The driving idea behind GAIN is that government, industry and labor can cooperate to make the system safer.
GAIN originally was proposed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to learn about causal factors in accident chains by bringing together diverse groups in a voluntary, privately owned and operated global network of data collection and exchange systems. GAIN provided information on tools and processes to help safety decision makers identify, promote and support existing tools and processes.
When FAA in 2007 ended its support for GAIN, Flight Safety Foundation stepped in to support distribution of the wide range of fine products developed by GAIN.
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GAIN Products
Aviation Operator Safety Practices
Operator’s Flight Safety Handbook (English). 180 pages. [PDF 3.9M]
Operator”s Flight Safety Handbook (Spanish). 167 pages. [PDF 3.8M]
Operator’s Flight Safety Handbook (Chinese). 94 pages [PDF 1.2M]
Operator’s Flight Safety Handbook (Japanese). 87 pages. [PDF 2.5M]
Operator’s Flight Safety Handbook (Portuguese). 182 pages. [PDF 3.6M]
This handbook is intended as a guide for the creation and operation of a flight safety function within an operator’s organization. Flight operations safety considerations are emphasized, while acknowledging the importance of the development of safety practices in all areas of the organization. The OFSH is not a regulatory-approved document and its contents do not supersede any requirements mandated by the state of registry of the operator’s aircraft.
Cabin Safety Compendium (English). 174 pages. [PDF 998K]
Cabin Safety Compendium (Spanish). 122 pages. [PDF 444K]
This document was developed as a companion to the Operator’s Flight Safety Handbook (OFSH), which was released in June 2000 as a product of the Aviation Operator Safety Practices Working Group of the GAIN program. Like the OFSH, this Cabin Safety Compendium (CSC) is intended as a guide for operators developing their own cabin safety programs. The document has no regulatory or development standard intent; in fact, the CSC often contains alternative practices in use by operators throughout the world.
It is hoped that the OFSH and this CSC can help operators develop or improve a cabin safety program tailored to the specific needs of the organization. This document does not intend to present all acceptable methods of performing any particular function, but presents samples of current practice.
The CSC is not a regulatory-approved document and its contents do not supersede any requirements mandated by the state of registry of the operator’s aircraft. Nor does it supersede or amend the manufacturer’s type-specific airplane flight manuals, crew manuals, minimum equipment lists or any other approved documentation. The CSC is provided for guidance only.
Additional Reports
A Roadmap to a Just Culture: Enhancing the Safety Environment. 57 pages. [PDF 569K]
Reports on the Application of Text and Data Mining Tools
Guide to Methods and Tools for Airline Flight Safety Analysis 198 pages. [PDF 4.7M]
The purpose of this guide is to provide information on existing analytical methods and tools that can help the airline community undertake analysis that can increase the value of their flight safety data and contribute to their efforts to improve safety. June 2003.
Guide to Methods and Tools for Safety Analysis in Air Traffic Mangement. 135 pages. [PDF 1.09M]
The purpose of this guide is to provide information on analytical methods and tools that could be used by air traffic management service providers, air traffic system developers, air traffic rules and procedures analysts, air traffic safety managers, etc. to conduct analyses aimed at improving or assessing safety. June 2003.
Role of Analytical Tools in Airline Flight Safety Management Systems. 73 pages. [PDF 295K]
This report examines the role of analytical tools in airline flight safety management systems. This report is an expanded and updated edition of a previous report Role of Analytical Tools in Airline Flight Safety Management that was issued by GAIN Working Group B in June 2003. September 2004.
Survey of Analytical Processes and Requirements for Airline Flight Safety Management. 36 pages. [PDF 277K]
This report presents the findings of a survey of airline flight safety department personnel that was undertaken to better understand the need for, and potential benefits from, better analytical methods and tools, as well as to identify opportunities to improve the dissemination of information about existing analytical methods and tools. December 2001.
Example Applications of Analytical Tools for Airline Flight Safety
Aviation Safety Analysis Tools in Action. 4 pages. [PDF 180K]
This brochure describes how two airlines have sucessfully introduced new analytical tools in their flight safety management activities and thereby increased their capabilities and information. GAIN hopes that this will encourage other airlines to consider the use of a wider range of analytical capabilities in their own safety practices. September 2004.
Global Information Sharing Systems
Flight Ops/ATC Ops Safety Information Sharing
Major Current or Planned Government Aviation Safety Information Collection Programs. 60 pages. [PDF 466K]
This 2004 report contains 38 fact sheets submitted by GST members that provides a description of their major collection and sharing programs.