LEFA training helicopter

Our Commitment to Safety

Your Safety Is Our Top Priority

An impeccable safety record should be at the top of your criteria when choosing a flight school. At Leading Edge Flight Academy, we rely on a company-wide safety culture that is proactive and preventative to keep our students and instructors safe.

Our safety measures include:

“​​Speak Up And Stay Safe” Commitment

Our Safety Management System encourages students, employees, and customers to record all hazards, incidents, or potential mishaps. Our Safety Committee then analyzes each incident using proven risk management techniques. Solutions are proposed and implemented as soon as possible.

Proactive Pre-Flight Assessments & Maintenance

LEFA instructors and students utilize a Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) to identify and mitigate risks before each flight. In addition, our extensive in-house maintenance team allows us to keep our fleet flying as much as possible and with the highest possible safety standards.

Eager To Listen, Learn, And Solve

We promote a “just” safety culture, where hazard reporting is met with collaborative problem-solving. Once we receive input, we’ll work with our students, instructors, and customers to find the right solution. Because our goal is to provide the best aviation education with utmost attention to your safety, hazards are an opportunity to learn and refine our process.

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Terry Riessen, LEFA director of safety

Meet our Safety Director

Terry Riessen

Terry Riessen joined Leading Edge Flight Academy following more than 13 years of regulatory compliance and enforcement with the State of Oregon and the US Coast Guard, with specialties including occupational safety and behavioral-based safety management. He holds a master’s degree in health science and emergency and disaster management, a private pilot certificate in pursuit of an instrument rating, and a Part 107 remote pilot certificate. An active member of Bend’s local general aviation community, Terry is also a life-long model aviation enthusiast and enjoys building experimental aircraft.

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Leading Edge has been a great stepping stone for me to transition from military aviation into the commercial world. I did a lot of long IFR flights, in a large multi-engine aircraft, utilizing crew resource management and operating under military rules. Leading Edge allowed me to experience VFR flying out of a busy uncontrolled field, in a tiny/simple plane, utilize single pilot resource management, and get spooled up on the FARs as they apply to general/commercial aviation. Without the opportunity to experience this first hand as I did, and then pass that knowledge on to my students, I’d still be trying to wrap my head around the differences between military/commercial aviation. 

Brad

Brad