"Complacency Creeps In When We Make Hard Things Look Easy”: The State of Flight Safety w/Bob Waltz

Once again, the aviation industry is in the spotlight, but this time for all the wrong reasons. With the recent accidents and mishaps, safety management systems have become a major topic in mainstream discussions. The problem is, those conversations often turn into a rush to judgment, throwing around blame, prematurely pointing fingers, and ignoring the most important thing - the data. This doesn’t help anyone at all. What the industry does in the aftermath of an accident is critical. Instead of rushing to conclusions, we have to let the investigations play out and let the data come in so we know what actually happened. When we wait for data, we often discover that the system does work or we’ll uncover learnings we can use to get better. What’s the right way to react to a mishap? Do we need more state sponsored safety mechanisms? In this episode, Bob Waltz returns for an insightful conversation. Bob is now the VP of Flight Operations at Surf Air Mobility, and he shares what the aviation industry should be doing in the aftermath of recent unfortunate events. You’ll also learn: How to avoid letting a sense of complacency can creep in The value of a system safety approach The rule every aviation safety officer must follow If AI can help the human be a better operator Guest Bio Bob Waltz is the VP of Flight Operations at Surf Air Mobility. As an award-winning and industry-recognized executive operational leader in the aviation industry, Bob has the experience in Fortune 500 global businesses and proven performance managing operational budgets of up to $3.5B and capital expense budgets of up to $500M. He is honored to serve as the Part 119 Director of Operations and Senior Director of Flight Operations at Sun Country Airlines, responsible for the stewardship of the Pilot group and the entire Flight Operations team. Additionally, Bob consults worldwide on Safety Management Systems and serves as an industry research lead as part of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University's Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety. As an ERAU Adjunct Professor, he leads courses in aviation safety, airline management, and emergency response at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional development levels. For more information, head to https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-waltz-1829a51b/ . About Your Host Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. Check out this episode on our website , Apple Podcasts , or Spotify , and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!