Honolulu, HI, October 28, 2008 — The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) today recognized two individuals for their contributions to aviation safety at an awards ceremony at the FSF International Air Safety Seminar. Capt. Bertrand de Courville of Air France was awarded the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award and David Learmount received the Cecil A. Brownlow Publication Award.
Capt. de Courville, director of flight safety at Air France, has been a leader in the development of confidential event reporting and flight data monitoring analysis systems that enable the carrier to build effective risk mitigation strategies. In addition, Capt. de Courville is responsible for the airline’s first crew resource management training program and is involved in the implementation of a corporate safety management system.
Mr. Learmount has written for many years about the intricacies of aviation safety issues. His reporting on safety threats, accidents, incidents and the industry’s drive to reduce risk is a model of how it should be done. Mr. Learmount’s background as a pilot gives him a clear understanding into the technicalities, facts, and complexities of the issues.
“Both of these men set an example for everyone in their fields,” noted FSF President and CEO William R. Voss. “Capt. de Courville’s work is exactly what we like to recognize with the Barbour award, and Mr. Learmount writes in a way that makes important aviation safety issues understandable to everyone.”
Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, non-profit, international organization engaged in research, auditing, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation’s mission is to pursue the continuous improvement of global aviation safety and the prevention of accidents. www.flightsafety.org
Contact: Emily McGee, Director of Communications, 1-703-739-6700, ext. 126; mcgee@flightsafety.org