Airport safety self-inspection programs

Posted on April 18, 2019 by SRS

Sextant Readings solution to support Airport safety self-inspection programs. Our solution will allow you to submit safety self-inspection information and create a single shared information environment to collect, analyze and report. Safety Self Inspection is a critical cornerstone to establish and maintain an effective safety program.

Airports must reliably perform day-in and day-out while dealing with different and changing conditions, all while maintaining a relentless focus on safety. To address these challenges, many airports are seeking Safety Self Inspection Software to support operations and maintenance personnel on the Air Operations Area of the airport in submission of information into an electronic database. The information in the database will then be used for analysis, action, follow-up and reporting as well as sharing with the FAA and other regulatory bodies.

Airports are not alone in seeking out a software application to support safety self-inspection and to create the foundation for a well implemented Safety Management System. Industry Associations and Regulators see a structured, risk-based approach to managing safety which incorporates safety into the fabric of the day-to-day decision-making process of an organization as an essential step in establishing a vibrant safety program. Sextant Readings provides the essential tools to enable Airports to establish a structured, risk-based safety management system based on the capture of Self Inspection information.

Sextant Readings is actively involved in the on-going evolution of Safety Management Systems. It actively participates in the FAA SMS Working Group, ensuring access to the most current SMS information available and influencing the direction of the rulemaking process. We are also actively involved in SMS activities across multiple aspects of the Aviation industry, including Airports, Air Carriers, Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities and private, non-scheduled and public use operators. As a result, we apply holistic, best practices approaches to achieving best value from your safety management software investment as well as the processes and training required for its successful implementation.

Sextant Readings Solutions will provide world-class Safety Management information system software. In addition, Sextant Readings and partner with leading-edge GIS consulting firms that have been assisting airports throughout the Unites States with leveraging the power of GIS technology. They apply geographic knowledge to move clients into a position where GIS technology can be used in the decision-making process.

Sextant Readings partners with recognized leaders in the development and support of safety, quality and compliance management software solutions.

We support a broad range of Safety Management System needs. We enable you to (i) collect safety data; (ii) identify non-conforming situations and hazards; (iii) track, report, and access risk: (iv) assign responsibility for corrective action/ preventive action; and (v) manage workflow. We provide robust analysis capability with real-time graphical presentations. It integrates with your existing email and network environment to provide active notification and escalation communications based on user-defined thresholds. Its integration of customer complaint management, suppliers, employees and assets into a single data system to deliver an unmatched capability to monitor and manage safety across all your operations. We effectively support voluntary and confidential reporting including RSAP (Ramp Safety Action Programs), enables mobile devices (Documents, Audits, Reports), and supports airport self-inspection and Emergency Response Planning programs.

The combination of (i) your proprietary business knowledge and processes; (ii)Sextant Readings’ project management expertise, industry knowledge and experience; (iii) GIS enablement and (iv) award-winning software and services will produce the best return to your organization and its stakeholders for the investment in a Safety Self Inspection software solution.

Through our partnerships, Sextant Readings provides Airports with a single source for safety management software and the implementation services to align with your business processes and safety self-inspection program. We also train your team to maintain and modify the software configuration to maintain alignment with your safety program as you undergo continuous improvement. As your partner in the implementation journey, Sextant Readings will also support you with user training and on-going support services.

Sextant Readings’ approach to meeting your airport’s objectives is to provide and successfully implement a realistic, well-structured and professionally executed safety self-inspection solution. We believe that methodical planning and the delivery of the software solution in carefully managed and measured stages will ensure a successful, on-time delivery and implementation of the software.

Sextant Readings’ people drive our success. The experienced management team has extensive knowledge of compliance, safety, quality and risk management principles. Sextant Readings develops its employees and invests heavily in their training. This ensures its people not only possess the appropriate knowledge and skills, but also can meet and overcome new challenges. Sextant Readings views its investment in its employees as an investment in its business future.

Sextant Readings appreciates the opportunity to present our solutions to Airports and we look forward to a long and successful business relationship.

SOAR+® Advanced SMS

Posted on September 23, 2015 by SRS

cropped-Captain-Major-Web-Image-1080x300 Sextant Readings Solutions works closely with Patrick S. Major Inc. in supporting aviation safety management globally.

When using term SOAR+, Soar+, or otherwise referencing Patrick S. Major, Inc.’s proprietary safety of operations audit and resolution of safety issues process, and/or its flight data monitoring (FDM)-based safety of operations assessment, risk management, airmanship enhancement, and asset protection processes, kindly depict as follows “SOAR+®,” with the ® prominently displayed.

