SM4 Safety Articles & Resources

What If I Can’t Sleep 8 Hours?
Sleep is precious. Ample scientific evidence exists that getting enough sleep sharpens the brain, improves mood, helps with weight management and boosts athletic performance. In fact, the American Heart Association recently added sleep to its cardiovascular health checklist. But what if you’re an aviation professional who struggles to get eight consecutive hours? Your total daily sleep may be enough.

To Declare or Not To Declare
Due to a greater prevalence of “critical events” compared to higher-status “emergency response plan-activating events,” we propose that critical events pose a powerful opportunity for practicing and refining emergency response procedures. We also feel organizations should “over-respond” to critical events out of an abundance of caution.

Get Yourself to Yes
I am not a picky eater, but I was 40 years old before I ever ate a Brussels sprout. My grandfather didn’t eat them, my father didn’t eat them, and I’ll be gosh darned if I was ever going to have one cross the plane of my mouth. (Stick with me—there’s a connection to aviation training and safety here!)

Managing In-Flight Emergencies in the Age of Advanced Air Mobility
By 2030, the global eVTOL aircraft market will transport 27 million passengers. Some vehicles will have a single pilot, while others will operate remotely or autonomously with only civilian passengers. Therefore, the companies commercialising this space have a duty of care to their employees and customers to ensure the safety of all on board.

Safety Reporting: Crewed and Un-Crewed
It’s an exciting time to be part of the expanding UAS industry. It has been a whirlwind to watch the growth from its earliest days until now. Over the next few years, it will continue that evolution and expand in tandem with regulatory standards and guidelines for its safe operation.

The Two Effects of Jet Lag
Everyone who has travelled in an airplane is familiar with jet lag. True, the effect only applies when travelling east or west. But jet lag is so pervasive and annoying—not to mention a safety risk for pilots—that it merits serious discussion.

Safety Reporting: An Obligation and Opportunity to Contribute to the Greater Good
Safety in aviation is always a top priority. There are many ways to approach this important task, with the first line of defense being a keen and constant personal awareness of one’s habits, health, skill and environment. But even under the best conditions, sometimes there are still various factors that lead to safety incidents or accidents.

Staffing Challenges Remain Front and Center for Safe Operations – What’s Your Plan B?
While the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic ripple through the aviation community and the global supply chain, one requirement remains critical to our full recovery—maintaining appropriate staffing levels of qualified employees.

What Does Modern Airmanship Mean to You?
The 9 Principles of Automation Airmanship, learned and applied and elaborated on over time with experience and insights gained from personal curiosity, research and training can form a resilient pattern of flight deck discipline that can fundamentally change how an individual pilot interacts with their aircraft and crew in the 21st Century.