Arizona, United States – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), one of the world’s leading aviation and aerospace academic institutions, has appointed Jay Gines as its new Director of Aviation Safety. A graduate of ERAU himself, Gines returns to the university to lead and enhance safety practices across its aviation training and operational environment.
Source: Jay Gines (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)
Photo Credit: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (shown as meta image)
United Arab Emirates – Flydubai, the Dubai-based airline operating an all-Boeing 737 fleet, has appointed Captain Ahmad Al Mheiri as its new Head of Flight Training as of July 2025. The announcement comes as the airline continues to scale its pilot training capacity and infrastructure in line with its rapid fleet and network expansion.
Source: Ahmad Al Mheiri (flydubai)
Alabama, USA – Auburn University has announced the appointment of Dr. James “Birdy” Birdsong as Director of its School of Aviation, following his tenure as Interim Director. Learn more about Auburn University’s School of Aviation or Dr. Birdsong by connecting with him through his LinkedIn profile here.
With its aviation roots dating back to the 1920s and pilot training formally beginning in 1939, Auburn operates one of the longest continually running university flight programs in the United States.
The university’s School of Aviation currently offers undergraduate degrees in Professional Flight and Aviation Management, with over 1,000 students enrolled, including a female student body three times higher than the national average.
Source: Auburn University
Denmark – Oscar Yankee, developer of the OY Wings flight school management platform, has announced a major upgrade to its integrated Safety Management System (SMS) module. This enhancement is designed to support flight training organisations in meeting EU 376/2014 and EU 2020/2024 regulatory requirements through streamlined, fully integrated safety workflow. Oscar Yankee shared its approach to SMS. Learn about it through the article below.
“Safety is the backbone of aviation. Every flight training organisation knows this, yet many still struggle with fragmented tools and manual reporting that make compliance harder than it needs to be. With increasing regulatory demands from EASA and EU 376, flight schools are under more pressure than ever to not only comply, but to demonstrate a proactive safety culture.
That’s where an integrated Safety Management System (SMS)—like the one built into OY Wings Training Management Software—becomes essential.
The Regulatory Landscape: More Than Just a Checkbox
Compliance isn’t optional. Under EU Regulation 376/2014, training organisations are required to collect, store, and report safety data to support incident prevention across the aviation sector. In addition, EU 2020/2024 mandates the use of the European Risk Classification Scheme (ERCS) for consistent risk assessments.
With OY Wings, this isn’t an afterthought. The SMS module was designed from the ground up to capture all the data you need for ECCAIRS 2 reporting—without duplication, manual entry, or wasted time.
The Pitfalls of Manual Safety Tracking
Many flight schools still rely on a mix of paper logs, spreadsheets, and ad hoc systems. This creates risks:
Without a structured system, safety reporting can feel like a burden rather than a driver of improvement.
How OY Wings Transforms Safety Management
The OY Wings SMS module is fully integrated into the wider platform, ensuring that safety isn’t siloed—it’s part of your daily operations.
Beyond Compliance: A Safety-First Culture
While compliance is the starting point, OY Wings helps your flight school build a culture of accountability. Instructors can log incidents directly into the system, confident that their reports will be tracked. Operations staff can manage risks proactively with clear oversight. Owners and managers gain confidence that safety is not only being reported—but actively managed.
Because OY Wings is a training management platform, not just a standalone SMS, safety data lives alongside scheduling, fleet management, and student records. This creates a complete operational picture, making it easier to connect the dots between incidents, training outcomes, and resource usage.
Final Thoughts
In today’s regulatory environment, a manual or fragmented approach to safety is no longer enough. By adopting OY Wings’ integrated Safety Management System, flight schools can move beyond paperwork and focus on what really matters: preventing incidents, protecting people, and fostering a safety-first culture.
The bottom line: With OY Wings, safety isn’t just compliance—it’s confidence.”
Learn more about Oscar Yankee by listening to its interview with AFM here.
Source: Oscar Yankee
Photo Credit: Oscar Yankee
Australia – Flight Training Adelaide (FTA), one of the country’s largest flight training organisations, has become the first operator in Australia to receive CASA certification for an ALSIM Airliner simulator. This expands FTA’s advanced simulator capabilities with a device capable of replicating multiple airline-type aircraft models.
The ALSIM Airliner is a hybrid simulator configurable for multiple aircraft types, including the B737MAX, A320, A220, and E190-E2.
Source: ALSIM
