MEMBERSHIP OF THE UK FLIGHT SAFETY COMMITTEE – THE BENEFITS

Safety Information Exchange Meetings

We hold four Safety Information Exchange meetings each year which are attended by 60-70 of the Membership each time. These consist of detailed exchanges on incidents and accidents and other aviation safety concerns between 95 UK and International airlines, airline service providers, and the UK military aviation community. This is conducted under a confidentiality agreement which is part of the conditions of Membership.

Regular contributions are also made by representatives from the CAA, AAIB, CHIRP, UK Airprox Board, GASCo, BALPA, NATS, BAA, and the UK Met Office.

We also include topical and relevant presentations by experts on various aspects of aviation safety from every perspective. For example, Airbus recently gave detailed accounts of the Perpignan and Hudson River accidents.

The proceedings are recorded in detail and are made available to those who had been unable to attend through a secure Membership area on our website. An Executive Summary of the major learning points from each meeting, appropriately de-identified, is also produced for quick and easy distribution to Accountable Managers, Flight Operations, Training and Engineering Departments within each Member Company.

This is also a great opportunity to network with commercial aviation players across the industry – passenger and cargo airlines of all sizes, Helicopter Operators, Airport Operators, Aircraft and System Manufacturers, Insurers, Claims, FDM and SMS software people, Chart Producers, Maintenance, Engineering and the Learned Societies. Take a look at the Members page on the Website. We have contacts in most areas of expertise who are very willing to advise on all aspects of aviation safety.

Access to National and International Aviation Safety Forums

The Chief Executive of the UKFSC is a member of over 20 national and international aviation safety forums and committees in EASA, CAA, DfT, FSF, Eurocontrol, CHIRP, NATS, Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester Airport, the Royal Aeronautical Society (Flt Operations Group), the Honourable Company of Air Pilots and GASCo, and he currently chairs the UK Laser Working Group.  The UKFSC has a seat on the National Air Traffic Management Advisory Committee and is automatically consulted as part of all formal UK Airspace Change Proposals.  The Chief Executive also attends relevant conferences such as the International and European Aviation Safety Seminars and the European Society of Air Safety Investigators Seminars. The External Meetings page on the UKFSC Website demonstrates the extent of our involvement.

These meetings and seminars also provide an excellent opportunity for the UKFSC to heighten awareness and influence outcomes and solutions to areas of concern identified by UKFSC Members.

In addition to an involvement with UK and European aviation safety organisations, the UKFSC has contacts with several international safety forums in Africa, the USA, the Middle East and Australia.

UK Flight Safety Committee Website

As well as providing the objectives, history, membership and constitution of the UK Flight Safety Committee, the newly developed UKFSC Website now contains a great deal of new information on all aspects of aviation safety. For example, a compilation of the most highly regarded academic and practical advice available on Safety Management Systems, Hazard Identification and Risk Management.

The latest EASA, CAA, Eurocontrol and NATS consultations, notifications and Safety Alerts are also listed or links to the source website provided. Topical and relevant Safety Presentations and Briefings on all aspects of aviation safety gained from numerous seminars, conferences, courses and committee meetings are readily available for Members.

Beyond our own dedicated UKFSC Website, we are also a partner in the development of the SKYbrary website at www.skybrary.aero/landingpage. The aim of SKYbrary partners is to establish a single point of reference for aviation safety knowledge.

Finally, a weekly email is sent to all UKFSC Members which highlights the latest additions to the Website.

FOCUS On Commercial Aviation Safety Magazine

The UKFSC publishes a triannual aviation safety magazine on commercial aviation safety called FOCUS. It has a global circulation of 10,000, and potential readership of 20,000. Individual Subscribers pay £16 per year plus postage, but Members get it free – and you can have as many copies as you like, within reason.

Recent editions have included articles on pilot wellbeing, icing, wake turbulence, pilot monitoring and flight planning.

Past copies, from the past 12 years of FOCUS, are now available in PDF format on the Website.

Flight Safety Familiarisation Courses

We run 3-day Flight Safety Officer Familiarisation Courses – these are generally well regarded and very popular. The course is aimed at providing the basic knowledge required by Flight Safety Officer but it offers invaluable information for the novice through to the experienced aviator or engineer. Specific details of the course syllabus are available on the UKFSC Website.  Member organisations are entitled to 2 free places per year, with further places available at a nominal charge.  Non-UKFSC Members may also attend on a paid basis (currently £900), which can be reimbursed should the attendee wish to subsequently join the UKFSC as a result of what has been learnt on the course.

If you are interested in joining the UK Flight Safety Committee visit the Membership page of our website or call the UKFSC Secretariat at Fairoaks Airport on +44 (0)1276 855193.

Dai Whittingham
Chief Executive
UK Flight Safety Committee

April 2018