National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Joins List Of Event Partners

Bombardier expects record attendance at its upcoming Safety Standdown 2007. The increasingly popular seminar -- set for October 22-25 in Wichita, KS -- is also broadening participation from the aviation industry, welcoming the NTSB as an official event partner.

Now in its eleventh year, the free seminar schedule has expanded to three full lecture days and will be accepting 500 attendees this year -- an increase of 50 delegates -- to meet the overwhelming demand.

Safety Standdown 2007 will also adopt a slightly different format from years before and will open its doors to even more aviation professionals, reflecting the ever-evolving need for safety training in the industry. The event is organized annually in partnership with the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and now the NTSB who have long supported the program.

"Like the aviation industry, Safety Standdown is continually evolving," said Bob Agostino, director, flight operations, Bombardier Business Aircraft. "Each year we are refining and expanding our program to elevate awareness with respect to human factors safety training, as illustrated by the addition of a human factors workshop designed specifically for maintenance managers. Through a proactive and community approach, we identify needs within our industry and effectively raise awareness and offer the best and most pertinent training possible. Our goal is to make all of aviation safer for everyone."

The workshop portion of Safety Standdown will take place on Monday, October 22, offering attendees practical seminars in: CPR/AED training; crew member medical emergency training – provided by MedAire; ditching and water egress training; and International procedures workshops. New this year is a fifth workshop designed specifically for maintenance managers, focusing on human factors.

A keynote address by FAA associate administrator for aviation safety, Nick Sabatini, will be followed by a prestigious line-up of lecturers - including many of the industry’s leading researchers, authors and medical authorities - taking accident prevention training well beyond the simulator to include knowledge-based training. Topics addressed will include Safety Standdown core subjects like: Professional Airmanship; Advanced Aerodynamics; Applied Aviation Psychology; Fatigue Countermeasures; and Professionalism. New topics on the roster include Organizing for High Reliability and "the Role of Non-Verbal Communication on the Flight Deck."

"As an Original Equipment Manufacturer, Bombardier’s commitment to safe skies extends to both its customers and the aviation industry as a whole," noted James Hoblyn, senior vice-president, customer experience, Bombardier Business Aircraft. "Along with our industry partners, the NBAA, the FAA, and now the NTSB, we are proud to share the knowledge, safety skills and training expertise we have gained over a decade with all of our peers in the aviation community."

Bombardier tells ANN the Safety Standdown is fully booked with 500 pilots, flight attendants and maintenance personnel registered -- almost half of which are operators of non-Bombardier aircraft. An additional 350 people are on a waiting list to attend the event.

FMI: www.safetystanddown.com