Comprehensive Compliance Solutions

    NATA Compliance Services Blog

    Aviation: A Transportation Method for Human Trafficking

    Posted by Joe Dalton on Fri, Apr 30, 2021



    Written by: Claudia Culmone

    Human trafficking is a modern term applied to an age-old system that exploits people of all ages and backgrounds for profit or personal gratification.

    The trafficking of humans can be traced back thousands of years to civilizations that include the Romans, Egyptians, Mayans, Aztecs and Chinese. During these periods, transportation of victims was primarily achieved by marching them over land on foot. In the 17th century, traffickers used ships, transforming the institution into a global business. The dawn of aviation provided a new transportation option for traffickers – one that is still heavily used today.

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    Marijuana and Safety-Sensitive Functions Don’t Mix

    Posted by Whitney Sigafoose on Thu, Sep 26, 2019



    With the rise of legalized marijuana, it’s no surprise that its use is also on the rise. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute on Drug Abuse state that marijuana is the “most commonly used illicit drug in the United States." According to a 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 22.2 million people have used marijuana in the past month. With multiple states approving marijuana for recreational use and many more legalizing it for medicinal use, the laws can be very confusing for employees. The below map, posted by DISA Global Solutions, depicts how each state ranges from fully illegal to fully legal.

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    General Aviation Security Guidelines for Airport Operators and Users

    Posted by Joe Dalton on Tue, Jul 02, 2019



    Updated November 29, 2022

    Do you know in 2004 the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) published Security Guidelines for General Aviation Airport Operators and Users? The guidelines provided general aviation (GA) operators a quick resource on topics that had only been communicated to commercial operators. In June 2021, the security guidelines document was updated by the TSA’s Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC) to reflect current practices.

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    Is Your Company Safe from Insider Threat?

    Posted by Claudia Culmone on Mon, Jan 28, 2019



    First, what is an insider threat? According to the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) 2018 Report of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee on Insider Threats at Airports, “The term insider threat refers to individuals with privileged access to sensitive areas and/or information, who intentionally or unwittingly misuse or allow others to misuse this access to exploit vulnerabilities in an effort to compromise security, facilitate criminal activity, terrorism, or other illicit actions which inflict harm to people, an organization, the air transportation system or national security.”

    With that definition in mind, let’s examine the components of insider threat and how you can protect your operation from them.

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    FMCSA vs. FAA, part 2

    Posted by Claudia Culmone on Mon, Jul 09, 2018



    Knowing when a company needs to set up a drug program, or when safety-sensitive employees should be administered a drug or alcohol test, is not always intuitive. But what if you have safety-sensitive employees who are subject to more than one agency? In Part 1 of our blog series, we discussed the differences between the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drug programs. For Part 2, we’re diving into when a safety-sensitive employee reports to both agencies and what you should know.

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    FMCSA & FAA Drug Programs

    Posted by Claudia Culmone on Tue, Apr 24, 2018



    Drug programs: FMCSA vs. FAA, part 1

    Complying with the guidelines of more than one U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) agency is challenging, especially when it concerns drug testing. How do you know if you need multiple drug programs? When should employees be tested? What should you do if you have employees who fall under more than one DOT agency? In our first of two blogs, we discuss when a drug program is needed, testing requirements, and the differences between drug programs for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

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    Part 40 Final Rule: Top 4 Questions from Employees

    Posted by Bailey Wong on Tue, Dec 19, 2017



    On December 11, 2017, the Department of Transportation (DOT) published the following information on their website regarding the recent changes to its drug testing panel. If you are enrolled in a DOT drug testing program, make sure you read their responses to the four most frequently asked questions.

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    Top 6 Questions Regarding Marijuana Use In the Aviation Industry

    Posted by Claudia Culmone on Tue, Dec 12, 2017



    The use of marijuana for medical or recreational use continues to gain legal ground across the U.S., leaving many people in the Aviation Industry wondering how this affects their operation. In a previous blog post, we discussed the confusion surrounding this topic and presented facts concerning marijuana. To provide more clarity, we answer the top 6 questions that aviation companies have:

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    FAA Inspection Items – What You Need To Know

    Posted by Bailey Wong on Tue, Apr 11, 2017



    Has it been a while since your last FAA inspection? Or are you new to the requirements and regulations you need to follow?

    If so, you may be shocked by the FAA Inspection Items that your company is required to provide; and even if it’s not a "regulatory requirement", you will undoubtedly get through the inspection a lot easier with the extra documentation.

    Over the last two years or so, the FAA-issued Inspection Items have evolved to be more in-depth and require more preparation than in years previous. So what should you expect for your next inspection?

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    How an unorganized operation can cost you $$

    Posted by Bailey Wong on Fri, Mar 10, 2017



    We've all heard the phrase 'organized chaos', but what about the phrase 'organized system'?

    Studies show that working in an unorganized and cluttered environment negatively affects our ability to focus. Still, many people don't set time aside to put things where they need to go. In no time, there are boxes and paperwork piled up that will take days to sort through, as well as a never-ending inbox full of new emails. With even less time to organize than before, the constant cycle of 'organized chaos' can cost companies thousands of dollars in fines, overhead, and time.

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    I got a gold star from the TSA inspector who inspected our flight school last year, but that's because my company paid me ground time to research AFSP and make a new AFSP student checklist. Even so, I had one (of 3) AFSP applicants rejected initially due to some of the errors you talk about in the blog. I just wanted to shoot you an email and say thanks for making the effort to clarify the process for all of us. I get the impression that there are a lot of the CFIs out there in the small flight schools who haven't got a clue about the AFSP process. So go ahead and feel good about yourself for helping all us lost boys stay in business and out of the trouble.

    Patrick

    - The CFI