Issue 5
June 4, 2001

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NATA Safety 1st e-Line Service News

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Welcome to the NATA Safety 1st e-Line Service newsletter,
a quarterly summary of the latest NATA Safety 1st news
and education, dedicated to line service staff. Please
make copies available to all line service technicians,
both full and part-time.

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In this Issue of NATA Safety 1st e-Line Service ...

****NATA Safety 1st Program and Other NATA News
****Featured Safety Article...THE GAMGRAMS #40:
BONDING VS. GROUNDING
****FAQ --- NATA Safety 1st and other Fueling Issues
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****NATA Safety 1st Program and Other NATA News
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PROGRAM UPDATES
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Did you visit the NATA booth at AS3 - Aviation Services and Suppliers Supershow? If so, you probably picked up copies of the new NATA Safety 1st promotional advertisements. If not, you are in luck as we have posted them on the website for your use. We recently mailed copies and encourage you to make them available at your facility.

One advertisement is a testimonial from three of our original NATA Safety 1st participants. Told from their perspective, it reviews the “win-win” advantages of the program. You will see different versions of the ad in upcoming pilot magazines and hopefully at your facility.

As we noted in the last e-Line, the January/February 2001 Airport Business had an article relevant to line service written by Tom Slavin, President of Million Air - Cleveland. NATA reproduced portions of the article to promote the benefits and merits of the program. It is an excellent overview of the NATA Safety 1st Program and its impact on the aviation industry.

The NATA Safety 1st logo was featured on the back cover of the golf booklet for the Greater St. Louis Business Aircraft Association Memorial Open. The NATA Safety 1st program was one of many aviation businesses to sponsor this charitable event; a portion of the proceeds go to the Wings of Hope. This popular golf event has brought area aviation businesses together for the past 25 years.

The NATA Safety 1st Program will exhibit at the Florida Aviation Trades Association (FATA) Annual Meeting and Trade Show in Naples, Florida from June 11-13th. FATA brings many Florida aviation managers and executives together. Featuring the benefits of NATA Safety 1st will continue to bring additional Florida FBOs into the program. The LSST will be held at the conclusion of the show on June 14 & 15th.

The NATA Safety 1st Program has expanded its partnership with the Valley Oil Company, Inc. LLC. Valley sent Safety 1st applications to all of their direct dealers to show their support of the program. Many of the dealers have signed up and continue to do so.

Valley is taking the NATA Safety Program a step further. All of Valley’s sales team members will take the Safety 1st tests this summer. Wow, Safety 1st will look forward to welcoming all of Valley’s sales force to the program! Another first for the program! …Stay tuned for future updates.

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SEMINAR NEWS
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As you know by now, the Line Service Supervisor Training Seminar (LSST) is a required part of the NATA Safety 1st Program. If you have already sent someone from your business, please feel free to skip to the next paragraph. If not, it is required that one person from your line service, usually the supervisor, attend an LSST. And remember, as long as that person remains with your company, the LSST requirement has been met for Safety 1st. The next LSST will be June 14 & 15th in Naples, FL. This will be the last LSST until September 20 & 21st in Mobile, Alabama. We encourage you to look at our website for seminar location, hotel recommendation and registration details.

NATA is pleased to offer its prestigious executive program for the third year. It will be held September 4- 7, 2001 at Northwestern University's Transportation Center. This intensive 3-day seminar is called Strategic Management for Aviation Service Firms. It was developed for owners and senior managers of airport fixed-base operators, air taxi/charter operators, aircraft repair facilities and other general aviation service firms. Additionally, major suppliers and other participants in the general aviation industry will find it beneficial.

The Strategic Management seminar allows airport service providers of all kinds to confront a uniquely broad range of management and planning issues, from technical aviation and environmental concerns to long range financial planning in an uncertain industry. It also provides intensive education in key management functions of these firms. Emphasis is placed on measuring and shaping the financial character of the firm, with sessions devoted to valuation of enterprise components and to strategies for maintaining and increasing that value.

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NATA CONVENTION NEWS
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We hope you had a chance to join us in Long Beach for AS3- Aviation Services and Suppliers Supershow and the NATA Convention. From our perspective, it was a great convention. It’s a nice time to experience all the latest technology in aviation business, take advantage of a number of educational sessions and to network with all the wonderful NATA members. Our appreciation goes out to all of you who attended.

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MEMBER NEWS
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Congratulations to Million Air - Cleveland on receiving the Silver Nozzle Award - 2000! This is the National Petroleum Management Association’s (NPMA) principal award and was presented to Million Air at their annual awards luncheon during AS3 - Aviation Services and Suppliers Supershow in Long Beach, California. NPMA’s President, Jack Lavin, presented the magnificent trophy to Tom Slavin, General Manager and Jim Price, Line Service Supervisor of Million Air - Cleveland.

