The private aviation glossary
104 terms explained in plain English — from ACMI to wet lease.
A
ARGUS Platinum safety
ARGUS International rates charter operators in three tiers: Gold, based on a review of certificates, pilot histories and accident records; Gold Plus, which adds an on-site audit; and Platinum, which requires a functioning safety management system and emergency response plan and is renewed by audit every two years. Only a small minority of operators hold Platinum. ARGUS also produces TripCHEQ reports that check a specific aircraft and crew against its database for a given flight. When an operator or broker advertises 'ARGUS rated', ask which tier: Gold is a desk check and a reasonable floor, Platinum is the mark of an operator that has invested seriously in safety culture.
I
IS-BAO safety
The International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations is a code of best practice published by the International Business Aviation Council and audited by accredited third parties. It is built around a safety management system and has three stages: Stage 1 shows the SMS is in place, Stage 2 that it is functioning and managing risks, and Stage 3 that safety is embedded in the culture and sustained over time. Unlike ARGUS and Wyvern, IS-BAO is used by corporate flight departments and private operators as well as charter companies, and it is recognised worldwide, including by EASA-country regulators. Stage 3 is the most demanding of the three ratings and takes years to reach.
S
Safety management system (SMS) safety
A safety management system is the structured way an operator identifies hazards, assesses risk, reports incidents without blame and checks that fixes actually work. It is mandatory for EASA AOC holders and, since 2024, for US Part 135 operators, which have until 2027 to comply, and it is the backbone of the ARGUS Platinum, Wyvern Wingman and IS-BAO audits. For a customer the visible signs of a working SMS are flight-risk assessments before each trip, a willingness to cancel or delay for weather or fatigue, and a culture where pilots are not punished for saying no. An operator that has never turned down a flight for safety reasons is not necessarily a safe one.
W
WYVERN Wingman safety
Wyvern is a US-based aviation safety auditor, and Wingman is its top certification for charter operators. To earn it an operator undergoes an on-site audit against the Wyvern standard covering pilot experience and training, maintenance, the safety management system and emergency response, and must maintain it through audits every 24 months. Wyvern also produces PASS reports, one-page summaries that a broker can pull for a specific flight showing the aircraft, operator, pilot hours and audit status; asking for a PASS report before you pay is a simple, effective due-diligence step. Wingman is comparable to ARGUS Platinum; the best operators hold both plus IS-BAO Stage 3.