Ground-breaking safety training program complements investment in new platforms and pilot training
Bombardier Aerospace today introduced Leading Edge – a unique safety-training program that complements its unparalleled record in developing superbly engineered aircraft with a commitment to the pilots who fly them.
Unique in corporate aviation, the program will equip Bombardier business aircraft customers with a set of advanced safety skills and knowledge-based training to optimize safety management in their organizations. It is being offered at no-charge with the purchase of a new Bombardier business jet, starting February 1, 2006.
“Bombardier has a longstanding commitment to raising safety standards with a view to improving air travel safety worldwide,” said James Hoblyn, vice-president, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “We continue to achieve our objectives through three strategies: an ongoing investment in new aircraft platforms and technologies, certified to the latest standards; customized pilot and maintenance training at our state-of-the-art facilities; and developing pioneering safety skills and human-based knowledge via our annual Safety Standdown seminar and now with the introduction of Leading Edge.”
Human-factor based platform
Leading Edge is a culmination of the industry-leading knowledge and safety skills training developed in conjunction with Bombardier Safety Standdown. It relies on a “human-centered” approach and is focused on developing the human-half of the man-machine interface.
“Our primary focus is on the pilot because the vast majority of corporate aviation accidents over the past 20 years were attributed to human error,” explains Dr. Tony Kern, president of Convergent Knowledge Solutions and a former professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy. “However, on top of advanced skills and knowledge-based training for pilots, Leading Edge makes it extremely easy for both small operators without a safety management program to create one, and for larger flight departments to enhance and refine their existing program.”
Leading Edge is delivered by prominent educators, pilots and researchers and supported by a comprehensive safety-system resource package. Key components include:
·Unusual attitude or upset training for two pilots at the National Test Pilot School in Mojave, Cal., including academic instruction and flight training with test pilot Sean Roberts;
·AV Alert, developed and presented by Dr. Mark Rosekind, a world-class training program on fatigue and countermeasures to combat fatigue and its effects; and
·A Safety Management System (SMS) Resource Kit, developed by Dr. Tony Kern for chief pilots and senior management. It provides the foundation for any organization, no matter how small, to implement effective safety management systems, in addition to supplying materials and training that address the impact of several factors such as nutrition, hydration and hypoxia on decision-making.
About Bombardier
A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from regional aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2005, were $15.8 billion US and its shares are traded on the Toronto stock exchange (BBD).
News and information are available at www.bombardier.com.
For information
Leo Knaapen
Manager, media relations
514-969-5181
leo.knaapen@aero.bombardier.com