The following description of the hotline is posted on the NATA website (www.nata.aero): “Effective immediately, any employee or agent of a Part 135 on-demand certificate holder can call a special toll-free hotline, (888) 759-3581 or (888) SKY-FLT1, to file a report of suspected illegal commercial flights, where an aircraft operator without an FAR Part 135 certificate is accepting compensation for transportation in violation of both FAA and Department of Transportation regulations.

Private operators posing as commercial charter providers in Europe, North America, and the Middle East are soliciting money from the “ignorant public” and, certificated operators claim, are endangering their passengers while creating unfair competition for the legitimate, rules-abiding members of the industry.

BCA asked long-term forecaster Dave Houle at Universal Weather & Aviation for a summary of Alaska weather conditions that operators planning tech stops in the 49th state should be aware of. Here is his report: “Late fall and winter are the seasons that could potentially pose the most weather issues. There is a great difference in the amounts of precipitation between Anchorage, which is primarily coastal, and Fairbanks, which is located more in the interior of Alaska,” Houle began.