Crew Aviation of Louisville, Kentucky has been named as the newest certified Wyvern Flight Leader. The Flight Leader programme focuses less on regular auditing, and more on SMS effectiveness, as well as human factors and organisational culture; areas that are involved in 70-80 per cent of mishaps, but are often perhaps neither well understood nor well addressed. Operators are coached by industry veterans in a progressive, quarterly self-assessment and validation cycle with the intent of enhancing safety culture. The programme provides pathways for operators of every level of advancement, ultimately culminating in the pinnacle of the programme, the Flight Leader certificate. Further, the programme allows the operator to initially gain new or maintain existing Wingman certification without onsite audits.

“We are both proud and humbled by the company of fellow operators in the initial cadre of certified Flight Leaders,” says Tim Peace, COO of Crew Aviation. “While we, like others, pride ourselves on safety, we dedicate ourselves to being at the leading edge in stellar service with safety standards, thanks to Wyvern, exceeding any other standard in the industry today, setting the benchmark for all others to work to achieve. Much of the recognition rests with our team and Athos Santos, our director of safety.”

Wyvern CEO Sonnie Bates adds: “Crew Aviation's Flight Leader certification sets it apart from other operators in the air charter industry. This achievement validates its commitment to attaining and maintaining an enduring safety culture that elevates its performance above other operators who are just beginning to embrace the concepts of a formal safety management and safety culture.”