This is the time of year when Flight Safety Foundation holds its largest safety event — IASS. That acronym originally stood for International Air Safety Seminar, but beginning with this year’s event, we are changing the name to International Air Safety Summit. We are making the change because we believe that the presentations at IASS are some of the best in the industry and more comprehensive than other aviation safety seminars held throughout the year.
IASS was first held in 1947. Since that time, it has been held every year, bringing quality safety presentations to many regions. Recent locations have included Milan, Italy; Singapore; and Santiago, Chile. This year (Oct. 29–31), we are going to bring IASS to Washington. It has been 10 years since IASS was here in our own backyard. Besides being the U.S. capital, it is an aviation intersection of private, business, commercial and industry entities.
Washington has many sights, including the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, which is a must-see for aviation enthusiasts. There are many other world-class museums to visit and sights to see, such as the Washington Monument, the National Mall and the White House.
Historically, IASS has included many presentations that have changed the course of aviation throughout the years. This year, IASS will continue that tradition, opening with a keynote speech by U.S. National Transportation Safety Board Member Earl Weener, a former Flight Safety Foundation Fellow.
We also have enhanced the agenda by adding more timely and relevant presentations, including interesting recaps of the Air France 447 accident and the American Airlines Cali, Colombia, accident. These presentations and others (an agenda is included in this issue) will contribute to knowledge that you can take away for your education and use.
Overall, our goal is to conduct “the safety summit of the year,” so when you are putting together your travel and conference budget for the year, IASS is at the top of the list.
The week before IASS, many of us will be in Las Vegas for the NBAA 2013 Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition — the can’t-miss business aviation event of the year and the sixth largest tradeshow in the United States. Operators and industry leaders will conduct business, make buying decisions and set the stage for business aviation activity for the year ahead. Attendees, the decision makers in the industry, will spend time on the exhibit floor, interacting with exhibitors and assessing aircraft and products. The NBAA Safety Town Hall Meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 22, will address business aviation’s top safety challenges and is part of the convention’s education track. The NBAA Safety Committee has updated its Top 10 Safety Focus Areas. How can we best address these top concerns while keeping our eye on the mission at hand? This strategically focused session will bring together business aviation safety leaders from across the country for a collaborative discussion. The Foundation will participate in this session, and I look forward to seeing you at IASS and the NBAA 2013 Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition.