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Copyright © 2010

 The Aviation Consulting Group

 

 

PRESIDENT'S BIO

 

TACG Company President: Robert Baron, Ph.D

 

Areas of Specialization

 

Human Factors

Safety Management Systems

Error Prevention Strategies

Risk Management/Analysis

Crew Resource Management

Organizational Development

Research Methods

Safety Culture/Climate Assessment

Communication Processes

Training

Crew Performance

Group/Team Dynamics

Corporate/Business Aviation Operations

Part 135 Operations

Practical Experience

    Robert Baron is the President and Chief Consultant of The Aviation Consulting Group. Dr. Baron has over 22 years of experience in the aviation industry and has worked in many facets of aviation including owner/operator of a Part 135 charter business and a flight school. He has thousands of hours of flight time as a corporate captain on Learjets and Citations and has taught the Learjet as a simulator and ground instructor at some of the most recognized Part 142 training academies in the country. In addition to teaching the Learjet, Dr. Baron has served as a Learjet check airman for a Part 135 charter company. He also holds a Flight Engineer Turbojet rating.

    As a consultant, Dr. Baron has assisted a multitude of aviation organizations in the development of their Human Factors, SMS, and CRM training programs. His clients include some of the largest airlines, aircraft manufacturers, and defense contractors in the United States and around the world. In fact Dr. Baron was responsible for developing and implementing Cessna Aircraft's entire human factors training program for 2300+ employees. This was a 6 month project that was conducted on a highly collaborative basis. It included development of customized training media, train-the-trainer courses, and assessment methods. Dr. Baron received excellent feedback on this major project and Cessna Aircraft now has a world class human factors training program for its employees. Recently, Dr. Baron worked with the Mongolia Civil Aviation Authority in the development of their human factors training program. The program will be used to train aviation operators throughout the country of Mongolia.   

    Dr Baron also has experience assisting companies in obtaining the coveted Part 135 certification as well as providing aviation expert witness testimony and research for law firms around the country. On a recurring basis, Dr. Baron is requested to make aviation safety presentations for various organizations worldwide. Dr. Baron is also a consulting editor for the International Journal of Applied Aviation Studies. This position involves the peer reviewing of manuscripts for IJAAS, a twice yearly publication of the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, OK.

Academic Experience

Dr. Baron's academic achievements are a true reflection of his dedication and commitment to aviation safety:

Ph.D- Industrial/Organizational Psychology (emphasis on organizational psychology in aviation). Dissertation topic: Measuring Safety Climate at an Aircraft Maintenance Facility: Can Training Change Attitudes? 

M.S. Degree- Aeronautical Science (dual specializations in Aviation/Aerospace Safety and Human Factors)

B.S. Degree- Professional Aeronautics (Minor in Aviation Safety)

Dr. Baron is an adjunct university professor at Embry-Riddle and Everglades Universities and teaches courses on:

Aviation Physiology

Aviation Psychology

Crew Resource Management

Aviation Safety

Aviation Human Factors

Corporate Aviation Operations

Research Methods

Capstone Projects

Various Thesis Committees

Papers/Presentations/Research

Dr. Baron has written and spoken extensively on aviation safety issues to include the following papers, presentations and research:

 

Many of these papers can be viewed by clicking here

 

Building and Measuring Human Factors Courses: A Little Science…A Little Anecdote  

Northwest Flight 188: When Pilots Become Passengers.

Landing in Extreme Weather: When Getting it on the Ground can Prove Fatal.

Failure to Follow Procedures: Deviations are a Significant Factor in Maintenance Errors. Appeared in the July/August 2009 issue of Director of Maintenance Magazine.

Fatigue Risk Management in Aircraft Maintenance: An Update on a Complex Issue. Appeared in the May 2009 issue of Aviation Maintenance Magazine.

An Exploration of Deviations in Aircraft Maintenance Procedures. To appear in an upcoming issue of the International Journal of Applied Aviation Studies (IJAAS), a publication of the FAA Academy.

Development of the Safety Culture Assessment Tool (SCAT).

Speaking of Errors: A Survey of Regional Airline Employees Reveals Attitudes Toward Error. Also titled, "Using an Eight-Factor Model to Measure Error Attitudes at a Regional Airline." Appeared in the October 2009 issue of AeroSafety World, a publication of the Flight Safety Foundation.

The Human Factors Ladder Still Needs to Extend Higher. Appeared in the March 2009 issue of Aviation Maintenance Magazine.

Error Prevention Strategies for the Aircraft Maintenance Technician. Presented at the Minnesota Aviation Maintenance Technician's 40th Annual Conference on March 17, 2009, Minneapolis, MN.

Measuring Safety Climate at an Aircraft Maintenance Facility: Can Training Change Attitudes? Doctoral dissertation completed July 2008.

