At Universal, every operational decision is predicated on cultivating, maintaining, and improving the safety of our operations. Led by our CEO, Dr. Gordon A Jiroux, h.c., with 40+ years experience operating flight schools in the U.S., we maintain an exemplary safety record unmatched by any flight school in the nation by flight hours.
Safety is a learned behavior, and our comprehensive safety policies and procedures are engrained in every part of our training culture. Dr. Jiroux would say, “Safety is our culture.” In order to train at Universal Flight Concepts, every student and instructor is required to have unquestionable comprehension of, and practice flight instruction only as is outlined in our extensive policies and procedures. In addition to having numerous safety-enhancing operational systems in place, every training decision at Universal Flight Concepts is predicated on teaching students the most effective Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) skills possible, heightening sense and proficiency through all phases of flight.
But safety is not just policy; safety is psychology. This is why Dr. Jiroux and his team of Directors routinely train students and instructors on safety topics such as mental health, hazardous attitudes, risk management, fatigue, and other emotional and biological factors of flying.
At Universal, every operational decision is predicated on cultivating, maintaining, and improving the safety of our operations. Led by our CEO, Dr. Gordon A Jiroux, h.c., with 40+ years experience operating flight schools in the U.S., we maintain an exemplary safety record unmatched by any flight school in the nation by flight hours.
Safety is a learned behavior, and our comprehensive safety policies and procedures are engrained in every part of our training culture. Dr. Jiroux would say, “Safety is our culture.” In order to train at Universal Flight Concepts, every student and instructor is required to have unquestionable comprehension of, and practice flight instruction only as is outlined in our extensive policies and procedures. In addition to having numerous safety-enhancing operational systems in place, every training decision at Universal Flight Concepts is predicated on teaching students the most effective Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) skills possible, heightening sense and proficiency through all phases of flight.
But safety is not just policy; safety is psychology. This is why Dr. Jiroux and his team of Directors routinely train students and instructors on safety topics such as mental health, hazardous attitudes, risk management, fatigue, and other emotional and biological factors of flying.
Routine Safety Training:
Emotions, Stress, and Fatigue
Hazardous Attitudes
Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM)
Mental Health
Risk Management
Single Pilot Resource System
NTSB Reports
Crash Avoidance
Inclement Weather
Hidden Dangers
21st Century Navigation
National Airspace System
Instrument and CFII Rating Review
Aircraft Performance Charts
Federal Aviation Regulations
Instructor Student Relationship
Fundamentals of Instruction
Aviation Instructor Handbook
Routine Safety Training:
Emotions / Fatigue
Hazardous Attitudes
Aero. Decision Making
Mental Health
Risk Management
Single Pilot Resources
NTSB Reports
Crash Avoidance
Inclement Weather
Hidden Dangers
Modern Navigation
National Airspace System
Instrument Review
Performance Charts
FARs
Student Relationship
Fundamentals of Instruction
Instructor Handbook
Routine Safety Training:
Emotions / Fatigue
Hazardous Attitudes
Decision Making
Mental Health
Risk Management
Single Pilot Resources
NTSB Reports
Crash Avoidance
Inclement Weather
Hidden Dangers
Modern Navigation
Airspace
Instrument Review
Performance Charts
FARs
Student Relationships
FOI
Instructor Handbook
Universal Flight Concepts Safety Seminar – 2016
Universal Flight Concepts Safety Seminar – 2016
Universal Flight Concepts Safety Seminar – 2016
THE UNIVERSAL ADVANTAGE:
DR. GORDON A. JIROUX, h.c.
FOUNDER & CEO OF UNIVERSAL FLIGHT CONCEPTS & UNIVERSAL HELICOPTERS
For over 40 years, Universal Flight Concepts Founder and CEO Dr. Gordon A. Jiroux, h.c. has set the standard for excellence in flight instruction. As part of a prolific safety team with a fierce propensity for safety, impeccable safety record and sterling reputation, Dr. Jiroux is widely considered to be one of the most knowledgeable and skilled professionals in the flight training industry.
Dr. Jiroux has received numerous accolades and flight safety awards throughout his career, including Helicopter Association International’s (HAI) Flight Instructor of the Year award in 2014. He continues to mentor Universal’s Directors and instructors, and is intimately involved in all operations at Universal Flight Concepts.
