Career Aspiration

Throughout the semester with all the many guest speakers we've had, I proudly have to say that I have in-fact, have changed my career path. Ive been a flight major every since I started here at Eastern and I have to say that after hearing the many testimonies from all the pilots we've had speak, I would like to go in to management.

Don't get me wrong, I love flying, it's my passion but some things such as lifestyle is more important to me as I mature.  Recently getting engaged and hearing how hard a pilots lifestyle can be on a family is becoming more and more of a reason to go in to management. I love the fact that I can be in my own bed every night for the most part if I make the courageous decision to finish my degree in Aviation Management.

Over the next five years, I plan to move my way up within Delta Airlines in to a management position. With my spare time, if I have any, I plan to outreach to  younger youth to promote career choices in aviation. Possibly start some sort of high school aviation outreach program.  I would like to start a rotational mentorship program with Delta to help those who want to go in to aviation but don't exactly know what field of the industry.  But ultimately I just want to be happy with what I'm doing career wise.

Little Airlines, Big Ideas

Two budget carriers operating international that are trying to separate themselves from the major legacy carriers are La Compagnie and WOW airlines.  Both targeting different types of business. La Compagnie offers an all business class experience for a fraction of the price.  For a whopping $1500 USD once can fly round-trip, non-stop from EWR (Newark, NJ) to CDG (Paris). This experience includes the lie-flat seating along with the champagne experience like any other legacy carrier.  They operate a Boeing 757 narrow body aircraft with 74 lie-flat seats.

As for WOW airlines who is based out of Reykjavik and fly's from BOS (Boston) to Reykjavik and then onward to 18 other cities within Europe for a measly price of around $400 USD. The Price is includes nothing but your seat which means bags, meals, and beverages are all at an extra cost.  This targets a certain type of passenger who might not of had the opportunity to travel international due to high travel prices, but is now able to.

Both airlines are owned by Icelandic Airlines. Targeting all markets, Icelandic Airlines is genius for doing such a thing. Appealing to the budget conscientious as well as the well business market and everything in-between, only time will tell if this pyramid will rise or fall.

Having covered every aspect of the airline market, this will definitely make it hard on US carriers or any legacy carrier for that matter. It is creating more competition which is not always a bad thing, but then again, having too much competition will create a decline in everyones profits. 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/garywalther/2014/09/25/la-compagnie-the-upstart-business-class-only-airline-with-the-best-ny-paris-business-class-fare/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2763402/Business-class-ONLY-Michelin-starred-menus-massage-chairs-luxury-cosmetics-new-boutique-airline.html

Virgin Galactic

Virgin's Spaceship Two was preforming a test flight on Halloween of this year when an unexpected incident occurred. Spaceship Two was flying at about FL500 when it started to break up due to a malfunction.  The NTSB original thought that this was caused by fuel issues but then later discovered that the accident was more so related to "Wing Booms".

Virgin Galactic which is owned by Richard Branson has been heavily investing into space travel.  Through the years, Virgin Galactic has made headline after headline with its progression and sale of tickets into space. For about $20,000 one can purchase a ticket which climbs you into space and gives you a brief idea of the atmosphere.

Space travel is such a new design that the FAA along with other agencies world wide have not had the knowledge enough to create rules and regulations for such thing. As of right now, space travel happens to be untouched uncharted territory.

I believe that within  the decade space travel will be more prominent and more readily available to commercial clients. With the rate of progression that Virgin Galactic is proving, space travel might be here sooner than we think. Though this accident is a major set back, it is also a learning curve. All virgin can do from here is learn and progress.

For a business position within Virgin Galactic one must accrue the following:

Qualifications

•    8 plus years of financial and contractual management experience is required

•    Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration or related field; MBA is desired
•    Strong budget/forecast and financial analysis skills
•    Strong understanding and abilities in procurement processes
•    Business Management experience supporting aerospace/newspace companies are
      highly preferred

•    Exemplary written and oral communication skills
•    Familiarity with ITAR regulations and compliance

•    Solid negotiation and influencing skills
•    Strong administration/time management skills

•    Familiarity with FAR financial requirements are a plu

Sources:
http://www.virgingalactic.com/statement-from-virgin-galactic/
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/human_space_flight_reqs/

New FAA Regs vs. Cargo Operations

Before the Colgan disaster, companies such as Colgan would hire pilots right out of flight school.  Most with only 250 hours, they would be put in the right seat of a passenger airliner. After the disaster regulations changed drastically. Minimum flight hours jumped to a whopping 1500 hours which really clamping down on the industry. Only tightening the reins even more, new rest requirements came about as well. A pilots off duty time begins when he or she enters their hotel room.  This is quite different than before when a pilots off duty time starts when the engines shut down.

As for cargo operations, they still adhere to old regulations. This is still a problem due to the fact that both settings for cargo and commercial operation still require you to fly a plane. Whether that plane is carrying passengers or cargo, the same regulations should adhere to both. Cargo operations off time begins when they exit the aircraft until the start the engines again in eight hours.

I truly feel that the reason cargo and commercial have different flight rules is because one carries passenger while the other one just carries boxes.  Less lives are at stake when flying cargo versus commercial.  Two lives versus 100 or even 400 lives should not make a difference at all. All operations should operate equally if that aircraft is for hire.

If both operations had the same rules, I think that for 1.) It would improve the lives of the pilots by having more rest. 2.) Companies would need more staff to cover the flights. 3.) This could reduce the risk of further accidents in the future.

http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/recently_published/media/2120-AJ58-FinalRule.pdf

http://airfactsjournal.com/2014/03/double-tragedy-colgan-air-flight-3407/

Norwegian Air International

Norwegian Air International is one of the lowest priced airlines in Europe.  NAI is licensed out of Dublin, Ireland but uses Scandinavian countries as their hubs. The pilots are hired from Asian countries mostly Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, as well as, Europe and the US.  They are classified as an international air carrier, but operate around the world including the United States.

US carriers are worried due to the fact that this low-budget airline may not be operating under the high standards of the FAA.  The Airline is licensed through Ireland to avoid paying higher taxes but operates out of Scandinavian countries while hiring cheaper staff from Asian countries. What about this sounds ethical? None of it...

ALPA along with the DOT tried to stop the airline from flying to the US, but unfortunately were not able to succeed. It seems they are now flying out of JFK non-stop to European destinations for CHEAP. 
JFK-->LHR for next month cost a whopping $500.16 round trip. That is pretty much unheard of with any other airline.

Since NAI is now able to operate within the US, I would hope that NAI has to abide by all the rules and regulations of the FAA. Another ramification would be that this airline will take away revenue from other domestic carriers.

References:

http://www.norwegian.com/us/

http://www.alpa.org/Portals/Alpa/deptpages/govtaffairs/issues/nai/NAISchemeInfoGr.htm

UAV's

UAV's are used for many different civilian purposes world-wide. Some of these include hurricane hunting, 3D mapping, Wildlife protection, agriculture, and search and rescue just to name a few. Within the NAS (National Airspace System) UAV's operate under strict guidelines. They typically operate from ground level all the way up to FL500. However one major restriction with UAV's are that they may NOT operate in class B airspace.

As said by Vision-systems, UAV's are already integrated in to the NAS. As far as problems with this, I do not foresee any immediate issues. These Unmanned vehicles are very technologically advanced and I believe that they would be equipped with technology to scan for traffic as well as terrain. This hopefully would eliminate any sort of collision issues. A potential problem would be not having that live human in the cockpit if an emergency arrises. If an engine failure occurs over a populated area, will the machine know to guide the UAV away from the populated area? It is small things like this that you can't teach a machine.

As for military, UAV's dramatically transformed military operations. An example would be that they have limited American casualties from hostile areas. They have helped in recon missions as well as areal photography and eliminating targets without putting American lives in danger.  They have also reduced the budget for the military as well. As far as it being ethical... well that depends on who you are asking. In my own opinion, I do believe it is ethical because you are not putting an American life at risk. When a fighter jet enters hostile territory, they run the risk of being shot down. Using a UAV to do that while having the operator safely placed somewhere else will eliminate the risk of one more casualty.

