Pilot Debrief Safety

Announcements
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I’m announcing it here first!

For the last four years I’ve been breaking down accidents on this channel and asking the same question every time: what would have had to be different upstream for this not to happen?

Usually the answer isn’t the pilot. It’s the organization behind the pilot.

So I’m launching Pilot Debrief Safety, a consulting and training company for the organizational side of aviation safety. Three things it does:

1. Safety Management Systems. Every Part 135 operator has to have a working SMS by May 28, 2027. Most haven’t started. We build them, and more importantly we make them actually function instead of sitting in a binder.

2. Flight school and CFI development. A structured system for how instructors brief, teach, debrief, and improve. Built to survive instructor turnover, which is the real problem most schools have right now.

3. Human performance and training. Decision making, debriefing, just culture, safety leadership. The fighter squadron approach to learning faster than you fail, adapted for civilian operations.

It’s the same thing I do in every video, just pointed forward instead of backward. And if you’re wondering, nothing is changing with YouTube or this community!

Here’s where you come in. A lot of you fly for or run charter operations, flight departments, and flight schools. If you know an organization that could use this, drop a comment below or send me a DM and I’ll reach out. I’m taking on a small number of clients first at founding rates before this opens up publicly.

Curious what you all think.

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Having benefited greatly by your advice and consultation, this is super! I highly recommend anyone to use this new service!!

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@Hoover it sounds extremely valuable. You do take a lot on! It’s unlikely I’ll be able to pass clients on and I’m sure you want them in th US in any case, but you never know. I wish it every success.

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Great idea! I retire from American in 2+ years after 42 years (Piedmont, US Air, US Airways, …).

I’ve been involved in training and evaluation there for about 17 years on and off.

I live in the CLT area - let me know if I can help!

Pat

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Hoover,

I live in WBurg, VA and retired from the Army after 34 years total service. I’m a CFI/CFII and generally only train instrument students or use my certs to do BFRs and IPCs for local pilots. But, as a student I noticed severe lacks of continuity in flight school training standards and files as instructors rotated in and out of the schools, so I’d love to be a part of your continuity training program to ensure seamless, and more importantly, safe transitions when the need arises to change CFIs. Let me know if and how I can assist.

Vr

Dante

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Great idea. Not directly in SMS system but many young CFIs have no idea how to teach. No idea how to correct and motivate to end up with a safe and proficient pilot. You could help with that aspect.

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@DoctorDan hi Dan, welcome! You raise a very good point. I get the impression that in the US, pilots get their PPL and because they need 1,500 hours for the airlines, after obtaining an instrument rating, many become CFIs to build hours. Ideally people should teach because it’s something they really enjoy doing, but this doesn’t seem to always be the case. There’s a big difference between a teacher who really knows how to teach and enjoys it and someone who’s just going through the motions.

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Hoover my wife and I love your work. Been the safety officer for several flying clubs. I’ve been a private pilot for 45 years and I learned early from the chief pilot at Oklahoma State University (he is long retired now) that every pilot should have an SOP and established minimums for flight. The airlines have them so should we. This includes real currency. Just because you’re legal doesn’t make you safe. Crosswind proficiency, control under instruments (even if a VFR pilot) must be conducted. Strict rules for go/no-go must be in place. Writing them down means you at least took some time to think about it. Hopefully, it is in honest reflection of one’s actual abilities. Love what you have started if I can help please let me know.

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Thanks everyone for the feedback so far! Flight school standardization and teaching CFI’s how to instruct is going to be a big part of what I’ll be offering. I’ve got several things in the works right now that I’ll share once ready!

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