Transformational Leadership in Aviation Operations.

What the Media Should Know About Aircraft Accidents.

SOS for Your SMS: A Brief Look at Airport Safety Management Systems. Presented at the South Carolina Aviation Association's 31st Annual Aviation Conference on February 12, 2009, Myrtle Beach, SC.

The Challenges of an Error Reporting System. Appeared in the March-April 2008 issue of Aviation Maintenance Technology Magazine.

Is the Climate Right for a Major Air Disaster?

Understanding Human Factors in High-Risk Industries. Presented at Wood Group Power Operation's Annual Health and Safety Conference on September 26, 2007, Alpharetta, GA.

Current Trends in Aviation Human Factors. Presented at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on January 23, 2007, Edwards Air Force Base, CA.

Aircraft Accident Investigations: Have we Lost Touch With the Behavioral Approach? Appeared in the April-June 2007 issue of ISASI Forum, the journal of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators.

Cockpit Discipline: Violating the Sterile Cockpit Rule and Ignoring other Standard Operating Procedures can Lead to Tragedy. Also titled, "What Ever Happened to Cockpit Discipline? A Dissection of Corporate Airlines Flight 5966."

Appeared in the December 2007 issue of AeroSafety World, a publication of the Flight Safety Foundation.

Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance: A Look at the Fundamental Concepts.

Understanding the Role of Safety Culture in the Aviation Environment.

Why are Routine Flight Operations Killing Pilots and Their Passengers? Presented at the Human Performance, Situation Awareness, and Automation Conference (HPSAA), March 24, 2004, Daytona Beach, FL.

Human Performance Limitations in Medicine: A Cognitive Focus.

Drinking and Flying: The Effects of Blood Alcohol Levels on a Pilot's Cognitive and Motor Functioning Skills.

Pilots and Memory: A Study of a Fallible Human System.

Safety Culture and Profit: Aviation's Continuing Organizational Dilemma.

Monovision Contact Lens use and the Crash of Delta Airlines Flight 554 at LaGuardia Airport, October 1996.

Why On-Demand Jet Charter Needs CRM...Now!

Conflict in the Cockpit: Can't we all Just get Along?

A Review of the Literature Pertaining to Decision Making in Aviation. Presented at the State Bar of Georgia (Aviation Law Section) Meeting on January 06, 2006, Atlanta, GA.

CRM From the Instructor/Facilitator Viewpoint: Observations we can all Learn From.

The Cockpit, the Cabin, and Social Psychology.

Barriers to Effective Communication: Implications for the Cockpit.

Runway Incursions: Where are we?

Aviation Training: Methods and Anecdotes to Help Understand how we Learn.

Psychology of the Cockpit: The Pros and Cons of the MMPI in Pre-Employment Screening.

Media Consultant/Correspondent

Dr. Baron also provides factual information to the media. The following is a brief list of newspapers, television networks, magazines, and aviation websites that have either consulted with Dr. Baron on safety issues or have posted his papers to their site:

Court TV

Associated Press

Business and Commercial Aviation

Air Safety Week

Baltimore Sun

Dallas Morning News

Real Simple Magazine

Tokyo Broadcasting System

Dougal Watson's Aerospace Medicine

AvWeb.com

Gofir.com

WPDE News Channel 15 (ABC)

New York Times

New York Newsday

Bloomberg  News

Time Magazine

South Florida Sun Sentinel

Winnipeg Free Press

National Post (Canada)

Aviation International News

British Broadcasting Corporation

Landings.com

AirlineSafety.com

ExpertLaw.com

Professional Affiliations

Dr. Baron's professional affiliations include the following:

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (Technical Groups: Aerospace Systems, Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making, Perception and Performance).

Association for Aviation Psychology

FAASTeam (FAA Safety Team) Representative

AMT Society Corporate Sponsor

Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology (Division 21, APA)

International Society of Air Safety Investigators

 

International Society of Air Safety Investigators

AAP Logo

Association for

Aviation Psychology

Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology

(Div.21 APA)

Human Factors and

Ergonomics Society

TACG Company President:

Robert Baron, Ph.D

Picture day at the office! 

 

Relaxing on the Lear 25 wing in Miami 

 

Making a Human Factors

presentation at NASA

 

*Dr. Baron is available for aviation safety-related speaking engagements at various venues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trivia

 

    Here is a picture of my late father and his DC-3, circa 1971, at Long Island MacArthur Airport. My father, Al Baron, owned the Long Island Ducks Hockey Club in the Eastern Hockey League. The Ducks played at the Long Island Arena. The movie Slapshot, with Paul Newman, was based on the Long Island Ducks story! Notice the team colors and Ducks logo on the nose of the DC-3...

 

 

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