GrandView Aviation held its annual all-day/all-employee Safety Stand Down at its Martin State airport hangar in Middle River, Maryland.

At GrandView, safety is a core value and fundamental priority. The company's safety department is managed by a director of safety, responsible for establishing and monitoring programs following or exceeding industry best practices that surpass requirements of private aviation operators. GrandView maintains ARGUS Gold and IS-BAO Stage 2 Operator safety ratings and, late last year, was certified Wyvern Wingman PRO, aviation's highest safety standard earned by only 15 other operators in the world.

"During the annual Safety Stand Down, GrandView suspends all operations, including all but the most vital flights, so that every employee can attend information-packed, safety-themed sessions. Topics include industry best practices, workplace safety and security, aviation safety action program (ASAP), proactive safety measures and human factors," says director of safety Manny Figlia. "Guest speakers include Jessie Naor, former GrandView president and aviation industry expert, writer and board chair of the Air Charter Safety Foundation; Tony Brown, president of A Brown's Security Consulting; and Harry Arthur, FAA principal operations inspector, GA operations."

"Assembling the entire 170+ member team together in one room, or connected virtually, for a single day to focus on safety is a testament to the company's robust safety culture and is vital to further strengthening our organisational bonds. We have built a 'Just Culture' at GrandView where together we learn from both our successes and mistakes, making our entire team stronger," adds executive director Emily Sandoz.

"Our commitment to safety is paramount and we recognise that each team member plays a pivotal role in our safety culture," says Figlia. "Holding an all-day/all-employee Stand Down focused on safety provides the opportunity to share what we do well, to identify where we need to focus to improve, and to stress the critical importance of preventing any potential undesirable events or outcomes."