Professional Organizations

Professional Organizations

            I feel that it is important for anyone in aviation to join multiple professional organizations. There are several that deal with aviation specifically such as The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Organizations (AOPA), Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), The Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA), American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), etc. All of these organizations were developed for aviation specific related issues. They deal with a number of different goals and tasks, and are geared toward different people in the industry. Each organization is put in place to help its consumer. It would benefit most people in the industry to join and participate in as many of these organizations as possible.

            With my major being aviation management, I will be seeking a job as an airport executive or a management position with an airline. I believe that the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) would be a choice that would highly benefit my career path. “AAAE ranks in the top 1 percent of professional trade associations in terms of budget, staff size and has an equally impressive reputation in Washington for providing outstanding representation on behalf of airport executives” (AAAE). The organization holds annual meetings and keeps airport executives up to date on regulation changes within the industry.

            Another organization that would benefit my career path is to become a member of The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). According to the ICAO website, “they promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency and regularity, as well as for aviation environmental protection.” This organization allows everyone in the aviation industry to stay connected and up to date on current events that happen internationally. As an airport executive it would be highly beneficial to be able to network globally. It would be my obligation to my employer to continually keep aware of all current aviation affairs worldwide especially within the countries our airplanes would be flying into. Networking globally would not only keep me current, but it would also continually educate me as to the opportunities outside of my current position allowing for continual advancement.

            With all of the professional organizations throughout the industry, I am sure there are others as equally beneficial which will be researched as my career develops and takes direction. There are professional organizations that can help my career that are not aviation specific as well. The more one is able to network, not just with others in their specific industry, but also with other industries sharing the same job description, the greater the chances are to grow as a professional.

 

 

References

"American Association of Airport Executives." AAAE. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.

http://www.aaae.org/about_aaae/history/

"ICAO in Brief." ICAO in Brief. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.

            http://www.icao.int/about-icao/Pages/default.aspx

"BPA History." Business Professionals of America. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.

            http://www.bpa.org/about/history

Mobile Devices in the World of Aviation

In today’s day and age, smart phones have changed the way people live. They connect people to people faster than ever before as well as putting companies and their products at each user’s fingertips. There are apps for almost everything you can think of. These apps include online banking, shopping, business, and travel. Smart phones have connected the world in ways that many could not have imagined fifteen years ago.

            Smart phones have allowed airlines to create a travel experience that is much easier and convenient for its consumers. Almost all major air carriers allow their customers to manage their travel plans through mobile applications. For instance, Southwest airlines have the ability for their customer to handle everything electronically without speaking to anyone until they are at the check in gate. According to Southwest.com, a customer can “book, change or cancel air reservations, book or cancel rental car reservations, check in for your flight, mobile boarding pass, check flight status and set up text notifications, add Early Bird Check-In to an existing reservation, enroll in and access your Rapid Rewards account, view travel and weather alerts, access helpful airport information, view & book the latest DING! deals (iOS app only).”

            According to the New York Times, “eighty percent of all travelers use self-service options when booking travel.” This allows for many positive outcomes for the airline and the consumer. For the airline it saves money. They do not have to hire as much personnel to do all of the jobs that the consumers are now doing on their own. There is little to no need to have a large working staff booking travel, or checking customers in. The airlines are able to take the saved money and put it to other uses. For the customer, it saves time. In today’s world, time can be everything. For business men or women on the go, they are able to book a flight from any location in a matter of minutes. The person traveling does not even need a computer to print out the boarding pass. Their smart phone is the boarding pass, once again saving time and money.

            With all of the positive features mobile devices have given to the aviation community, there are however negative drawbacks, and one in particular that apps have definitely created. Like any other automated system, airline apps have replaced the jobs that skilled professionals once held. With these positions now being filled by the consumers themselves booking their own travel, these professionals are no longer needed. In an already job challenged age, apps have narrowed the job market even further.

 

"Mobile App & Site." Mobile Access. Southwest, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

http://www.southwest.com/html/air/products/mobile.html

Stellin, Susan. "Paper Is Out, Cellphones Are In." The New York Times. The New York

Times, 18 Mar. 2008. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/technology/18check.html?_r=0

"The Trouble with Using Your Phone to Board." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 17

Sept. 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2012/09/mobile-boarding-passes

Yu, Roger. "USA TODAY Today in the Sky." Smartphones Have Changed the Way We Travel.

