Lovefly Ep. 271 - Flying is so safe due to great Aircraft Design and Development... Two great Engineers tell us more
Mar 11, 2026
TimYee Lee, Bombardier safety officer focused on airworthiness and reliability. Heather Beaton, long‑time Bombardier design fellow with flight test and certification leadership. They discuss regulation and certification, how market needs drive design, system architecture and redundancy, rig and flight testing, designing for failures, evacuation rules, and industry knowledge sharing.
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Regulation Is The Backbone Of Aviation Safety
- Aviation safety is driven by strict regulation and oversight at every stage from design to operation.
- TimYee Lee explains Transport Canada, FAA and EASA mandate certification, testing and continued airworthiness with audits and committees.
From Market Want To First Flight
- Aircraft start from market studies and marketing requirements then evolve through architecture, supplier handshakes and rigs before flight test.
- Heather Beaton describes iron birds, supplier qualification rigs and staged ground tests that lead to safe first flight.
Design For Failure Not Impossibility
- Designers assume components will fail and build redundancy to maintain safe flight and landing.
- Heather Beaton gives examples: multiple engines, independent hydraulic/electrical systems and dual actuators on primary control surfaces.