Jimmy Sassen

• Responsible to Senior Flight Operations Inspector - International and Controller of Air Safety Department
• Principal functions were: Monitoring Operational standards of assigned international and regional operators and training institutes through timely audits and checks for the issue, renewal of Air Operator Certificates (AOCs), Aviation Training Institutes Certificates (ATICS)
• Oversight and control of foreign operators operating into Fiji by conducting Ramp Checks and issue of Foreign AOCs
• Conducting Flight and Simulator checks for all Licensing and Rating checks issued to Fiji and Foreign ATPL holders of the assigned operator
• Control and Checking of jet and regional turboprop aircraft nominated Check Captains and CAAF's designated examiners through periodic Approval Checks in Aircraft and Flight Simulators
• Assist managing of the Air Safety Department's International Flight Operations Section and staff
• Ensuring overall implementation and maintenance of international flight operations standards, safety management policies, processes, procedures, and requirements are met
• Reviewing International operators personnel licensing, flight training, and flight operations standards including publications and forms from time to time to ensure compliance and conformance with ICAO standards and principles, Fiji Principal acts and regulations, ISO 9001:2008 standards and principle,and, if required, alignment with other state regulatory requirements.
• Regular review of Standards Documents assigned to be reviewed
• Ensuring the training and continuation of safety management and safety management system in International and Regional Flight Operations and Foreign Air Operators
• Ensuring that adoption and/or adaption of delegated ANR parts of the harmonization project are accomplished
• Ensuring that applicable ICAO Annex 6 amendments are incorporated into the National Legislation and the Standards Documents

PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES : Ensuring standard operations of assigned international operators and foreign aviation training institutes are implemented and continually maintained in accordance with the requirements of the Authority

• Ensuring the operation of the Air Safety Department's International section is in continual conformance with CAAF policy, process and procedure
• Ensuring standards and practices for the issue and maintenance of Air Operators Certificates, Foreign Air Operators Certificates, and Foreign Aviation Training Institutes Certificates are implemented and maintained in accordance with Fiji's principal acts and regulations, and standards and recommended practices as promulgated by ICAO and other International / National Agreements
• Conducting simulator and flight tests for the issue of Airline Transport Pilot License. Type Ratings, Initial Multi Engine Instrument Ratings, and Foreign License Conversions on wide body jet, and regional turboprop aircraft to maintain an accepted international standard of Flight Safety
• Issuance of approvals/authorizations for all present and future Performance Based Navigations (PBN) systems for use by International AOC/FAOC Holders
• Ensuring all assigned operators operations/training manuals are correctly amended and approved by the CAAF
• Ensuring air safety standards and practices including publications and forms relating to International and Foreign flight operations are in compliance and conformance with Fiji Principal acts and regulations, ICAO standards and principles, ISO 9001:2008 standards and principles and if required, aligned with other state regulatory requirements
• Ensuring the audit, inspection, surveillance, validation and oversight of assigned international airline operators and foreign aviation training institutes are conducted as per the Air Safety Department (ASD) work plan
• Ensuring timeliness of incident investigations, analysis and recommendation for preventative and corrective measures and enforcement relating to assigned international airline operators and foreign aviation training institutes, where necessary
• Conducting MOR investigations and enter reports into AQD data base
• Participating at ASD and Air Operator meetings where and when required
• Ensuring proper liaison and co-ordination with other regulatory agencies and experts for flight operations matters and recommend policy on associated technical assistance where and when required
• Conducting simulator and flight checks for Check Captain Approvals to conduct periodic Base and Line Checks for the maintenance of flight crew licenses, and ratings
• Assisting in maintaining close liaison, co-ordination and co-operation with ICAO on all safety and assigned airline operators issues
• Assisting the Controller Air Safety in providing information on Fiji registered aircraft on international and foreign operations for the collation and development of the departmental corporate plan and budget when required
• Providing regular briefs to the Controller Air Safety relating to the discharge of prime functions and defined objectives
• Ensuring timeliness of audits and oversight of airline operator monthly activity reports are submitted to Controller Air Safety
• Achieving and/or improving targets contained in the annual plans and budgets
• Providing contributions to aviation safety awareness and education program
• Promoting revenue and containment of expenditure
• Other significant achievements whilst in the position were: Category 3B Approaches, was instrumental in guiding the Fiji Airways Flight Operations Department and over sighted their efforts in obtaining Category 3B qualifications for the A330 Fleet, a milestone in its history as an airline
• Reduction of Take-Off Minima, from the published weather minima of 1500m to the IFR minima of 800m, thus reducing considerably the Departure delays that were being experienced for years citing below take-off minima.
• Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), produced guidelines for installation and operation of EFB and the associated Standards Documents for reference
• In House Type Rating Courses for Pilots ,inclusive of Second Officers. Responsible in monitoring and over sighting the establishment of this important Department, to enable the National Carrier to take ownership of qualifications of Pilots and their training, again ,a first for the airline

Influential in getting the Airports Safety and Security Department in reviewing their policy and allowing the Fire Chief to communicate directly with the Aircraft Commander in times of emergencies thus enhancing safety.

• Position: Synthetic Flight Instructor/Examiner (SFI/SFE), B777 & A320

• Position: Line Captain B747-400/F
• Both Passenger and Freight operations on China Airline network inclusive of Europe, Asia and the United States.

• Position: Line Captain B777-200/200ER/300
• Captain flying the newly launched B777 for launch customer Singapore Airlines on SIA world wide network.

• Position: Line Captain & Training Captain B737-200 & B767-300ER
• Training Ab-initio cadet pilots on-line to proficiency First Officer standard.
• Both on Regional middle East and World network of Gulf Air Aviation

• Position: Line Captain, Check & Training Captain and SFE HS 748, BAC1-11 & B737-20, and Chief Pilot
• As Chief Pilot, introduced,and established Simulator training and checking details to replace costly aircraft utilization.
• Improved operational and safety standards.

• Position: Line Captain, on Beech Baron and Briton Norman Islander flying semi-schedule and charter services within Fiji and Pacific Island region

Aircraft Engineer when required to support maintenance team with extensive checks and maintenance issues.