I have found a few UAV operator jobs. Most of them are in Palmdale, CA and Falls Church, VA. The job listings are as described, deployable, non-deployable, and test pilot. Most of these positions are for government contracting. I have yet to come across one civilian operating job posting. The source I used did show some UAV engineering position, but one requirement is that he/she has flying experience and ratings to operate a UAV.


References:

http://www.vision-systems.com/articles/2013/06/five-ways-uavs-are-being-used-by-civilians.html

http://www.simplyhired.com/k-uav-pilot-jobs.html

https://www.faa.gov/uas/

Corporate Vs. Commercial

There are quite a few differences when comparing both commercial and corporate aviation. Listed below will be a comparison model:

Corporate:
-Higher pay
-Ability to increase seniority faster
-Less restrictions in general
-Possibility of better hours (Meaning days on and days off)
-Can induct inflight meetings
-Can work for billable hours while in flight

Commercial:
-Multiple opportunities
-Flight benefits
-Possible union
-Known schedule with advance
-Possible lower fare

When companies need to send their employees on business trips, it can get quite expensive flying commercial. For instance, one business class ticket to Europe or Asia can cost upwards to $13,000.  When sending two or more employees to the same destination, chartering their own aircraft can be much cheaper. This is especially true if a company sends multiple employees to a destination. I truly do believe that if the cost for a private charter is cheaper than flying commercial, then by all means, a company should do it.

A corporate aviation company that I chose to model is Pentastar Aviation located at Pontiac International Airport in Oakland County, MI. Pentastar offers a lot of services like aircraft management, aircraft charter services, executive terminal operations, maintenance, avionics, aviation advisors and five star gourmets catering. In addition it provides marketing through pamphlets, complete description booklets, online advertising, word of mouth, company website and an app for smart phones. Though they are not currently hiring pilots at this current time, they do offer a very competitive benefits package.

Sources:

http://www.nbaa.org/admin/policies/why/

http://www.noplanenogain.org/Welcome.htm?m=1#.VClnK0t_edA

NextGen-The Future

According to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), NextGen is a new era of flight.  Let me elaborate on that.  NextGen plans to use earths satellites that are orbiting the earth as a way of pinpointing aircrafts precise position. As of right now, most of the world is using an archaic form of locating aircrafts and that is known as radar.

Using NextGen for satellite landings will allow the aircraft to be more efficient and predictable on arrival times.  This great new technology will also be used on the ground for a more direct route to your gate or hanger.  Cutting all these little corners such as direct routes and shortened taxi times could save companies millions of dollars in fuel costs over the course of the year.

As for GA (General Aviation) NextGen will help in exactly the same way. GA aircrafts that are equipped with the necessary avionics to support NextGen will have an array of safety technology at an arms reach.  Some of this technology includes a precise satellite landing in IFR conditions as well as live weather in cockpit.  This live weather is a great improvement and the system will actually reroute the aircraft around the weather in the most efficient way. NextGen is truly the wave of the future.

A way that the FAA could get funding for a project like this would be to charge slightly higher landing fees at airports that are equipped with the NextGen technology. Another option might be to charge a slightly higher tariff on the equipment needed to use NextGen.  These are just a couple ideas that might be of help.

In my own personal opinion, I don't see NextGen effecting my career too much. If it did, I would see the effect being a positive one. More direct routes along with more precise approaches as well as weather avoidance... If anything it seems to be creating a safer future for myself and others.



