SMS Built for
Flight Schools

Whether you operate under Part 141 or Part 61, a structured Safety Management System protects your students, your instructors, and your certificate — even before it becomes mandatory.

Part 141 Eligible Part 61 Compatible SMSVP Enrollment Support 14 CFR Part 5 Aligned

FAA Safety Management System Voluntary Program (SMSVP)

The FAA's SMSVP allows Part 141 and Part 61 flight schools to voluntarily implement a Part 5-compliant SMS and receive official FAA recognition. Only 2 Part 141 schools participate nationally — making early adoption a major competitive advantage. We handle your FSDO coordination, application, and program documentation from start to finish.

§5.17 · §5.19 · FAA Notice N8900.700 · FSDO Coordination Included
Core Services

What's Included

Nine purpose-built services — plus optional ASAP program setup — taking your flight school from zero to a fully operational, FAA-recognized Safety Management System.

01 / 09

SMSVP Enrollment

§5.17 · §5.19 · N8900.700

We prepare your SMS declaration of compliance, coordinate with your local FSDO, and guide you through the FAA's voluntary program enrollment process — the entire application handled for you.

FSDO Coordination Included
02 / 09

SMS Manual & Safety Policy

§5.21 · §5.23 · §5.25 · §5.27

A custom SMS manual built for your school — safety policy statement, accountabilities matrix, authority definitions, and emergency response procedures tailored to your fleet and personnel structure.

Audit-Ready Documentation
03 / 09

Hazard Identification Workshop

§5.53 · §5.55

A structured facilitated session with your instructors and operations team to identify operational hazards, build your hazard register, assess risk likelihood and severity, and document mitigations in your SRM framework.

Live Workshop + Hazard Register
04 / 09

Confidential Reporting System

§5.71(a)(7) · §5.97

A digital safety reporting system your students and staff can use to report hazards, near-misses, and unsafe conditions — with anonymous submission options that protect reporters and encourage honest safety communication.

Anonymous Reporting Option
05 / 09

SMS Training Program

§5.91 · §5.97

Initial and recurrent SMS training curricula for all staff levels — accountable executive, chief flight instructor, line instructors, and students. Includes training records, completion certificates, and a recurrency schedule.

Certificates + Records Included
06 / 09

Annual SMS Audit

§5.73 · §5.75

A comprehensive annual internal audit of your SMS program — reviewing documentation, training records, safety reports, risk controls, and performance indicators to demonstrate continuous improvement and FAA readiness.

Audit Report Delivered
07 / 09

Flight Risk Assessment Tool

SMS Risk Management · §5.53

A custom FRAT scoring system calibrated to your school's fleet, student experience levels, and local operating environment. Includes student flight hours, weather minimums, aircraft MEL status, and multi-factor risk scoring with go/no-go thresholds.

Digital Portal Included
08 / 09

Weight & Balance Calculator

FAA-H-8083-1B · Aircraft Flight Manual

Fleet-specific W&B calculators for every aircraft in your school, pre-loaded with your aircraft's empty weight, CG envelope, and station arms. Every calculation is logged with pilot name, date, and result for compliance records.

Fleet-Specific Configuration
09 / 09

ASAP Program Setup

AC 120-66C · Internal or FAA-Enrolled · Your Choice

We set up your Aviation Safety Action Program as a fully internal program (ERC: Chief + Staff Rep + I'm Safe SMS, no FAA) or FAA-Enrolled (MOU signed with the FAA, pilots get full enforcement protection when self-reporting honest mistakes). Portal reporting built in either way. We strongly recommend FAA enrollment.

Internal — No FAA Required FAA-Enrolled — Full Protection
Digital Tools

Included in Your Client Portal

Every flight school gets a dedicated digital portal at imsafesms.com/[your-school] — giving your team 24/7 access to every SMS tool.

Built-in Risk Scoring

Pre-Flight FRAT

A digital Flight Risk Assessment Tool pilots complete before every flight. Multi-factor scoring covers pilot experience, weather, aircraft condition, and flight type — producing an instant go/no-go risk level.

Automatic risk score with go/no-go decision
Covers weather, aircraft, pilot hours & recency
High-risk submissions routed to instructor review
Full submission history logged per pilot
Accessible from any device, any time
Fleet-Specific Configuration

Weight & Balance — Live CG

Fleet-specific W&B calculators with real-time CG envelope visualization. Pilots enter fuel, passengers, and baggage — the system instantly shows gross weight, CG position, and whether the aircraft is within limits.

Pre-loaded with your fleet's specs and limits
Visual CG envelope bar — green/red at a glance
Every calculation saved with date and pilot name
Management can view all records school-wide
Out-of-envelope results flagged automatically
§5.71(a)(7) Compliant

Safety Reporting — Confidential

A digital confidential reporting system accessible to all staff and students from any device. Reports route directly to management with priority flagging. Anonymous submission protects reporters and encourages honest reporting.

