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Frequent Questions
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General Questions
Flying Internationally: What SMS coverage do I need?
When you fly internationally, the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) standards apply, not just the FAA. ICAO Annex 19 requires all commercial operators, and many general aviation operators crossing borders, to have a functioning Safety Management System (SMS) that covers the four ICAO pillars:
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Safety Policy – A documented commitment from leadership to safety.
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Safety Risk Management – Processes for identifying hazards, assessing risk, and implementing mitigations.
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Safety Assurance – Monitoring, audits, and data collection to ensure the SMS is effective.
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Safety Promotion – Training, communication, and safety culture initiatives.
Basically, if you’re flying internationally, you need an SMS that:
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Aligns with ICAO Annex 19 (all four pillars).
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Demonstrates compliance with your home authority (e.g., FAA Part 5 in the U.S.).
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Provides records and documentation you can show regulators abroad if asked.
Tip: Your operation type (Part 91, 135, 121, 145, etc.) will determine how strict requirements are. Charter and commercial operations face stricter requirements than private corporate flight departments.
Bottom line: RISE SMS is built to satisfy both FAA Part 5 and ICAO standards, so if you are utilizing our SMS Suite subscription tier, you’ll be covered whether you’re flying domestically or internationally.
Does RISE SMS make us MAG-10 compliant?
Yes. RISE SMS was built around FAA Part 5 and ICAO standards, which are the foundation of MAG Change 10. The system includes the required reporting, risk assessment, audit, and promotion tools—so your repair station can demonstrate compliance to both FAA and EASA auditors without building a system from scratch.
What is Rise SMS?
RISE SMS is a modern Safety Management System (SMS) platform designed to help aviation operators comply with 14 CFR Part 5 and elevate their safety culture. Our software supports hazard reporting, risk management, safety assurance, safety promotion, and policy management in a single, easy-to-use interface.
Who is Rise SMS built for?
RISE SMS is designed for flight departments (Part 91, 135, 125), flight schools (Part 141), maintenance and repair stations (Part 145), and airports (Part 139). Our platform adapts to operations of all sizes, from single-aircraft operators to enterprise-level teams.
Is RISE SMS compliant with FAA Regulations?
Yes. RISE SMS is built to support full compliance with 14 CFR Part 5 and FAA SMS Voluntary Program guidance. We also provide tools to help operators document and demonstrate compliance through dashboards, audits, and performance tracking.
Can I use RISE SMS even if I'm not required to have an SMS yet?
Absolutely. Many organizations use RISE SMS to build a proactive safety culture before they're mandated to comply. Starting early allows you to shape habits, collect meaningful data, and improve safety before it becomes a regulatory requirement.
Do I need to install any software?
No installation is required. RISE SMS is cloud-based and accessible from any device with internet access.
Do you offer a free trial?
Yes. We offer a 30-day free trial of the full-featured version of RISE SMS. You can sign up on your own.
Is RISE SMS secure?
Yes. We use Stripe for secure online payments and take data security seriously across our platform.
Can I be paid by referring your application to others?
Yes, you can! We have a "Refer and Earn" program. If you refer someone that signs up and becomes a paying customer, you will receive a commission.
What are the different permission levels available?
The product is built to have three permission levels: account owner, administrator, and crew member. The individual who creates the account is automatically set up as the "Account Owner". This individual has permissions to control the entire account. This includes everything from adding new users or customizing the assessments and forms to managing the payment information on file.
The second level of permission is the "Administrator". This individual is similar to the account owner in that they have permissions to control everything in the application. The only difference is that an Administrator does not have access to manage the subscription or payment details.
The last level of permission is the "Crew Member". This individual only has access to create, assess, mitigate, and review results. This level does not have any permissions to manage the account in any way.
Features and Functionality
What does each subscription tier include?
RISE SMS offers four service tiers: SMS Basics, SMS Essentials, SMS Suite, and Enterprise. Each tier adds additional SMS elements such as Safety Assurance, Safety Promotion, and Policy Management. See our Plans Page for an overview of what's included in each tier.
Can I customize hazard forms and risk assessments?
Yes. All forms are fully customizable to match your operation’s unique needs, including anonymous reporting, QR-code submissions, and pre-filled risk templates.
Do you support AI features in the software?
Yes, we’re actively rolling out AI-powered capabilities. Our first feature—AI Risk Factor Suggestions—analyzes upcoming trips and recommends potential risk mitigations. More AI tools for trend analysis, hazard classification, and system evaluations are coming soon.
Can I assign tasks and track follow-ups?
Yes. RISE SMS includes an Action Items module that tracks every assigned task across hazard reports, audits, evaluations, and risk mitigations. Each task includes due dates, assignees, and completion status for full accountability.
Can I export statistical data as PDF or CSV reports?
Yes, you certainly can! All of your data can be exported as reports to help with audits, internal reviews, and performance monitoring. Your data remains your property, and we adhere to all relevant data protection standards such as GDPR to ensure you maintain full access and control.
We use both a scheduling and a dispatch software, which one should we integrate to RISE SMS?
You should only need to enable one scheduling or dispatch software product with RISE SMS. Determining which product integration to enable depends on where you want the risk information to be sent back and displayed within.
For example, if you use both Airplane Manager and ForeFlight Dispatch, and both of those products are integrated with each other, then you only need to enable the product integration for the one you want RISE SMS to send risk data back to. The reason is our product will pull data from either and if they already share the data between the two, we only need information from one of the products to create and assign assessments.
Note: Enabling multiple products which all talk to each other will cause issues with duplicated information.
Implementation and Support
How long does it take to get started?
Most teams are up and running on day one. RISE SMS includes six pre-built form templates out of the box: Risk Assessment, Hazard Form, Incident Form, Post Duty Form, Safety Performance Monitoring Audit Form, and ASAP Form. You can also import your own forms or choose from our full form template library to customize and modify as needed.
What kind of support do you offer?
We pride ourselves on responsive, personal support. You’ll work directly with our team—not a ticketing system—and we resolve most requests in hours, not weeks. We also release product improvements weekly.
Can you help us write or update our SMS Manual?
We partner with experienced safety consultants who can help create a compliant SMS manual tailored to your operation. See our SMS Partners page to connect with a trusted provider.
Do you offer a program for SMS Consultants?
Yes. Our SMS Partners Program is built for safety consultants who want to provide SMS software solutions to their clients. We offer commission structures, onboarding tools, and a dedicated portal to help consultants manage multiple clients efficiently.
Can I change who the account owner is on my subscription?
Yes! However, the current account owner would need to be the one to submit a ticket to our support team to make the change. Also, the new account owner must already be a pilot or an administrator on the account.
Pricing and Subscriptions
How is pricing determined?
Pricing is based on your operation type and size (e.g., number of aircraft or users). Flight departments are billed per aircraft, while MROs and airports are priced per user. Visit our Plans Page to explore available tiers.
Do you offer discounts for non-profits or long-term commitment?
Yes. We offer special pricing for non-profit organizations and multi-year agreements. Please contact us to learn more.
What happens when the free trial ends?
Your trial automatically converts to a paid subscription unless canceled. You’ll retain all your data and progress without interruption.
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