SOAR+, a practical, results-oriented, approach to the art and best-practice of aviation, represents the foundational underpinning for next generation safety management systems (SMS).

The Magnitude of Change

Posted on March 1, 2015 by SRS

The Magnitude of Change

November 12th, 2014

A lot has been written lately on the weaknesses of many change-management strategies and why many change projects fail. One simple guideline that can avoid many of these problems is simply to make the change in easy steps and to manage the perception of the magnitude of change.

Fact is, too much change too fast overloads people and systems. Overload causes inefficiencies and other problems all of which demotivate the change effort and the people involved. This does not mean that massive changes are impossible, it simply means that the change has to be divided into bite-sized pieces. Each piece has to be palatable and not prompt the overload mentality.

So if you want to change your culture or employee behavior or perceptions, pick out a few and give them the old “sell it to yourself first” test. If thinking about the bite makes you nervous or fearful, take a few items off the list till it seems easy to do. People don’t inherently resist change as much as they resist force and overload. All change strategies should mapped and each step should be relatively easy to do and not create negative emotions. How effective are your change strategies?

-Terry L. Mathis

For more insights, visit www.ProActSafety.com

Terry L. Mathis is the founder and CEO of ProAct Safety, an international safety and performance excellence firm. He is known for his dynamic presentations in the fields of behavioral and cultural safety, leadership, and operational performance, and is a regular speaker at ASSE, NSC, and numerous company and industry conferences. EHS Today listed Terry as a Safety Guru in ‘The 50 People Who Most Influenced EHS in 2010, 2011 and 2012-2013. He has been a frequent contributor to industry magazines for over 15 years and is the coauthor of STEPS to Safety Culture Excellence, 2013, WILEY.

SOAR Next-Generation SMS Audit & Safety Issue Resolution

Posted on September 15, 2014 by SRS

SOAR+

is a computer-based safety of operations audit, risk assessment and resolution of safety issues (ROSI) process supporting E-IOSA, IASA, ISBAO as well as SAIs, EPIs, DOD, ICAO, regulatory compliance, NetJets, internal QA/evaluation, and/or custom audit protocols. SOAR+ raises the bar by risk-ranking audit standards, then reporting results in an intuitive, executive-friendly format that establishes a means for quantifying returns on investment (ROI) in safety.

SOAR+ is imminently configurable; e.g. A CASE version of SOAR+ is set to be installed at a major US based Maintenance & Repair Operation (MRO) soon; providing services to Pratt & Whitney, the US Air Force and UPS among others. SOAR+ is also under consideration to support the US Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) Federal Transit Authority (FTA) implementation of safety management systems (SMS) in US municipal transit and rail operations. Could also work for airports, shipping, and hospitals it: wherever safety and compliance is linked to performance.

SOAR “AAP” is a flight data monitoring (FDM)-based safety of operations-assurance, risk management, airman-ship assurance and asset protection utility incorporating the identical ROSI process as SOAR+. Unconstrained by traditional flight operations quality assurance (FOQA) paradigms, SOAR AAP optimizes the use of aircraft flight data recorders, the so-called “Black-Boxes,” before the crash: to optimize operations, training, and to actually prevent accidents by making practical application of information that is traditional used only to conduct forensic inquiry…after the fact.

SOAR+ Attributes –

Audit standards can be derived and/or imported into SOAR+ from any source: from ICAO, host country regulations, to internal airline oversight, quality control and quality assurance processes.
A gap analysis and corrective actions tool exemplary of highest standards in SMS.
Supports SAIs, EPIs, specific regulatory requirements (SRRs), as well DOD and Enhanced-IOSA requirements.
- Also available as an IOSA-attainment sub-routine providing a sequential guide to air, ground and maintenance operators in achieving and maintaining IATA registration.
Standards and findings are risk-ranked in advance of the audits, and after, to guide in prioritizing effective action plans.
Reports are normalized to 100% to facilitate effective communications with non-technical stakeholders, and to
- Establish a basis for quantifying return on investments in safety.
Both SOAR+ and SOAR AAP fill significant lapses in virtually all existing SMS computer-based utilities,
- Can be integrated into existing SMS software.
There are Enterprise versions,
- And versions capable of supporting-
  - Mobile devices,
  - Laptop PCs and
  - “Cloud-based” access.
- The ROSI process includes prioritization of findings on the basis of safety and/or business, political and economic concerns, supporting unparalleled root cause analysis, safety risk assessment (SRA) and corrective actions implementation, validation, and assurance processes.

• Indeed, SOAR+/SOAR APP may represent a credible foundation for what can best be described as “Next-generation SMS.”

SOAR+ is deliberately configured to be useful measuring the attainment of standards in virtually any environment. For example, SOAR+ could be a useful means to measure attainment of implementation standards in Ebola prevention and treatment procedures, methods and protocols, to report results in an imminently intuitive executive-friendly format, to measure the risk of failure to implement complete and comprehensive corrective measures, to conduct safety risk assessments on proposed corrective measures, to document approval of an accountable individual before deploying proposed corrective actions, to verify and validate implementation, controlling performance creep by means of a continuously renewable improvement process, and to quantify return on investment in health and safety of the population. We would need to dissect Ebola prevention and treatment protocols to identify standards and then deploy auditors to record their observations in the SOAR+ safety of operations, risk assessment and resolutions of safety issues utility.

National Airlines receives FAA certification as newest US Flag/Domestic carrier

Posted on March 6, 2014 by SRS

National Airlines receives FAA certification as newest US Flag/Domestic carrier

ORLANDO, FL – National Airlines is proud to announce that on February 28, 2014, the FAA approved National to become the United States’ newest Flag/Domestic air carrier. National Airlines has a long history of supporting governments and militarys around the world — by, among other things, flying ad hoc cargo shipments in and out of crisis areas and also operating charter passenger operations for sports teams in the United States, visitors to/from Cuba, and contractors traveling between the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan. US Flag/Domestic authority will allow National Airlines to expand its services to include conducting scheduled passenger flights throughout the United States and across the globe. It also provides an opportunity for National Airlines to continue its support of the US government travelers under the Fly America Act, whereby US government funded travelers fly on US Flag Carriers whenever available.

National Airlines maintains the highest standards of safety, security, and compliance. “This is nowhere more important than in the Middle East, which has been a significant market for National Airlines,” said Glen Joerger, National Airlines’ President. “This operating authority will further strengthen our position as an emerging passenger carrier of choice for discerning customers seeking US Flag service in the region,” he added. “This tremendous addition to National’s operating certificate reinforces our corporate commitment to serve every facet of transportation and logistics for our key clientele around the globe,” continued Joerger.

About National Airlines

National Airlines is in the National Air Cargo family of enterprises. National Air Cargo and National Airlines are headquartered in Orlando, Florida. National Airlines’ service as a global cargo carrier and passenger charter provider complements its sister companies: Together they provide multi-modal logistics solutions to getting difficult-to-move cargo quickly and safely to wherever you need it, and through the charter passenger service they have been honored to transport a diverse group of guests, from orchestras, to international and US sports teams headed to heated competitions, to alumni and other associations ready to cheer them on. And soon the premier passenger service National has been able to provide for its charter guests will be available for individuals to book and enjoy as well.

NBAA Safety Committee Identifies Top Safety Focus Areas for 2014

Posted on March 5, 2014 by SRS

NBAA Press Release

Washington, DC, March 5, 2014

For the second consecutive year, the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA’s) Safety Committee has published a list of recommended safety priorities for the business aviation industry. The list is intended to promote safety-focused discussion and advocacy among NBAA Members and the business aviation industry.

The list of NBAA Top Safety Focus Areas for 2014 is (in no particular order):

Professionalism
Positive Safety Culture
Single-Pilot Safety
Fitness for Duty
Airport Safety
Airmanship Skills
Distraction Management
Public Policy
Talent Pipeline
Technology Management

The committee developed the list with input from many of NBAA’s other standing committees, as well as from the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Flight Safety Foundation’s Business Advisory Committee and regional business aviation groups.

The list is first intended to serve as a conversation starter. “We want to start having discussions in our various spheres of influence on what each of these topics means on a personal basis,” said NBAA Safety Committee Chairman Eric Barfield. “But perhaps more importantly, we want to provoke a meaningful discussion among colleagues within the flight department and with the corporate office. It’s a conversation that goes both up and down the chain of command.”

The list also will serve to guide the Safety Committee’s work in support of safety advocacy for the year to come, providing a useful framework for developing future NBAA resources and education efforts in the coming months.

“Sometimes people don’t know what they don’t know when it comes to business aviation safety,” Barfield said. “We’re trying to educate them on those areas, as well as point out tools to help them continuously improve their safety processes and outcomes.”

