More than 420 pilots, crewmembers, safety specialists, industry officials and media representatives are participating in Bombardier’s ninth annual Safety Standdown – the aviation industry’s foremost safety event, being held October 25-27.
The only safety seminar of its kind to be offered by a civil aircraft manufacturer, Bombardier’s Safety Standdown is taking clear aim at the cause of 78 per cent of all accidents in aviation –
human error.
“The intent of Safety Standdown is to reduce accidents caused by human failure across the aviation industry as a whole, whether they occur during corporate, commercial or military missions,” stated Bob Agostino, director, flight operations, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “While we believe current training programs using simulators and other training devices are excellent, we also recognize that accident prevention requires more than simply perfecting technical skills.”
The intensive seminar enables aviation professionals to better understand why and how crucial mistakes occur by providing in-depth, knowledge-based training in areas such as fatigue, nutrition and psychological factors. It is open to all pilots and crew and is unrestricted as to the type of aircraft operated. The National Test Pilot School and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University have endorsed Safety Standdown, offering continuing education credits to all participants.
Safety Standdown 2005, held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Wichita, continues to attract many of the industry’s leading researchers, authors and medical authorities. Nicholas Sabatini, associate administrator for safety at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), will deliver the seminar’s opening remarks. Highlights of the 2005 agenda range from hands-on medical and emergency training to a panel discussion on professionalism and discipline with four living legends of aviation: Captain Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon;
General Joe Engle, X-15 test pilot; Colonel Steve Nagel, Space Shuttle commander;
and renowned air show pilot Bob Hoover.
Keynote speaker Steven Casey, author of Set Phasers on Stun, will demonstrate how technical failures stem from incompatibilities between design and human perception. Dr. Tony Kern of Convergent Knowledge Solutions will discuss how winning the War on Error, this year’s theme, begins with an individual’s understanding of its causes; Captain Donna Murdock of the U.S. Naval Medical Research Institute will speak on high altitude physiology; and Steve Nagel will elaborate on the role of organizational structure in accidents.
Almost half the participants at Safety Standdown 2005 operate non-Bombardier aircraft. Along with crewmembers from a significant number of Fortune 500 companies, the seminar has attracted representatives from the armed forces and several government agencies, including the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, the Marines, U.S. Coast Guard, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), the United Space Alliance and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Canadian representation is also strong with delegates from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Transport Canada (TC) and the Canadian Coast Guard.
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.
Note to Editors
Images/illustrations will be available on our Web site photo gallery on October 26, 2005.
www.aero.bombardier.com/
For information
Leo Knaapen
Manager, communications
514-969-5181
leo.knaapen@aero.bombardier.com