Aviation Organizations Assignment

My current career path will likely consist of time spent as a CFI building time, and then on to the regional airlines to start working towards a career in either the major airlines or to gain enough experience to get a jump start into corporate aviation. I am currently a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) on the national level. These two organizations are focused on General Aviation (GA) and in many ways they represent two sides of the same coin. They each focus on advocating causes that benefit the GA community. Many of these issues do not necessarily affect me right now, such as the fight to abolish or minimize the 3^rd class medical, but forty years in my future that just might come in handy. One item that both groups oppose that does affect me is the idea of GA user fees, luckily with AOPA and EAA support the issue has never gained any real traction. Flight training would become much more expensive with a $100 per flight fee imposed by the government. The two groups do have important distinctions as well. AOPA has their Air Safety Institute that organizes various seminars around the country, open to the public, where various aviation topics are discussed in order to help keep pilots up to speed and flying safely. The EAA on the other hand focuses on more specific aviation niches like homebuilt aircraft and warbirds, as well as holding their annual Airventure event in Oshkosh, WI. I find both organizations to be a useful way to keep tabs on the GA community.

Once I reach the regional airlines I will be joining the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). This organization is the pilots union that helps negotiate contracts and lobbies the government to advocate on behalf of airline pilots. A current topic of debate is the alleged unfair subsidies that Persian Gulf airlines have been receiving. ALPA has partnered with the three US flag carriers and a number of other unions to try and force the US government to level the playing field so that US airlines, and subsequently US pilots, are able to thrive in the global economy. ALPA has also taken the stance with the pilot shortage that the problem is low pay at the regional airlines. We are just beginning to see this argument come to fruition with the recent announcement that Endeavor (a Delta subsidiary) is offering pilots $80,000 over 4 years to work for them.

References:

About EAA. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2015, from https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/about-eaa

Air Safety Institute. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://www.aopa.org/Pilot-Resources/Air-Safety-Institute

Alpa About ALPA Who We Are. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://www.alpa.org/AboutALPA/WhoWeAre/tabid/2030/Default.aspx

Endeavor Air Announces $80,000 Pilot Retention Program | Coastflight. (2015, January 29). Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://iflycoast.com/endeavor-air-retention-program/

Mission and History of AOPA. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://www.aopa.org/About-AOPA/Governance/Mission-and-History-of-AOPA

Partnership for Open and Fair Skies. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://www.openandfairskies.com/

 

 

Business of Aviation Assignment

The Business of Aviation

            The airline industry is a vital piece of the global economy. Despite their necessary function, airlines have historically performed poorly in terms of profits and return on investment. One issue is the extravagant cost of operation. Airplanes are expensive to obtain, expensive to operate, and expensive to maintain. Stiff competition keeps fares low, resulting in profit margins that average just a few dollars per passenger. While recent relief from exorbitant fuel prices has been a boon for US carriers, the number of large flag carriers has dwindled as poor management, inflexible costs, and inefficient structure have resulted in bankruptcies and mergers. By reorganizing under bankruptcy law the airline can ideally shed some debts and emerge a more efficient organization.

            Start-up airlines with a large enough fortune to seek that small fortune do have some advantages. First of all they are not saddled with an existing infrastructure that might have grown inefficient as the economy evolved. While perhaps more expensive up front, a fancy new B737 or A320 is more alluring and fuel efficient than a 25-plus year old MD-80. Allure is exactly what a start-up airline needs to gain enough market share to stay afloat. Keeping fares as low as possible is probably the biggest lure to grab market share, but some airlines have found a niche with offering better in-flight service. The problem with a niche is that you almost necessarily have to carve it out of the existing flying population, and if you get it wrong there is a high probability of failure. The interior of an airplane can be rearranged, but matching the most effective aircraft for the job is key. If you plan for too much capacity you will lose money flying half-full aircraft. If you plan too small you miss out on potential revenue.

