In this article, we are bringing you an interview with Ing Victor Manuel del Castillo, where he talks about his career path, the most common safety problems he faces, and provides useful advice to all involved in aviation.
How long are you in the aviation business?
Next August 7 of this 2019 I will fulfill 50 years of uninterrupted activity in aviation. I was fortunate to start working at Aeromexico in Mexico City the same month that I started my studies in Aeronautical Engineering.
When did you start to be interested in aviation safety? And what triggered you in that direction?
This is a question that for me is very satisfying to answer: in the time I was working first as a student and then as an aeronautical engineer in Aeromexico, this airline suffered several incidents and accidents that of course asked my superiors what had happened and why happened or the root cause of them; I had never received a satisfactory and consistent answer (even some of my bosses of those years were annoyed by my questions), due to this reaction I began to be interested gradually in the issue of safety in aviation that in those times was practically nil. The trigger were the answers that in my curiosity were never met.
What are the most common safety problems that you encounter while visiting airlines, schools, airports, etc?
The ignorance of the safety concepts, hazard and risk, particularly of the top managers of the organizations although there are exceptions … few indeed.
What do you think is the greatest threat to aviation safety?
My response goes hand in hand with the previous one, the threat can be addressed by improving education in universities, schools and aviation training centers. I want to emphasize the word education where the civil aviation authorities of all States also have great responsibility in monitoring this issue so that the new generations come out better prepared to face the challenges we already have.
How can safety in aviation improve?
Improving safety education from its origins and these come from schools in general, that is, create a real safety culture. In my opinion, we will see results of safety management (SMS) with the new generations that have another perspective, that is, results will be seen in about ten years.
What advice would be set as universal for all who are engaged in aviation?
Today we have extraordinary tools called social networks where in seconds we learn about incidents, accidents and unacceptable actions of all types and all over the world; Many of the comments that are given are joking, few serious and even ridiculous, which shows the poor safety culture that we have talked about. Social networks in aviation safety issues should serve us to learn and review our processes to advice from the mistakes of other operators and thus gradually consolidate aviation safety.
Why is ICARUS different from other SMS programs and why would you recommend it?
I have had the opportunity to know in detail other software that could help to manage our mandatory safety management system, which I have found, complicated perhaps because they have not been developed by aviation specialists. On the other hand, I have found that practically most operators use a spreadsheet that in a short time becomes obsolete and the worst thing I have found in my 15 years of experience in this subject is that operators prefer to develop their own software that it takes them years and they finally leave. I decided to represent ICARUS in the American Continent and Spain for its simplicity, for its mobile application and for having adapted to the Latin culture.