N.p., 10 Mar. 2010. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-03-05-airphones05_cv_n.htm

American Airlines/U.S. Airways Merger

The merger of American and U.S. Airways was thought to be weeks away, until they were notified the merger was put on hold. The U.S. Justice department decided to block the $11 billion deal that would benefit both airlines in the long run. Before the deal can go through, the U.S. Justice department have to approve the deal will not affect society as a whole. The merger would first have to go through several phases because of certain bankruptcy issues. According to the Huffington Post, American Airlines is ranked 3^rd and U.S. Airlines is ranked 5^th when comparing them to other large United States carriers. “When they merge, they will have 1665 combined routes.” The U.S. Justice department put a stop to the merger because they believe there will be too much control over these routes. They think the company will be able to charge as much as they want because of decreased competition. There is a possibility of this happening, but in today’s economy there still has to be logic when it comes to ticket prices. An airline does not want to lose customers because of sky rocketing prices.

According to Doug Parker, currently the CEO of U.S Airways, told the Senate panel “that the deal would be good for consumers by creating a bigger airline with service to more locations than either American or US Airways can offer on their own. It would be the world's biggest airline.” A larger airline would give the consumer a broader variety to choose from when they choose flights. This would take away some competition, but it would not create a non- competitive market like some believe. There are still other large airlines such as Delta, United and Southwest that compete against one another every day. There are companies such as Virgin America that have voiced their opinion against the merger. Virgin representatives say that “proposed deal between U.S. Airways and American would further solidify already considerable impediments to new entrants.”

If this merger is allowed to proceed, a big task for upper management will be to find the best way to merge the seniority employee list of both companies. They would try to repeat what has happened when U.S. Airways and America West merged many years ago. The almost 8 year old dispute has went on long enough, and has dates set to finalize a decision. According to  thestreet.com, “the two sides agreed to a binding arbitration, but the result was a controversial Nicolau ruling that strongly favored America West pilots.” This caused the U.S Airline pilots to leave the Airline Pilots Association and form the U.S. Airline Pilot Association. The entire process has been a headache so to speak, which has still not been finalized. If the new merger happens, finding ways for both sides of pilots to mutually agree on the merging of the seniority list will be a priority. Upper level management will need to learn from previous mistakes so their pilots are not divided.

 

 

Fairchild, Caroline. "American Airlines-U.S. Airways Merger Would Reduce Competition:

GAO." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 20 June 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/20/airline-merger-competition-gao_n_3471090.html

Koenig, David. "Local News." Challenge to US Airways-American Merger Sets up Legal Fight.

Charlotte Observer, 19 June 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/08/13/4233445/justice-dept-challenges-us-airways.html#.UoFV9xYo7IU

Reed, Ted. "US Airways Pilots Look to Endgame in Seniority Dispute." The Street. N.p., 09

Aug. 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/12004190/1/us-airways-pilots-look-to-end-game-in-seniority-dispute.html

Bartz, Diane, and Karen Jacobs. "Virgin Jumps Into Debate Over US Airways, American

Merger." Fox Business. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/investing/2013/11/11/virgin-jumps-into-debate-over-us-airways-american-merger/

Professionalism

 

           The aviation industry is held to a certain standard of professionalism. The general public expects the aviation industry to live up to these standards, with professionalism being important for success. Most of the people in the industry conduct themselves in a professional manner because it is what is expected. Professionalism is defined as any one person or company to hold themselves to a high level of standards. They will possess the correct skills, act appropriate, dress accordingly, follow rules/guidelines, be honest and ethical while providing good experiences for customers.

With the industry holding pilots to a high level of professional skills, I believe that professionalism is accomplished everyday with every successful flight. In the case of  U.S. Airways Airbus A320 that was in route from New York, NY to Charlotte, NC.,  ran into a flock of birds causing the aircraft to lose both engines. According to NBC News, “Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger of Danville, CA., floated the plane into the Hudson River, saving the lives of everyone on board.” Captain Sullenger conducted himself in the most professional manner possible under the circumstances. He did not panic, and used his skill set to save the lives of all passengers onboard. His choice may have not been the most popular decision, but it was the one that saved the lives of his passengers and crew.

There are many examples over the years of people in the aviation industry that have strayed from the expected professional behavior. The case that sticks out in my mind the most was the incident when the Southwest Airlines pilot accidently didn’t know his mic was stuck. He began to ramble on “about how his flight crews have been nothing but a bunch of gays, grannys, and grandes, which prevented him from being able to party and have fun.” This ended up being broadcast over an air traffic control frequency that was heard through out the greater part of Texas. Even though he did not mean for his words to be heard outside of the cockpit, it is still a case of unprofessionalism. It offended those that count on him daily and showed a moment of sheer weakness in his character. With the aviation industry already under a microscope, it cannot afford for an incident like this to happen. This incident made national news and added to the public’s negative perception of pilots in the industry.

