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:
