SMS (Safety Management System) has been around since 2006, but what is it?  Simply put, “it brings structure, communication, and a lot of involvement” said Don Baldwin, President and CEO of Baldwin Aviation, to your flight department.  You may say we have a safety program, and we have a good safety record, so what good or help is SMS going to mean to me?  A question that a lot of people are asking, actually.  Why SMS and why is it being pushed by foreign agencies and not the FAA?  Well, the FAA has issued a NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rule Making) in July 2009 stating the case and plan for implementation, but on March 16, 2011, the FAA withdrew this proposal.  Along with the NPRM, the FAA issued Advisory Circular (AC120-92A) to help operators begin developing an SMS program.  The FAA will eventually require SMS implementation by all operators, Part 121, 135 and even 91.  At the moment there are certain locations that already require you to have and show compliance with an SMS.  Some of the locations that already require SMS compliance include Bermuda, Europe, and some of the Caribbean Islands.  If you are interested in getting started on an SMS program for your operation, you can begin getting information from the above mentioned Advisory Circular, FLTPLAN.com, IBAC (International Business Aviation Council) and Baldwin Aviation.  The cost for these programs varies greatly from $2500 – $10,000, with some additional expenses required.  The biggest part of the cost actually comes for the audit done by IBAC that brings it into compliance with IS-BAO (International Standard for Business Aviation Operators).  If you would like further information on SMS, refer to this months copy of Aviation International News.