One of the cold, hard facts about government shutdowns is they really aren’t “closed.”  Yes, non-essential government employees are technically “furloughed” but the Congress ultimately ends up paying them for that lost time.  Call it congressional guilt. And the private businesses that rely upon those employees for certain services during the shutdown?  Well, they get […]

According to reports, the Federal Aviation Administration’s Aviation Safety organization is operating with reduced numbers. For design and production services (Aircraft Certification Services—AIR) that means about 100 employees; for Flight Standards Services (AFS) there are about 200 personnel system-wide. AIR has not halted airworthiness directives but all other activities are virtually at a standstill. The […]

Do you know whether you are a hazardous material (hazmat) employer? If you guess at the answer and are wrong the government has multiple methods of making you understand your responsibilities. The main regulations regarding handling and transporting hazmat are contained in Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) parts 171 through 180 with additional […]

Mark Twain used to say, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” In other words, things may not happen exactly as before, but similar occurrences from the past reappear in the present. On Aug. 12, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proved Twain right when it issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for an […]

Are you in or are you out? Drug and alcohol testing under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 120 can be a complicated maze. It is a violation when you don’t put people “in the pool” (under-test) as well as when you put the wrong people “in the pool” (over-test). The “pool” is the […]

A little while ago, Sarah MacLeod alerted me to the fact that ARSA had not highlighted today is the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. While this is an obviously historical date in American history, I did not recognize its importance to ARSA. Sadly, nor did I know as much as I thought I […]

With the depreciation bonus set to end on Dec. 31, time is running out for your company to cut its 2013 tax bill by making new capital investments. The depreciation bonus was first enacted to help pull us out of the 2000-2002 recession.  It lapsed in 2005, but was reinstated in 2008 as the economy […]

One of the ways ARSA and other organizations with public relations interests build relationships with the media is providing additional information on an article they wrote –journalists often report on the same subject and may revisit their notes for the next article. Creating this relationship and providing information to the press not only solidifies your […]

When you think about ARSA, you probably think of the association as the voice of repair stations on aviation policy issues. While aviation policy is our primary focus, did you know that ARSA’s legislative team is also hard at work representing the aviation maintenance industry on other issues that impact your cost of doing business? […]

Direct involvement in the political process is a must for every business; the smaller the enterprise, the more essential the engagement with local, state, and federal officials. The association engages political figures at the federal level to ensure congressmen and senators recognize, if not understand, the basic challenges associated with aviation safety. An international organization […]