Wyvern Expands Safety Audit Programs

A year on from its acquisition by flight support group Nexus, safety audit provider Wyvern is continuing to refine its programs to give charter operators and their customers a higher level of assurance. “The past year has been one of robust growth under our new ownership, with a lot of new opportunities coming our way, especially in the emerging regions like the Middle East, Africa and India,” Wyvern CEO Art Dawley told AIN.

The most recent new opportunity pursued by Wyvern (Booth N5509) addresses concerns over the safety of operating remotely piloted aerial systems (RPAS). This prompted the U.S.-based company to launch a new program called Exact to provide a safety certification process for RPAS operators that is benchmarked againstICAO’s Document 10019 standards. Companies successfully completing the Excellence through Assessment, Consistency and Training program are listed in Wyvern’s preferred vendor network.

Wyvern also started accepting the Stage 2 level IS-BAO operating standards as the primary benchmark for its Wyvern Wingman audit programs for aircraft operators. “This provides a standardized set of global audit protocols,” explained Dawley. “However, what sets Wingman apart from the IS-BAO standards is that it provides current and verifiable safety data on factors such as individual pilot experience and operator safety compliance for a particular mission. It covers roughly 220 data points. IS-BAO is a snapshot in time, but Wingman is a living audit.”

Separately, Wyvern’s Pilot & Aircraft Safety Survey (PASS) application is being expanded to include factors such as flight operational quality assurance (FOQA), upset training, comprehensive assessments of fatigue risk and smoke and fire containment strategies for lithium batteries in the audit process. The company is set to introduce a new version of PASS, which is effectively a flight-specific safety report card, to include a value-added risk strategy. “We’re constantly making changes to our programs; they’re not static,” said Dawley.

Broker Network Grows

Meanwhile, InterFlight Global is the latest charter broker to qualify for the Wyvern Broker network, which includes companies committed to maintaining a comprehensive safety program. Qualified brokers use Wyvern data programs including The Wingman Report and Safety Intelligence Report, as well as running PASS trip due-diligence reports for every charter flight booked for clients.

InterFlight Global (IFG) was founded in 1992 and has offices in the U.S. and Spain, as well as satellite operations in the Middle East and Asia. The company’s broker team is led by founder Oscar Garcia and Yvette Garcia. “By embracing the broker pledge to conduct business in an ethical and responsible manner IFG will be a trustworthy source for those end users of aircraft charter services that require only the highest standards of service and professional conduct,” commented Dawley. “Our partnership with IFG will also help to push demand for Wingman charter operations in the European region.”

Wyvern expects the Wingman program to grow by as much as 22 to 25 percent over the next couple of years. The company now has seven offices around the world as part of the Nexus group.

At the Wyvern website, visitors can watch a new video about the Wingman Standard. It features Wingman operator Meridian and was filmed at the company’s Teterboro Airport headquarters in New Jersey.

Here at the NBAA show on Wednesday, Wyvern is convening a safety panel as part of its Air Guard program with the AIG insurance group. Launched at the 2014 show, the program is a suite of safety services addressing the risks and challenges of business aircraft operations.