Summit Aviation Sends a Record 16 Staff to ACSF’s Annual Safety Symposium

Washington, DC, April 8, 2019 — When the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) holds its annual safety symposium, it’s typical for aviation companies that are ACSF members to send one—maybe two—representatives. So, this year, when Summit Aviation, a Bozeman, Montana-based air charter company, showed up for the meeting with 16 of its staff—including its president—ACSF President Bryan Burns did a classic double-take.

“Any meeting or symposium planner would agree, when you experience this kind of exceptional interest in and commitment to an event, you have to assume you’re doing something right, and the first thing you want to understand is why,” Burns said.

Burns didn’t have to ponder his question very long. Shortly after the event, Ben Walton, President of Summit Aviation, got in touch with Burns, and shared a letter with him written by Janine Schwahn, who is both the Director of Operations and Director of Safety for Summit.

Schwahn’s letter explained why she insisted to her boss that nearly everyone on the Summit team should attend the ACSF safety event. “I told him that change happens from the inside out—and that all pilots, schedulers and our director of maintenance should be there,” Schwahn wrote.

Burns thinks that the increasingly high level of interest in ACSF is because, as an open topic, safety is hitting its stride. As Schwahn said in her letter, “Within hours of the symposium being finished, safety and anomaly reports began trickling into our online reporting system—and none of them were anonymous. Everyone understood the importance of information and knew there was not to be retribution. We’re all in this together.”

The symposium opened up topics of discussion and ideas among the crews, schedulers and mechanics that previously might have been cringe-worthy. As Schwahn reported, “Active discussion of safety issues, such as Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) and SOPs were talked about in taxis, hotel lounges and even the KCM [known crewmember] checkpoints as we traveled home.”

Schwahn added: “One week later, I’m still getting texts, phone calls and emails from captains, first officers, mechanics and our schedulers with suggested changes to procedures and processes to make the operation safer. Likewise, we are removing procedures that just added workload and didn’t improve safety.”

Burns says he’s highly gratified by Summit Aviation’s extraordinary commitment to safety, and he hopes to make the annual symposium even more topical and interesting based on Summit’s feedback.

Burns noted: “As Charles Lindbergh said, ‘Isn’t it strange that we talk least about the things we think about the most.’ With that in mind, I sincerely hope that many more ACSF members take Summit’s sterling example of commitment to the cause of safety, and that we can open up this topic even further to help bring about greater and more effective safety measures in this industry.”

Learn more about the annual ACSF Safety Symposium at acsfdev.com/symposium.

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Go Rentals shall provide the following rates for vehicle reservations to agents, employees and members of

  • ACSF Toyota Corolla: $64.99 Daily Rate 
  • Toyota Camry: $74.99 Daily Rate 
  • Toyota Rav4: $92.49 Daily Rate

Go Rentals’ standard rates shall apply to reservations in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.

Go Rentals shall provide the clients and customers of ACSF (collectively, “Clients”) a 20% discount for vehicle reservations applied against the daily rate in effect at the time of reservation.

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Ensure comprehensive safety and support with MedAire’s industry-leading solutions, expertly tailored for Business Aviation. As a valued member of the Air Charter Safety Foundation, you are eligible for an exceptional 20% discount on the first-year retail price of MedAire360 Assistance Membership. 

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MedAire360 stands at the forefront of aviation risk management and resilience. The program integrates advanced medical, security, and operational support, meticulously developed through nearly 40 years of industry insights, real-world experience, and technological innovation. MedAire360 ensures each flight is safeguarded with proactive risk mitigation, cutting-edge medical diagnostic equipment, and comprehensive safety training resources. 

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  1. Discount: 20% off the retail price per aircraft tail. 
  2. Eligibility: Available to new customers only. 
  3. Duration: Discount applies to the first year of MedAire360 Assistance Membership. 

How to Redeem:

ACSF members can take advantage of this exclusive offer by presenting proof of current ACSF membership to the MedAire sales team during the enrolment process. 

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