SMS Duress: We’re Ready for You

It hardly made the news because the business aviation industry already knew it was coming; however, the ruling did show up earlier than expected since it was rumored to be implemented at the end of the summer. The anticipated Safety Management System (SMS) mandate announcement expands FAR Part 5 and requires most Part 135 operators to implement an SMS.

Who Does this Affect?

The new rule will apply to approximately 1,850 Part 135 operators, 695 tour operators, and 65 Part 21 production certificate holders. This also affects 715 Letters of Authorization (LOA) for Part 91 holders approved to conduct air tours. Of those, 362 of the LOA holders have just one aircraft in their fleet.

According to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker, the intent of the rule is, "Requiring more aviation organizations to implement a proactive approach to managing safety will prevent accidents and save lives." He noted that the rules also require those who have an SMS to share hazard information with other aviation organizations, "so they can work collaboratively to identify and address potential safety issues."

Part 135, LOA, and Part 21 operators have up to three years to implement an SMS, and the FAA is providing guidance in Advisory Circular AC 120-92. One of the primary pushbacks from the industry are single-pilot and single-aircraft operators, so the AC states upfront that, "...there is no one-size-fits-all method for complying with the requirements of part 5. This design is intentional, in that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expects each air carrier to develop an SMS that works for its unique operation. Thus, this AC provides guidance regarding designing and implementing acceptable methods of compliance with the requirements of part 5. These methods, however, are not the only means of compliance."

As the worldwide regulatory agencies become more unified, the U.S. proposal also contains requirements coming from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) authorities that will bar U.S. companies from flying into other mandated countries without an SMS program. "Because complying with part 5 satisfies the SMS Standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), as published in ICAO Annex 19 for operations covered under Annex 6 Part I, the material in this AC is also consistent with those ICAO standards."

SMS Standardization

While many operations might have a general SMS program, the intent of the new rule is to increase every company's safety culture, which means setting a standard across the industry. Each SMS must include systematic procedures, practices, and policies for safety risk management.

Every flight department intends to be safe, but through training and using the four core components of the SMS (Policy, Risk Management, Assurance, and Promotion) to build on, operators can set a standard and then customize the concept to their own unique organization. With the mandate's emphasis on employee and industry Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program (VDRP), each department may need to add a process of confidential employee reporting to stay compliant.

An SMS wouldn't be successful without training all flight operations personnel on the processes, not just aircrews. It sounds like a daunting task, but as a forward-thinking aviation training company, Advanced Aircrew Academy has been ready for this regulation since the idea first took hold within the industry.

We Have All Your Departments Covered

Advanced Aircrew Academy's Safety Management Systems (SMS) module sets the benchmark for eLearning. It's designed as an introduction and overview of the four core components that support the program and explain the overall safety culture concept. Versions of the module are available for Safety Managers, Pilots, Flight/Cabin Attendants, Schedulers/Dispatchers, Line Service, Mechanics/Engineers, and Office Staff.

We can provide immediate, off-the-shelf training today, but the most unique feature of our services is that with our Air Carrier subscription, each module can be customized to your organization's process and procedures (GOM/FOM, Operating Specifications etc.), such as how you file safety reports and your safety policy, change management process, and safety committee protocols. This takes more time to customize the modules, but it's worth the effort.

Advanced Aircrew Academy's SMS for Safety Managers is accepted by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) to meet the IS-BAO/IS-BAH auditor training requirements and can also be used for one credit hour towards IA Renewal (FAA Course Acceptance Number: C-IND-IM-160330-K-006-002).

Module Content includes the following:

• Introduction to SMS
• SMS Components
• Safety Policy
• Safety Risk Management
• Safety Assurance
• Safety Promotion
• SMS Documentation
• Scenario-based training applicable to each operational group

For more information or to demo an SMS module, email info@aircrewacademy.com or review the SMS module.

Aircrew Academy's comprehensive offerings include over 120 eLearning modules to meet all your training needs—and if we don't have it, we'll create it for you.

Click here to download and review our entire eLearning module catalog.