High Professionalism

Avatar for Skies MagazineBy Skies Magazine | May 9, 2012

Estimated reading time 11 minutes, 41 seconds.

Many people who work in aviation are aware that Bombar¬dier makes some of the best corporate aircraft in the world, from the six-passenger, intra-continental Learjet 40XR to the eight-to-19 passenger, ultra-long-range Global 8000. Demonstrating these advanced, multi-million-dollar aircraft to potential customers is one of the main responsibilities of Bombardier’s Business Aircraft Flight Operations (BAFO) department. The group is comprised of 68 people, who work from the primary office in Hartford, Conn., and a second¬ary office in Wichita, Kan., where the company has its main Learjet production facility.
Puja Mahajan, BAFO’s director, explained what the organi¬zation does: “Our team provides solutions to all Bombardier Aerospace initiatives worldwide requiring scheduling, crew or aircraft support. We operate all types of Bombardier busi¬ness aircraft products and also provide leadership in airman¬ship and safety awareness training. Our goal is to raise the bar for professionalism and safety in aviation.”
Thousands of Flights Annually
BAFO organizes and conducts more than 3,200 flights each year, not only for aircraft demonstrations but also air shows, interim transportation, goodwill purposes, and other customer support missions. Current owners of Bombardier business aircraft, operators interested in Learjet, Challenger and Global airplanes, and parties new to corporate aviation are served by the team.
In 2011, BAFO flew more than 4,600 passengers in 103 countries. Because Bombardier customers are located across the globe, it’s not surprising that the company’s aerospace division, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2011, employs multilingual specialists. For example, a BAFO pilot learned to speak Mandarin in order to better interact with customers in China, and an in-flight coordinator (IFC) speaks five languages.
Four out of 10 BAFO trips are demonstration flights. They give customers an opportunity to experience how a Bombardier jet can be used as a business tool, as well as a valuable resource in terms of creating quality time away from earthbound demands. Some customers bring their families along; the BAFO team has flown vacation trips for clients. Bombardier sales directors work with the group to ensure that each demonstration flight is a wonderfully memorable experience. No detail is overlooked.
Exceptional Passenger Care
The BAFO fleet of nine aircraft (two Learjet 60 XRs, two Learjet 45 XRs, two Global Express XRS aircraft, a Global 6000, a Challenger 850 and a Challenger 300) is used to provide demonstration flights that, in the case of the Global XRS jet, can last up to 12 hours. It is the responsibility of Bombardier’s senior customer care coordinator, Debra Franz, as well as several IFCs, to make certain that the needs of each passenger on demonstrator flights are met.
“Before a flight, we ask what their preferences are as far as their entertainment, periodicals, desired cuisine and other as¬pects of travel,” said Franz. “For example, some clients con¬sume only certain types of food and drink due to medical or religious reasons. We make sure their requirements are met throughout the flight.” Bombardier IFCs receive etiquette and medical training so that they are culturally sensitive and able to provide exceptional passenger care.
In keeping with Bombardier’s strong safety culture, BAFO pilots undergo extensive training and their knowledge and skills are periodically tested as part of the company’s safety program, and in accordance with federal regulatory require-ments. Two BAFO chief pilots, one for the Learjets and the other for the Challenger and Global aircraft, are assisted by captains responsible for safety, standards and training. The BAFO group includes 35 demonstrator pilots, who have been selected not only for their considerable flying experience but also their excellent customer service skills.
Trade Shows
Each year, BAFO aircraft and personnel are at major indus¬try events such as the National Business Aviation Associa¬tion (NBAA) convention, and similar shows in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Singapore. The events give sales directors opportunities to meet with current and poten¬tial customers and people have direct access to the airplanes. They also provide a forum in which visitors learn from BAFO pilots about aircraft performance and systems, and from IFCs about cabin features and amenities.
BAFO Maintenance 
Bombardier’s demonstrator aircraft would never leave Hartford or Wichita were it not for the meticulous technical care provided by the eight-person BAFO maintenance team. The chiefs of maintenance keep the fleet in tip-top condition and are an additional resource to help customers with their maintenance concerns.
Heavy maintenance is an example of when occasional interim lift – temporary air transportation – is provided by Bombardier to its customers via the BAFO team. The interim lift service is also used by customers who experience an AOG (aircraft on ground) event, when a crucial airplane compo¬nent malfunctions and the owner is suddenly unable to fly on their jet. If a suitable BAFO demonstrator aircraft is not available, the team arranges for a chartered jet. Interim lift accounts for nearly one-quarter of BAFO flights annually.
Safety is King
“Another important element of our mission is to provide leadership in safety awareness, airmanship and operations with the aim of promoting a higher level of professionalism in the aviation industry,” said Mahajan. BAFO’s culture is anchored in safety, from the in-house safety management system to coordinating Bombardier’s renowned Safety Standdown Program (SSP), which is recognized by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board as the “premier safety seminar in the world.”
In April 2011, the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) presented its annual business aviation meritorious service award to Bombardier Aerospace in recognition of its SSP, “a visionary concept that started out 15 years ago as an internal exercise for Bombardier’s Learjet flight operations team and has since evolved into an important safety seminar that touches on many aspects of aviation operations,” said William Voss, FSF president and CEO. “It’s especially exciting to see the Safety Standdown expand into Europe, Latin America, and now Asia.”
During FSF’s 56th annual Corporate Aviation Safety Seminar last year, Voss commented that “[t]he business aviation com¬munity is safer with the addition of the Safety Standdown.” Nearly 5,000 aviation safety personnel have participated in the program so far. “The seminars cover such areas as professional discipline, human factors for aviation mainte¬nance technicians, [and] advanced aerodynamic and flight attendant workshops. Safety Standdown has been endorsed by top aeronautical training institutions and is officially recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board,” said the FSF.
Encouraging Safe Operations
“There continues to be a need across civil aviation for crucial knowledge-based training, and through our format of workshops and seminars led by subject matter experts, Safety Standdown provides true and lasting benefits to all aircraft operators regardless of the type of aircraft they fly or its manufacturer,” said Mahajan. “The program is designed to make every single crew member, maintenance tech, and flight operations or aviation manager more aware and therefore more secure. I encourage aviation professionals to attend Safety Standdown to discover first-hand how they can apply the latest safety knowledge to their operations.”
Finally, never content to rest on the laurels of past suc¬cesses, the BAFO team has taken on a multi-year project to obtain the coveted International Standards for Business Avia¬tion Operations (IS-BAO) certification. “The IS-BAO is a code of best practices recognized worldwide as the gold standard in corporate aviation,” explained Mahajan. Pursuing the certification is one more way that Bombardier’s Business Aircraft Flight Operations team serves 600-plus customers with a professionalism that is truly world-class.
Blair Watson has written aviation articles and news reports for publishers and media companies in Canada, the U.S. and Britain since 2005. His work has been syndicated to MSNBC, Yahoo! News and FOX News and read by millions of people. His 22-year aviation career includes commercial flying, air traffic control training, airport operations and project management, technical writing, and airline instructional design.

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