PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Safely Spanning the Distance By Timothy Obitts A viation safety has always been the top priority, but its importance has become even more height- ened over the past few months. It is no longer just about how to properly move and handle fuel, ground han- dle aircraft, properly train pilots, or maintain an aircraft, but also how to stay a safe distance from others, minimize touchpoints along the way, and ensure all of the surfaces that are encountered on your travels have been properly cleaned and treated. These additional layers of complexity are being reexamined and addressed by many modes of transportation, but they have always been an intrinsic part of private flying and general aviation businesses. At the request of NATA members, we recently launched the NATA Safety 1st Clean standard as another way our industry can signify their commitment to safety and raising the bar on cleanliness. You will hear more about this comprehensive standard in Ryan Waguespack’s new column on page 8, and because we encourage everyone to take the pledge to be Safety 1st Clean, we included the standard itself on page 12. From signs, floor markings, headlines, and daily reports, we’ve seen constant reminders to keep a safe distance to mitigate the risks of COVID-19. In this new reality, business aviation’s capabilities to effi- ciently span distances, while helping to safely main- tain distance, has taken on a new life. We are seeing an emergence of stories that reveal the true value and heart of the aviation business community and all of the dedicated people that keep it moving. At the same time, we have seen a rise in media coverage targeting federal relief programs aiming to support the employ- ees of these essential aviation businesses. These recent attempts to politicize the distribution of the relief have provided opportunities for narrow-minded views of our industry where the immense value we bring as job creators, economic engines, community gateways, Aviation Business Journal | Summer 2020 innovators, essential service providers, and agents of humanitarian, emergency, and medical relief is bla- tantly disregarded. With our industry once again in the beams of spot- lights coming from all sides, we have a lot of work to do to help provide a holistic perspective. We must continue dialogue on: • the services your business provides (essen- tial, efficient, humanitarian, etc.), • who benefits from those services (customers, communities, economy, etc.), • where your business operates (in many cities with little to no airline service), • when you operate (even during a pandemic, natural disaster, public emergency, etc.), • how you provide your services (safely, profi- ciently, innovatively, etc.) These stories must be fueled and fostered on a local, regional, and national level. We know that general avia- tion businesses allow for a more safe, secure, and con- trolled traveling environment for business or personal use, but if there ever was a time for us to share the mes- sage about the nature and accessibility of our industry, then that time is now. To assist in this effort, Jonathon Freye provided our readers guidance on communicating with the media, found on page 63. While the commercial passenger airlines essentially shut down during the first couple months of COVID-19, aviation businesses stepped forward and provided the nec- essary humanitarian relief, medical transport, and other essential services needed to help combat the ills of COVID- 19. It was our industry that put itself in harm’s way to help others—we must not forget this. Furthermore, we are in a position to continue to help, as corporations and others are utilizing our industry to restart the economy. 5