References:

4 Reasons Why Airlines Are Always Struggling. (2010, May 18). Retrieved March 30, 2015, from http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0510/4-reasons-why-airlines-are-always-struggling.aspx

Maxon, T. (2014, September 22). Seven U.S. carriers among the world's most profitable airlines. Retrieved March 30, 2015, from http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2014/09/sevem-u-s-carriers-among-the-worlds-most-profitable-airlines.html/

Mouawad, J. (2012, May 25). The Challenge of Starting an Airline. Retrieved March 30, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/26/business/start-up-airlines-face-big-obstacles.html?_r=0

Perkins, E. (2014, April 30). Start-up Airlines You Probably Haven't Heard of (Except for the Zombie Ones). Retrieved March 30, 2015, from https://www.yahoo.com/travel/start-up-airlines-you-probably-havent-heard-of-except-84334605327.html

Pisa, K., & Hobbs, T. (2014, June 3). How airlines make 'less than $6 per passenger' - CNN.com. Retrieved March 31, 2015, from http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/03/travel/how-airlines-make-less-than-6/

Why airlines make such meagre profits. (2014, February 23). Retrieved March 30, 2015, from http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2014/02/economist-explains-5

 

Serious Issues Facing US Airlines

One of the major issues facing the US Airline Industry is the ability of some competitors, namely the three Middle Eastern or Gulf carriers (Emirates, Etihad, Qatar), to utilize the US Government sponsored Export-Import Bank to finance the purchase of excessive numbers of wide-body jet aircraft from Boeing at low rates. The purpose of the Ex-Im Bank is to support US businesses by making it easier for foreign companies to purchase US manufactured products. Evidently the Ex-Im Bank is wildly successful, judging by the number of aircraft ordered by the Gulf carriers. The Gulf carriers are using these aircraft by adding massive amounts of capacity and operating at a loss, which is straining the ability of US air carriers to compete internationally. While I understand why the Ex-Im Bank exists, I’m not certain that companies from oil-rich Middle Eastern nations are the intended recipients. Emirates is the largest airline in the world by capacity, while it hails from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a population of 9.2 million. Interestingly enough there are a mere 1.4 million citizens and the remainder are expatriates.

The Gulf carriers fielding excess seating capacity as a result of cheap wide-body jets plays into another issue for the US carriers. Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar are all allegedly receiving government subsidies from their respective nations (UAE and Qatar). The Gulf carriers deny these allegations, but the US carriers have requested that the Obama administration investigate the matter. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) has issued a report alleging that the Gulf carriers have collectively received at least $42 billion in quantifiable subsidies over the past 10 years. These include loans with no interest and no commitment to actually repay, governments covering losses from fuel hedging, and prohibiting unions, thereby paying workers substantially less than US carriers. The Gulf carriers claim that there are no subsidies and allege that they are successful because they provide better service than the competition. Regardless of subsidies or whatever discount the US Ex-Im Bank provides, these airlines clearly have deep pockets and are not shackled by silly concerns like keeping the business solvent. The best thing the US carriers have going is US bankruptcy law, which they have used and abused to stay alive in a cutthroat industry with slim profit margins.

Cheap labor is another threat to the US carriers, and the Gulf carriers are a big offender here, but they are not the only ones. Norwegian Air International has recently been in the news because they have acquired an Irish operating certificate in order to skirt Norway’s labor laws and operate a low cost airline by using cheap labor. Labor costs have been driving jobs out of post-industrial societies for decades. I’m not sure how much can be done about it, I think it is up to the consumer to a certain extent to choose an airline that pays its employees a better wage. Of course, given the proliferation of Walmart here in the US, consumers seem to care more about saving a few bucks than supporting businesses that pay employees better.

References:

Carey, S. (2015, February 22). U.S. Airlines Clash Over Rivals From Persian Gulf. Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-airlines-clash-over-rivals-from-persian-gulf-1424737494

Flottau, J. (2015, February 4). Emirates Says Open Skies Reversal Would Be A 'Shame' Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/emirates-says-open-skies-reversal-would-be-shame

Jansen, B. (2014, December 11). Congress pleases both sides in Norwegian airline dispute. Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2014/12/11/norwegian-air-international-dot-alpa-afa/20240759/

RESTORING OPEN SKIES: THE NEED TO ADDRESS SUBSIDIZED COMPETITION FROM STATE-OWNED AIRLINES IN QATAR AND THE UAE. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://www.alpa.org/Portals/Alpa/PressRoom/PressReleases/2015/Fair_Skies_Launch_030515.pdf

