Russ Lawton at the Air Charter Safety Foundation has two favorite risk management authors from whom he likes to quote. Here’s Lawton, citing some quotes from one and considering some thoughts from the other.

ICAO has ruled that signatory nations should require safety management systems for all commercial operators, that is, airlines and charter operators. We asked Russ Lawton, director of safety and security for the National Air Transportation Association’s Air Charter Safety Foundation, to comment on the importance of a safety culture in FAR Part 135 operations.

Even single-person operations can benefit from an SMS, according to NBAA Vice President Doug Carr. “What [the SMS] does is put a basic process in place so that operational safety is not dependant on a single person — everyone becomes part of the safety program,” Carr, who oversees safety, security and regulatory issues at the NBAA, told Business & Commercial Aviation.