Million Air - Cleveland was selected for the award because of its commitment to providing quality line service and encouraging fueling safety. They also hold the distinction of being the first NATA Safety 1st participant to complete line service testing. In addition, the Burke Lakefront FBO is currently in the process of insuring quality control by securing ISO 9001 certification. Tom Slavin stated in accepting the award, “With the consequences of non compliance so evident, our goal must be “zero tolerance” for errors and omissions by line service. We, at Million Air - Cleveland, take this challenge to both our heart and mind - everyday.”

NATA Safety 1st participant, Midcoast Aviation, has designed a safety vest for all their line service technicians. (Note the NATA Safety 1st logo!) All the Midcoast facilities are wearing the vests including Lambert, Parks and Little Rock airports. The idea was brought about during safety discussions with Midcoast line service. Not only are the vests worn proudly by the line techs, but pilots are very keen on them since they can easily spot line service.

Gary Driggers, Executive Vice President & COO of Midcoast Aviation, brought the vests to AS3 and the NATA Business Management Committee meeting in Long Beach. Several NATA Safety 1st participants have expressed an interest in ordering vests for their line service. Without a volume discount, the vests retail for approximately $25 each. If enough participants want vests, NATA will try to secure a discounted price. Please email Amy Koranda with the number you would like to order. We will get back with you in the very near future.

We recently met Terry Wilcoxson, Operations Manager for Fliteline Services at the LSST in Long Beach. Fliteline Services participates in the NATA Safety 1st program and takes line service seriously. Terry created a website called clearandbright.com. If you haven’t been to this site before, go now! It is a valuable resource for all line service operations to bookmark. Included on the site are links and information pertaining to ATA 103, FAR 139, NFPA 407, fire extinguishing principles, fuel quality, audits, hazwoper, M & O Manuals, SPCC and additional line service links and resources. Great job Terry!

If you’d like to share something with other NATA Safety 1st participants, send an email to Amy Koranda with information and/or pictures for the NATA e-Line and website.

In the last e-Line, we asked you to share safety information or statistics about how the NATA Safety 1st Program has impacted your business. Please keep information coming our way! We really think you are doing a great job of keeping those lines safe.
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****Featured Safety Article...THE GAMGRAMS # 40:
BONDING VS GROUNDING
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As part of this e-Line, we will include an educational article.
Most of the articles will provide continuing education on issues
of importance to line service. In addition, if you are currently
taking the NATA Safety 1st written and practical exams, these
articles will make great study material. Feel free to copy them
and maintain a book for future reference.

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THE GAMGRAM # 40: BONDING VS. GROUNDING
By Jim Gammon, President of Gammon Technical Products
Email: Jim Gammon
Website: Gammon Technical Products
<a href="http://www.gammontech.com">AOL users, click here</a>
Tele: (732) 223-4600
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When was the last time you read your GamGrams? The following issue is worth rereading and discussing with all your line service.

Its embarrassing and frustrating to learn that a life-long belief is incorrect or in some way not founded on scientific facts. When I was very small, my parents refused to let me go swimming for an hour after I had lunch - leg cramps would surely get me. Two hundred years ago people would not eat tomatoes because they were known to be poisonous. The earth was once known to be flat.

And now we are faced here in America with the proven fact that grounding an aircraft to get rid of electrostatic charges caused by refueling is not the safest way to deal with the problem. The rest of the world, and our own scientific community has somehow known this for years but it wasn't until two years ago that we had to face the facts when the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) issued their most recent revision of Bulletin 407 on August 17,1990. It was a complete reversal; after having specified grounding as well as bonding between the fuel servicing vehicle and the aircraft since the 1960's, they said it was safer not to ground. Let's examine the issue and try to understand why NFPA made this astonishing change.

When an aircraft is being fueled, an electrostatic charge develops that can discharge and cause a fire if fuel vapors are also present. The primary cause of the electrostatic charge is the filtering equipment, usually on a truck or hydrant servicer. And now you are saying -- "but charges can develop without filtering and are caused by pumping or by the fuel passing through pipes and valves". And you are correct-- BUT the real culprit by a factor of 100 to 1 is the filter, monitor or filter separator.

Let's think about what an electrostatic charge really is. Basically, it is pluses ++++) that are physically separated from minuses (- - -). If you connect a wire or any other conductor between those 2 places, a current flows and the pluses immediately cancel the minuses so that no net charge remains.

So now let's think about what happens during fueling. Flow begins through the filter with a separation of the pluses and the minuses. One or the other (pluses or minuses) go along with the fuel into the aircraft and the other stays behind in the filter creating a large voltage difference. If the fuel was a conductor, this would not happen.

The charges in the filter travel, in time, to the filter vessel casing and into the vehicle frame. The charges that are carried away in the fuel to the aircraft will migrate to the airframe.

And now what do you have? You have the truck all charged up with minuses and the airplane all charged up with pluses (or vice versa). You could ground the truck and get rid of that charge. You could ground the aircraft and get rid of that charge. When there is no voltage difference, there is no charge.