As a student, I am trying to hone my professional skills for when the time comes that I am in the professional aviation world. First, by continually updating my resume, and collecting experience within the aviation industry and related logistic practices I am providing the most up to date information to my perspective employer. It will continue to change and become perfected as I gain new experience. I am continually updating my knowledge to any new laws and ordinances nationally, as well as within my state and city of employment. I am continually perfecting my people skills, remembering to always stay true to myself and the truth in every situation. I will try to remember not to exaggerate my capabilities or my qualifications. Also, remembering to treat my colleagues and my employees how I want to be treated. Never expecting someone to do something I am not willing to do myself. Looking them in the eye when I address them with respect for providing me with support. My grandfather always said, “I even treat the guy taking the garbage out daily with respect, because without him, I am taking the garbage out.”

None of us can plan for every situation that might arise within a day. All we can do is prepare mentally with resolutions to possible problems. By doing this the brain recognizes it has been there before and responds. My plan is to treat colleagues and those holding authoritative positions with respect, and by holding myself to a higher standard, both in thought and action.

 

 

Wilson, Simone. "Southwest Pilot Calls Flight Attendants 'Gays, Grannies and Grandes' on Plane

to SoCal, Forgets to Turn off Mic (AUDIO)." The Informer. N.p., 23 June 2011. Web. 04

Nov. 2013.

http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2011/06/southwest_pilot_rant_gays_grannies.php

Msnbc. "N.Y. Jet Crash Called 'miracle on the Hudson'" Msnbc.com. N.p., 15 Jan. 2009. Web.

05 Nov. 2013. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/28678669/

Smith, Steve. "Professionalism: A ‘Must Have’ For All Aviation Workers." AviationPros.com.

Ed. Dr. Bill Johnson. AviationPros, 21 Dec. 2011. Web. 05 Nov. 2013.

http://www.aviationpros.com/article/10456996/ramp-workers-must-be-professionals-to-ensure-safety

Boeing vs. Airbus

          Boeing and Airbus have emerged to become the two powerhouses in the building of commercial airliners along with other aerospace technologies. Boeing is a publically traded United States based company while Airbus is based in Europe and ran by several partnering countries. Even though they are on two different continents, they compete for the same business in the worldwide aviation market. These two competitors have created a duopoly over the past twenty plus years; shutting most startup companies out before they are able to make an impact.

Boeing and Airbus have competed year after year in airline sales. Their narrow body designs, the A320 and the 737, have been the most obvious competition between the two companies. They still upgrade the plane designs every year to sell them to customers in hopes to sell more than the other. Fuel efficiency seems to be the largest focus for both airline builders. In the jumbo jet market, Boeing has had great success with the 747 while airbus manufactures the “super jumbo” A380. According to Adam Levine-Weinberg, Boeing is trying to upgrade the 747 in hopes to better compete with the A380. Boeing may have the leading edge to date. They have developed the 787 Dreamliner, which sent sales through the roof, even though it was delayed much longer than expected. According to Adam Levine-Weinberg, Boeing has a better grasp on composite technology. Airbus is still trying to develop ways to use this technology, but is not as advanced as Boeing.

Both Boeing and Airbus have planes flying throughout the world. Boeing has more than 12,000 planes currently in service compared to only 7443 that airbus currently has flying (Boeing)(Airbus.com).  Airbus is a European based company employing more than 63,000 people. Boeing is a United States based company employing almost 171,000 employees. With these statistics alone, you can assume that Boeing has a leading edge both in size and amount of planes in service. Why would Boeings statistics almost double that of airbus? There could be many factors that play into this. Marketing could be one of the largest contributors to Boeings success. It is rumored that Boeing may even use negative situations such as that of a pilot shortage to a marketing advantage. Another reason could be location and political power. Airbus is backed by European nations which would give them the advantage in that market, where as Boeing is located in the U.S. where there is a very strong political backing.

These two companies have not shown any signs of slowing down in the near future. I believe they will only continue to grow and sell more aircraft with increasing technologies being developed and integrated every year. It will be almost impossible for a startup company to compete with Boeing and Airbus on a size and economic scale. The duopoly they have created will dominate the worldwide aviation community for years to come.

