Bombardier Flexjet Receives Excellent Rating in Flight
Safety Foundation Audit
ORLANDO, FLORIDA--SEPTEMBER 9, 2002 - 16:28 EDT
Bombardier Aerospace Training Center rated "Best In The Industry"
for instructing fractional ownership flight crew members
Bombardier Flexjet(R), the premier fractional ownership program of
Bombardier Aerospace, today announced that it received excellent
marks in a recent 2002 audit conducted by the Flight Safety
Foundation (FSF). The purpose of the audit, which was requested by
Bombardier Flexjet management, was to provide an objective
appraisal of policies, procedures, and practices with regard to
the safety and operating efficiencies of Flexjet operations.
FSF audit operations specialists flew as observers on Bombardier
Flexjet flights, monitoring pilot cockpit skills, attended
orientation training for new pilots, and inspected a number of
Bombardier Flexjet aircraft to monitor compliance with Federal
Aviation regulations. The auditors rated Flexjet flight operations
as excellent and cited sound maintenance and aircraft appearance
and cleanliness standards that exceeded industry norms.
The audit team also conducted a thorough review of Bombardier
Flexjet ground activities and systems and noted that Flexjet has
established exceptional procedures regarding safety and
standardization and that its employees strictly adhere to
established procedures.
Most notably, Bombardier Flexjet was acknowledged as having made
significant strides in its flight crew member training program.
Auditors found that the Bombardier Aerospace Training Center at
the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport represents "the best
facility for training fractional ownership flight crew members in
the world."
"Our flight simulators were rated world-class and the auditors
stated that our classrooms, cockpit-procedures trainers and
demonstration equipment is among the best available anywhere in
the world," said Clifford Dickman, president, Bombardier Flexjet.
"The audit also found what we've known all along - that our
training profile for flight crew members is very comprehensive,
that we're constantly developing industry leading training
software, and that all of this combines to place us at the
forefront of the industry in these areas."
Bombardier Flexjet was also commended for earning an ASE 9100
certification for the "Maintenance Service For Flexjet Aircraft."
This certification was earned with zero nonconformance issues and
was cited by auditors as "a major achievement in the industry."
Bombardier Flexjet also received stellar performance reviews for:
* Establishing a pro-active flight operations and ground
operations Safety Program that meets recommended industry best
practices
* Conducting thorough background checks on pilot candidates that
meet and in some cases exceed industry standards in corporate
operations
* Incorporating current safety enhancements like the Enhanced
Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) and Traffic-alert and
Collision Avoidance System (TCAS-II), on the Bombardier
Challenger( 604 aircraft
* Installation of passenger and aircrew safety equipment,
including automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) and enhanced
emergency medical kits (EEMKs) on its Bombardier Challenger
aircraft
* Participation in the major aviation organizations including the
Flight Safety Foundation and the National Business Aviation
Association (NBAA)
About Bombardier Flexjet
Established in 1995 and based in Dallas, Texas, Bombardier Flexjet
offers a turnkey program allowing individuals or companies to
purchase a share in a Bombardier business jet at a fraction of the
full ownership cost. Flexjet owners simply select the most
appropriate aircraft type for their needs, determine the number of
hours per year they need to fly, and purchase shares of the
Bombardier business jets starting at a share size of 1/16th (equal
to 50 hours flying per year). Flexjet guarantees 24-hour access to
its fleet with as little as four hours notice and can fly into ten
times the number of airports available to commercial flights,
giving its passengers maximum travel flexibility. Owners pay
predictable monthly management and usage fees, while Bombardier
Flexjet manages aircraft maintenance, flight crews, hangars, fuel
and insurance on their behalf.
Flexjet is the only fractional provider that fields the complete
family of Bombardier business jets, including the Learjet(R) 31A,
Learjet 45, Learjet 60 and Challenger 604. The Challenger 300 and
Learjet 45 XR and the Learjet 40 will be added to the fleet in
2003.
Bombardier Aerospace, a unit of Bombardier Inc., is a world leader
in the design, and manufacture of innovative aviation products and
provides services for the regional, business and amphibious
aircraft markets. It also offers Bombardier Flexjet fractional
ownership, aircraft charter and management, technical services,
aircraft maintenance and pilot training for business, regional
airline and military customers.
Bombardier Inc., a diversified manufacturing and services company,
is a world-leading manufacturer of business jets, regional
aircraft, rail transportation equipment and motorized recreational
products. It also provides financial services and asset management
in business areas aligned with its core expertise. Headquartered
in Montreal, Canada, the Corporation has a workforce of some
80,000 people in 24 countries throughout the Americas, Europe and
Asia-Pacific. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2002
stood at $21.6 billion Cdn. Bombardier trades on the Toronto,
Brussels and Frankfurt stock exchanges (BBD, BOM and BBDd.F).
(R) Registered trademarks of Bombardier Inc.
Note to Editors:
For more information on Bombardier Flexjet, and its comprehensive
range of business aircraft and travel services, visit the
company's web site at www.flexjet.com.
For more information on Bombardier Aerospace at NBAA, please visit
www.Aeroshow.com |
