Michael Ott has been named the 2019 winner of the Bombardier Safety Standdown Award, as selected by the Safety Standdown Advisory Council members. Captain Ott, who is director of government contracting as well as lead international captain/instructor pilot for worldwide air ambulance provider Phoenix Air Group, accepted the award at the 23rd annual Bombardier Safety Standdown on 13 November. The Safety Standdown award is presented annually to an aviation professional who has demonstrated exemplary dedication to improving aviation safety through the principles of learn, apply and share. Nominations for the annual award were vetted by the Bombardier Safety Standdown Advisory Council members.

Michael Ott was nominated by Jeff Wofford for his outstanding leadership in aviation safety management over the course of a 35-plus year career. At Phoenix, he served for more than a decade as a line captain on the Learjet 35/36, among other types, and was responsible for designing and implementing the company's safety management system. Certified as an airline transport pilot in both multi-engine airplanes and helicopters with four type ratings, the former Marine has accumulated more than 14,200 flight hours, half of these on international missions including challenging evacuation flights out of North Korea and out of west Africa during the Ebola crisis. He is a designated IS-BAO auditor, a member of the International Business Aviation Council's IS-BAO standards board and the communications and events team lead for the NBAA Safety Committee.

“On behalf of Bombardier, I wish to congratulate Michael Ott for his great passion and his exemplary leadership in promoting aviation safety and professionalism in our industry,” says Bombardier VP of customer support Andy Nureddin. “With Safety Standdown, we've created a forum where aviation professionals can acquire up-to-date tools and information with which to elevate their standards and reduce aviation safety risks. The Safety Standdown Award furthers this endeavour by celebrating individuals who are role models in the field and have made a real difference day-to-day.”