President’s Message NATA — Growing and Evolving To Meet Our Members’ Needs By Martin H. Hiller A s I reach the end of my first year at the helm of NATA, I want to report to you on how I see the state of the association, particularly in the context of my inaugural remarks to you. Our first and highest responsibility to you is fiduciary. While NATA is a trade association, it is also a business, and for this enterprise to be successful we must operate in a responsible manner. On that front, I am very pleased. As we enter the final quarter of 2017, NATA is in excellent financial shape, a combination of conservative budgeting and the aug- mentation of member dues with products and services that help you compete in the marketplace. While our Safety 1st program continues to provide indus- try-leading ground handling training, we are not resting on our laurels. The NATA Safety Committee and association staff are hard at work on the refresh of Safety 1st , ensuring its enviable status as the gold standard in ground handling training will continue for the foreseeable future. I am proud of our recently concluded, first-ever, Ground Handling Safety Symposium, because it represents what I think is the best of NATA—an association growing and evolving to meet our members’ needs. The Symposium was developed by our Safety Committee to explore the challenges of ground handling in a collabo- rative environment, allowing participants to interact with experts and industry colleagues. It wasn’t just about spend- ing a day and a half listening to speakers, the Symposium included open forum discussions led by members of the Committee. Other members take advantage of our Workers Compensation Insurance Programs, underwritten by indus- try leaders Allianz and QBE, both featuring a good experi- ence return. In other words, a safe year for plan participants Aviation Business Journal | 3rd Quarter 2017 means a rebate, which has been averaging more than 20 percent for our over 800 company participants. On the Part 135 side, we offer the industry products, including loss of license insurance and access to Known Crewmember® through NATA Compliance Services. Programs like these help our charter operators compete in a very demanding market to attract and retain pilots. These products are developed in consultation with our members and that requires us to hit the road, making sure our contact with the membership goes beyond the associa- tion’s policy committees to include input from members in every region of the country. I made that a priority for 2017, asking my two Executive Vice Presidents, Bill Deere and Tim Obitts to join me on the road. Tim and Bill pursued that with enthusiasm, among other things working with the Air Charter Committee to launch a series of well-received NATA Air Charter and Industry Town Halls. From Portland, OR to Greenville, SC to Chicago, IL to Dallas, TX, we have listened to your concerns and taken the opportunity to share the value proposition of NATA membership. I am particularly proud that our recent success resolving a compliance issue stopping air charter operators from adding Pilatus PC-12 aircraft to their certificates was a direct result of member interaction at an NATA Town Hall. Our products and services are the “currency” through which we provide advocacy and, believe me, aviation busi- nesses are in the midst of a very challenging year on the advocacy front. NATA, along with other leading general aviation associations, are in a battle with the airlines over the future management of the air traffic control system. To lose this fight—for the airlines to, in essence, take over man- agement of the air traffic control system—I believe would Continued on page 6 5