 

 

Levine-Weinberg, Adam. "Boeing and Airbus Step Up Their War of Words." (BA). N.p., 17 Aug. 2013.

Web. 28 Oct. 2013.

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/08/17/boeing-and-airbus-step-up-their-war-of-words.aspx

"About Us." Boeing: Commercial Airplanes. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.

http://www.boeing.com/boeing/companyoffices/aboutus/brief/commercial.page

"Orders & Deliveries."  | Airbus, a Leading Aircraft Manufacturer. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.

                http://www.airbus.com/company/market/orders-deliveries/

"Boeing 747-8 vs. Airbus A380 -- the Airline Giants Face off." CNN Travel. N.p., 17 Dec. 2011. Web.

               28 Oct. 2013.

http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/life/boeing-747-8-and-airbus-a380-death-match-152563

General Aviation in China

In today’s world, China has begun to venture into markets in which they have very little previous experience. China’s aviation involvement has grown rapidly over the recent years. Currently, they are the fastest growing region in the world. It is only fitting that China would sooner or later begin to venture into the general aviation field. China has begun to acquire U.S. general aviation companies such as Cirrus, Continental aircraft engines, Epic Aircraft, Superior AirParts, Thielert diesel engines, Brantly, and Enstrom Helicopters. Cirrrus CEO Dale Klapmeier notes that, “owner China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (CAIGA) is committed to supporting the company’s development efforts and that the Vision is among several products on the drawing table” (Aviation week, 2013). Another U.S. general aviation company that has aircraft built by Chinese companies is Cessna. The Cessna skycatcher is built by a Chinese company, and they have said they will start producing jets in the near future. With China able to build and produce aircraft at a rapid rate, it will make it hard for U.S. companies to stay competitive.

Flying in general has become much more accessible in China over the past 15 years. With the amount of money and people that China currently has, you would think that aviation would have been integrated a long time ago. According to AIN online, the largest issue with general aviation growth in china is that the Chinese military has control over the airspace and currently only about one third of the airspace is available to general aviation to use, due to it being under an experimental phase. Once certain airspace restrictions are lifted, general aviation in China will grow at an extremely rapid rate. They are a competitive people and looking to be number one in acquiring businesses, resources, and products that would allow them to achieve and maintain super power status in the world.

With China looking to build up their general aviation, it will require more employees to work at these general aircraft companies. All types or production, line, engineering, etc.  positions should increase at a tremendous rate for a quite some time. Training facilities will also need to be established, which will require trained pilots to train new pilots. The job market in this field should be a bright one for those that do not have a problem with relocating in order to get one of those new positions. China still has a ways to go before they are on the same level of general aviation regions such as North America and Europe. They are taking all of the necessary steps to position themselves to be world leader and future producer of general aviation aircraft.

 

                                                       References

Morris, John. "Will China Be the Savior of U.S. General Aviation?" Will China Be the Savior of

U.S. General Aviation? N.p., 30 July 1013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.

http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckPostId=Blog:7a78f54e-b3dd-4fa6-ae6e-dff2ffd7bdbbPost:f2d6a878-a26b-40b4-b8ff-f0b6c5f52c00

Thurber, Matt. "Jason Liao Sees Rapid Growth For General Aviation In China." Aviation

International News. N.p., 17 Apr. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.

http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/abace-convention-news/2013-04-17/jason-liao-sees-rapid-growth-general-aviation-china

"China Continues Low Altitude Airspace Trial for General Aviation." Latest World Aviation

News, Airline News, Analysis & Research. N.p., 23 Nov. 2011. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.

http://centreforaviation.com/analysis/china-continues-low-altitude-airspace-trial-for-general-aviation-63297

Qiyu, Feng. "General Aviation: A Promising Market for Future--China Economic Net." General

Aviation: A Promising Market for Future--China Economic Net. N.p., 3 Sept. 2013. Web.

20 Oct. 2013. http://en.ce.cn/Insight/201309/03/t20130903_1322107.shtml

Corporate Aviation

Corporate Aviation

In today’s business world corporate aviation is relied on to move employees, sensitive cargo, etc.  There are many critics in the world that believe corporate aviation is unnecessary and a waste of money. There are many that believe companies should send their executives and employees via commercial aviation. What many do not realize is just how vital corporate aviation truly is to a company. According to No Plane No Gain, “three percent of all commercial aviation is cancelled and nearly one quarter is delayed.” This can hinder a corporations schedule if an employee needs to be in another city without delay. According to public perception, corporate jets only carry high paid executives to destinations even when the company cannot afford it. However, according to an NBAA survey, “72 percent of the passengers aboard corporate jets are not executives.” Corporate aviation helps the entire company to succeed and strive forward as long as the company uses it for the right reasons.

