National Safety Forum to Debut at NBAA2015

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today announced that its inaugural National Safety Forum will be conducted on the third and final day of the Association’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA2015), which is set for Nov. 17 to 19 in Las Vegas, NV.

The daylong forum will bring together top government and industry leaders to discuss the principal safety issues confronting business aircraft operators, and is tailored to the interests of aviation department managers, chief pilots, directors of maintenance, safety managers, schedulers & dispatchers, cabin crew and anyone interested in improving business aviation safety. The forum is just one of the latest safety and risk-management initiatives developed by the NBAA Safety Committee in response to strong interest in these issues among NBAA Members.

“The National Safety Forum is designed to bring together international business aviation leaders to engage in discussions with top Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials so they can together address the major business aviation safety issues in an open forum," said NBAA Safety Committee Chair Steve Charbonneau.

Confirmed opening speakers include NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart and the FAA’s Director of Accident Investigation and Prevention Wendell Griffin. Additionally, the day will include presentations by Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) CEO Jon Beatty, International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) Director General Kurt Edwards and members of the NBAA Safety Committee focus teams.

The principal topics to be discussed at the forum are runway excursions, fitness-for-duty, data sharing, professionalism and procedural compliance and airport and ground handling safety. The Safety Committee, working with the broader NBAA Membership, has identified these issues, based on statistical data, as critical factors in the pursuit of a safer operating environment for business aviation.

“We’re taking a different approach to safety engagement with our Members,” said Charbonneau.  “Our National Safety Forum will expect audience engagement to contribute to the discussion. Our planning will ensure that all attendees can easily participate and see their perspectives and contributions guide our conversations.”

Material presented during the forum, along with the associated discussions, will enable aircraft operators to address these significant safety issues within their own operations through hazard identification, risk management and use of other safety management techniques.

In addition to direct engagement with key safety leaders, the ability to meet with fellow operators with similar interests will provide excellent discussion and networking opportunities. These opportunities will be facilitated through a luncheon offered at the forum. Participants already registered for NBAA2015 will be admitted to the forum free of charge, but charged a nominal $40 fee for lunch.

The National Safety Forum is designed to complement the NBAA Single Pilot Safety Standdown, which also will be held during NBAA2015. The standdown, which is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 16, the day before NBAA2015 opens, will focus on loss of control in flight issues.