From The President...

Thank you for visiting RACCA's Web site!

The Regional Air Cargo Carrier's Association is the only trade association in the U.S. solely dedicated to representing and serving the interests of on-demand aircraft operators engaged in providing all-cargo transportation services to and from non-hub destinations.

Our members are FAA-certificated air carriers whose aircraft generally fly under Part 135 of the agency's regulations. The typical mission for one of these aircraft is to retrieve packages and other cargo from smaller communities and fly them to a location where they are loaded aboard a larger aircraft for a longer flight. Afterward, that process is reversed as cargo is then offloaded to another of our members' airplanes for delivery to its ultimate destination.

Typically, these flights occur overnight, helping ensure organizations of all sizes meet our nation's high demand for "next-day" transportation of important documents and "just-in-time" delivery of important raw materials, critical parts and other items. Of course, as Internet-based marketing and sales of products as diverse as books, consumer electronics and collectibles -- to name just a few -- becomes expected instead of the exception, demand for smaller cargo aircraft has skyrocketed.

Recognizing this dynamic, growing industry lacked an effective and dedicated voice representing it before the federal government, the aviation industry and the media, RACCA was formed in 2002. Since then, the association has been extremely fortunate to count as its members more than 95 percent of all aircraft operators eligible for membership. This means more than 1,000 aircraft serving smaller communities each day are operated by RACCA members.

One of RACCA's primary goals has been and will continue to be enhancing the safety of all-cargo flight operations. Toward this end, the association recently named members to a formal committee dedicated to aviation safety, joining other RACCA panels focused on regulatory reform and security. The association's members and leadership have been actively involved with the FAA's ongoing rulemaking and informal discussions with industry on ways in which the safety of specific flight operations may be enhanced, all without unduly impacting efficiency or creating other, unanticipated hazards.

Meanwhile, RACCA's Associate Membership Council -- composed of companies and organizations not directly involved in operating cargo aircraft -- work closely with the association's leadership to provide early warning of industry-based trends of all sizes and types and, when necessary, to develop appropriate responses.

Another primary goal is to ensure that the FAA's ongoing efforts to re-write and modernize its existing regulations addressing non-scheduled operation of commercial aircraft recognize the many unique characteristics of our industry. Those efforts, as embodied in recommendations made by the recently concluded Part 125/135 Aviation Rulemaking Committee, will soon bear substantial fruit when the agency formally publishes proposed regulations implementing those policies.

Although RACCA's first three years have been both exciting and productive, the association is not standing still. For example, we already are working with other industry organizations and the FAA on developing policies that recognize our industry's unique role in the U.S. economy. Similarly, we hope to be at the forefront of coming efforts to reauthorize federal legislation describing the FAA's future priorities.

These are important activities for us, and we welcome both your participation and assistance. But RACCA's greatest value has always been the unique opportunities it affords members to communicate with each other and learn from their mistakes and successes. Perhaps the best example of how RACCA meets its members' needs in this area is our annual Spring Conference, which provides attendees with several days of informative presentations coupled with formal and informal events designed to facilitate professional networking and interaction with their peers. Through our regular meetings and communications, as well as this Web site, we will continue to meet this challenge.

Again, thank you for visiting RACCA's Web site. Please call on us if we may be of service to you.

Stan Bernstein
President