Corporate aviation also allows companies to connect to cities that are unreachable by commercial aviation. There are many companies that have built factories and headquarters in small towns which are served by small airports and cannot be utilized by large airplanes. There are many towns across the nation, that are dependent on these factories to survive. If a company needs to send employees or special packages fast, they would not be able to without a small jet. Without a corporate jet they would have to fly into a major city and then have to take a car, sometimes hours to reach their destination. The hours lost could potentially cause the company business. Business aviation serves ten times the number of airports across the U.S. than commercial aviation. Corporate aviation helps the economy by connecting the corporate world to the five thousand plus airports/communities that it serves in the United States.

Feeding the public’s negative perception of corporate aviation, President Obama has stated that he does not believe that business jet owners deserve a tax break. He stated that “people buying jets should not deserve an extra tax break when ordinary people cannot afford the same luxury.”  In my opinion this tax encourages the people who can afford jets the incentive to buy one. If this tax break is taken away, there will be fewer jets bought which would affect the number of jets built. This could once again threaten jobs and cause more unemployment. The NBAA and GAMA have taken the other side and are trying to reinforce the importance of personal and corporate jet ownership.

The corporate companies use accelerated depreciation to write of these big purchases at an accelerated speed.  Allowing the company to write a jet off faster would allow them to save taxes on money earned. This would in turn possibly allow the company to make other purchase or put money back into the company where needed. It is part of the stimulus package because it helps the company and could also create more jobs if the company is able to grow.

All in all, I believe that corporate jets are a vital part to aviation as well as the business world. As long as companies do not abuse these luxuries, it will overall help the economy. Hopefully the general public will one day start looking at the positives effects instead of only focusing on the few negative cases of corporate aviation.

 

References

"Warren Buffet and Business Aviation Facts | No Plane No Gain." Warren Buffet And Business

Aviation Facts | No Plane No Gain. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

http://www.noplanenogain.org/Advocacy_Tools.htm?m=47&s=407#.UlrzWBbD_IU

"Obama Defends Ending Corporate Jet Tax Break." USA Today. Gannett, 21 Feb. 2013. Web. 13 Oct.

2013. http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2013/02/21/obama-corporate-jets-tax-break-wichita/1935861/

"Accelerated Depreciation." Investopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

                http://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/accelerateddepreciation.asp

Kauffmann, Chris. "Aviation Firms Fighting Mad over Corporate Aircraft Criticism." Widgets RSS. N

             .p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/02/23/story14.html?page=all

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s) are becoming very popular for various reasons. These aircraft are mostly used in military settings such as for reconnaissance missions and strike/bombing missions. These aircraft are operated from a designated location where the “pilot” operates the aircraft from a control room. It is almost as if the “pilot” is playing a video game. UAV’s have become increasingly popular over the recent years because there is little to no human risk if the plane goes down.

As of right now there are not any regulations when it comes to unmanned aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has only “accommodated” this type of technology. It is going to be hard since there has never really been a situation like this in the past. Ballinger of the FAA says “that at any given moment there is approximately seven thousand aircraft flying in the skies over the United States. The most difficult task is to figure out how to incorporate UAV’s safely into the National Aerospace.” It is going to take them a great deal of time to put rules and regulations in place. It could also potentially take just as long to get the aviation public to adopt and recognize the regulations when they are finally put into place.

I believe one of the initial courses of action for the FAA is develop a training program as well as mandate that all UAV pilots are certified and possibly even type rated. According to UAV MarketSpace, “as of 2005 there are no certificate requirements for UAV pilots and not one civilian training center based in the United States.” Most UAV pilots are trained in the military and/or were hired out of a University sometimes holding an engineering degree. The United States Air force promotes the view that only a qualified pilot can operate a UAV, but this is not the case in the civilian world.

If UAVs is where the aviation future is heading, then I see the FAA making the necessary regulation and requirements to be put into effect sooner than later. I believe that a pilot of a UAV should be qualified and licensed just like all other pilots. Even though there are not human lives at stake on a drone, they still pose a potential threat to manned aircraft in the same vicinity. The “pilot” flying the drone needs to understand that it is not just a video game and that there is a potential threat to civilian lives aboard other aircraft. I am not quite certain as to how the general public will welcome unmanned aircraft commercially, but with growing technology it is always a possibility that UAVs are the future of aviation.

