Safety
Safety is at the core of Kirkhope Aviation’s operations. Over 40 years of operations we have earned an enviable reputation for safe and reliable operation of our aircraft, above and beyond the standard required by regulation.
Safety itself is no accident - we work hard each and every day to ensure risks and their consequences are minimized to the lowest practical level. At an organizational level, safety is something that must be systemic. Kirkhope Aviation achieves this through a series of formal programs which provide assurance that our end product - taking you where you need to be - is delivered in the most risk averse way possible.
Safety Management System
Kirkhope Aviation operates a Safety Management System which formally tracks hazards, occurrences and safety issues within the organization, meeting the requirement of CASR 119.190.
Every staff member has responsibilities under this program, with staff being our most important source of data in the reports they provide into the system. Reports of occurrences and hazards are risk assessed by our Safety Manager, with follow up action tracked and defined targets for acceptable and unacceptable risk levels.
Reports and outcomes from the Safety Management System are reviewed at quarterly intervals by the entire operational team, providing absolute transparency to allow learnings to be shared among staff. The principle of ‘Just Culture’ is also key, empowering staff to openly and confidently bring up safety issues safe in the knowledge that individual mistakes are most often systemic, company issues rather than shortcomings of an individual.
Training and Checking Program
Kirkhope Aviation is committed to supporting and developing its staff, including our pilots and our entire operational team. To systematize this, in 2021 Kirkhope Aviation launched a formal Training and Checking Program, which fully meets the requirements of CASR 119.170.
Despite varying backgrounds, all new staff in the organization undergo formal induction, aircraft type training and supervised line operations training prior to conducting normal operations. Although all pilots join Kirkhope Aviation with significant outside experience, this program allows the company to identify areas that require further development and then support them through that process.
From initial training, pilots enter an ongoing checking program which allows Kirkhope Aviation to ensure the quality and safety of aircraft operation. All company pilots undergo a check of proficiency on their respective aircraft type every six months, with both simulator and on aircraft checks allowing the company to check all aspects of operation.
This program equips our pilots and entire team with the skills needed to operate in challenging environments throughout Australia.
Maintenance
Every guest traveling with Kirkhope Aviation sees the standard at which our aircraft are maintained - we pride ourselves on presenting immaculate aircraft. Importantly, this presentation is indicative of something you can’t see - maintenance.
Working with our partner maintenance provider Blue Demon Aviation, Kirkhope Aviation maintains its aircraft to the highest standard. All aircraft undergo routine periodic inspections, ensuring that not only are our guests safe on board, but that they arrive at their destination, on time and without delay.
In addition to periodic inspection, Kirkhope Aviation operates a Reliability Monitoring Program which reviews the operational history of our aircraft at 6-month intervals. This program allows the company to identify trends in unscheduled, additional and routine maintenance and take action to address these before they cause operational issues.