Without it
- Safety reports go into an inbox and nobody can show what was done about them.
- The risk assessment is a paper form the student fills in to match what they hope.
- An inspector asks for the SMS and it is a binder last updated two years ago.
What Safety & SMS does
Part 5 SMS
Hazard register, 5x5 risk matrix, corrective actions and safety objectives, with the Part 5 checklist to show where you stand. Included in every plan.
Reports anyone can make
Anonymous or named safety reports, reviewed and closed out with corrective actions, so every report has a visible outcome. Reporters can follow what happened to their report.
A risk score from the operation
The flight risk assessment is scored from the pilot's experience and currency, the aircraft's status and open squawks, the weather on the route and IMSAFE answers. The result prints on the dispatch form.
Personal minimums with teeth
Weather minimums for each pilot, approved by an instructor and checked at go/no-go. Changes are locked and recorded. Assessments are listed for staff review.
Every module in Safety & SMS
- Part 5 SMS: Hazard register, 5x5 risk matrix, corrective actions, safety objectives and the Part 5 checklist.
- Safety reports: Anonymous or named reports, reviewed and closed out with corrective actions.
- Flight risk assessment: A risk score from the pilot, aircraft, weather and IMSAFE answers, printed on the dispatch form.
- Personal minimums: Weather minimums for each pilot, approved by an instructor and checked at go/no-go.
How it connects
Feeds in:
- Scheduling: the booking at dispatch
- Maintenance: open squawks and inspections
- Weather: the forecast on the route
Feeds out:
- Dispatch: the risk score on the form
- SMS: hazards from reports
- Training: minimums tied to the student's stage
Rules it is built around
14 CFR Part 5: The SMS is organized around Part 5's four components: safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance and safety promotion. Part 5 is required for some operators and voluntary for most flight schools; your accountable executive owns the SMS.
Compared
How Safety & SMS compares with Flight Schedule Pro, Flight Circle and Aviatize, from each vendor's public documentation: the full comparison.
Questions
Do flight schools need a Part 5 SMS?
Most Part 61 and Part 141 schools are not required to have one, and many run one voluntarily. The platform gives you the structure either way.
Can safety reports be anonymous?
Yes. A report can be made anonymously or with a name, and either way it is reviewed and closed out with corrective actions.
What goes into the risk score?
The pilot's experience and currency, the aircraft's status and open squawks, the weather on the route against the pilot's minimums, and the IMSAFE answers.
Does a high risk score stop the flight?
Some answers are an automatic No-Go and cite the regulation, such as illness, medication or alcohol (14 CFR 61.53 and 91.17). Otherwise the score is shown and staff review assessments; a school can also require a saved assessment before check-out.
Who sets personal minimums?
The pilot proposes them and an instructor approves them. Once approved they are locked, and every change is recorded.
Learn more
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