Hillsboro Aviation Receives IS-BAO Accreditation

In existence since 2002, the IS-BAO program, developed by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), is an internationally-recognized set of safety standards for business aviation.

Last week, Hillsboro Aviation joined an elite group of operators by achieving Stage 1 IS-BAO accreditation. With 700 registrants in 35 countries, the IS-BAO program is recognized as the industry code of best practices for business aviation operators who utilize safety management systems (SMS) for risk assessment and mitigation. According to IBAC, Hillsboro Aviation is the largest flight training school and the first helicopter training organization to receive this accreditation. “Our goal is to create safer, better pilots, and we feel that the best way to do that is to teach safety management and risk assessment starting the first day a student steps into an aircraft, just as Hillsboro Aviation does,” said John Sheehan, audit manager for IBAC.

IS-BAO is modeled on the ISO 9000 family of standards. It requires development of programs, systems, processes and procedures to meet safety and security standards. These organizational, maintenance, operational, training and security requirements are based on international standards and industry best practices. The foundation of IS-BAO is the development of an SMS to assess and mitigate the risks encountered in flight operations. Validation of the entire process was completed by an independent audit. Hillsboro Aviation’s audit was conducted by William Payne of Airpayne Helicopter Consulting. His vast aviation experience and thorough evaluation during the audit were valuable resources for the continuing development of Hillsboro Aviation’s safety culture. According to William, “Hillsboro Aviation’s SMS is comparable to operators many times larger. The hazard reporting and tracking system is exceptionally well integrated into the system.”