ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) recently made a presentation to a listening session of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Safety Information Protection Task Force to solicit recommendations on balancing the protection of safety information with the administration of justice, safety-regulatory action, and the public’s right to know.
ACSF believes that the current safety climate can only be enhanced through the protection of voluntarily submitted safety information. “Otherwise, all the advances in recent years will be reversed and the industry will experience a degraded level of safety,” said ACSF Director of Safety, Russ Lawton.
Companies that want to enhance their safety culture through the implementation of voluntary safety reporting, will be reluctant to support these programs if they cannot provide assurance to their employees that this information will be protected.
The vision of ACSF is to enable on-demand charter providers and fractional program managers to achieve the highest levels of safety in the aviation industry. This goal will be achieved through the promotion of risk management programs, adoption of one common industry audit standard, dissemination of safety information, and creation of additional programs that advance the goals of the foundation.
ACSF is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. With the cooperation of and assistance from leading charter operators, fractional program managers, charter brokers, corporate charter customers, and aviation auditors, ACSF has developed an industry audit standard. It has become the exclusive standard for outstanding air charter operators, and eliminates the need for an operator to undergo multiple annual audits. ACSF does not conduct audits. Instead, it trains auditors on the ACSF Industry Audit Standard (IAS), and oversees these approved individuals as they perform the actual audit function.
The Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) is a reporting program that allows employees of participating companies to identify and report safety issues to management and to the FAA for resolution, without fear that the FAA will use reports accepted under the program to take legal enforcement action against them, or that companies will use such information to take disciplinary action. The FAA has approved ACSF as an ASAP Program Manager for Part 135 operators and 91K program managers in the FAA Great Lakes Region. Plans are to expand the program to other FAA regions.
The Aviation Safety Information System (ASIS) is a revolutionary software program for the on-demand and shared aircraft ownership industry that addresses the need to maintain a constant watch for emerging safety issues within their operations. AVSiS is a web-based safety event and management system that collects detailed safety event data for analysis, response deployment and success measurement. It also provides a unique tool that permits accounting for the cost savings realized by interventions. ACSF membership is not required of Part 135 operators or 91K program managers to benefit from AVSiS.
ACSF hosts an annual Air Charter Safety Symposium that focuses on academic and scientific research pertaining to aviation safety. The event brings together the leaders of on-demand and fractional ownership operators to learn about new safety programs and emerging safety concerns.
Bryan Burns is president of ACSF and is responsible for the foundation’s daily operations and leadership. Burns has 30 years’ experience in the fixed base operator (FBO) industry. Prior to joining ACSF, he was the general manager for Signature Flight Support at Washington Dulles and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airports. Under Burns’ leadership, Signature at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was rated the #1 FBO in the nation for four consecutive years by Pro Pilot Magazine.
For additional information visit www.acsf.aero or call 888-SAFE-135.