References:

http://www.faa.gov/Nextgen/slides/?slide=1

http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/ga/

http://www.natca.org/legislative_current_issues.aspx?zone=Legislative-Current%20Issues&pID=200

Professionalism

As graduation soon approaches, I find myself pondering all sorts of aviation career choices.  After much research and review of future life choices I think working for a large cargo company would be best.  Working for FedEx or UPS has always been a dream of mine. Fortunately, that dream can now become a reality. Some qualification for this position consists of:

Qualifications

• Commercial Pilot Certificate with Multi-engine and Instrument rating (without limitations) 
• ATP Certificate  
• Current FE Turbojet Rating or written (FEX or Basic/turbojet) taken within previous 18 months only applicable to candidates notified and offered a BI class that may include B727 Second officer positions. 
• Must pass FAA mandated drug screen 
• Must have 20/20 correctable vision
• Recency and type of experience is considered 
• Meet requirements for and currently hold First Class Medical certification
• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university  
• Eligibility for rapid visa issuance, issued by offices in the United States to fly to any FedEx destination.  
• This position requires clearance from United States Postal Service including a FBI fingerprint check.
• This position requires a Radio Telephone Operators License.
• Candidates for jobs involving handling or access to U.S. mail cannot be considered for employment if they have resided outside the U.S., Guam or Puerto Rico for more than (6) six months during the last (5) years prior to today's date, other than the following verifiable exceptions: active duty in the U.S. Uniformed Service; trailing spouse or dependent of someone working for the U.S. government (military or civilian); missionary; student attending school in a foreign country; Peace Corps participant; employee of a U.S. based employer/company or other extraordinary circumstances. 
• Eligibility for issuance of US Security Clearance 
• 1500 hours total fixed-wing time as pilot-in-command (PIC) or second-in-command in multi-engine turbo-prop A/C or jet A/C or combination thereof (GTOW 12,500), including a minimum of 1000 hours total fixed-wing pilot-in-command in multi-engine turbo prop A/C or jet A/C or combination thereof (GTOW 12,500). Note: PIC for this purpose is defined as Captain/Aircraft Commander of record, not simply the sole manipulator of the controls. Note: FedEx considers only pilot time in fixed wing aircraft toward minimum qualifications. This does not include simulator, helicopter, flight engineer, bombardier, navigator, RIO, EWO, WSO, NFO, or Special Crew. 
• All certificates and ratings required to be U.S.A. FAA issued 

The qualifications listed above are provided by https://fedex.pilotcredentials.com/index.php?a=qualifications

Some limitation to this position consist of:

-Holding an ATP

-Background checks

-Hold a first class medical

-At least a bachelors degree

Within the aviation industry professionalism is an absolute key to succeeding. Professionalism means to be kind and courteous to other fellow employees and customers. Arriving on time, if not early to flights along with going above and beyond your expected workload. Nobody likes working with someone who doesn't pull their weight in the work environment. And most importantly, be respectful to others around you.

The pilots of the Colgan flight 3407 lacked professionalism on many levels. one of which was the fact that they did not adhere to the sterile cockpit rule during approach. Second of which the captain lacked some serious leadership which caused some disorder within the standard operating procedures. 

I plan to adhere to all mandatory procedure such as having a sterile cockpit when needed.  These procedures are put in to place for good reason to prevent any sort of air disaster. Within the cockpit and as I become a first officer, having good communication with my captain will be a vital role in having a safe flight. 

Introduction

Ever since I took my first introductory flight at the age of nine I have been slightly obsessed with airplanes.  That fascination later evolved into an interest of every aspect in aviation. I never really put much thought of turning my fascination into my career. Once I graduated high school, I chose to become a Physician Assistant and worked diligently towards that goal. Once I transferred to Eastern Michigan University, my goals began to shift into dreams. I took AVT 100 the first semester I transferred and from there on out, I was hooked.

After a few weeks in AVT 100 my new oriented goals started to become a reality. I began flying at Eagle Flight Center and after 16 short hours I solo'd for my first time. As the adrenalin soared through my veins, I knew that I was hooked for the rest of my life.

As for the rest of my life, I don't really have an idea yet as to where I want to work. I currently work for a major airline and don't really know if that is the lifestyle I want to live. Call me crazy, but I would like a flying career that will allow me to sleep in my bed almost every night.  As to what job that might be, I will let you know as soon as I find out myself!