Kathy Perfetti, who as an FAA staffer headed the Fractional Ownership Aviation Rulemaking Committee (which resulted in FAR Part 91, Subpart K) and led the Part 125/135 Aviation Rulemaking Committee, has joined the International Business Aviation Council as the standards manager for IBAC’s International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO).
She retired as a senior manager of the FAA’s Flight Standards office last year and joined IBAC earlier this year. She succeeds Ray Rohr as standards manager and will be responsible for the day-to-day management of IS-BAO, as well as serving as secretary for the IS-BAO standards board. Rohr will continue to assist IBAC on rulemaking activities at the European Aviation Safety Agency and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
IS-BAO is an international code of best practices designed to help flight departments worldwide achieve high levels of safety and professionalism. Perfetti will conduct a new series of workshops to introduce operators to the IS-BAO program; she also will oversee the maintenance and upgrading of the product. In addition, she will manage the more than 80 auditors that perform IS-BAO audits.
“Rather than just being a static set of rules, IS-BAO is constantly evolving,” she said. “IS-BAO stays current and appropriate to the industry. The part that is most impressive is that it has been developed by the industry, for the industry and there is a tremendous amount of sharing of information to make our industry better.”
IS-BAO registration–now nearing 100–meets the new, upcoming ICAO requirement for operators to have a safety management system in place and operating. The Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security consider it the industry benchmark for security purposes.
Standards Board chairman Paul Stinebring said he is “particularly pleased to have Kathy assume the position given her ability and extensive management and flying experience in the aviation industry.”
In other IBAC developments, Bob Blouin, former v-p of operations for NBAA, has accepted a contract position as manager of safety awareness. He will be responsible for business aviation safety programs, including IS-BAO.
Blouin, president and CEO of the Greater Washington Business Aviation Association, operates his own consulting firm, Sky Group Associates.
