AIN Staff

Convergent Performance today publicly stated its intention to lead a global effort aimed at removing professionalism from the NTSB’s “Top Ten” hot-button list of most needed safety improvements within five years. “Aviation has led the world in safety innovations for decades, and the stain of unprofessionalism must be removed if we are to continue to lead, or even maintain the public trust,” said Convergent CEO Tony Kern, the NTSB’s 2010 conference keynoter on “Professionalism in Aviation.” Kern is adamant that more regulation is not the solution.
At this year’s NBAA show, Kern said that Convergent is rolling out a new grassroots challenge to anyone with “a stake in this game, including the military, manufacturers, insurance companies, airports, pilots, air traffic controllers, organized labor, associations, industry and passengers.” By visiting a Convergent weblink, aviation workers can add their name to a “Pledge for Professionalism” that supports the idea of reinvigorating the industry’s focus on this hot-button item. In research leading to the development of the pledge, Convergent also realized there was no established definition of professionalism. The company subsequently developed three levels of professionalism, any one of which should be enough to qualify anyone.
Convergent’s manager of customer care and development, Kacy Speiker-Vorce, added, “People have been resting on their laurels, sitting at good enough for far too long. This is really less about us asking pilots [questions] and more about someone seeing the resources we offer and letting people self-assess to begin with. Industry employees ready to take the pledge need only click the link, which asks for an email to send follow-up information. To view the weblink, see <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AviationProfessionalismPledge">www.surveymonkey.com/s/AviationProfessionalismPledge</a>.
Kern warned about the consequences of no action. “Public trust is a fickle thing,” he said. “There is little doubt that in the absence of a proactive effort to deal with the perceptions and reality of unprofessional behaviors, regulation will flow into the vacuum. Our industry is too good to let that happen.”
Speiker-Vorce said, “Our overall goal is to get the entire industry focused on this topic and to do something about it. Our goal at the show, however, is to sign up at least 1,000 people.”

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