Reed, T. (2014, April 13). Delta, Leader Of The U.S. Airline Industry, Challenges Boeing And Export-Import Bank. Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/tedreed/2014/04/13/delta-leader-of-the-u-s-airline-industry-challenges-boeing-and-the-export-import-bank/

United Arab Emirates. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Emirates

UAV assignment

            Potential civilian uses of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) cover a wide spectrum of activities. They could be used in agriculture to help maximize production, to help fight wildfires, to aid in search and rescue operations, or for surveillance and security. Currently the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has authorized a number of organizations, mostly larger law enforcement agencies and research universities, to operate UAVs in a limited fashion. The current FAA system of issuing certificates of authorization is not conducive to the widespread commercial use of UAVs so the FAA has just recently released its notice of proposed rulemaking on the regulation of small UAS. Among many proposed regulations are a 55lb weight limit, a 500 ft. above the ground altitude restriction, visual line of sight operations, and registration and certification proposals for aircraft and pilots.

            Congress has mandated that the FAA promulgate regulations for integrating UAS into the national airspace system, and the proposed rules are the FAA’s way of trying to build a paradigm in which UAS can be operated safely with respect to other aircraft and the public at large. Mid-air collisions with manned aircraft (or other UAS for that matter) can be largely mitigated by the proposed rules, but the FAA goes even further to require pre-flight inspections just as they do for manned aircraft. Perhaps this is because the accident rate for Predator drones operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is seven times greater than the accident rate for general aviation and over three hundred times greater than the commercial aviation accident rate. The CBP Predators are much heavier than 55lbs and would not fall into the proposed regulations, but they are also mature and highly developed UAV systems pioneered by the military. If these well engineered machines are falling out of the sky several times more often than manned aircraft it is no stretch for one to imagine the motley collection of new/cheap/untested UAS about to flood the skies causing havoc with astronomical accident rates.

            The military has a long history of the implementation of UAVs. Since the 9/11 attacks the UAV has become a weapon of choice. Military UAVs are cheaper to operate than manned aircraft, able to stay on station longer, reduce our personnel’s threat of exposure to enemy action, and some models are even equipped with missiles to engage targets. Some of the operations have been outsourced to civilian contractors, most job postings are looking for drone operators (pilots). However, with the forthcoming regulations to implement small UAS into the airspace system there are numerous jobs on the horizon for both pilots and aviation management graduates. Some of the larger aeronautical universities already offer UAS programs.

References:

Bergqvist, P. (2014, June 16). Drone Jobs: What It Takes to Fly a UAV. Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/drone-jobs-what-it-takes-fly-uav?page=0,3

Carr, E. (n.d.). Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Examining the Safety, Security, Privacy and Regulatory Issues of Integration into U.S. Airspace. Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://www.ncpa.org/pdfs/sp-Drones-long-paper.pdf

Garamone, J. (2002, April 16). United States Department of Defense. Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=44164

Handwerk, B. (2013, June 6). 5 Surprising Drone Uses (Besides Pizza Delivery). Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/06/130606-drone-uav-surveillance-unmanned-domicopter-flight-civilian-helicopter/

Overview of Small UAS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2015, from https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/media/021515_sUAS_Summary.pdf

UAV Pilot, Deployable. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2015, from https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGWEbHost/jobdetails.aspx?partnerid=25539&siteid=5313&jobId=1322842

Corporate Aviation Assignment

           Pilot careers in corporate aviation can differ greatly from the airlines. Corporate pilots are often on-call and work infrequent schedules. They usually spend less hours flying than their airline counterparts, but they can earn higher salaries despite the difference in flying time. The higher initial salaries at the entry level and home-centric lifestyle are probably the most appealing aspects of corporate aviation to a pilot otherwise looking at plunging into the regional airlines. Other draws might be a more varied option of aircraft available to fly, or the possible variety in destinations.

            Corporate flight departments are meant to save the company time and money. They certainly get a bad reputation for being used to whisk senior executives and family around the world, but the almighty dollar is inevitably the deciding factor in whether or not a company will maintain a flight department. Companies without enough need or enough revenue to sustain a flight department might invest in a fractional ownership endeavor to utilize flight benefits without the headache.