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

 

Editor, T. (March 29, 2013). UAS “Accommodated” – Not Integrated into US National

Airspace – FAA Official. UAS Vision.

http://www.uasvision.com/2013/03/29/uas-accommodated%E2%80%9D-not-integrated-into-us-national-airspace-faa-official/

Bauer, J. NASA: Integrating UAVs into the National Aerospace System. NASA.

            http://uvs-info.com/phocadownload/05_3g_2005/10_NASA-ACCESS5.pdf

Civil UAV Pilot Certification. Developing Commercial UAV Applications. UAV MarketSpace.

            http://www.uavm.com/uavregulatory/pilotcertificationandhumanfactors.html

Williams, K.W. (2007) Unmanned Aircraft Pilot Medical Certification Requirements. Federal

Aviation Administration. https://www.fas.org/irp/program/collect/ua-pilot.pdf

Leveling Global Aviation

Leveling Global Aviation

 

It is clear from the various articles that have been published, that Boeing is creating a buzz by pointing out the up and coming shortage in the amount of pilots that will be trained to fly all of the planes Boeing is looking to sell through 2023. To understand why pointing this out benefits Boeing you first need to read between the lines. Why create a buzz that concentrates on a “pilot shortage?” Why point out the obvious increase in Countries other than the US as the major purchasers?

One reason is if China, India and Europe make up the bulk of who is providing Boeing with these new orders, then why would Boeing stimulated articles in United States newspapers concentrate so heavily on the shortage. Yes, we are a competitive nation, and always have been, and the thought of China growing their air fleet could stimulate purchases from United States based passenger airlines, as well as cargo shippers in order to stay competitive. But, it also gets people thinking about how to put together creative funding to train the pilots needed to feed the plane purchasing. Creative funding by collectively uniting private airlines to help provide adequate, and affordable pilot training, possibly coupled with funding from the federal government in the form of grants or low interest loans. Why not try to manipulate the world’s leading service and technical nation and economy into funding a pilot producing tank which would continue to support future sales for Boeing without ever having to contribute a dollar to the process.

The second question is why are these countries buying so many aircraft over the next ten years? Also what has changed in the world markets that the US does not lead in that buying frenzy?  To understand that you need to compare who the US exports to most frequently, what we export, and from where those exports originate, against countries like China and India. The US exports most to Canada and Mexico. And, the largest commodities exported are food and automotive parts. Since all of our Automotive manufacturers are in Michigan, which is at the doorstep of Canada who is the largest purchaser of those parts. Trucking, combined with rail due to the efforts of J.B Hunt, a logistic genius, helps to make up the 72.5% of all export moves done from the United States. Shipping by water takes 5.2% and Air 15.4% leaving exporting by pipeline at 6.9%. With 72.5% exporting done by truck and rail it tells us that the United States has one of the most complex and connected rail systems in the world. China has failed to reach a deal on their railway link for years and the rail systems in India and the Arab nations virtually non-existent. Since these traditionally under developed countries have begun to become players in the export business in recent years, and their markets continue to grow, they need additional aircraft to support that growth. That fact due mainly to Chinas largest purchaser of the exports being the United States which is a 10,000 to over 11,000 mile trip depending on the origination city and India’s largest purchaser of exports being the Arab United Nation which is also over 1400 miles per trip. The obvious reason for personal aircraft purchases in those countries would be as more of these exports are made and bought, the workers can afford to travel.

As previously mentioned, Boeing, as many companies often do, will pitch one customer against the other to stimulate sales. By pointing out to United States based airline companies that their major competitor is buying and growing their fleet with new, fuel efficient aircraft will stimulate U.S. airlines to replace their aging, less fuel efficient fleets.

