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This guide provides concrete actions you can take to improve individual pilot SmartScores and your organization’s fleet average, along with an explanation of what factors drive scores up and down.
Who should read this: Safety managers, directors of operations, chief pilots, and pilots who want to understand and improve their SmartScore. Safety managers and admins can improve fleet-level scores; pilots can take individual actions to improve their own.Prerequisites: SmartScore must be enabled for your workspace. At least one pilot must have operational data in the system. See How to Use SmartScore for an overview of the SmartScore dashboard.

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What Drives SmartScore

SmartScore evaluates three components — Experience, Proficiency, and Risk — each scored 0—100 and blended into a composite score. Understanding what feeds each component is the first step to improvement.

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Experience component

Factors that increase Experience:
  • Total flight hours (career and recent).
  • Hours in type (specific aircraft the pilot operates).
  • Recency of flight activity (hours in the last 90 days).
  • Airport familiarity (operations at frequently visited airports).
  • Night and instrument flight time.
Factors that decrease Experience:
  • Extended periods of inactivity (no flights logged in 60+ days).
  • Operating new aircraft types without adequate hours in type.
  • Low recency despite high career totals.

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Proficiency component

Factors that increase Proficiency:
  • Completed training assignments (on time).
  • Passed check rides and proficiency checks.
  • Current certifications and medical certificates.
  • Completed recurrent training modules.
  • LOSA/FOQA participation.
Factors that decrease Proficiency:
  • Overdue or expired training assignments.
  • Expired certifications or medical certificates.
  • Failed or deferred check rides.
  • Incomplete onboarding requirements.

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Risk component

Factors that increase the Risk sub-score (meaning lower risk, which is better):
  • Low FRAT scores on recent flights.
  • No safety events linked to the pilot.
  • Clean CPA completion history.
  • No active investigation involvement as a subject.
  • Positive trend in voluntary report submissions (indicating safety engagement).
Factors that decrease the Risk sub-score (meaning higher risk, which is worse):
  • Elevated FRAT scores on recent flights.
  • Safety reports where the pilot is an involved party.
  • Open or unresolved CPAs assigned to the pilot.
  • Active investigation involvement.
  • Fatigue risk indicators (duty time approaching limits).
Voluntary safety report submissions by a pilot (self-reporting near misses, hazards) are treated as a positive signal under just culture principles. The Risk component rewards reporting engagement — it does not penalize pilots for submitting reports about their own experiences. This aligns with the non-punitive reporting requirements of 14 CFR 5.21(a)(4).

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Individual Improvement Strategies

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For pilots

1
Check your SmartScore detail page
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Navigate to Safety > SmartScore and click your name to view your individual score breakdown. The radar chart shows which component is weakest.
3
Address expiring certifications
4
If Proficiency is your lowest component, check the Actionable Items section for expiring certifications or overdue training. Complete these items first — they have the most immediate impact.
5
Maintain flight recency
6
Log flights regularly. Extended gaps in flight activity reduce the Experience component even if your career total is high. Aim for consistent monthly flight activity.
7
Complete training on time
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Finish training assignments before their due date, not after. On-time completion has a stronger positive effect than late completion.
9
Submit voluntary safety reports
10
Reporting hazards and near misses you observe demonstrates safety engagement and positively impacts the Risk component. See Submit a Safety Report.
11
Review FRAT scores before flights
12
Complete Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) evaluations before each flight. Consistently low FRAT scores contribute to a better Risk sub-score. If a FRAT score is elevated, document your mitigations.

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For safety managers

1
Review the fleet-level dashboard weekly
2
Navigate to Safety > SmartScore to review the fleet distribution chart and the Needs Attention list. Identify pilots trending downward before they reach critical levels.
3
Assign targeted training
4
When a pilot’s Proficiency component is low, assign specific training that addresses the gap rather than generic recurrent training. Targeted interventions have a faster impact on scores.
5
Verify certification currency
6
Run a certification expiry report to identify pilots with approaching expirations. Proactive renewal prevents Proficiency drops. Navigate to Ops > Crew > Certifications to review upcoming expirations.
7
Schedule proficiency checks
8
For pilots in the Fair or Needs Attention bands, schedule additional proficiency checks or simulator sessions. Passed check rides directly boost the Proficiency component.
9
Monitor new hires closely
10
New pilots typically have low Experience scores in their first 90 days. This is expected. Focus on ensuring their Proficiency remains high through complete onboarding training, and monitor Risk for elevated FRAT scores during the learning period.

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Fleet-Level Improvement Strategies

These organizational actions improve the overall fleet average SmartScore:
StrategyComponents AffectedExpected Impact
Establish a recurrent training calendarProficiencyPrevents certification lapses fleet-wide.
Implement pre-flight FRATRiskIdentifies and mitigates risk before each flight.
Run quarterly proficiency checksProficiencyKeeps check ride currency high across the fleet.
Encourage voluntary reportingRiskDemonstrates safety culture engagement.
Track duty time proactivelyRiskPrevents fatigue-related risk flag accumulation.
Assign type-specific trainingProficiency, ExperienceBuilds hours-in-type and training completions.
Review and close open CPAsRiskResolves outstanding corrective actions.

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Score Band Targets

BandScore RangeWhat It MeansAction Level
Excellent80—100Pilot is current, trained, experienced, low risk.No action required.
Good60—79Solid standing with minor areas for improvement.Monitor; address items as they appear.
Fair40—59Gaps exist in one or more components.Targeted intervention required.
Needs Attention0—39Significant gaps; pilot may not meet readiness criteria.Immediate action and oversight.
A healthy fleet concentrates pilots in the Good and Excellent bands. If more than 20% of your pilots fall into Fair or below, treat it as a systemic issue requiring organizational-level changes (training programs, scheduling practices, reporting culture) rather than individual interventions alone.

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Insurance Implications

SmartScore data can strengthen your organization’s position during insurance renewals:
  • Share your fleet average with your broker or underwriter to demonstrate safety culture maturity. See Generate and Share Your SmartScore for how to create a signed SmartScore report.
  • Show improvement trends — a fleet average moving from Fair to Good over 12 months is a powerful signal to insurers.
  • Highlight low Risk sub-scores — insurers focus on risk indicators. A strong Risk component across your fleet demonstrates proactive hazard management.
  • Reference regulatory alignment — SmartScore’s components map to 14 CFR Part 5 safety assurance requirements (5.71 safety performance monitoring, 5.73 management review inputs).
Insurance underwriters using the Insurer SmartScore view see aggregated, anonymized fleet data — not individual pilot scores. Pilot-level data is never shared externally without explicit authorization. See the Insurer Guide to SmartScore for details on what insurers see.

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Track Your Progress

Monitor improvement over time using these tools:
  • Trend history chart on the pilot detail page shows individual score trajectories over 12 months.
  • Fleet average SPI — configure fleet average SmartScore as a Safety Performance Indicator to track organizational trends. See Configure SPIs.
  • Management review — include SmartScore distribution and trends in quarterly management reviews per 14 CFR 5.73.
  • Score change notifications — safety managers receive alerts when a pilot’s score drops below a configured threshold or changes bands.

How to Use SmartScore

Overview of the SmartScore dashboard and pilot detail views.

SmartScore Methodology

Technical details on score calculation, weighting, and data sources.

Generate and Share Your SmartScore

Create and share signed SmartScore reports for insurers.

SmartScore FAQ

Frequently asked questions about SmartScore data and privacy.
Last modified on April 11, 2026