Worried about flying anywhere near Japan, given the ongoing crisis at the tsunami-ravaged Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear facility? On this edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, experts say operators need not be concerned.

Two House members who lead the Congressional General Aviation Caucus discuss their legislative priorities for the Caucus on this week's edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast. Reps. Sam Graves (R-6-MO) and John Barrow (D-12-GA), who serve as Caucus Chairs, detail their work to communicate the importance of business aviation to citizens, companies and communities.

As Washington officials prepare for a possible government shutdown, people in business aviation are asking: could a shutdown affect the industry? NBAA Senior Vice President for Operations and Administration Steve Brown has the answer, because as a former government executive with the FAA, he prepared for two possible shutdowns. "People who control air traffic, process flight plans and are involved in weather decision-making... all of that should proceed as normal." But not everything would remain the same, as Brown points out in a special edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast.

On stage, you'd figure country music star Aaron Tippin as alternately patriotic, romantic

and irreverent. But you'd probably never figure him for a pilot, or even an airframe and powerplant mechanic. Tippin is one of two keynote speakers at NBAA's 26th Annual Maintenance Management Conference (MMC), April 4-8 in San Diego, CA.

Today is the deadline for submitting comments to the public docket in opposition to the FAA's proposal to severely limit the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen explains why it's critical that the business aviation community make its voice heard on the issue.

The window for submitting public comment to the FAA regarding proposed, onerous changes to the Block Aircraft Registration (BARR) program is beginning to close, and if you value your privacy or that of your flight operation, now is the time to speak up. The comment window closes on April 4, and Doug Carr NBAA's vice president for safety, security and regulation says "The more comments we get the more important it will be for government officials to respond to all of these positions."

In this special, expanded edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast, John and Martha King tell podcast host Pete Combs the reasons they rely on the BARR for their business, and how their security could be compromised if the FAA's proposed changes to the BARR are implemented.

Businessman and pilot Brad Pierce is worried about the government's plan to limit

participation in the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program, which keeps his

flights from being monitored in real-time by unknown third parties using online tracking

services. "We are a small business," Pierce says. "To do something that would negatively

effect our positive growth during these bad times...I think that would be a huge mistake."

As the business aviation community battles the government's plan to severely limit the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program, the president and CEO of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association says NBAA Members are by no means alone in the battle. "This struck me at the outset as somebody's solution to a problem that didn't exist," said AOPA President Craig Fuller. He shared his thoughts in a recent NBAA Flight Plan interview. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen similarly addressed AOPA's Members through a recent interview on AOPA Live, the Association's online video channel.

The Helicopter Association International's annual Heli-Expo in Orlando, FL, provides a good opportunity to check in on the rotor end of business aviation. At least one industry expert believes sales of rotor-wing aircraft are about to see an up-tick. "The pipeline will fill up nicely and we'll be in good shape next year - particularly on the delivery front," said Brian Foley, an aviation analyst based in Sparta, NJ.