Aviation Organizations: Who to Join and Why?

The path to my career as a commercial pilot will require me to spend a chunk of time building flight hours.  This will likely mean that I will spend some time working as a flight instructor teaching other students.  Some aviation organizations that would be beneficial to be a part of would include the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).  AOPA is a group that focuses mainly on general aviation and factors associated with that however it looks good to a potential company to see that the person they are looking at hiring has a passion for aviation beyond wanting to make a career of it.  This would be a good way to have your actions speak louder than your words when in an interview.  AOPA also has many benefits including offering legal services, training sessions, insurance and many other services that have to do with general aviation.  They are the voice for protecting the rights of general aviation pilots and have been for many years.

            The Air Line Pilots Association is similar to AOPA only they focus on matters that have to do with airlines and pilots of airlines.  Being a member of ALPA would be a great resource to use to stay current with aviation news that may have an impact on my career path.  It would benefit me to join this organization since they represent a large number of airline pilots.  They concern themselves with major issues that the airline industry faces.  Currently one of the issues they are fighting is the unfair advantage the Gulf Air Carriers have over domestic carriers because they are receiving unfair subsidies that could threaten domestic jobs.  Being a member of an organization that helps fight issues like this would be very beneficial since they may help fight for my job at some point.  The issues that ALPA brings up would also keep me informed about what I can do to stay ahead of issues in my career.  These are just some of the benefits that joining these two organizations would bring for me and my career path.

References:

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

A Strong Voice for Airline Pilots. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://www.alpa.org/AboutALPA/WhoWeAre/tabid/2030/Default.aspx

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

Ready To Launch Your Aviation Career? (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://www.clearedtodream.org/

Reed, T. (2014, November 19). Virgin America Pilots Look to Join Air Line Pilots Association. Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://www.thestreet.com/story/12960111/1/virgin-america-pilots-look-to-join-air-line-pilots-association.html

Trautvetter, C. (2014, March 31). AOPA Offers Educational Aviation Seminars at Sun ’n’ Fun Fly-In. Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/sun-n-fun/2014-03-31/aopa-offers-educational-aviation-seminars-sun-n-fun-fly

The Business of Aviation

            There are a lot of sayings that one may hear as they go through life.  One of these sayings that is found in the aviation world is “How do you make a small fortune in aviation? Start with a large fortune.”  This saying may hold some truth to it in that it can be very difficult to make a successful business in the aviation world.  The reason this statement is around is there are many companies that have attempted to rise up and make it big.  Not too many companies actually make it big in aviation though.  Back in 2008 a company called Eclipse had to file bankruptcy and sell off the company for a fraction of what it was purchased for despite having launched a big effort to manufacture light jet aircraft and was successful in bringing them to the market faster than many of its competitors.  Problems arose after certification problems led into a market collapse.  It isn't uncommon to hear of people who started flight schools only to have them close their doors after a short period of attempting to build their business.  If you look at the larger airlines and what it takes to make them successful, you will see a very harsh environment.  Only recently have fuel prices started falling.  In the past, skyrocketing fuel prices and a market collapse have forced airline merging and bankruptcies.  In 2012 it was reported that some of the top airlines saw a profit margin as low as 0.8%.  With margins that are this low, it is surprising to me that there are still start-up attempts of other airlines hoping to make it big. 

            Despite business in aviation being tough, it is not impossible.  It is important for any business to find its niche in the market.  Finding a portion of the market that has untapped potential is huge in trying to start a successful business.  A start-up airline could not hope to succeed if they are trying to start on routes that are already covered.  Baltia Airlines is attempting to find its niche as the first airline to offer non-stop flights from JFK airport to Russia.  Aviation is a constantly evolving industry and this means that companies have to adapt to survive.  Over the past decade there have been mergers as one airline absorbs another to continue to evolve. With an industry so unpredictable, only those that catch the trends quickly survive.  Alaska Airlines has positioned themselves well to make 33 of their past 39 years in business profitable.  Their marketing strategy keeps them on top of the game in the Alaska region.  They built their corporate image well and it has made them successful.