 

Works Cited

Burnson, P. (May 1, 2011). Top 20 U.S. ports: where’s the money? Retrieved from

                www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/special_report_top_20_u.s._ports_wheres_the_money

International Trade Administration. (February 11,2009) U.S. export fact sheet. Retrieved from

                 http://trade.gov/press/press_releases/2009/export-factsheet_021109.pdf

International Trade Administration. (February 8, 2013).  U.S. export fact sheet.  Retrieved from

                http://www.trade.gov/press/press-releases/2013/export-factsheet-february2013-020813.pdf

NG, J. (August 23, 2013). Chinese airlines lure pilots with double the pay of U.S. captains. Retrieved

Fromhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323455104579012194041354578.html

CAPA. (August 30,2013). CAPA global aviation industry outlook 2013 - pursuing certainty in an   

     uncertain world - Part 2. Retrieved from http://centreforaviation.com/analysis/capa-global-

     aviation-industry-outlook-2013---pursuing-certainty-in-an-uncertain-world---part-2-104436

The logistics and transportation industry in the United States. Retrieved from

http://selectusa.commerce.gov/industry-snapshots/logistics-and-transportation-industry-united-states

Pilot Shortage?

Is there a pilot shortage in the near future? Some aviation enthusiasts believe that there is going to be a great demand for pilots. There are a few reasons as to why this could happen. First, there is going to be many pilots reaching the sixty five year old retirement rule all around the same time. With this happening it is going to create many jobs among the commercial and regional airline companies. With pilots moving from the regional airlines to the commercial airlines there will be shortage on the regional level. The regional pilots will have to start looking for new young pilots to take the low paying positions. However, there is another issue that has been just put into effect. The FAA just past a regulation that will require airline companies to only hire pilots with a minimum of fifteen hundred hours. This regulation will add to the pilot shortage. It will take a while for the first wave of young pilots to gain the fifteen hundred hours. Once they finally begin to gain enough hours the shortage should start to subside.

Aviation is very important to society. Thousands and thousands of flight each day travel to worldwide destinations. A pilot shortage will not just hurt the United States, but the world aviation community as a whole. Many countries already recruit young pilots from the U.S. as it is. If more and more pilots begin to take jobs overseas because of better pay or the sole fact that it is easier to get a job, then the U.S. regional carriers could potentially suffer even more. Countries such as China are in high demand for pilots. With their giant population continuing to grow, aviation in that part of the world continues to thrive and grow daily. According to Boeing, “the only part of the world where aviation is not rapidly growing is Europe.” With aviation growing in the way it is a pilot shortage is very possible.

Boeing also suggests that there are companies expanding and purchasing new aircraft. There will need to be about 25,000 pilots hired each year to support the growth of commercial aviation.  Along with the previously identified issues such as retirement and hour regulations, Boeing believes that the cause of this is airlines changing to single isle aircraft. Airline companies add new aircraft and usually do not initially get rid of older ones. This causes the need for more pilots to fly the new aircraft added to their fleets.

Commercial aviation in the United States is going to have to come to its senses and figure out a way to retain its own pilots. Countries such as China are going to have success in luring pilots overseas if they can offer a much higher salary. Regional carriers are also going to have to figure out a way to bring pilots into their systems. Ways they could recruit pilots could be either offering a higher salary, or possibly helping young pilots with the expense of gaining hours. The next few years could be a trying time for the aviation industry in the U.S., but I believe the airline companies will be able to keep growing and move forward.

Trajos, Nancy. "Airlines Face a Pilot Shortage, Boeing Report Says." USA Today. Gannett, 29 Aug.

             2013. Web. 22 Sept. 2013.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2013/08/29/airlines-face-a-pilot-shortage-boeing-report-says/2725815/

"Ace's Blog." IMPENDING PILOT SHORTAGE MYTH OR REALITY Comments. The Rogue Aviator, 2 May

2013. Web. 22 Sept. 2013.

http://therogueaviator.com/impending-pilot-shortage-myth-or-reality/

 

Schaal, Dennis. "Regional Airlines’ Pilot Shortage Is Heading Toward the Perfect Storm." Skift. N.p.,

             25 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Sept. 2013.

http://skift.com/2013/08/29/regional-airlines-pilot-shortage-is-heading-toward-the-perfect-storm/

Ng, Jeffrey. "The Free Automatic Bibliography and Citation Generator." EasyBib. Wall Street Journal,

             23 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Sept. 2013.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323455104579012194041354578.html

Pilot Certification and Qualification Requirements for Air Carrier Operations

A person graduating from Eastern Michigan University looking to enter into the airline industry will need to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in aviation and comply with the requirements of code 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The graduate will have to hold 1000 flight hours and meet the remaining requirements of 61.160. To become a co-pilot for a passenger or cargo plane, the pilots will need a minimum of 1500 hours which is a dramatic increase from 250 hours.