ZERO TURNOVER IN MANAGEMENT
POSITIONS FOR 20+ YEARS
When it comes to flighty safety, there is no substitute for experience.
We are very proud to say we have had ZERO turnover in key management positions for more than 20 years. Our core team of high-time, company-trained Directors, Danny Mackenzie, Dustin Suchor, Matt Hewlett, and John Lewis are joined by our newest Director, Kelsey Lawyer and represent the very best flight training professionals in the industry. Known and respected industry-wide, most are FAA Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) with 10,000+ hours of instruction given and numerous professional accolades of their own.
HIGH-TIME DIRECTORS ON SITE
REGULAR PROFICIENCY CHECKS, AND OUR PROPRIETARY MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
Each of our training locations is managed by one high-time company-trained Director working directly beneath our CEO, Dr. Jiroux.
Directors oversee all operations and carefully mentor our instructors, subjecting them to regular flight checks and proficiency reviews. This system helps to maintain and extend their instructional abilities. Low time instructors are progressively signed off for more advanced training maneuvers as they gain experience. This approach reduces risk in the training environment, while ensuring our students receive the best possible training as our instructors grow.
ALL-GLASS COCKPITS
“All-glass” is the term assigned to the digital interfaces present in modern aircraft from manufacturers like Garmin and Aspen Avionics (as opposed to the traditional gauges in older aircraft.)
Benefits of an all-glass cockpit include: increased accuracy/precision, faster interpretation, redundant safety systems, proximity warnings, live weather updates, terrain awareness, and traffic avoidance systems.
A recent study by MIT found air travel to be 10x safer than it was just 40 years ago, the same time glass-cockpits began to arrive on the scene.
At Universal most every aircraft we operate is equipped with an all-glass cockpit, unless otherwise necessary for specific training purposes.
1-ON-1 TRAINING
Under the watchful eye of Dr. Jiroux and his Directors, students are paired with a single instructor and receive ongoing one-on-one time with their location’s Director for the duration of their flight and ground training.
Many other flight schools operate a classroom setting for one reason, cost-effectiveness. This allows many new students to fall behind, and simply put, does not guarantee safe, quality training. We find that one-on-one instruction translates to a better end result to our students by ensuring their comprehension and closely monitoring their progress.
Says Dr. Jiroux, “Encouraging relationships to grow through one-on-one instruction increases the safety and quality of flight training beyond that of a classroom setting.”
PART 145 REPAIR STATION
AND ON-SITE MAINTENANCE AT EVERY LOCATION
It is one thing to have aircraft mechanics on site. It is something entirely different to be a Part 145 Repair Station.
Being certified by the FAA under 14 CFR Part 145 requires us to follow a much more strict set of maintenance regulations with meticulous logging of all work performed. Our Part 145 certificate enables us to conduct more specialized maintenance, inspection and alteration of our aircraft.
As we are subject to regular checks by the FAA, and biannual renewal, holding a Part 145 certificate ensures that programs, systems, and intended methods of compliance are thoroughly reviewed, evaluated, and tested by our team of A&P and A&P/IA maintenance technicians.
THE UNIVERSAL ADVANTAGE:
DR. GORDON A. JIROUX, h.c.
FOUNDER & CEO OF UNIVERSAL FLIGHT CONCEPTS & UNIVERSAL HELICOPTERS
For over 40 years, Universal Flight Concepts Founder and CEO Dr. Gordon A. Jiroux, h.c. has set the standard for excellence in flight instruction. As part of a prolific safety team with a fierce propensity for safety, impeccable safety record and sterling reputation, Dr. Jiroux is widely considered to be one of the most knowledgeable and skilled professionals in the flight training industry.
Dr. Jiroux has received numerous accolades and flight safety awards throughout his career, including Helicopter Association International’s (HAI) Flight Instructor of the Year award in 2014. He continues to mentor Universal’s Directors and instructors, and is intimately involved in all operations at Universal Flight Concepts.
ZERO TURNOVER IN MANAGEMENT
POSITIONS FOR 20+ YEARS
When it comes to flighty safety, there is no substitute for experience.
