No Plane No Gain event, one Colorado group is working to promote the value of aviation, including business aviation, to the state. The Centennial Airport Business Association (CABA) is sponsoring an event called "Aviation Saves" to tout the importance of general aviation to businesses, companies and communities. The event is the focus of this edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast. David Purvis, CABA Vice President, echoes the No Plane No Gain themes in declaring "We want to show people how aviation saves lives, communities, local economies, businesses, and jobs" in Colorado.

This episode of NBAA Flight Plan looks at human error in the maintenance arena. Dr. Tony Kern of Convergent performance reports: "No matter what level of the maintenance or operations function we're discussing " the most junior A&P, the most senior maintenance supervisor " the errors are about about self-awareness and self-management." The podcast was posted as NBAA and the industry prepare for NBAA's Maintenance Management Conference, scheduled for April 6-8, 2010, in Burbank, CA. Dr. Kern will present at the Maintenance Management Conference, which this year marks its 25th anniversary.

This edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast provides the latest on the general aviation community's work in Washington State to oppose a new tax on aircraft owners there. Other states may follow Washington's lead and propose tax hikes of their own if the Washington tax is approved. Listen to the podcast to learn more about how to make your voice heard.

The business aviation community in Washington has one last chance to fight a dramatic increase in the annual tax on aircraft with nexus to the state. The State Senate is considering legislation that would impose an annual tax of 0.5 percent on the taxable value of the aircraft, based on the most recent sales price depreciated according to a state mandated depreciation schedule. "This legislation can be stopped," said Kristi Ivey, NBAA regional representative. "You really need to call your state Senators and Congressmen again today and send those e-mails, because this is the last-ditch effort before the end of the legislative session." The Senate could act on Senate Bill 6413 at any time on Thursday, March 11.

Business aviation offers many exciting career opportunities, and that point was made clear in a keynote address provided by Desert Jet President and Chief Pilot Denise Wilson in a keynote address she delivered at the 2010 Women in Aviation Annual Conference. Several years ago, Wilson left an office job, became a professional pilot and launched Desert Jet, an NBAA Member charter company serving Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley of California. In this edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, Wilson discusses her career journey and the secrets to her company's success.

As Washington State lawmakers contemplate a proposed new excise tax for aircraft of all types, this edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast outlines the details of the proposal, and the central role of the business aviation community in mobilizing against it. NBAA Northwest Regional Representative Kristi Ivey joins Peter Anderson with Galvin Flying Service and Chuck Kegley, coordinator for Legislative Affairs on the Board of the Pacific Northwest Business Aviation Association, to outline steps the industry can take to make their voices heard.

This NBAA Flight Plan looks at trends in compensation and benefits in a challenging economy, and the value of NBAA's annual Compensation & Benchmark Survey in guiding salary administration and evaluating aircraft operations. Don Henderson, chief pilot for KeyCorp, explains how the survey helps him make effective compensation decisions at his company. "It is a leadership tool," Henderson says.

When the No Plane No Gain advocacy initiative launched on February 17, 2009, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen and General Aviation Manufacturers Association President and CEO Pete Bunce said the program would focus on educating policymakers and opinion leaders about the value of business aviation to citizens, companies and communities nationwide. The resulting blended-impressions campaign has included advertising, media relations, a dedicated web site, a presence in the social media realm, resources to help the business aviation community join in the effort, and much more. This edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast looks at the campaign's first year, and considers what's to come.