SmartScore Methodology

SmartScore is PlaneConnection’s proprietary composite safety and operational quality metric. It operates at two levels: a Pilot SmartScore (0—100) for individual crew members and an Operator SmartScore (250—1000) for the organization. This reference covers both, with detailed methodology for the Insurer SmartScore derivative used in insurance underwriting.

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Pilot SmartScore (0—100)

The Pilot SmartScore evaluates individual crew members across three broad areas and combines them into a single overall score using a proprietary weighting model.

Scoring Components and Weighting

Component	What It Measures
Experience	Depth and recency of flight experience.
Proficiency	Currency of training, certifications, and demonstrated competency.
Risk	Safety event history and risk exposure over time.

Each component produces a sub-score. The three sub-scores are blended into the Overall Score through a proprietary algorithm that accounts for the relative importance of each dimension.

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Score Ranges

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Fleet-Level Aggregation

The fleet SmartScore provides an aggregate view of pilot readiness across the organization. Fleet SmartScore appears on the safety dashboard and is included in quarterly management review data per 14 CFR 5.73.

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Pilot Detail View

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How Scores Update

Score Recalculation Process

SmartScore recalculates automatically in response to changes in the underlying data — flight activity, training completions, safety events, and other operational inputs. A nightly batch ensures all scores remain current even when no individual triggers occur.

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Operator SmartScore (250—1000)

The Operator SmartScore assesses an organization’s overall safety and operational quality. It exists in two forms:

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Score Bands (Operator-Level)

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Insurer SmartScore Methodology

The Insurer SmartScore is a 4-pillar derivative of the full 15-dimension Internal SmartScore, designed for insurance underwriting.

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Four Pillars

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1. Organizational Foundation

Structural elements that support safe operations:

• Years in operation and organizational stability
• Fleet size, composition, and aircraft age
• External certifications (IS-BAO stage, ARGUS rating)
• Certificate status and type

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2. Operational Excellence

Day-to-day operational quality:

• Maintenance compliance rates and overdue item counts
• AD compliance rate
• MEL usage patterns
• Dispatch quality and flight following coverage
• Route complexity management

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3. Safety Risk Management

Maturity of safety risk management processes:

• Reporting rate threshold (binary — see below)
• Training completion rates
• Duty/rest compliance
• Presence of systematic safety processes

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4. Human Capital & Resilience

Crew qualifications, experience, and organizational capacity:

• ATP certificate percentage
• Average total flight hours
• Recurrent training completion rates
• Simulator training hours
• Crew currency rates

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Pillar Weighting

Each pillar contributes to the composite score with proprietary weighting. Weights are calibrated against historical loss data and adjusted through actuarial validation. The composite is not a simple average — pillars interact, and certain deficiencies carry more weight than others.

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Temporal Smoothing

Insurer-facing scores use a 90-day rolling average to prevent insurers from inferring safety events through sudden changes in operational metrics. Scores are delivered quarterly, not in real time. This means:

• A single bad week does not drastically change your Insurer SmartScore
• Sustained improvements are reflected over the following quarter
• Short-term fluctuations are smoothed out

The Internal SmartScore updates in real time and is not subject to temporal smoothing.

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Reporting Rate Threshold

The reporting rate metric is a binary threshold, not a linear scale:

• Meets healthy minimum: >= 1 report per 10 employees per month
• Below minimum: fewer than this threshold

There is no additional scoring benefit for higher reporting rates. This prevents gaming (submitting low-quality reports to inflate scores).

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Quality Filters

Reports must meet quality criteria to count toward the threshold:

• Progressed to assessment or corrective action (not immediately closed)
• Assessment contains substantive content (minimum 50 words)
• Time-to-close is within normal range for the report category (not rubber-stamped)

Anomaly detection flags both sudden spikes and systematic low-quality inflation patterns.

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Score Freshness

Every score delivery includes freshness metadata: Every response includes: generated_at, valid_until, data_as_of, and freshness enum.

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Granularity Tiers

Different audiences receive different levels of detail:

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Reason Codes

Reason codes explain the top factors influencing a score, modeled after FICO credit score factors:

• Top 5 positive — strongest contributing factors (e.g., “Fleet maintenance compliance rate exceeds 98%”)
• Top 5 negative — weakest contributing factors (e.g., “Three overdue maintenance items in trailing 90 days”)

Reason codes are generated from the underlying dimension scores and use plain-language descriptions. They are included in standard-tier insurer deliveries and in all operator views.

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Confidence Assessment

Confidence reflects data completeness, not score quality: A score with low completeness is not penalized — the point estimate is unbiased. Low completeness widens the confidence interval, meaning the true score could be higher or lower than reported.

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Data Firewall (Zone A / Zone B)

The scoring engine accesses only Zone A data. Zone B data is physically separated: Zone A and Zone B use separate databases with separate encryption keys. The firewall is enforced through code-level import restrictions, automated testing, and lint rules.

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