We are very proud to say we have had ZERO turnover in key management positions for more than 20 years. Our core team of high-time, company-trained Directors, Danny Mackenzie, Dustin Suchor, Matt Hewlett, and John Lewis are joined by our newest Director, Kelsey Lawyer and represent the very best flight training professionals in the industry. Known and respected industry-wide, most are FAA Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) with 10,000+ hours of instruction given and numerous professional accolades of their own.
HIGH-TIME DIRECTORS ON SITE
REGULAR PROFICIENCY CHECKS, AND OUR PROPRIETARY MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
Each of our training locations is managed by one high-time company-trained Director working directly beneath our CEO, Dr. Jiroux.
Directors oversee all operations and carefully mentor our instructors, subjecting them to regular flight checks and proficiency reviews. This system helps to maintain and extend their instructional abilities. Low time instructors are progressively signed off for more advanced training maneuvers as they gain experience. This approach reduces risk in the training environment, while ensuring our students receive the best possible training as our instructors grow.
ALL-GLASS COCKPITS
“All-glass” is the term assigned to the digital interfaces present in modern aircraft from manufacturers like Garmin and Aspen Avionics (as opposed to the traditional gauges in older aircraft.)
Benefits of an all-glass cockpit include: increased accuracy/precision, faster interpretation, redundant safety systems, proximity warnings, live weather updates, terrain awareness, and traffic avoidance systems.
A recent study by MIT found air travel to be 10x safer than it was just 40 years ago, the same time glass-cockpits began to arrive on the scene.
At Universal most every aircraft we operate is equipped with an all-glass cockpit, unless otherwise necessary for specific training purposes.
1-ON-1 TRAINING
Under the watchful eye of Dr. Jiroux and his Directors, students are paired with a single instructor and receive ongoing one-on-one time with their location’s Director for the duration of their flight and ground training.
Many other flight schools operate a classroom setting for one reason, cost-effectiveness. This allows many new students to fall behind, and simply put, does not guarantee safe, quality training. We find that one-on-one instruction translates to a better end result to our students by ensuring their comprehension and closely monitoring their progress.
Says Dr. Jiroux, “Encouraging relationships to grow through one-on-one instruction increases the safety and quality of flight training beyond that of a classroom setting.”
PART 145 REPAIR STATION
AND ON-SITE MAINTENANCE AT EVERY LOCATION
It is one thing to have aircraft mechanics on site. It is something entirely different to be a Part 145 Repair Station.
Being certified by the FAA under 14 CFR Part 145 requires us to follow a much more strict set of maintenance regulations with meticulous logging of all work performed. Our Part 145 certificate enables us to conduct more specialized maintenance, inspection and alteration of our aircraft.
As we are subject to regular checks by the FAA, and biannual renewal, holding a Part 145 certificate ensures that programs, systems, and intended methods of compliance are thoroughly reviewed, evaluated, and tested by our team of A&P and A&P/IA maintenance technicians.
PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR
OUTSTANDING
FLIGHT SAFETY
Universal Flight Concepts Founder and CEO, Dr. Gordon A. Jiroux, h.c. is a multiple-time recipient of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s President’s Award for Outstanding Flight Safety.
Safety has always been number one to Dr. Jiroux. He maintains that for the last three decades safety is Universal’s culture.
PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR
OUTSTANDING FLIGHT SAFETY
Universal Flight Concepts Founder and CEO, Dr. Gordon A. Jiroux, h.c.
is a multiple-time recipient of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s President’s
Award for Outstanding Flight Safety.
Safety has always been number one to Dr. Jiroux.
He maintains that for the last three decades safety is Universal’s culture.
PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR
OUTSTANDING FLIGHT SAFETY
Universal Flight Concepts Founder and CEO, Dr. Gordon A. Jiroux, h.c.
is a multiple-time recipient of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s President’s
Award for Outstanding Flight Safety.
Safety has always been number one to Dr. Jiroux.
He maintains that for the last three decades safety is Universal’s culture.