            An example of such a fractional ownership operation is Corporate Eagle. Operating out of Pontiac, MI (KPTK) Corporate Eagle is a fractional management company that owns and operates a fleet of aircraft to serve private and corporate clients who either do not want or cannot justify an in-house flight department. They have a fleet of 13 aircraft consisting of Beechcraft 200’s, Hawker 700’s and 800XP’s, and Falcon 2000’s. Salaries start at $46,000 (about twice the average first year regional airline pay) and minimum requirements are slightly more stringent in the hourly requirements than what the regional airlines require, except that an ATP certificate is not mandatory and 1200 total hours is the minimum. It is reassuring to know that opportunities like these exist in the event that someone might not want to go to the regional airlines to build their initial turbine time and build up total time in order to find a corporate job.

References:

Career options. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2015, from http://www.aopa.org/letsgoflying/dream/whyfly/careers.html

Corporate Eagle. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2015, from http://www.corporateeagle.com/

Donnelly, B. (2012, August 6). Business Aviation: The Unfair Advantage. Retrieved February 13, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/businessaviation/2012/08/06/business-aviation-the-unfair-advantage/

Job Post: Corporate Eagle - First Officer/Second-In-Command. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2015, from http://aviation.wmich.edu/jobs-scholarships-and-internship-postings/bid/355164/Job-Post-Corporate-Eagle-First-Officer-Second-In-Command

NTSB Most Wanted 2015 assignment

             The recent NTSB 2015 Most Wanted List focuses on two aviation-specific topics. The first issue is preventing loss of control accidents in general aviation (GA). The FAA has listed loss of control as the leading cause of GA aircraft accidents. The NTSB cites lack of pilot proficiency as the underlying cause of these accidents. I think lack of training and lack of proficiency are the root causes of the majority of GA accidents, beyond loss of control. The FAA’s list only covers fatal accidents, but AOPA releases the Nall Report annually which provides a much more illuminating breakdown of fatal and non-fatal accidents. According to the 2011 Nall report private pilots were the worst offenders, accounting for nearly half of the total accidents and over half of the fatal accidents. I also found it interesting that an IFR-rated pilot on board (whether the flying pilot or not) was involved in over 50% of accidents. The instrument rating is supposed to make us safer pilots, and perhaps it does as less than 5% of accidents occurred in instrument conditions. If general aviation is having so many problems in fair weather then a lack of training and proficiency has to be a significant factor.
            To mitigate these loss of control accidents the NTSB recommends stall awareness and recovery training, good aeronautical decision making, maintaining situational awareness, and that pilots seek training and currency in the aircraft flown. The NTSB also recommends angle of attack (AOA) indicators as a tool to help pilots identify stall situations. With the exception of the AOA devices all of these solutions rely on individual pilots to pay attention and keep their skills sharp. There isn’t much more that GA pilots can do beyond committing themselves to staying proficient and maintaining vigilance in the air.
            The second NTSB most wanted issue is to strengthen procedural compliance in commercial aviation. The crux of this issue is that if pilots have good procedures, are trained to use them, and then follow those procedures every time, then safety will be increased. Procedural compliance is a significant safety issue, but the accidents the NTSB references have significant failures on the part of the pilots beyond merely disregarding procedures. Lack of situational awareness and poor flying skills seem to be a bigger concern than the fact that a procedure was disregarded. In the San Francisco crash mentioned in the NTSB article the pilots failed to stay on top of the automation and did not recognize dangerously slow airspeeds. In the Birmingham, Alabama crash the pilots did not adhere to their minimum descent altitude during a non-precision approach. These are complacent crews. They did neglect procedures, but I feel the bigger problem was that the pilots simply did not have their heads in the game.
            The NTSB recommends better procedures, more training, and a safety culture. Implementing these changes will certainly make a safe system even safer, but it feels like the NTSB is nit-picking in an effort to try and make even an inch of safety gains. I think that more time hand flying the aircraft, and perhaps an extra day in the simulator during recurrent training to cover extra topics, might be better solutions to the issue the NTSB is trying to resolve.

