Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

The Air Charter Safety Foundation has continued to expand its membership and reinforced its safety programs, including the Industry Audit Standard (IAS) and Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), with new charters and other organizations coming on board or renewing their programs.

 


In January alone, the ACSF announced three new members and as many renewing their IAS.&nbsp;The new members joining in January were Tacoma, Washington-based crewmember emergency procedures and safety training specialist Aircare International; Denver-based charter company Precision Aircraft Management; and PrivateFlite Aviation, a charter operator with bases in Fort Worth, Texas,&nbsp;and Sellersburg, Indiana.

 


The new members boost total membership to nearly 190 operators and follow announcements of the nearly two-dozen operators that had joined Washington, D.C. organization last year.

 


“The ACSF represents a collection of the proudest and safest charter operators in the world,” said Aircare International CEO Jeffrey Roberts of the company’s decision to join the foundation. “In a nutshell, the ACSF enables Aircare International to be an active participant in a community that makes operational safety a priority, and is dedicated to the advancement of safety standards.”

 


In addition to joining the association, PrivateFlite and Precision Aircraft Management enrolled in the ACSF-administered ASAP.&nbsp;The ASAP, which entails MoUs with the FAA, provides a mechanism for voluntarily reporting and mitigating safety issues in a “non-threatening” environment. Participants in the ACSF ASAP had reached 115 by last fall, and while originally designed for Part 135, more than half of the participants have been Part 91 operators.

 


Along with administering a tailored ASAP for the 135 and 91 operators, the ACSF has further developed and maintained the registry for the IAS, one of the most stringent audit standards developed specifically for Part 135.&nbsp;Seventeen operators are now registered. The latest renewals include Hawthorne, California-based Advanced Air, which re-upped for the third time. Also renewing in January were Worldwide Jet Charter in Phoenix and Priester Aviation of Wheeling, Illinois.

 


“Priester Aviation recognizes the incredible importance of providing the highest level of aviation safety, and commends our team for a successful ACSF renewal,” said company president and CEO Andy Priester. “We have built our corporate culture around continuous improvement of our safety systems and utilize the ACSF audit as a benchmark that we strive to elevate each time our company is evaluated.”

 


Along with its safety programs, the ACSF gathers industry leaders annually for its safety symposium.&nbsp;This year’s event, March 12 to 13 at the NTSB Training Center in Ashburn, Virginia, will focus on “Promoting the Highest Levels of Safety” and feature sessions on safety culture, the new charter broker rule, NTSB case studies, Part 135 standardized curriculum, data analytics, and the ASAP, among others.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

ACSF Adds Members, Audit Standard Renewals

The association membership has approached 190 with the latest round of new members.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Agency held a Call to Action with business and general aviation leaders

FAA Steps Up Safety Collaboration with Industry

Stuart “Kipp” Lau

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

Global 5000 accident exposes major safety issues

AINsight: An Eye-opening Lesson on Eye-to-wheel Height

Matt Thurber

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Incident took place after a Flexjet Challenger crossed the active runway while the airliner was landing

SWA 737 Goes Around after Midway Runway Incursion 

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

Deal adds MRO capabilities for oxygen and fire-suppression systems

Aerox Expands O2 Services with Omnigas Acquisition

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

House T&I Committee Democrats highlight urgent need to prioritize FAA reauthorization implementation

Lawmakers Call For ‘Intense Focus’ on ATC Upgrades, Hiring

AmyWilder

The SMS supports regulatory compliance for operators

NATA CS Launches Safety Management System with AI

Workshops will delve into regulatory requirements, managing risk, and using data

ACSF To Host SMS Workshops with Symposium

Charles Alcock

News and information about crew, passenger, aircraft and airport security issues.

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