NBAA CAM cheat sheet

Situational leadership: directing (low competence/high commitment), coaching, supporting, delegating (high competence/high commitment) - match style to follower readiness, not to personal preference.

Tuckman stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning; a new flight department team typically regresses to storming after any major staffing or mission change.

Maslow and Herzberg: pay and working conditions are hygiene factors that prevent dissatisfaction but do not motivate; responsibility, recognition, and advancement drive performance.

Span of control: a chief pilot directly supervising more than roughly 8-10 pilots or dispatchers loses effective oversight; add a lead or assistant chief before adding headcount.

Progressive discipline sequence: verbal coaching, written warning, performance improvement plan with measurable milestones and dated review, suspension, termination - document each step contemporaneously.

Termination risk rises when an employee can show protected activity (safety reporting, FAA whistleblower complaint under 14 CFR 129.5 / AIR-21) preceded the adverse action; timeline documentation is the defense.

FTE math: annual available hours per employee = 2,080 minus vacation, sick, training, and duty-rest overhead; a 24/7 dispatch desk needs about 4.2 FTE per continuously staffed seat.

Delegation rule: authority must equal accountability; a manager who retains approval on every decision has delegated task, not responsibility.

Operational control under Part 135 rests with the certificate holder and is exercised jointly by the pilot in command and the director of operations through an established flight-following and dispatch system; Part 91 operators retain it with the PIC.

Part 135 duty limits: 10 hours flight time in 24, 8 hours flight time in 24 for single-pilot or unscheduled operations with more than 8 passenger seats; 14 CFR 135.265 also caps duty at 14 hours and requires 10 consecutive hours rest in the preceding 24.

Part 91 vs 135 rest: Part 91 has no regulatory flight/duty limit - policy must impose one (common baseline: 14-hour duty day, 10 hours rest, 8 hours flight in 24).

Fuel: Part 91 IFR requires enough fuel to destination plus alternate plus 45 minutes; Part 135 flag or supplemental rules can require more - build the reserve into the release, not the crew's discretion.

International trip lead time: ePassport/APIS filings, overflight and landing permits (many states require 24-72 hours), and customs slots drive a realistic 72-hour planning minimum for new international destinations.

Stage length and utilization: annual utilization hours / block speed = approximate flight hours; a light jet at 350 knots and 300 hours per year flies about 85,000 nm.

Dispatch release content: weather, NOTAMs, fuel, alternate, weight and balance, MEL/CDL status, and ATC routing; the PIC must sign acceptance before departure.

Crew scheduling rule: build pairings to a 12-hour planned duty day so irregular operations (weather, ATC, maintenance) can be absorbed without exceeding limits.

SMS four components (ICAO Annex 19): safety policy and objectives, safety risk management, safety assurance, safety promotion - all four are required, not optional add-ons.

Risk matrix: likelihood (1-5) x severity (1-5); a 5x5 score of 15 or higher is typically unacceptable without executive sign-off and mitigation; 5 or below is broadly acceptable.

IS-BAO: voluntary, performance-based, audited by an accredited auditor; Stage 1 initial, Stage 2 full SMS-based system, Stage 3 highest maturity with a three-year audit cycle and annual progress reporting.

Just culture: honest error is not punished, reckless behavior is; the line between them is whether the person knowingly violated a rule or substituted their own risk assessment for the organization's.

Human factors: fatigue, complacency, and press-on-itis are the dominant causal factors in business aviation accidents; FRMS and a no-fault go-around/divert policy are primary mitigations.

Emergency response plan: must cover notification, family assistance, media, records preservation, and a designated go-team; test with a tabletop exercise at least annually and record findings.

Safety assurance loop: collect data (ASAP, FOQA/FDM, voluntary reports), analyze, implement corrective action, verify effectiveness, and feed the result back into the risk register.

Leading vs lagging indicators: hazard reports and audit findings per 100 flight hours are leading; accident and incident rates are lagging and too rare to manage by.

