Flight safety: An international affair

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Agneta Murnan
  • 71st Flying Traing Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Flight safety is not only important to the U.S. Air Force, but to nations around the world. That's why Austrian Air Force pilot Maj. Josef Willegger recently completed a three month International Flight Safety Officer's Course with a visit to the Wing Safety office at Vance Air Force Base.

Major Willegger said his visit to Vance was a bridge between the studies of theory and practice.

"The course was very interesting, with 20 students representing 14 nationalities, there were many different mentalities concerning flight safety. The trip to Vance provided an inside look at how operational risk management and philosophy are executed on a daily basis," he said.

As Major Willegger prepares to assume duties as flight safety officer for the Austrian Air and Air Defense Training School, he was interested in the daily allocation of tasks and the division of human resources for the Vance safety office, identifying similarities and differences in training and education, and the Bird/Animal Strike Hazard program.

"A big difference between our programs is the number of hours flown in a year. Risk is lower from the beginning; the sorties at Vance are already four times the number flown by the whole Austrian Air Force," Major Willegger said, having flown 4,200 flying hours himself.

Maj. Andy Rose, chief of Flight Safety at Vance, sponsored Major Willegar's one week stay at Vance.

"This was a tremendous opportunity. Major Willegger was very interested in the way we do business, such as handling in-flight emergencies, ground mishaps, education, training, prevention, and reports-- it was a great chance to exchange ideas on how to do our mission and keep our assets safe. I look forward to seeing him again sometime."

After sharing his own insights and knowledge of flight safety with Vance personnel, Major Willegger had one additional wish to share from the pilot and paratrooper communities of Austria.

"Glueck ab gut land," or good luck for good landing.