A report on the North Star Practices
Several years ago, the FOA began to draft a safety document that would surpass current operating standards now in place. With the interest and support from the British Columbia Forest Safety Council (BCFSC) and by reassessing the CARs, consulting with industry stake-holders and Operators, FOA created the North Star Practices or NSP.
The FOA has recently disbanded and the membership has been encouraged to join The Northern Air Transport Association so that we can continue to promote safety and the industry in general. NATA welcomes those previous FOA members and any one who wishes to promote safety in the float plane industry.
Since the change with the FOA to NATA the North Star Practices has evolved into a comprehensive safety program. The NSP has within it, recognizable practices and disciplines that when respected and applied, could turn the page on old habits and elevate the industry to a new level of practices that will diminish the potential for accidents.
The FOA and now NATA along with the Air Carriers Safety Working Group and representatives from the forest industry who readily utilize both float-equipped aircraft and rotor-wing aircraft to conduct their business, were involved with fine-tuning the NSP, to make it a viable and usable program.
Some of the features included in the North Star Practices address wind limits, visibility limits, decision-making as well as how a dialogue with operators and their clients should be initiated.
There is to be an audit portion to the NSP that is in place to ensure that all participants to the NSP have an equal opportunity to demonstrate that they are performing within the NSP practices-as the NSP is to be a recognizable program.
In all, the NSP is a comprehensive program that will involve everyone who relies on or utilizes air transport. All parties have a responsibility with helping to improve safety and are therefore, provided (where applicable), with practices of their own.
Stay current with the latest news on our progress with the NSP right here on our website. We will post updates as we move ahead with this innovative safety program.