Galaxy FBO, a premier Texas-based FBO network, needed to transition from localized, paper-based safety tracking to a scalable, multi-location Safety Management System (SMS). By implementing Baldwin by Portside, Galaxy FBO replaced subjective “gut feelings” with data-driven operational intelligence. This transformation helped them achieve IS-BAO certification, an elite safety standard held by only six FBOs in Texas.
The challenge
The limitations of paper-based safety.
As Galaxy FBO expanded to three locations across Texas, their existing safety processes reached a breaking point. While paper-based reporting worked for a single site, it could not support a growing organization with ambitions for international certification.
Scalability Gaps: Managing safety across Addison, Conroe, and William P. Hobby Airport required a centralized “single source of truth” that legacy systems could not provide.
Subjective Safety: Leadership lacked the metrics to move beyond the question, “Are we safe?” to the more critical, “How do we know we are safe?”
Certification Barriers: Achieving the prestigious IS-BAO certification required a level of documentation, flow, and audit readiness that manual processes could not sustain.
When you first start off with any safety program at one location, a piece of paper can work. However, for us, since we are growing and expanding, we needed a single source online to shell all of our safety efforts.
— Dan Scanlan, Director of Safety and Quality
The solution
A future-ready Safety Management System (SMS).
Galaxy FBO partnered with Portside to implement Baldwin, selecting it for its specific functionality tailored to ground operators and its ability to scale alongside the business.
Ground Ops Specificity: Unlike generic aviation software, Baldwin features a dedicated ground operator system, eliminating the need to “force fit” flight-specific forms into FBO workflows.
Rapid Implementation: The system was fully operational in less than three months, guided by a dedicated phase-in plan and personal service reps.
Seamless Integration: As part of the Portside ecosystem, Baldwin reduces “reduplication of effort” by allowing data to flow between accounting, flight ops, and safety.
The result
Moving from reactive to proactive.
The transition to Baldwin has fundamentally shifted how Galaxy FBO perceives and manages risk.
Data-Driven Hazard Awareness: Instead of guessing where the risks are, Galaxy FBO now uses Baldwin’s hazard registry to identify the “Top 5” threats to their line crew, such as pinch points or fuel spills, allowing for targeted training that prevents incidents before they occur.
Baldwin takes us to that next level where it says: what is the secret sauce that led to zero incidents and accidents? It takes the subjective and turns it into what we really need to work on.
— Dan Scanlan, Director of Safety and Quality
Anonymous Safety Culture Surveys: Galaxy FBO utilizes Baldwin to conduct anonymous safety culture surveys, giving leadership a “pulse” of the program through de-identified reports that reveal honest employee perspectives and drive strategic policy changes.
Audit-Ready Operations: The transparency of Baldwin has turned stressful audits into a streamlined “show and tell.”
Standardized Service Excellence: By tracking every safety report to closure, Baldwin ensures that a lesson learned at one location is immediately shared across all three sites.
My experience working with Baldwin is that they are equally as passionate as I am to ensure a good product comes out… you can tell they actually care about their job.
— Dan Scanlan, Director of Safety and Quality
3
FBO locations unified under one SMS
100%
Digital safety reporting (paper eliminated)
For Galaxy FBO, safety is not a static goal but a continuous evolution. With Baldwin as their technical foundation, they are positioned to continue their growth across Texas with the peace of mind that their safety culture is standardized, scalable, and backed by real-world data.
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