SM4 Safety Articles & Resources
Fruit Flies, Circadian Rhythms, and Fatigue Risk Management
Recently, it was announced that this year’s Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded to three scientists for their research on biological clocks and 24-hour circadian rhythms. Although their experiments were…
After all the Industry Hyperbole, Conferences, and Congressional Hearings—Is Business Aviation Any Closer to Reliability In Aircraft Tracking?
GPS in every cockpit. Drones delivering pizza. Autonomous gliders trained to find thermals on their own. With the current state of aviation technology, surely a chief pilot sitting in the…
Pavlov’s Dogs Had it Right
Note: In the 1890s, a Russian psychologist named Ivan Pavlov noticed that his dogs began salivating even before they were presented with their food—his mere entrance into their room triggered…
What is the Real Cost of Realism in Training?
The ongoing debate over the merits of training on-aircraft or in a flight simulator continues. Flight simulation has reached extraordinary levels of fidelity, and the typical costs and risks of…
Doing Something is Better Than Doing Nothing…Or is It?
There is an old saying, “Doing something is better than doing nothing.” However, doing “something” isn’t always the best or correct thing to do. Circumstances are situational and require different…
Why is it ALWAYS the Pilot’s Fault?
Read any given NTSB accident investigation and you will find that the pilot is at least partially responsible for the accident. If it is not the pilot’s stick and rudder…
Crew Resource Management: Two Critical Mask Donning Checklist Items
Following a cabin depressurization, the successful donning of a mask should be added to the emergency protocol. Incorporating these two key steps into the emergency descent procedure could further reduce…
Why Angle of Attack (AoA)?
Aviation authorities around the world, including our own FAA, have made conquering Loss of Control Inflight (LOC-I) a top priority. In order to take on the #1 cause of fatalities…
How to Address the Top 4 Challenges Faced by Most Flight Departments
If your flight department operates one-to-three aircraft, you’re likely facing resource constraints. And depending on how you manage them, they can make or break your operating success. Because a lack…