Universal Flight Concepts Founder and CEO, Dr. Gordon A. Jiroux, h.c. featured on Helicopter Association International’s (HAI)
“56 SECONDS TO LIVE”
Universal Flight Concepts Founder and CEO, Dr. Gordon A. Jiroux, h.c.
featured on Helicopter Association International’s (HAI)
“56 SECONDS TO LIVE”
Dr. Gordon A. Jiroux, h.c.
CEO | President
Gordon is widely considered to be one of the most knowledgeable and skilled professionals in the flight training industry. His extraordinary career began in 1981 when at just 25 years old, he earned his Private, Commercial, and Certified Flight Instructor helicopter certificates in Long Beach, California. Gordon was a stand-out flight instructor who quickly became friends with Robinson Helicopter Company Founder, Frank Robinson, who asked Gordon to open a helicopter flight school in the small desert town of Scottsdale, Arizona. Gordon purchased an R22 (Serial #4!) and moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, to open his flight school — and his legacy began.
By 1983, at the age of 27, the FAA designated Gordon the position of Pilot Examiner in the Robinson R22. Gordon’s dedication to quality and safety made him the obvious choice in 1983, when the Robinson Helicopter Company issued him the Dealership/Service Center Designation for Arizona. By 1990 his company was the largest helicopter flight school in the world, with 18 Robinson R22s and three Bell 206 Jet Rangers flying 8+ hours a day.
Today after nearly 40 years of flying and 10,000+ hours of flight instruction given, Gordon continues to define the standard for excellence in helicopter flight training. As part of a prolific safety team with an impeccable safety record and sterling reputation, his passion for providing exemplary flight training has led Universal Flight Concepts to be one of the most renowned flight schools in the world.
Gordon received an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Aviation Science with all rights, honors, privileges, and responsibilities on May 4, 2013. Jiroux was awarded this designation in appreciation of his outstanding contributions to the flight training industry, extraordinary aviation knowledge, and dedication to the global aviation industry.
In 2014, now Dr. Jiroux, Gordon was awarded Helicopter Association International’s (HAI) Flight Instructor of the Year Award.
After all these years, Gordon remains intimately involved with all operations at Universal Flight Concepts, mentoring and passing his knowledge and expertise on to our flight instructors.
Universal Flight Concepts Founder and CEO, Dr. Gordon A. Jiroux, h.c.
featured on Helicopter Association International’s (HAI)
“56 SECONDS TO LIVE”
Dr. Gordon A. Jiroux, h.c.
CEO | President
Gordon is widely considered to be one of the most knowledgeable and skilled professionals in the flight training industry. His extraordinary career began in 1981 when at just 25 years old, he earned his Private, Commercial, and Certified Flight Instructor helicopter certificates in Long Beach, California. Gordon was a stand-out flight instructor who quickly became friends with Robinson Helicopter Company Founder, Frank Robinson, who asked Gordon to open a helicopter flight school in the small desert town of Scottsdale, Arizona. Gordon purchased an R22 (Serial #4!) and moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, to open his flight school — and his legacy began.
By 1983, at the age of 27, the FAA designated Gordon the position of Pilot Examiner in the Robinson R22. Gordon’s dedication to quality and safety made him the obvious choice in 1983, when the Robinson Helicopter Company issued him the Dealership/Service Center Designation for Arizona. By 1990 his company was the largest helicopter flight school in the world, with 18 Robinson R22s and three Bell 206 Jet Rangers flying 8+ hours a day.
Today after nearly 40 years of flying and 10,000+ hours of flight instruction given, Gordon continues to define the standard for excellence in helicopter flight training. As part of a prolific safety team with an impeccable safety record and sterling reputation, his passion for providing exemplary flight training has led Universal Flight Concepts to be one of the most renowned flight schools in the world.
Gordon received an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Aviation Science with all rights, honors, privileges, and responsibilities on May 4, 2013. Jiroux was awarded this designation in appreciation of his outstanding contributions to the flight training industry, extraordinary aviation knowledge, and dedication to the global aviation industry.
In 2014, now Dr. Jiroux, Gordon was awarded Helicopter Association International’s (HAI) Flight Instructor of the Year Award.
After all these years, Gordon remains intimately involved with all operations at Universal Flight Concepts, mentoring and passing his knowledge and expertise on to our flight instructors.
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