A better way to deal with the whole problem is simply to connect the truck and the airplane together with a bonding wire. Now the pluses on the airplane go back to the truck to cancel the minuses and you have no net charge.

The practice in the USA has been to bond and ground but recent tests have proven that if the aircraft and the truck are bonded, a grounding wire carries no charge at all. This is why NFPA 407 no longer specifies grounding for safety during aircraft fueling.

NFPA does not mean that an aircraft should not be grounded for electrical reasons or for maintenance. Personnel who have those responsibilities must make their own decisions about grounding and provide the PROPER SIZE of cable for their purposes. A typical cable used for electrostatic grounding is usually far too small to satisfy electrical grounding needs and, in fact, some have simply melted right under the aircraft where fuel vapors could be ignited. This can happen when the aircraft electrical system or the ground power unit/generator malfunction. This was a further reason for NFPA 407 to delete the electrostatic ground wire.

You may be thinking now that the bonding can be eliminated if the fuel has been made conductive by adding a conductivity improver. That is surely not a good idea because the fuel can never be as good a conductor as a wire. You might also argue that now that NFPA 407 specifies hose with a conductive cover, this constitutes a bond between the truck and the aircraft. NFPA 407 specifically forbids this because the wire makes a superior bond. The conductive cover provides an added factor of safety - just in case.

In conclusion, you absolutely must bond the aircraft to the source of fuel where the final filter is located. The source may be a refueler truck, hydrant servicer or a cabineted fueling station!

Grounding can become a hazard if the cable is insufficient to carry the power from electrical apparatus such as a ground power unit or generator.
Conductivity improver or conductive cover hose is not a proper solution to the problem.
Grounding only the aircraft without bonding to the refueler creates a new hazardous situation because the refueler will be left with a substantial charge.
For readers who want more information on this subject, order copy of NFPA 407 and read section 3-4 and A-3-4 carefully.
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Check out what clearandbright.com has to say about bonding.
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****FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) --- NATA Safety 1st
and Fueling Issues
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This section will help you with the paperwork and study process.
In addition, we will include other questions about fueling issues
that are frequently asked. If you have any tips to share, please
submit them to us and we will include them in upcoming e-Lines.

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NATA is frequently asked if 100LL can be sold
to others for non-aviation purposes. David Newman,
Vice President, Ascent Technologies Group, Inc.
submitted the following article.
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Aviation Gasoline

Can 100LL aviation gasoline be sold to others for non-aviation purposes (ie., on or off-road motor vehicles or other gasoline powered equipment like motor boats, construction equipment, and recreational vehicles)? Distribution and sale of aviation gasoline for these purposes is strictly prohibited by regulations controlling commercial gasoline quality by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). AVIATION GASOLINE MUST BE USED ONLY IN AIRCRAFT.

The specific regulations limiting this activity are found in Title 40, Part 80 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Impacted parties should review these gasoline regulations, including rules governing deposit control gasoline additives, and related EPA guidance. They define requirements for reformulated and conventional gasolines and their necessary shipping records along with mandating the presence of deposit control additives in all commercial gasoline. They also address the exemption provisions provided for qualifying aviation gasoline.

Aviation gasoline does not meet EPA prescribed reformulated or conventional gasoline requirements. In addition, it does not contain deposit control additives mandated for all gasoline. Aviation gasoline is exempt from these commercial gasoline requirements provided it is sold or distributed exclusively for use only as aircraft engine fuel. To remain exempt, aviation gasoline must be kept segregated from other non-exempted fuels and not be sold or transferred for highway use in a motor vehicle. Parties possessing aviation gasoline for purpose of selling, transferring or offering for transfer as aircraft engine fuel should maintain documentation identifying the product as aviation fuel and stating that it is NOT for street or highway use in motor vehicles.

Violations of the EPA regulations carry a potential penalty of $25,000 per day of violation plus any economic gain realized from the violation. All parties involved in activities leading to the alleged violation are presumed liable and each can be independently penalized. Knowingly violating the regulations is a criminal offense.

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Here's what other NATA Safety 1st Participants are saying.
Please feel free to email your comments.
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Mike Corley, Four Corners Aviation
“Our employees here at Four Corners Aviation took your test and thought it to be challenging. The Practical Exams were enjoyable also. We believe this to be a great program. ….THANKS!

Jeff Ellston, Jet 1 Center, Inc.
“First of all I want to commend the NATA for establishing the Safety 1st program. There are some good programs available for line service training (many of which are identified in your manual), but there is a need to assess the effectiveness of these programs and to objectively assess the line technician’s knowledge, understanding and competence. I feel that the Safety 1st program will help us do this.”

Jim Price with Million Air - Cleveland
Says “The practical is very comprehensive and can serve as a good recurrency training tool."

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The NATA Safety 1st e-Line Service newsletter is distributed quarterly. We welcome your feedback on this newsletter and any topics you would like to see discussed. Send articles/email to Amy Koranda.

Thank you for your commitment to line service safety...
keep those ramps safe.