Jet Logistics President Helps Lead Part 135 Training Recommendations
Jet Logistics Group founder and President W. Ashley Smith, Jr. has taken a leadership role with a select group of other key aviation industry members who collectively have spent the past 2 years developing modernized training recommendations for Part 135 and Part 142 operators to the FAA.
Jet Logistics Group founder and President W. Ashley Smith, Jr. has taken a leadership role with a select group of other key aviation industry members who collectively have spent the past 2 years developing modernized training recommendations for Part 135 and Part 142 operators to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The industry leadership group includes the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and other on-demand air carriers and training centers. In addition to his corporate interests, Mr. Smith has a diverse background as a commercial airline pilot, A&P-certificated mechanic, and holds an Airline Transport Pilot certification, including being type rated in multiple aircraft. He has joined other leading individuals and organizations in the general aviation industry including CAE, FlightSafety and Reynolds Jet, in contributing significant time and energy to working with the FAA to modernize training protocol that outlines how air carriers under 14CFR Part 135 will operate with Training Centers that operate under 14CFR Part 142. These efforts include a proposed optional standardized training program, Scenario-Enhanced Recurrent (SER) training/checking and various other feedback and data to the FAA. Working specifically thru the Air Carrier & Contract Training Working Group (AC & CT WG) which was created as a subset of the Air Carrier Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), the work group helps recommend and urge the ARC/FAA to update various training regulations for Part 135 and Part 142.
"The challenges for both air carriers and the FAA have been difficult for many years regarding this issue," stated Mr. Smith. "The guidance associated with these regulations is confusing, and interpreted many ways across the country, creating an unlevel playing field for operators. Our goals have been to revise the guidance surrounding this subject matter, while leaving the current regulations intact. This will allow the FAA to implement changes faster, and hopefully create a higher level of safety for all, while also reducing confusion across the country."
Various goals of the group members' efforts include: increasing safety, developing better standardization of curriculums, higher standards for training and checking, reducing delays associated with securing training program approval, and improved consistency amongst operators and feedback with the FAA. It is also focused on providing a template for continuous review and data-driven analysis for future updates to programs. Various FAA actions have already been based on the recommendations and feedback from the AC & CT Working Group.
For more information, please visit: FAA.gov NATA.aero NBAA.com
