Introduction

Operations An Executive Committee (Board) of senior executives from member companies has overall responsibility for IAGSA. A Technical Committee, consisting primarily of operations personnel from member firms, and IAGSA's Chief Operating Officer has initiated a program of activities for carrying out IAGSA's objectives. The Technical Committee meets every six months and one of its tasks has been to develop a safety policy manual that contains standards and recommended practices for the industry.

The International Airborne Geophysics Safety Association (IAGSA) is a nonprofit association supported by its members whose mandate is to promote and enhance safety in the airborne geophysics survey industry. With initial backing from some of the leading companies in worldwide geophysics, IAGSA was incorporated in November 1995 and is currently working on developing standards and recommended practices for the industry. Geophysical survey companies that operate aircraft form IAGSA's core membership, but others such as mining companies that require the results of geophysical surveys and aviation companies that provide geophysical survey flying share a direct interest and responsibility for overall safety of survey flying. The latter groups are actively participating as Associate members of IAGSA.

While the aircraft captain has the final responsibility for the safety of any particular flight, many of the parameters that have a direct bearing on flight safety have been predetermined by client company survey specifications, survey company data collection considerations and aircraft operating company requirements. IAGSA is bringing these different groups together to find common ways to advance safety.

Objectives

IAGSA's activities aimed at promoting and enhancing safety include the following:

• develop standards and recommended practices related to the operation of aircraft used in geophysical survey;
• provide a central clearing house for the exchange of safety related information within the industry;
• organize meetings and seminars to discuss and resolve safety issues;
• prepare a safety manual incorporating industry-wide approach to airborne operations;
• maintain a central data base on accidents, incidents and safety actions;
• analyze and distribute information on survey industry accidents and incidents;
• work with client and provider companies to develop common safety standards;
• maintain cooperative relations and represent the industry's interest to regulatory authorities and facilitate a common approach to safetyagencies;
• provide advice and consulting services to individual member firms related to safety issues.