Anonymous submission option built in
Priority flagging — High, Medium, Low
Management review and status tracking
Safety bulletins published back to all staff
Management Dashboard

Admin Controls — Full Visibility

Your Chief Instructor or DOM gets a full management dashboard with school-wide visibility into all FRAT submissions, W&B records, safety reports, training status, and documents — plus complete user management.

Add, remove, and edit staff accounts
Approve or flag FRAT submissions
Track training completion school-wide
Upload and manage SMS documents
Publish safety bulletins to all staff
No FAA Involvement Required — Ever
Every service we offer — including the full SMS portal, FRAT, safety reporting, training records, W&B, and ASAP program — can be run as a completely internal program with zero FAA involvement. No registration, no FSDO coordination, no MOU required unless you want it.
✓ ALWAYS VOLUNTARY
Full SMS portal — internal use only
FRAT, W&B, safety reporting
ASAP — internal program, no FAA MOU
SMSVP enrollment — opt-in only
+ WHEN YOU WANT FAA RECOGNITION
ASAP MOU — adds FAA enforcement protection
SMSVP — adds official FAA recognition
Both handled by us, FSDO coordinated
Completely your choice — never required
What is the ERC? The Event Review Committee is the three-person panel that reviews ASAP reports. For Internal ASAP it's your Chief, a staff representative, and I'm Safe SMS. For FAA-Enrolled ASAP it adds an FAA inspector. All decisions are made by consensus — corrective action not punishment. We recommend FAA enrollment — the enforcement protection it provides dramatically increases how freely your staff reports, which is what makes ASAP work.
Pricing

Choose Your Package

Flat-rate monthly pricing per aircraft. No per-user fees, no surprises.

Most Popular
Starter SMS
$35/aircraft/mo
Unlimited users  ·  Cancel anytime
+ $100/aircraft one-time setup fee
SMS Manual & Safety Policy
Hazard Identification Workshop
Confidential Reporting System
SMS Training Program
Annual Internal SMS Audit
FRAT — Flight Risk Assessment Tool
Weight & Balance Calculator
ASAP Program — Internal or FAA-Enrolled
SMSVP Enrollment & FSDO Coordination (optional add-on)
Get Started
Note on setup cost: The one-time $100 per aircraft setup fee applies to schools with existing safety documentation. Schools with no existing safety practices require building everything from scratch — SMS Manual, Safety Policy, Hazard Register, Training Program, FRAT calibration, and full staff onboarding. This represents substantial additional work and will be quoted accordingly. Setup cost is always confirmed after your free gap analysis call — written quote before any work begins.

Built on 14 CFR Part 5

Every service we deliver is grounded in the actual regulatory text of 14 CFR Part 5. We cite the specific section, we build to the requirement, and we document everything so your FSDO inspector sees exactly what they need.

§5.21–5.27 Safety Policy
§5.51–5.55 Safety Risk Management
§5.71–5.75 Safety Assurance
§5.91–5.97 Safety Promotion
FAA Notice N8900.700 SMSVP
Part 5 FAQ Rev 5 — May 2024
Common Questions

Frequently Asked

Is SMS mandatory for flight schools?
Currently, 14 CFR Part 5 mandates SMS for Part 121 air carriers. Part 141 and Part 61 schools are not yet required — but the FAA strongly encourages voluntary adoption through the SMSVP program, and early adopters gain a significant competitive and safety advantage. Part 135 operators face a compliance deadline of May 28, 2027.
Reference: 14 CFR §91.1, §135.7, FAA SMSVP Notice N8900.700
What is the SMSVP and should my school join?
The Safety Management System Voluntary Program (SMSVP) is an FAA program that allows flight schools to formally implement Part 5 SMS and receive official FAA recognition. Only 2 Part 141 schools participate nationally — meaning enrollment differentiates your school significantly for insurance, students, and future regulatory compliance. We highly recommend it for Part 141 operators.
Reference: FAA Notice N8900.700 · §5.17 · §5.19
How long does it take to build an SMS from scratch?
For our Starter package, expect 4–6 weeks from kickoff to a functional SMS. The Full SMS Build with SMSVP enrollment typically takes 8–12 weeks depending on FSDO scheduling and your team's availability for the hazard identification workshop and training sessions.
Can we customize the FRAT scoring for our operation?
Absolutely. Every FRAT is calibrated to your school's specific risk profile — your fleet's characteristics, your student population's experience levels, your local airspace, and your specific go/no-go thresholds. A high-altitude mountain school has very different risk factors than a flat coastal operation.
What happens after we sign up?
We start with a gap analysis call to understand your current safety practices, fleet, personnel structure, and operating environment. From there we build a customized project timeline, schedule the hazard identification workshop, and begin documentation. You'll have a dedicated point of contact throughout the entire process.
Get Started

Ready to Build Your SMS?

Tell us about your school and we'll reach out with a tailored assessment and a clear path to FAA recognition.

Request Free Consultation [email protected]