Bombardier Leads Industry in Promotion of Aviation Safety Practices

• Aviation professionals gather in Wichita for the 18th Safety Standdown USA
• Seminars to tackle distraction with focus on Attention Control Techniques

Aviation professionals are invited to attend the 18th annual Bombardier Safety Standdown USA. This year’s activities focus on reducing distraction through the use of proven attention control techniques. The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Wichita Hotel in Kansas, October 6-9, 2014.

“Attention is critical to performance and decision-making abilities,” said Pat Daily, President, Convergent Performance, Safety Standdown presenter and attention control expert. “We’re here to provide aviation professionals with the tools and strategies necessary to identify and transform behavioral practices critical to aviation safety performance.”

“Aviation safety is key to the success of our business and has an impact on everyone who flies, from airlines to pilots and passengers,” said Éric Martel, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “We are proud of how the Safety Standdown program has grown over the years, and we look forward to welcoming more than 400 aviation professionals from across the industry to Wichita for this year’s conference,” he added.

The seminars selected for the 18th edition of Safety Standdown USA include: a presentation on fatigue in aviation by the Honorable Mark Rosekind, Member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB); a discussion on runway incursions and excursions by Al Gorthy of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and a workshop on aircraft upset events and recovery training by Randy Brooks of Aviation Performance Solutions. Also part of the lineup are hands-on workshops providing safety training on aircraft evacuation procedures, live firefighting and hypoxia awareness. A webcast of Safety Standdown events will be available on Monday, October 6, between 1-5 p.m. and Tuesday, October 7, between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. The full agenda, on-line registration, and a link to the webcast are available at www.safetystanddown.com. 

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 response to growing interest within the industry, Bombardier opened the seminar to all pilots in 1999. By 2010, Safety Standdown expanded beyond the seminars into a year-round global human factors program offering online and social media resources. As of August 2014, more than 7,700 corporate, commercial and military pilots, crew members, maintenance personnel, flight department managers and aircraft owners have graduated from Safety Standdown seminars around the world, including Brazil, Canada, China, Mexico, Switzerland, and the U.S.

Eugene Cernan Safety Award
A highlight of Safety Standdown USA will be the presentation of the 3rd annual Eugene Cernan Safety Award to an outstanding aviation professional and Safety Standdown alumni who has gone above and beyond professional expectations. The award will be presented during a gala dinner on October 8, 2014, by its namesake, Captain Eugene Cernan, NASA (ret.), Commander Apollo XVII.

Mentorship Program
At this year’s event, Safety Standdown will launch its mentorship program that provides next generation aviators with career guidance from seasoned professionals, with an emphasis on Bombardier Safety Standdown principles. Additional information on how this program will bring professionals into the field of aviation through a dynamic relationship-building experience will be provided at this year’s seminar. 

About Bombardier

Bombardier is the world’s only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation.

Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, we posted revenues of $18.2 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Notes to Editors

• Follow @Safetystanddown #SSDACT on Twitter and facebook.com/BombardierSafetyStanddown to receive the latest news and updates from Bombardier Safety Standdown.
• Space has been reserved for members of the media wishing to attend the seminar and to have access to presenters, attendees, and organizers for interviews. Contact Patrick Botter for more information.

Bombardier, Learjet and The Evolution of Mobility are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

For Information

Patrick Botter
Bombardier Business Aircraft
+1-514-241-3026
patrick.botter@aero.bombardier.com