How to Improve Your SmartScore

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.

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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).

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Individual Improvement Strategies

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For pilots

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For safety managers

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Fleet-Level Improvement Strategies

These organizational actions improve the overall fleet average SmartScore:

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Score Band Targets

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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).

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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.

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