FSO/SMS Course 2026 - 2027

Flight Safety Officer / Safety Management Systems Course

This is an in-person course.

 Location

• On Monday and Wednesday, the course venue is the Holiday Inn, Farnborough, GU14 6AZ.
• On Tuesday the course venue is the Air Accident Investigation Branch, Farnborough House, Berkshire Copse Rd, Aldershot GU11 2HH.
• The journey time from the hotel to the AAIB is 10 minutes by car.

Course Overview

This comprehensive course prepares participants to effectively manage and oversee aviation safety within an organization. It covers regulatory frameworks, practical tools, and advanced concepts, emphasizing the integration of Safety Management Systems (SMS) with company operations. The course includes classroom instruction, practical exercises, case studies, and a site visit to the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) at Farnborough Airport (subject to AAIB staff availability).

Learning Objectives

• Understand the principles and components of Safety Management Systems (SMS).
• Develop skills in risk management, safety promotion, and communication.
• Master documentation, governance, and SMS integration strategies.
• Conduct thorough safety event investigations and interviews.
• Explore human factors in aviation safety.
• Apply risk assessment and modelling techniques to real-world scenarios.

Flight Safety Officer Course Syllabus

Including group exercises and case studies.

SMS Regulation & Safety Principles.

• ICAO & CAA
• Safety – 1
• Safety – II
• Safety Differently

Pro-active safety

Safety Promotion

• Communicating, Interviewing & Influencing

Interpreting Safety Data & Information

• Questioning data, investigation mindset, confirmation bias, attribution error and scapegoats

Human Factors

Just Culture

Safety Policy

• Safety Policy and Objectives.
• Management Commitment and Responsibility.
• Safety Accountabilities. Appointment of Key Safety Personnel.
• Coordination of Emergency Response Planning.
• SMS Documentation.

Safety Assurance

• Safety Performance Monitoring and Measurement.
• Management of Change.
• Continuous Improvement of the SMS.
• SMS Assessment.

Flight Data Monitoring

AAIB Visit

• How the AAIB Works.
• AAIB Hangar Tour

Effectiveness / Maturity of a Management System

Non-complex Operator SMS

Fatigue Risk Management

Mental Health

Visualising Safety Data

Addressing Accountability

Risk Management

• Hazard Identification
• Safety Risk Assessment and Mitigation

UKFSC FSO/SMS Course — Cancellation Policy

Scope. This policy applies to all bookings for the UKFSC Flight Safety Officer / Safety Management System (FSO/SMS) course.

Membership year. For the purposes of allocating and preserving any member “free place,” the UKFSC membership year runs 1 April to 31 March.

1) Cancellations 4 weeks or more before the course start date

• Refund: A full refund of any course fees paid will be issued to the original payment method.
• Free place preservation (members): If the booking used a member “free place,” that free place is preserved and remains available for use within the same membership year. (Members are entitled to a limited allocation of free places per year.)

2) Cancellations within 4 weeks of the course start date (including no‑shows)

• Refund: No refund will be issued.
• Free place (members): Any member “free place” used for the booking is forfeited for that membership year.

3) Substitutions

• You may nominate a substitute delegate from the same organisation at any time up to the course start at no charge. Substitutions do not affect the status of a member “free place” for that booking.

4) How to cancel or substitute

• Please email admin@ukfsc.co.uk with the booking reference and attendee details.

5) Exceptional circumstances

• UKFSC may, at its sole discretion, consider exceptions (e.g., force majeure) upon receipt of supporting documentation.

Effective date: 14 January 2026.