First published in 2013 under the moniker “Top 10 Safety Focus Areas,” this year’s list was renamed to recognize the diversity within business aviation and give equal weight to all items listed. “This is no longer a prioritized list of concerns. Everybody has different priorities,” said Barfield. “Instead, these are key areas where the committee believes more discussion is warranted.”

The 2014 topics themselves are largely unchanged from 2013. Where changes to the list were introduced, they typically served to enhance or expand on topics and focus area descriptions from the previous year.

For example, “fatigue” is now aligned under a larger “fitness for duty” umbrella along with aeromedical issues and the growing concern with improper use of over-the-counter medications. ”Distraction management” is a new topic encompassing not only task saturation and situational awareness, but also distractions created by pressures stemming from the home and office. “Airmanship skills” and “airport safety” remain on the list, but have been expanded in scope.

Review NBAA’s Top Safety Focus Areas.
Learn more about the NBAA Safety Committee.

Metro Aviation takes safety to the next level

Posted on February 26, 2014 by SRS

urce: Metro Aviation, February 21 2014

Metro Aviation takes safety to the next level

Metro Aviation recently achieved Level IV of the FAA’s Safety Management System (SMS) Pilot Project. Level IV is the highest level of the program, and Metro Aviation is one of only three organizations in the United States operating under 14 CFR 135 rules to achieve this milestone. The Program provides a four level system to acknowledge development of a formal SMS that meets FAA expectations and ICAO international standards.

Safety, Quality and Customer Service have been the hallmarks of Metro Aviation for more than 30 years and achieving Level IV reinforces Metro’s commitment to the highest level of safety.

“Metro Aviation has consistently gone beyond the traditional regulatory minimums and the goal of our SMS is to establish a level of safety in our organization that continues to set new standards,” said Metro Aviation Director of Safety Tarek Loutfy.

In addition to implementing SMS, Metro Aviation has embraced safety recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to helicopter operators including the newly released Safety Alert on the use of simulators. Metro has provided simulator training to its pilots for more than 5 years and is now a resource for others in the industry.

Metro is also committed to establishing an active SMS for their Part 145 Repair Station. “The SMS will provide a uniform way of handling maintenance safety practices and procedures to ensure that all employees and management are on the same page,” said Managing Director Milton Geltz.

Metro Aviation voluntarily signed up to participate in the FAA’s program in 2010. Although they have now achieved the highest level in the program, Metro will continue to research hazards and implement solutions in an effort to operate in the safest way possible

FAA Issues EMS Rule, Includes Additional Helicopter Operations

Posted on February 26, 2014 by SRS

Source: Rotor News, Helicopter Association International (HAI) Feb 21 2014

FAA Issues EMS Rule, Includes Additional Helicopter Operations

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has finalized a rule requiring stronger safety measures for helicopter operators, including air ambulances. Changes include equipment, training and operational requirements, and all HAI members are strongly encouraged to review the rule.

The rule is primarily directed toward air ambulance operations, but also addresses commercial helicopter and general aviation helicopter operations, implementing new operational procedures and additional equipment requirements. Additionally, the rule revises requirements for equipment, pilot testing, and alternative airports as well as increasing weather minimums for all general aviation helicopter operations under Part 91 in Class G airspace.

For helicopter air ambulances, the rule requires operations with medical personnel on board to be conducted under Part 135 operating rules and introduces new weather minimums and visibility requirements for Part 135 operations. It mandates flight planning, preflight risk analyses, safety briefings for medical personnel, and the establishment of operations control centers (OCC) for certain operators to help with risk management and flight monitoring. The rule also includes provisions to encourage instrument flight rules (IFR) operations. It requires helicopter air ambulances to be equipped with both helicopter terrain awareness and warning systems. In addition, helicopter air ambulance pilots will be required to hold instrument ratings.

For all helicopters operated under Part 135, these rules require that operators carry more survival equipment for operations over water. Alternate airports named in flight plans must have higher weather minimums than are currently required. These helicopters must be equipped with radio altimeters and pilots must be able to demonstrate that they can maneuver the aircraft during an inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) to get out of those conditions safely. As mentioned above, the rule assigns new weather minimums to part 91 helicopter operations in Class G airspace.

The following represents a summary of affected entities:

Part 135 All Rotorcraft Operators:
Requires each rotorcraft to be equipped with a radio altimeter ( Section 135.160)
Adds Section 135.168 equipment requirements for rotorcraft operated over water. Helicopter operations conducted over water will be required to carry additional safety equipment to assist passengers and crew in the event an accident occurs over water.

Revised alternate airport weather minimums for rotorcraft in Section 135.221. This rule improves the likelihood of being able to land at the alternate airport if weather conditions in the area deteriorate while the helicopter is en route.

Revises Section 135.293 to require pilot testing of rotorcraft handling in flat-light, whiteout, and brownout conditions and demonstration of competency in recovery from an IIMC.

Part 135 Helicopter Air Ambulance:
Requires helicopter air ambulance flights with medical personnel on board to be conducted under Part 135 (Section 135.1, 135.601).

Requires certificate holders with 10 or more helicopter air ambulances to establish operations control centers (OCC) (Section 135.619) and requires drug and alcohol testing for operations control specialists (Section 120.105 and 120.215).

Requires helicopter air ambulances to be equipped with HTAWS (Section 135.605).

Requires helicopter air ambulances to be equipped with a flight data monitoring system (Section 135.607).

Requires each helicopter air ambulance operator to establish and document, in its operations manual, an FAA-approved preflight risk analysis (Section 135.617).

Requires pilots to identify and document the highest obstacle along the planned route (Section 135.615).

Requires safety briefings or training for helicopter air ambulance medical personnel (Section 135.621).

Establishes visual flight rules (VFR) weather minimums for helicopter air ambulance operations (Section 135.609).

Permits instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at airports without weather reporting (Section 135.611).

Establishes procedures for transitioning between IFR and VFR on approach to, and departure from, heliports or landing areas (Section 135.613).

Requires pilots in commend to hold an instrument rating (Section 135.603).

The following represents a summary of affected entities:

Part 135 All Rotorcraft Operators:
Requires each rotorcraft to be equipped with a radio altimeter ( Section 135.160)
Adds Section 135.168 equipment requirements for rotorcraft operated over water. Helicopter operations conducted over water will be required to carry additional safety equipment to assist passengers and crew in the event an accident occurs over water.
Revised alternate airport weather minimums for rotorcraft in Section 135.221. This rule improves the likelihood of being able to land at the alternate airport if weather conditions in the area deteriorate while the helicopter is en route.
Revises Section 135.293 to require pilot testing of rotorcraft handling in flat-light, whiteout, and brownout conditions and demonstration of competency in recovery from an IIMC.
Part 135 Helicopter Air Ambulance:
Requires helicopter air ambulance flights with medical personnel on board to be conducted under Part 135 (Section 135.1, 135.601).
Requires certificate holders with 10 or more helicopter air ambulances to establish operations control centers (OCC) (Section 135.619) and requires drug and alcohol testing for operations control specialists (Section 120.105 and 120.215).
Requires helicopter air ambulances to be equipped with HTAWS (Section 135.605).
Requires helicopter air ambulances to be equipped with a flight data monitoring system (Section 135.607).
Requires each helicopter air ambulance operator to establish and document, in its operations manual, an FAA-approved preflight risk analysis (Section 135.617).
Requires pilots to identify and document the highest obstacle along the planned route (Section 135.615).
Requires safety briefings or training for helicopter air ambulance medical personnel (Section 135.621).
Establishes visual flight rules (VFR) weather minimums for helicopter air ambulance operations (Section 135.609).
Permits instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at airports without weather reporting (Section 135.611).
Establishes procedures for transitioning between IFR and VFR on approach to, and departure from, heliports or landing areas (Section 135.613).
Requires pilots in commend to hold an instrument rating (Section 135.603).

Obama taps Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx as Transportation Secretary

Posted on April 30, 2013 by SRS

President Barack Obama has tapped Charlotte, North Carolina Mayor Anthony Foxx as the next Transportation Secretary.

Should the Senate approve of the nomination, Foxx will replace Ray LaHood, who decided to step down from his position near the end of January.

LaHood decided to stay on until a suitable successor was found and in the time since then has been very vocal about the state of decline American infrastructure has found itself in.

LaHood also took to his FastLane blog to discuss Foxx’s nomination calling him “the right man for the job.” LaHood pointed out pieces of Foxx’s experience that deal with specific infrastructure issues the country is currently facing, citing the Charlotte Streetcar Project, improvements made to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the expanded LYNX light rail system, freight and passenger rail upgrades and redesigned intersections on Interstate 85.

In response to his nomination Foxx said reaching across the aisle will be a priority under his oversight. “We must work together across party lines to enhance this nation’s infrastructure,” he said