One specific issue that could affect the Eastern Michigan’s flight training program with the new regulations in place would be the cost. Flight training is already expensive. With many students being on the verge of not being able to afford the flight program as it is, the university may have to find ways to help students afford the cost. Pilot trainers could become harder to come by and cost significantly more as well. As a student pilot, building hours will be the most challenging aspect to beginning your career. Many future students may have no other choice but to receive their training through the military, which could also delay their entry into the commercial field by as long as ten years. Hopefully this regulation does not scare future student pilots away or create a period of time where there becomes a severe lack of fully trained pilots. If programs like Eastern starts to lose students, they will have to find ways to recruit as well as new ways of affording the extensive training.

The potential benefits that would ensue from the new regulations could be that the pilots will be more experienced with having to log more hours than the current regulations. The FAA is trying to eliminate as many potential pilot error situations as possible. The Colgan Air flight 3407 was the basis for the change in regulations. I believe that the FAA believes by doing this there will be a reduced accident rate, while also making safety and pilot training the ultimate goals. Even though it is a dramatic increase in hours, it may help the general public feel safer when they are flying.

I think the ramifications of FAR 61.160 might affect the Regional Airlines the most. The regional airlines will have a much more difficult time finding pilots who meet the new qualifications for airline pilots. It is going to be much more expensive and take longer for new pilots to gain enough hours to become a pilot in command. Some of the Regional Airlines may get desperate and end up having to spend money on helping new/young pilots financially be able to afford to build hours. The aviation industry may have to make agreements for paying for pilot training in which the pilot then has an obligation to the company for a period of time at a reduced pay rate to pay back the training hours. These new pilot qualifications were put into place after the Colgan Air 3407 in February 2009 went down. This accident was due to pilot error. It was found that both the pilot and first officer in charge of the aircraft lacked experience flying in certain weather conditions. I believe that these provisions will help pilots gain experience and be better at their job. With that said, I also believe that the new qualifications are a little steep. I could see gradually increasing the minimum flight hour requirements, but with this regulation they are going above and beyond what may be necessary.

"Press Release – FAA Boosts Aviation Safety with New Pilot Qualification Standards." Press

     Release – FAA Boosts Aviation Safety with New Pilot Qualification Standards. N.p., n.d. Web. 15

     Sept. 2013. http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=14838

"News." CBS New York. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2013.

     http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/07/10/faa-announces-new-requirements-for-commercial-co-    pilots/

Maxon, Terry. "FAA Will Require Airline Pilots to Have at Least 1,500 Flight Hours." Airline Biz

     Blog. N.p., 10 July 2013. Web. 15 Sept. 2013.

     http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2013/07/15604.html/

McClam, Erin. "FAA Toughens Requirements for Co-pilots on Commercial Flights." NBC News.

     N.p., 10 July 2013. Web. 15 Sept. 2013.

     http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/10/19396425-faa-toughens-requirements-for-co-

     pilots-on-commercial-flights?lite

Introduction

Hi, everyone.

            My name is Jeremy Osburn. I am twenty five years of age and am finally a senior at Eastern Michigan. My college career has kind of been all over the place. I started at Eastern Michigan five years ago, attended for two years and then transferred to Arizona State University. I had a great time in Arizona but ended up having to come back because the out of state tuition was expensive. With some classes that have not transferred back, it has taken me longer than I expected to graduate, but I can finally say that I will graduate in April, 2014.

            I started my college career as a flight student but ended up changing it to aviation management once I moved out to Arizona. Even though I enjoyed the flying aspect of the business, I believe that the management side suits my professional career better. I am unsure as to what exactly I want to do with my degree when I graduate. I started out wanting to become a director of an airport, which still intrigues me, but lately I have been talking to a family friend who sells corporate jets. I think it would be challenging and exciting to try and sell corporate jets to customers in the industry. A career like this would allow me to travel the world, and still be connected to the aviation industry

            I am from Monroe, MI, but currently live and work in Toledo, OH. It is a long commute to Eastern, but I only have to make the drive two days a week. Living in Toledo allows me to be close to work, friends, family, and I have also found a coaching job at the High School I graduated from. I coach the varsity boys’ hockey team at St. Mary’s Catholic Central in Monroe, MI. With work, school, and coaching I am always busy, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. Coaching is something that I enjoy and hope that I am able to continue in the future.

            Once I graduate, I hope to find a job/career in something that I enjoy doing. Hopefully this senior year will provide me with a greater sense of direction as to what I need to search for to reach my long term goals. I understand that I may not find my dream job at first, but my goal is to find something that I love doing.