Isbao

[Flat Spot]

Is your department complying? Just curious if many other depts are doing this and if yours is how do you like it?

 

[2000flyer]

One of the nice things about the IS-BAO manual is you can incorporate your own previous manual and SOPs. That being said we haven't done the audit and to be quite honest, I doubt we will.

Their manual takes into account many great factors that should be considered and for the most part we do. However, for a small department some of their requirements are just not feasable.

IMHO, their manual was written in part by a pilot, a psychologist and a lawyer. There are a few things in it that really make you scratch your head and wonder why.

I rewrote our manual using the IS-BAO "template" and it's working well. I think its improved the guidance of what we can and can't do. One of the problems we have with the certification is the requirement of recurring audits to make sure we stay to their standards. It's just an expense we're not willing to make for a piece of paper that says we're compliant to their standards. I had to make a few changes to our manual on areas we just couldn't follow from their recommendations. We're no less safe in doing so, but I wonder if we'd pass an audit by altering their recommendations.

I know of companies that have gone through the whole process and are pleased. I know more companies that share our opinion. I don't want to bad mouth IS-BAO because I believe they have some great ideas of making our industry safer. But standard to a multiple pilot GV fleet is quite different from a two pilot Citation operator.

I might get flamed by some since it's all in the name of safety and I won't fault you. If you look at the statistics, part 91 operations are getting safer. There will always be the cowboy's out there who will always do it their own way and they're the ones who would never have an IS-BAO certification anyway. I'm just not convinced of a "one certification" fits all program.

2000Flyer

 

[Mercury]

Heres another vote for what 2000Flyer already said. About 9 months ago we were weighing the pros and cons of doing the full scale IS-BAO manual and audit. Long story short, we decided not to, however we are currently revising our old FOM/SOPs and using the IS-BAO outline as a guide. Some things apply to us some dont, but if in the future we decide to go down that road at least we will have the framework in place. I guess I should add that our current SOP was done by one of our pilots who spent many years as an IP in the USAF-So he had a pretty good handle on the manual writing thing. Now its mostly just a cut, paste and reformat to fit the ISBAO outline.

Please keep us advised if you do decide to go through the process. I 'd be interested to hear how it goes.

 

[Flyerjosh]

Our parent company's department went through the process and I believe has finished the audit and is now compliant. There is pressure from their DO for us to also become compliant, however like stated before, our two pilot operation (vs their 25 personnel/multiple large jet operation) just doesn't need the expense.

We've incorporated a lot of the standards that apply, and some set aside for future use (in part it is very much a money thing). Overall, I think the effort of an industry wide standard is a good thing though.

 

[PHX767]

Could someone explain what is meant by IS-BAO?

Thanks.

 

[Mercury]

IS-BAO is the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations. It prescribes an operating "standard".

Its similar to the ISO 9000 signs you see outside of some manufacturing facilities.

The NBAA and IBACE websites have a plethora of info that can explain the program much better than I ever could.