RD Johnson, Jet Linx Vice President of Safety, and Darren Rogers, Jet Linx System Chief Pilot, both attended the 26^th Annual Bombardier Safety Standdown in Wichita, Kansas.

The three-day event began on November 8, 2022, and drew more than 450 in-person attendees while offering access to thousands of other flight crews, maintenance technicians, dispatchers and schedulers through a free webcast.

“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.

Originally formed as a Bombardier safety training event by a team of Learjet demonstration pilots, the event has grown in scope and popularity since its inception in 1996. After a few successful events, Bombardier invited others in the aviation space to collaborate and continue making positive changes – much like the goal of Jet Linx through our annual Safety Summit. Since 1996, more than 10,000 corporate, commercial and military aviation professionals from 25 countries worldwide have attended and participated in the event.

The theme for 2022, “Moving Safety Forward,” focused on leadership that instills a culture of safety and such leadership always asks professionals to move the safety needle forward. In-person presentations focused on specific elements of the Safety Management System (SMS), aviation stress and self-management, and promoting a culture of compliance.

Jet Linx served as a corporate sponsor for this important annual aviation safety event. Johnson and Rogers attended seminars and formed relationships that will further develop and strengthen industry-leading safety standards at Jet Linx. Takeaways from Standdown will be used to further safety standards at Jet Linx and provide insights to improve the Jet Linx Safety Summit.

“What an honor to have a career in a Company like Jet Linx where safety culture is the cornerstone of the organization. There were many lessons and takeaways from the event, and my focus moving forward will be to connect and communicate on a deeper level with my team and the entire organization to further strengthen our robust safety culture,” Johnson said.

“It was refreshing see that Jet Linx continues to lead in areas implementing safety and culture, as our Company already employs many of the techniques and procedures encouraged by industry leading experts. Seeing other operators and manufacturers put profit aside for safety was also very encouraging from an industry standpoint,” said Rogers.

Well-known speakers at this year’s event included Tony Kern, founding partner and CEO of Convergent Performance; Safety Standdown Award winner, Charlie Precourt, former astronaut, U.S. Air Force test pilot and Northrop Grumman executive, and National Business Aviation Association president and CEO, Ed Bolen.

Wearing a black Stetson hat, boots and overcoat, Kern challenged attendees to imagine their organization as a working ranch and equated safety officers to herding and guard dogs to ensure that safety culture permeates throughout an organization, down to the individual level. Kern also emphasized diversity in hiring, especially focusing on women in aviation to alleviate pilot and mechanic shortages.

“My favorite quote from the Safety Standdown came from the award winner, Charlie Precourt, who said, ‘You don’t know when you have done too much, but you sure know when you have not done enough.’ We can never do too much when it comes to assuring safety for our passengers and crews,” Johnson said.

Aviation professionals can access a wide range of resources from Bombardier at their Safety Standdown knowledge center. Jet Linx remains committed to guaranteeing the highest standard of safety to clients. To learn more about safety at Jet Linx, visit here.