Where Birds Don't Fly

The cycle of a process is more than to input data, turn this data inputs into actionable items and wait for results. A process itself might be simple, complex or beyond currently invented capabilities. It's an assumption that a process is only as good as the inputs, and if the input is trash, then trash becomes the output. At the other end of the spectrum it is assumed that good data produces desirable process results. If these assumptions are true accidents would happen consistently with incorrect inputs, and would never happen with correct inputs. The pilot of an airplane rolling down the runway for takeoff has already put in place inputs to the processes for a safe flight and to arrive safely at destination as planned. In a process with no variables, the output of a process would be in a Standard Atmospheric Condition.   As a very young person, I would place my glass of milk at the edge of the table for easy reach. This did not fit the process for good input. So, the glass was m...

Two years ago an aviation-blog about Safety Management System (SMS) as a tool beyond the "Trial and Error Method" was published. Is aviation safer today than two years ago? There are still senior managers and regulators who believe that the only way to manage safety is to make new restrictive safety rules to prohibit, or requirement of certain actions. After each accident news media reports that this must be a "lesson learned" and demands changes to improve safety. Over the last couple of years there has been a demand for better tracking of airplanes in remote areas, and news stories states that "this must never happen again". The trial and error method is still continuing, but is slowly developing into SMS. SMS developed from an unplanned aviation event which could have been managed. How many lessons learned are expected before the world turns to SMS to be regulatory mandated in all countries? SMS regulations are performance based where operational contro...