The Aviation Safety Officer Course aims to educate officers in the policy, philosophy, and techniques of implementing safety practice and leadership into squadron operations. This course specifically prepares naval officers who have been designated to serve in Aviation Safety Officer (ASO) billets within naval aviation squadrons. The curriculum is rigorous as it is designed to meet the complexities of safety in today’s aircraft and operating environments. Risk Management, SMS, Human Factors, and technical topics provide students with the critical thinking skills and tools necessary to allow a squadron to operate safely in the dynamic environment of naval aviation. Aviation Mishap Board (AMB) training and investigation education prepares the ASO for duties following a mishap, should one occur, with an eye to analysis for future mishap prevention.

Reading
The ASO course moves at a very rapid pace. We have observed that the more the student is prepared upon arrival, the easier for the student to keep up with the pace, and importantly, relate teaching points to squadron practices.
 
The content of the Aviation Safety Officer course primarily derives from the OPNAVINST 3750.6 (series), the Naval Aviation Safety Management System. Students should be familiar with the outline of the 3750, and in particular, review the first three chapters prior to attendance. Navy students should be familiar with CNAFINST 5100.5A, and Marine Corps students should be familiar with MCO 5100.29C, in particular, Vols I – IV, prior to attendance.

Risk Management
The School believes that operational safety is a key component of combat readiness. As such, Operational Risk Management (ORM) is embedded throughout the ASO curriculum. Upon completion of the ASO course, the student will be designated an Operational Risk Management Assistant (USN), or Risk Management instructor (USMC). Since risk management is crucial to fleet operational success, risk discussion in the course is very advanced. Students are expected to arrive at the school current in their service’s risk management program and ORM fundamentals. The school will build on that foundation.

RMI
All USN and USMC students must register for both RMI-SIR (real world RMI) and RMI Simulator accounts prior to arriving at the ASO course.

• For RMI-SIR account creation:  Go to  https://afsas.safety.af.mil/. Follow the instructions in the PowerPoint presentation, How to access RMI-SIR. RMI-SIR is the real world RMI reporting system ASOs will use on the job in fleet squadrons.
• For RMI Simulator account creation:  Go to  https://sim.afsas.safety.af.mil/.  Use the same instructions in the PowerPoint slides above to create an RMI simulator account. All students will use UIC N64820 (School of Aviation Safety) as their command for the RMI simulator account. Students will use RMI simulator extensively in the ASO course.

Navy/USMC/International/Other
Come prepared for a rigorous academic experience. The course is challenging. The rigor of the course is necessary to match the demands of safety leadership and practice in the complex operating environment.

• Know the fundamentals of risk management. Complete any risk management training you are required to achieve in your service prior to attending the ASO course.
• Students must meet course prerequisites prior to attending. 
• Obtain quotas for the class through your quota manager

Students should come to course conversant in operations, and safety practices and issues in their squadron. Students should read their own squadron’s safety policies, SOPs, instructions, or orders, prior to attendance. In this way, while in our classroom, students can relate tools and practices we discuss to own squadron situation.

The Aviation Safety Command Course is designed to prepare aviation squadron commanding officers and executive officers in the policy, philosophy, and techniques of an effective aviation command safety program the aim of which is operational excellence and mission effectiveness.  Aviation Mishap Board (AMB) Senior Member training is incorporated to prepare COs/XOs for duties as a senior member of a mishap investigation. 
 
The Safety Discussion
We encourage students to come prepared to discuss their roles as safety leaders. The course will bring up the discussion of a framework for safety and its integration into all work and operations the squadron conducts.

Reading
The safety discussion in the paragraph above is very complicated. Do not be misled by the brevity of its text!  Indeed, the discussion is beyond complicated – it’s complex. Be prepared to discuss the rigor of a robust safety management plan, and the resilience of that plan should things not go in accordance with it!  The following is suggested for consideration for review prior to attendance in order to optimize your participation in the safety discussion at the ASC course:  
 
The content of the Aviation Safety Command course primarily derives from the OPNAVINST 3750.6 (series), the Naval Aviation Safety Management System. Students should be familiar with the outline of the 3750, and in particular, review the first three chapters prior to attendance.  Navy students should be familiar with CNAFINST 5100.5A, and Marine Corps students should be familiar with MCO 5100.29C, in particular, Vols I – IV, prior to attendance. 
 
For the aviation safety leader (the CO) we recommend considering the following:

• Pre-Accident Investigations by Tood Conklin
• The Field Guide to Understanding Human Error by Sidney Dekker
• Drift into Failure by Sidney Dekker
• Lead to Win by Mike Manazir
• Leading Marines USMC publication FMF 1-0
• Culture Code by Daniel Coyle
• Safety I and Safety II by Erik Hollnagel
• Take a 'surf' and look at the CAC enabled Naval Safety Command website

• Know the fundamentals of risk management. Complete any risk management training you are required to achieve in your service prior to attending the ASC course.
• Students must meet course prerequisites prior to attending. 
• Obtain quotas for the class through your quota manage.
• Students should come to course conversant in operations, and safety practices and issues in their squadron. Students should read their own squadron’s safety policies, SOPs, instructions, or orders, prior to attendance. In this way, while in our classroom, students can relate tools and practices we discuss to own squadron situation.

The ASM course is challenging and picks up on the students ASO course experience. It is our mission to prepare the student to assume the duties of the Wing, Base, or Staff Aviation Safety Officer in their unit. The ASM course is a five-day online (taught live via TEAMS) course designed to prepare mid-grade officers as Aviation Safety Managers in the policy, implementation, and management of an effective Air Station, Staff, MAG, or Wing Aviation Safety Management System. This course will also satisfy the OPNAVINST 3750.6 (series) currency requirements of an ASO.

The ASO or ASC course is a prerequisite to attend the ASM course. Note: If billet assigned requires an ASO per OPNAVINST 3750.6, the ASM student must be a graduate of the ASO course.

Reading
It is recommended that students become familiar with OPNAVINST 3750.6S (Naval Aviation Safety Management System) prior to reporting to class.  Students are also encouraged to become familiar with the Department of Defense (DOD) Human Factors and Classification System (HFACS), and OPNAVINST 5102(series).

Students are encouraged to discuss issues or concerns with your respective chain-of-command in support of an exercise we will conduct in class.

RMI
Students must register for both RMI-SIR (real world RMI) and RMI Simulator accounts as soon as possible, so that students may participate in the RMI laboratory.
 
For RMI-SIR account creation:  Go to https://afsas.safety.af.mil/.  Follow the instructions in the PowerPoint presentation, How to access RMI-SIR. RMI-SIR is the real world RMI reporting system ASOs will use on the job in fleet squadrons.
 
For RMI Simulator account creation:  Go to https://sim.afsas.safety.af.mil/.  Use the same instructions in the PowerPoint slides above to create an RMI simulator account. All students will use UIC N64820 (School of Aviation Safety) as their command for the RMI simulator account. Students will use RMI simulator extensively in the ASO course.