NATA’s 80th Anniversary Continued from page 41 access to all Safety 1st training content for a fixed annual or monthly fee. In July 2019, NATA announced a further evolu- tion of Safety 1st with the establishment of the “Safety 1st Training Center,” which offers redesigned content including multimedia, photos, and audio. Using a ratings-based approach, the Safety 1st Training Center focuses on specific ground handling skills, incorporat- ing online content more closely aligned with on-the-job training. NATA has added features to Safety 1st for purposes other than training. For example, in January 2018, NATA introduced its Fuel Quality Control Management System or FQMS, a cloud-based digital tool for fuel quality management inspections, record keeping, and auditing. By replacing error-prone pen and paper record- keeping, management visibility, employee accountability, and operational safety are enhanced. Also, in January 2018, NATA unveiled the first in a series of training courses designed to address urgent industry safety issues under a new Supplemental Safety Training Program. Developed for FBOs, the course, which is free to all aviation businesses, provides informa- tion about the risk of jet fuel contamination with diesel Promoting A Sustainable Fuel Future With the public’s growing concern about the impact of aviation on climate change, NATA has been among the leaders in the promotion of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), even though global business aviation operations repre- sent 0.04% of anthropo- genic CO2 emissions. In 2017, NATA joined business jet manufac- turer Bombardier and other general aviation associations to form the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition. In May 2018, the coalition released its “Business Aviation Guide to the Use of Sustainable Alternative Jet Fuel” at the European Business 42 Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) to counteract widespread misinformation regarding the fuels’ usability and environmental benefits. To illustrate the utility and safety of SAF, the coali- tion sponsored an event at Van Nuys Airport in January of 2019, showcas- ing the use of SAF using demonstration flights of high-end business jets from Bombardier, Gulfstream, and Embraer, with participation by four FBOs and two fuel suppli- ers. The event drew over 172 attendants, includ- ing aircraft OEMs, civic leaders, and members of the non-aviation media. Its success was followed by a similar event at Farnborough in the United Kingdom, just prior to the 2019 EBACE. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition will hold a summit in Washington, D.C. in March 2020 to fur- ther its education efforts by bringing together producers, suppliers, operators, regulators, and policymakers in one forum. Now, SAF is produced in limited (but ever- increasing) quantities and has been shown to reduce greenhouse gases by up to 80 percent. NATA continues to receive calls from operators and FBOs about SAF availability. Because these fuels are in limited supply, NATA and the coalition are working with fuel produc- ers to show that demand exists, and that produc- tion infrastructure must be expanded to address the potential market. The coalition has partnered with manufacturers and suppliers to facilitate a system similar to “book and claim” for general aviation, helping to bridge the gap until SAF is more widely available and highlighting the locations where demand exists. This system allows operators to claim SAF Aviation Business Journal | Winter 2019/2020
