Bombardier’s Engaging 26th Annual Safety Standdown Conference Returns to Wichita to Explore How the Aviation Industry is “Moving Safety Forward”

• Prominent safety event promotes lifelong learning to highlight the latest safety knowledge available throughout the industry
• Close to 400 aviation professionals are expected to attend the event with more than 1,000 participants from some 25 countries attending via webcast
• In-person presentations will focus on specific elements of Safety Management Systems (SMS), aviation stress and self management, crafting a culture of compliance and more

Bombardier’s industry-leading Safety Standdown, one of the most comprehensive safety conferences in the aviation industry, will be back in full force November 8-10 in Wichita, KS, home to the Bombardier Defense as well as the company’s U.S. headquarters. The 26^th edition of the popular three-day conference will feature unique learning opportunities, dynamic workshops and cutting-edge presentations by leading experts and thought leaders. Online registration for the conference webcast is currently underway, and sessions are open to all aviation professionals regardless of the aircraft type they operate.

This year’s theme, “Moving Safety Forward,” focuses on leadership in instilling a culture of safety and asks the question: Are aviation professionals doing enough to move the safety needle forward?

“Bombardier’s Safety Standdown is known for bringing industry experts and thought leaders together for three days to tackle the latest topics and challenges in aviation safety. These leaders not only provide practical skills training but also inspire participants to create a climate where safety is the overriding driver behind every decision,” said Chris Milligan, Vice President, Pre-Owned Aircraft Services and Flight Operations, Bombardier. “We expect that the knowledge and relationships participants develop at this year’s seminar will help disseminate higher standards of safety and professionalism throughout the industry and around the world.”

Offered free of charge as part of Bombardier’s contribution to the industry, the marquis event has grown in popularity, scope and influence since it was first conceived by a group of Learjet demonstration pilots who were determined to make the Bombardier flight demonstration team in Wichita the safest in the industry. This year, close to 400 aviation professionals are expected to attend some of the workshops and sessions, with more than 1,000 participants from some 25 countries routinely attending via webcast. Attendees span the industry spectrum from flight crews and maintenance technicians to flight dispatchers and schedulers and represent a wide range of corporate, commercial and military organizations.

Some of the popular speakers at this year’s event include conference favourite, Tony Kern, founding partner and CEO of Convergent Performance; Amy Grubb Ph. D, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Ryan Retelle from the Advanced Aircrew Academy and many more.

In an effort to make Safety Standdown’s key content more widely available, Bombardier established an online global human factors knowledge centre in 2010. The Safety Standdown website offers a trove of online resources, including the Safety Talks series, that have been used successfully by aviation professionals in a multitude of settings, from universities to flight schools to small department meetings across the globe.

About Safety Standdown

Originally conceived in 1996 as a human factors safety-training event for the Learjet flight demonstration team, the conference quickly garnered a reputation for excellence beyond Bombardier’s customer base. In 1999, in response to growing interest within the industry, Bombardier opened the seminar to all pilots. In 2010, Safety Standdown expanded beyond the seminars into a year-round global human factors program offering online resources. Since 1996, more than 10,000 corporate, commercial and military aviation professionals have attended Safety Standdown seminars worldwide, live and through the webcast, including in Brazil, Canada, China, Mexico, Switzerland and the USA. Admission to Safety Standdown has, throughout the years, remained free to all aviation professionals as part of Bombardier’s ongoing contribution to the betterment of the industry.

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