Airworthiness certificate is valid only while the aircraft meets its type design and is in a condition for safe operation; maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations must be performed per 14 CFR Part 43.

Annual inspection under Part 91 requires an IA-certificated mechanic; Part 135 operators use an approved continuous airworthiness maintenance program with a CAMP and a designated inspection program.

100-hour inspection applies to aircraft carrying persons for hire (Part 135) and to flight instruction for hire; it may be exceeded by up to 10 hours to reach a place where inspection can be done, but the next interval is not extended.

AD compliance: must be accomplished within the stated interval; recurring ADs are tracked by calendar or hours, whichever comes first, and the record must show method, date, and signature.

MEL: an approved Minimum Equipment List permits dispatch with specified inoperative items under stated conditions; without an MEL, the operator uses the FAA master MEL or must repair before flight.

CDL (Configuration Deviation List) covers non-airworthiness-related missing exterior parts (fairings, seals); it is not a substitute for the MEL.

Maintenance tracking: airframe hours, cycles, engine hours, APU hours, and life-limited parts each have independent limits; a single 'total time' field is not sufficient.

Return to service: only an appropriately rated mechanic, repair station, or the pilot for authorized preventive maintenance may sign off; the logbook entry is the legal record.

Part 91: no economic authority required, but cost-sharing is limited to the pro rata share of fuel, oil, and airport fees (14 CFR 61.113(c)); a private pilot may not pay less than their pro rata share.

Part 135: requires an FAA air carrier certificate and OpSpecs; the operator controls the flight, holds out to the public, and must meet crew, duty, maintenance, and training requirements.

Dry lease vs wet lease: a dry lease (aircraft only, no crew) may be arranged under Part 91; a wet lease or interchange involving crew and operational control generally requires Part 135 or 121 authority.

Time-sharing, interchange, and joint ownership are the only structures that let a Part 91 operator receive compensation for carriage; anything else that looks like holding out risks an illegal charter finding.

International: overflight and landing permits, APIS/eAPIS, customs and immigration, and ICAO differences from the host state's AIP must be confirmed before dispatch; the PIC is responsible for compliance with local rules.

Drug and alcohol testing: Part 135 operators must have an FAA-approved program covering pre-employment, random, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, and return-to-duty testing under 14 CFR Part 120.

Recordkeeping: pilot training and duty records, maintenance logs, and drug testing records have distinct retention periods; assume 12 months minimum for training records and longer where an AD or OpSpec specifies.

Registration: FAA registration is valid for seven years and must be renewed; an expired registration makes flight unlawful regardless of airworthiness status.

Operating cost per hour = (fuel + maintenance reserve + crew + insurance + hangar) / annual hours; fixed costs (depreciation, management fee, insurance) do not fall with utilization, so cost per hour drops as hours rise.

Break-even utilization = annual fixed cost / (charter or hourly revenue per hour minus variable cost per hour); below this, ownership costs more than on-demand charter.

Depreciation: MACRS 5-year property for aircraft used in a trade or business, with mid-quarter convention if more than 40% of assets are placed in service in Q4; bonus depreciation rules change by tax year and must be verified.

Personal use of a business aircraft creates imputed income under the SIFL (Standard Industry Fare Level) formula; the value depends on aircraft weight and passenger status, and must be reported on the employee's W-2.

Section 1031 like-kind exchange no longer applies to aircraft after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; aircraft sales are taxable, so plan basis and depreciation recapture (25% on prior depreciation) before sale.

Pre-buy inspection and escrow: title search, lien release, and escrow closing are standard; a title defect or undisclosed lien transfers with the aircraft and is the buyer's problem.

Insurance: hull (agreed value vs stated value) covers the aircraft; liability covers bodily injury and property damage; a waiver of subrogation and additional insured endorsements protect the management company and lender.

Management fee structures: fixed monthly fee plus hourly, or cost-plus; compare total cost of ownership including crew salaries, training, and hangar against a fractional or jet card program at the actual annual hours.