Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, nonpolitical international organization dedicated entirely to aviation safety. From its beginning more than 50 years ago, the Foundation has been at the forefront of progress in aviation safety. It has developed and implemented programs and procedures that have improved civil aviation safety worldwide, and has provided safety services for aircraft operators, aviation organizations and national civil aviation authorities. See Corporate Aviation Safety and Security Audit Program Brochure [PDF 444K]

Why choose Flight Safety Foundation to perform critically important aviation operational safety audits for your organization?

Experience — The Foundation is the world’s pre-eminent aviation safety organization. Its services, studies and publications have dealt repeatedly with every aspect of aviation operations: international, major, regional and commuter airlines; corporate flight departments; government oversight; fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft; accident investigation; maintenance; human factors and aviation medicine; airports; air traffic systems; and cabin crew safety. The specialists who perform these aviation safety services are all acknowledged experts in their fields.

Because the Foundation is a broad-based international organization (with more than 900 members in more than 140 countries), its safety services personnel are in touch with safety trends and industry knowledge throughout the world.

Individualized service — No two aircraft operators or organizations have the same situation or need. Therefore, no “one-size-fits-all” program will do. For example, an FSF audit team can assist an entire organization or can be limited to a specific part of an operation. The team members are matched to the type, scope and depth of services to be provided to your organization.

Convenience — Before the on-site phase of an audit begins, FSF specialists conduct a “front-end analysis,” carefully reviewing appropriate materials. On-site activities are carefully planned and conducted with minimal disruption to a client’s daily operations.

Objectivity — The Foundation is dedicated to an important goal: improving aviation safety.

Confidentiality — All safety services are strictly confidential. The Foundation will not disclose, without permission from the client, that an organization has requested a proposal or contracted with the Foundation for a safety audit. Moreover, the results of the audit remain confidential.

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Aviation Operational Safety Audits

Operational safety audits examine whether adequate safety margins exist throughout an aircraft operator’s organization. (See Flight Safety Digest June 2001, “Aviation Operational Safety Audit Appraises Aviation Department Safety, Efficiency” 56 pages. PDF 547K.) The audit team compares current operator conditions and performance to accepted industry practices. The team members draw on extensive experience and judgment to assess the operator’s policies, procedures and practices. The audit typically addresses:

• Organization elements — Structure, management, policies, controls, programs, internal audit systems, communications, emergency plans;

• Internal safety program — Design, management, staffing, data systems, program outputs, procedures, effectiveness, training;

• Flight operations — Management, flight operations manual, programs, standard operating procedures, controls, flight crew and cabin crew selection and qualifications, scheduling, briefings, standards, minimum equipment list (MEL) usage, records adequacy and accuracy;

• Aircraft maintenance and engineering — Management, general maintenance manual, programs, maintenance standards, maintenance planning and scheduling, quality control, stores and spares, mandatory modifications, product improvements, deferred maintenance and MEL, weight and balance control, maintenance records;

• Training of management, flight crew, cabin crew, ground crew and maintenance personnel — Needs analysis, personnel selection, initial/recurrent/proficiency training, safety program briefing;

• Aircraft facilities and support equipment — General safety, fire prevention/contingency plans, hangar maintenance, equipment maintenance programs, environmental and workplace safety practices/regulatory compliance;

• Airport operations and facilities — Communications, ground handling, ramp procedures, ramp safety, surface conditions, foreign object damage control, aircraft rescue and fire fighting services, fueling services and quality control; and,

• Operator aviation security program — Elements, facilities, aircraft in-service protection, briefings, personnel background checks.

Above all, the responsibility for aviation safety belongs to top management.

Maintaining current safety margins — better still, reducing risks — requires emphasizing safety in management’s strategic planning, decision making and resource allocation. Among management’s best tools for this purpose are confidential, independent aviation operational safety audits. Flight Safety Foundation brings decades of experience and solid professionalism to performing this task.

Need More Information

For more information about aviation operational safety audits, or to request a proposal for an audit, contact:

Darol Holsman
Manager, Safety Audits
Telephone: +1 (618) 692-6394
Mobile phone: +1 (202) 258-2523
E-mail: dvhjkh@sbcglobal.net
 

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