Module 3 Overview Video
Video coming soon: complete the reading below to continueGold Aviation Services holds a 14 CFR Part 135 on-demand air charter certificate and operates under 14 CFR Part 5, the FAA's mandatory SMS regulation. The SMS belongs to everyone in the organization. Safety is a shared responsibility: every employee is expected to identify hazards, report safety concerns and all mandatory reportable events, and support the risk controls that keep operations safe.
Key roles within the SMS:
- Accountable Executive (AE): Ultimate accountability for the SMS. Has authority over resources required to implement and maintain the system. Signs the safety policy [14 CFR §5.23, §5.25].
- Director of Safety (DOS): Day-to-day management of the SMS. Administers the voluntary reporting system, opens and tracks corrective actions through CAPA, conducts internal audits, facilitates external audits, and maintains SMS records, the SDS/MSDS library, and safety training records.
- Director of Operations (DO) and Chief Pilot: Exercise operational control over Operations and Flight Operations and oversee their integration within the SMS.
- Director of Maintenance (DOM): Exercises operational control over Maintenance. Holds company authority for the maintenance program and ensures maintenance-related hazards are identified and addressed within the SMS.
Safety Action Group (SAG): Meets regularly to review safety reports, assess risk, recommend corrective actions, and monitor open items. The SAG is the operational heart of the Safety Assurance process.
Safety Board: Chaired by the Accountable Executive. Meets quarterly to review safety performance data, SPI trends, audit results, and SAG recommendations. Provides strategic direction on safety priorities and resource allocation [14 CFR §5.5, §5.23, §5.25].
The Gold Aviation voluntary safety reporting system is the primary mechanism for hazard identification. Submit a report for any safety concern — near-miss, hazard observation, operational error, equipment issue, or unsafe condition — at any time.
How to submit: Reports are submitted through FOS. The Director of Safety is your point of contact for all safety reports.
What to report:
- Any near-miss or unplanned event that could have resulted in injury, damage, or loss
- Any hazard you observe — in operations, maintenance, facilities, or process
- Errors you made or observed that could recur
- Organizational conditions (pressure, fatigue, communication failures) that are creating safety risk
- Anything that didn't feel right, even if nothing went wrong
What happens after you report:
- Your report is received and acknowledged in FOS
- The DOS reviews it and classifies it by hazard type and risk level
- If corrective action is required, it is opened and assigned in FOS
- The SAG reviews the report and monitors the corrective action to closure
- You may be contacted for additional information — this is part of the process, not an investigation of you
14 CFR §5.71 14 CFR §5.75 14 CFR §5.21 AC 120-92D §7
The Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) is Gold Aviation's Operational Risk Assessment: a mandatory pre-departure tool completed before every flight leg. It applies binary scoring to defined risk factors across four categories: pilots, aircraft, environment, and external factors. Each factor is either present (1) or not applicable (0); the cumulative count determines overall risk level.
- Low risk: Operations may proceed. FRAT must be documented before departure.
- Medium risk: The DOS is notified and coordinates with the Chief Pilot before a go/no-go decision is made. Mitigations and the decision must be documented before departure.
- High risk: Do not depart. The DOS is notified and coordinates with the Chief Pilot on the go/no-go determination; a mitigation plan and crew briefing are required. All actions must be documented.
The FRAT is a core component of Gold Aviation's Safety Risk Management process under 14 CFR Part 5. A High score means the tool is working.
AC 120-92D §5.2 14 CFR §5.71 Gold Aviation SMS Manual §5.10 Gold Aviation CPP §10.3