the flight department

Safety is our top priority and the primary concern at Embry-Riddle. Our non-punitive, proactive safety culture is embraced at all levels, beginning with the University President.

Watch Dr. P. Barry Butler’s safety message below:

The Aviation Safety Department is responsible for administering Embry-Riddle’s aviation safety program. The department takes a proactive approach to safety by emphasizing accident prevention, hazard identification, safety data collection and dissemination, comprehensive emergency response procedures, and an active safety education program. To maintain accountability, the Aviation Safety Department is completely independent from the Flight Department, reporting directly to the Dean of the College of Aviation (COA).

Embry-Riddle is also the first aeronautical university to have achieved Stage III International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) registration in 2019. Awarded by the International Aviation Business Council of Montreal (IBAC), Canada, IS-BAO certification means that Embry-Riddle has yet another layer of accountability for its flight operations – above and beyond U.S Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements.

Embry-Riddle has a robust safety reporting culture established by emulating the programs and processes used in the airline industry. The non-punitive reporting program is essential in providing visibility to the types of hazards present in Embry-Riddle flight operations so that proper controls can be implemented. Reporting applies to all faculty, staff, and students who partake in flight operations and aircraft maintenance on campus in Daytona Beach.
The primary purpose of the Embry-Riddle Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) is to identify safety events and to implement corrective measures that reduce the opportunity for safety to be compromised. Embry-Riddle and the FAA enter into a formal agreement to implement ASAP for pilots, fleet maintenance personnel, and Part 145 Engine Repair Station personnel. Self-reporting through ASAP provides valuable information to the Aviation Safety Department while protecting the submitter from possible FAA enforcement action if Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) are broken.
The purpose of the Embry-Riddle Safety Management System (SMS) is to consolidate all aspects of Embry-Riddle’s safety program into one overarching, continuously improving process.  Policy, risk management, assurance, and promotion make up the fundamentals within our SMS to ensure procedures, roles, and responsibilities are defined, hazards are identified and risk controls implemented, confidence in the safety program is maintained, and safety issues communicated to students, instructor pilots and Fleet Maintenance technicians. The Embry-Riddle SMS is regularly audited both internally and externally, allowing us to measure the effectiveness of the entire organization’s safety culture.
The Embry-Riddle Aviation Safety Department has established a series of procedures and protocols in preparation for a variety of emergencies, known as the Emergency Response Plan (ERP). This comprehensive plan defines specific responsibilities for relevant departments and establishes clear communication protocols. The ERP is regularly drilled to ensure all appropriate personnel are aware of their roles.
Embry-Riddle aircraft are equipped with state-of-the art Garmin avionics suites. This technology allows the Aviation Safety Department to track, monitor, and review quantitative flight data for the purpose of maintaining the safety of Embry-Riddle flight operations.  This program, called Flight Data Monitoring (FDM), is for safety purposes only and all flight data may only be analyzed by personnel within the Aviation Safety Department.

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College of Aviation
1 Aerospace Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114