Media Contact:

Louis Smyth

(713) 306-3269 lsmyth@univ-wea.com

Universal Releases Aviation SafetyManagement System (SMS)

Manual Framework

Houston (Nov. 25, 2013) – For business aircraft operators, probably one of the least appealing

and “flashy” elements of the Safety Management System (SMS) model is the documentation of

processes and procedures, otherwise known as “the aviation SMS manual.” Universal Weather

and Aviation, Inc. offers some best practices and free resources to make the construction of the

aviation SMS manual simple and complete.

“While there are many examples available in the industry of what an aviation SMS manual

should look like, there is only one manual that is appropriate for your organization: the one that

is created based on the reality of what your organization is doing to effectively manage safety,”

advises Jason Starke, Safety Management and Integration Operations Manager for Universal

Weather and Aviation, Inc.

The purpose of the aviation SMS manual is to tell a story, a non-fiction one, of what your

organization does to manage and ensure safety throughout your operations. The aviation SMS

manual should outline who does what, why it is done, and what the expected result of the process

will be. It should also state who has authority and responsibility for the things being done and to

whom that individual is accountable. “The reason for this is if the process needs to change or

isnot performing as planned,” said Starke, “then those in the operation will know who to turn to.”

The information included in your aviation SMS Manual must reflect what your operation is

actually doing. The content should explain what is done to resolve safety issues of various SMS

processes and what the result is, as well as, the performance requirements of the SMS.

“Best practice is to have your manual be a reflection of reality in what your organization does to

effectively and systematically manage safety,” said Starke.“It should be a document of what is

accomplished, rather than what is aspired to. When describing your SMS processes, write in a

clear and understandable manner, keep it simple and accurate.”

To get started developing an aviation SMS manual, operators can download a PDF version of an

aviation SMS Manual framework here, or they can request an MS word version here.

For more information on aviation SMS, visit http://www.universalweather.com/sms.

###

About Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc.

You have a simple mandate: make every trip successful – no matter what. And your job isn’t

getting any easier. You have to manage stakeholders’ expectations, stay on top of regulatory

changes, be prepared for when the unexpected happens– and do all of this with fewer resources.

By working with Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc., you have the ability to set pre-trip

expectations, understand and anticipate regulatory changes, and access to a global community

that can adapt and execute when trouble strikes. Keep the guarantees you make to your

organization by relying on Universal’s complete trip management services – customized trip

support, fuel management through UVair®, worldwide ground support from Universal

Aviationsm

, online flight planning, safety management, data link, scheduling software, and much

more.