Ground Handling Safety for Aircraft Operators Continued from page 49 At a recent Air Charter Safety Foundation meeting, Mike France (NATA’s Managing Director of Safety and Training) and I had an opportunity to speak with a num- ber of operators about FBOs and the interfaces between ground service and aircraft companies. During the ses- sion, we surveyed flight operations about whether they routinely ask FBOs about safety performance, training, or quality management. Although, the response was not surprising—only a few hands went up—it was a stark reminder of the opportunities many of us have to improve the reach and effectiveness of our safety systems. Putting Our Money Where Our Mouths Are When Mike and I talk to FBOs—and we talk to a lot of them—what they tell us is that aircraft operators, their primary customers, simply don’t ask them about safety. FBOs tell us that investment in safety, training, and qual- ity management is important, but it doesn’t sell. In fact, FBOs say that when they’re asked about anything, it is only about pricing of fuel or hangar space, or the cleanli- ness of the restrooms, or the catering. The reality FBOs report is that their customers don’t care about their safety regimes or training. Now, it is often said that percep- tion is reality; but, with near certainty, aircraft operators care a lot about safety. However, specifically at FBOs, their commercial habits rarely reinforce safety values. Aircraft operators have to own their role in the ground handling process—but, there is no evidence suggesting that the disconnect, between what operators care about and how they shop for an FBO, results from an unwilling- ness on the part of flight departments. More likely, the message isn’t being conveyed effectively. Aircraft opera- tors absolutely care about safety. Maybe the problems that can arise from ground service aren’t fully understood. Perhaps, as operators, we don’t have the right tools to evaluate FBOs in a meaningful way. The way forward for improving evaluation of ground service providers and working collaboratively to ensure safer, more reli- able ground service for all parties includes methods to: ■■ Understand risks ■■ ■■ Quantify the consequences of ground handling mishaps Ask better questions of FBOs ■■ Implement systems for integrating FBOs in safety management systems When Things Go Wrong Although accidents and incidents on the ground hap- pen infrequently, the probability is still much higher that an aircraft will suffer damage during ground operations than it will in flight. There are not only a number of expo- sures on the ground, but also a complex array of factors that play into the true cost of a ground handling incident. To better evaluate the risk, aircraft operators must begin with a more complete understanding of how ground operations work, and where hazards are likely found. Vehicles First, let’s look at how vehicles interact with aircraft on the ramp. The United States is a bit unique in our tolerance for vehicles operating on the airside ramp. That said, we’re probably not going to change this fact anytime soon. Vehicles present such a problem because airport ramp surfaces are simply not designed to accommodate them effectively. Most of the time, drivers operate within the bounds of normal behavior. They don’t usually drive uninhibited through construction zones hitting every cone and they generally remain in their lane and follow traffic signals. However, in the airport environment, those things that define normal vehicle operation don’t exist. Curbs, signs, lane markings—all the things that help to constrain our normal driving regime—have changed or don’t exist at all. When untrained drivers operate vehicles on the air- port ramp, they often become unpredictable in their behavior. Even professional drivers—limo services, caterers, couriers, etc.—can become easily confused if the ramp is not familiar or if aircraft are moving. How an FBO controls ramp access varies widely based on airport layout, security and local regulation. Although Ground Service Equipment (GSE) is specifi- cally designed for use in the aircraft/airport environment, it still poses a hazard to aircraft. Ramps are dynamic places and may look radically different even hour to hour. Quality, quantity and condition of GSE can tell us quite a bit about some of the other elements of FBO performance. 50 Aviation Business Journal | 2nd Quarter 2017
