Presentation Proposals Sought for Business Aviation Safety Summit

Sept. 25, 2015

NBAA and the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) have issued a call for papers for the 61st annual Business Aviation Safety Summit (BASS), which is scheduled for May 5 and 6, 2016 in Austin, TX.

BASS is a forum for the examination of safety matters that are top-of-mind for business aviation operators. Among the suggested topics for the next summit are:

• Fitness for duty
• Recruiting new pilots
• Safety information sharing
• Procedural non-compliance by business aircraft operators

“Procedural non-compliance speaks directly to our constituents,” said Peter Stein, chairman of the Flight Safety Foundation’s Business Advisory Committee. “In the wake of last year’s Gulfstream crash at Bedford, MA, the NTSB has asked NBAA to gather information from its members on procedural non-compliance.” Read: NBAA Pledges to Respond to NTSB Recommendations from 2014 Gulfstream Accident Investigation.

Earlier this month, the NTSB announced the probable cause of the May 31, 2014 Gulfstream crash was the flight crew’s attempt to take off even though they had not removed a flight control gust lock, compounded by the crew’s subsequent failure to reject the takeoff even after they realized the gust lock remained in place.

How to Submit a Presentation

BASS generally receives between 40 and 60 abstracts in response to its annual call for papers, and approximately 15 presentations are made every year at BASS.

Those interesting in presenting at BASS should submit a single-page abstract, of about 250 words, which should be accompanied by the presenter’s resume. “What works best is to present information that is relevant and timely to the business aviation community,” Stein said. “But to be truly successful, the presentation has to provide the audience with takeaways.”

That is why most people attend BASS, he continued. They want teachable moments that they can take home and share with their colleagues.

“The successful presentation has great content and a great presentation,” noted Stein. “You can have one or the other, but the most memorable presentations at BASS have both.”

The deadline for submission of abstracts is Oct. 5.

View the application for submitting abstracts for BASS. (PDF)