Safety Culture Overview

At Vermont Flight Academy safety is our highest priority. VFA holds staff, students, and renters to the highest degree of safety through a robust system of operating procedures, maintenance practices, and continuous improvement. Our attention to safety and training excellence is an integral component of our organization and contributes to our culture of safety and excellence. VFA has developed and implemented a company-wide Safety Management System (SMS), which is the cornerstone of all organizational operations. 

VFA Values: S.A.F.E.T.Y 

• Safety– Safety is at the core of everything we do at VFA. It is a way of life, and each person has a personal obligation to ensure that they do their part to maintain a safety culture. 
• Adaptability– We do everything we can to accommodate YOUR schedule and YOUR needs. Open 7 days a week all year round, there’s always room for you here.
• Fun– Though we run our school professionally, we never forget to have fun. Fun is a huge part of our training and our organization’s culture.
• Experience– The experience of our team of CFIs and office staff ensures you a positive, professional experience every time.
• Training– Whatever pilot certificate, rating, or endorsement you are looking to obtain, we have someone to teach you!
• You– Last but certainly not least, YOU (our customers, our staff, and our partners) are the most important part of VFA, and we do everything we can to make your goals and aspirations come true.

Our strategy is summarized in our Safety Policy and communicated across the entire company: 

“VFA is committed to maintaining a safe, healthy, and sustainable working environment wherever we operate – for our people, for our guests, and for the valued customers, we are employed to serve. Everybody who works for VFA, anywhere, is responsible for meeting this requirement.” 

Safety Management System 

The Safety Management System (SMS) affects everything we do and everywhere we operate. It identifies all areas of safety, security, health, environmental, and quality management. Our safety plan is executed by the collective body of our cross-divisional employees and recognized as The VFA Safety Culture. In concept, the VFA Safety Culture is the integration of the safety values and priorities that are woven into the fabric of our company, defining our culture and the way we do our job. In practice, the VFA Safety Culture is the people, resources, vision, and strategies we rely upon to manage the policy, assessment assurance, and promotion of aviation safety. 

Risk Assessment 

VFA recognizes the inherent risks present in our business and believes the prevention of accidents, incidents, and injuries may be achieved through heightened awareness, reporting, and assessment of our environment, actions, and attitudes. Our staff and customers are trained to assess risk in all phases of operation, beginning in the planning phase by incorporating comprehensive risk assessment. Continuing consideration of the potential and severity of risk delivers real-time risk tolerance feedback on a flight-by-flight basis. This process ensures our instructors and support team are well informed throughout everyday operations. 

If you have any questions regarding VFA Safety or our other flight safety procedures, please contact us. 

To report a safety or quality issue, please submit a Safety Report: