Lately, in conversations with Foundation members and prospective members, the topic has turned to “what else do I get for my membership in the Foundation other than a magazine?” The short answer is “a whole lot.” The long answer is that we at the Foundation need to be better at letting you know what we are doing for you and what you get for your dues.
Since 1947, we have been one of the leading advocates of aviation safety. If the safety of flight is involved, the Foundation has been there and will continue to be there. So how does that affect you? Anyone who makes a living in aviation, or just uses aviation as a mode of transportation, can look back at how much the Foundation has contributed through studies, working groups, information and programs to keep our way of life safe. If a serious event or accident occurs today, we all feel the impact. In turn, we all currently are enjoying a safety record that never has been achieved before.
How does a record of 0.7 accidents per 1 million commercial airline departures happen? Because of hard work that is done behind the scenes before — even when there hasn’t been an accident. The Foundation has had an integral and international role in bringing groups together and/or working with those groups, to resolve common issues and to look ahead for the next ones. We are uniquely independent and impartial, working with industry, government, consultants, associations, societies, businesses and other foundations. Because of work done in the past in such areas as radar, controlled flight into terrain, approach charts, runway excursions, stabilized approach and landing, corporate flight operational quality assurance, upset recovery and many others, the aviation safety of business and commercial operations involves less risk than ever.
The Foundation intends to continue to look ahead at the next generation of issues, such as fatigue, automation technology and training, safety management systems application, and evidence-based information sharing. We also intend to work more closely with you, our members. Whether you are a large corporate entity, airline, business aviation operator, government, association or individual, you benefit directly and indirectly as a member.
I know many of you are familiar with the term corporate social responsibility. Basically, entities are now contributing resources to others in their community for the common greater good — the greater good being the ability for all to enjoy a better quality of life. Resources can be things like shirts for the children’s sports team, community centers, green initiatives and medical research. The Foundation is a form of social responsibility in the aviation safety world.
Contributing to the Foundation is a form of social responsibility — of continuing to keep aviation safe. AeroSafety World is a part of that, but not the only part!