NBAA Reaffirms Commitment to Safety at National Safety Forum

Oct. 26, 2018

With the installation of Tom Huff as NBAA Safety Committee chair, and a renewal of the association’s Safety Policy Letter, NBAA is reaffirming its commitment to making safe business aviation operations a top priority.

Both of these events took place Oct. 18 at the National Safety Forum during the association’s 2018 Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE).

The Safety Policy Letter, which was originally signed in 2016, states that NBAA promotes safety as the cornerstone of business aviation, and that “safety leadership, risk management, professionalism, fitness for duty and technical excellence are fundamental elements of safety, and all individuals engaged in business aviation activities share the responsibility of ensuring a positive safety culture and positive safety outcomes.”

As a key element of the NBAA Safety Committee, the letter spells out the importance of using data-driven analysis to identify significant industry hazards as a means to develop appropriate and effective risk mitigation solutions and affirms NBAA’s commitment to collaborate with strategic government and industry partners to promote safety.

“With any safety management system, you really need that critical component of a written safety policy,” said Mark Larsen, NBAA senior manager, safety and flight operations. “In NBAA’s case, the renewal of the Safety Policy Letter allows NBAA’s staff, our Board of Directors and our Safety Committee to remain synced on the direction, roles and engagement needed to achieve desired safety objectives, and assure both the membership and the industry of NBAA’s commitment to safety.

Review the 2018 NBAA Safety Policy Letter.

Safety Committee Chair Tom Huff

Huff currently serves as aviation safety officer at Gulfstream. Prior to this, he served as commanding officer of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and Commander, Naval Testing Wing Atlantic in Patuxent River, MD.

“I like to use the word passionate to describe my attitude toward safety,” said Huff. “Tragically, many of us in the industry have lost friends along the way, I know I have. For me, it is personal, and through my work as NBAA Safety Committee chair, I want to help make industry-wide safety improvements to make business aviation safer.”