References:

ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 777-28EER HL7742 San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO). (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2015, from http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20130706-0

Fact Sheet – General Aviation Safety. (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2015, from http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=16774

General Aviation Accidents in 2011. (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2015, from http://www.aopa.org/-/media/Files/AOPA/Home/Pilot Resources/Safety & Proficiency/Accident Analysis/Nall Report/Nall_23_R4.pdf

NTSB Points To Unstable Approach in UPS A300 Crash. (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2015, from http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/2014-10-01/ntsb-points-unstable-approach-ups-a300-crash

Pappas, S. (2015, February 5). Why Private Planes Are Nearly as Deadly as Cars. Retrieved February 8, 2015, from http://www.livescience.com/49701-private-planes-safety.html

Prevent Loss of Control in Flight in General Aviation. (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2015, from http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/mwl/Pages/mwl7_2015.aspx

Strengthen Procedural Compliance. (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2015, from http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/mwl/Pages/mwl10_2015.aspx

Pilot Shortage vs. Pay Shortage and Professionalism in the Regional Airlines

            The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) has been very vocal that there is not a pilot shortage. They cite the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that shows a sufficient number of Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificates with appropriate medicals registered in the US to cover the number of airline jobs available. ALPA argues that low pay is the driving factor behind the alleged shortage. Low pay, coupled with the new “1500 hour” rule, are certainly a major factor in the inability of regional airlines to find enough pilots. The GAO report, however, is not so conclusive. While they identified the seemingly number of sufficient pilots they also reported that the training pipeline is suffering due to the increasingly exorbitant price of flight training. If no action is taken the current situation will grow worse regardless of pay options.

The real answer behind the shortage is probably a combination of low wages, expensive training, and regulatory restrictions. Regional airlines will need to be creative in their recruitment strategies beyond merely raising pay in order to attract a sufficient number of pilots. There will have to be a systemic approach to acquiring more quality pilots. I have seen signing bonuses offered, that’s a small consolation for the pilot who stuck through CFI to build his or her hours, but I believe the regionals and the Regional Airline Association (RAA) will need to come up with other solutions to entice potential pilots, beyond the promise of an eventual 6 figure income several years in the future.

            The second issue with the regional airlines and the potential shortage is professionalism. Professionalism to me is the act of trying to put yourself out of business by providing such great service that you’re no longer needed. This doesn’t quite translate into the airline industry where there will always be a need to travel, so I would amend my definition to being courteous, respectful, mission-oriented, and especially safe. In the 2009 Colgan Air accident in Buffalo, NY, poor piloting skills aside, the pilots lacked professionalism as demonstrated by the first officer failing to call off sick and the captain continuing an inappropriate conversation. Colgan Air lacked professionalism when they tried to alter records to extend pilot duty days. The poor pilot compensation is not an excuse for a lack of professionalism. Many low paying careers demand exceptional professionalism (i.e. military, police, firefighters, etc). I plan to maintain my own level of professionalism by keeping a level head regardless of stressful situations, and by caring about my crew and passengers.

References:

Dillingham, G. (2014, February 1). Aviation Workforce: Current and Future Availability of Airline Pilots. Retrieved January 26, 2015, from http://www.gao.gov/assets/670/661243.pdf 

Hoffman, A. (201, April 22). The Effect of the "1,500 Hour Rule" and New Pilot Certification and Qualification, Requirements for Air Carrier Operations. Retrieved January 26, 2015, from http://www.tmtindustryinsider.com/2014/04/22/the-effect-of-the-1500-hour-rule-and-new-pilot-certification-and-qualification-requirements-for-air-carrier-operations/ 

Lewinski, J. (2014, July 14). Turbulence Ahead: The Coming Pilot Shortage and How It Came to Be. Retrieved January 26, 2015, from http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/07/turbulence-ahead-the-looming-pilot-shortage-and-its-decades-long-history/374171/ 

Mission Statement - Regional Airline Association. (n.d.). Retrieved January 26, 2015, from http://www.raa.org/?page=Mission_Statement 

Polek, G. (2014, April 3). Pilot Shortage a Myth, Says ALPA. Retrieved January 26, 2015, from https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2014-04-03/pilot-shortage-myth-says-alpa 

White, C. (2010, June 18). How Is a Pilot 'Professional'? No to Backpacks, Yes to Integrity. Retrieved January 26, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/wheelsup/2010/06/18/how-is-a-pilot-professional-no-to-backpacks-yes-to-integrity/