References:

JetAviator7. (2008, December 17). To Make A Small Fortune in Aviation Start with a Big One. Retrieved March 29, 2015, from https://all-things-aviation.com/aviation/to-make-a-small-fortune-in-aviation-start-with-a-big-one/

Kalb, I. (2013, March 7). Why Alaska Airlines Has One Of The Best Corporate Images In The Industry Read more: Http://www.businessinsider.com/alaska-airlines-outperforms-the-airline-industry-with-more-effective-marketing-2013-3#ixzz3VvKdo3Bs. Business Insider.

Mouawad, J. (2012, May 25). The Challenge of Starting an Airline. The New York Times.

Patruno, A. (2013, April 1). How do you make a small fortune in aviation? Retrieved March 29, 2015, from http://aviationstationx.blogspot.com/2013/04/how-do-you-make-small-fortune-in.html

Sankaranarayanan, V. (2014, May 28). Starting a New Airline: Now Harder and Easier. Retrieved March 30, 2015, from http://www.thoughtworks.com/insights/blog/starting-new-airline-now-harder-and-easier

Welcome to Baltia Airlines. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2015, from http://www.baltia.com/flights.html

Leveling the Global Aviation Playing Field

There are many challenges the US aviation industry has to face when trying to compete globally.  Several of these issues are discussed below.

1.                     Competition of foreign air carriers with an unfair advantage. Recently the three largest air carriers in the United States released a report stating that several of the three fastest growing air carriers in the Persian Gulf have been receiving illegal subsidies to the amount of $42 billion over the past decade.  This unfair advantage has allowed these airlines to grow substantially and compete when they would be losing money.  This puts stress on the domestic air carriers since they fear they will begin losing business to these carriers. 

While competition is nice in terms of making products and services cheaper for the consumer, it is bad when companies compete with an unfair advantage.  This will put stress on domestic air carriers and if left unchecked, can cost domestic jobs.  The domestic air carriers are suffering from this competition while the domestic aircraft manufacturer Boeing is making out since these foreign air carriers order a lot of their aircraft.  Despite this fact, the domestic air carriers must be heard and the illegal funding of their competing air carriers must cease if they are to maintain the ability to remain competitive in the international spectrum.

2.                     Another issue the U.S. aviation industry is faced with is the rapidly expanding foreign markets.  Many new markets are rising every day with some of the notable ones being Dubai, China, and Brazil.  These markets are quickly catching up to the United States and are very competitive.  These markets force the U.S. aviation oriented manufacturers to find new ways to compete with the constantly evolving global market.  From 2003 to 2013, domestic air carrier revenue from international markets increased 86% while revenue from domestic markets only increased 10%.  While these numbers are promising, the increase in competition will continue to push domestic companies to new ways to target international markets.

            This issue poses a large threat to the domestic aviation job market.  People in the aviation industry hear about the “pilot shortage” almost on a daily basis.  This issue is exacerbated by the rising competition from international air carriers.  The domestic major airlines are a great place to go as an airline pilot, however some find it a better option to go fly for a domestic carrier in Dubai or China where a pilot can make double or triple what they make as a pilot in the same aircraft in the United States.

3.                     Another issue that the U.S. aviation industry faces is in the attempt to get new products certified for use by the FAA.  This issue arises with the fact that companies need to have new products certified by the FAA in order to market them.  The FAA does not have enough resources to process all of these product certification requests in a timely manner.  This means that some business opportunities could be missed before the product can be certified.  This issue prevents the industry from growing at the pace it could. 

            This issue poses a great threat to the U.S. aviation industry when international markets are rising as quickly as they are.  It becomes clear why markets such as Dubai and China are growing so quickly when we struggle to continue moving forward.  This issue could be remedied if the FAA certification process could be streamlined.   I feel this is essential when the domestic market has to deal with all of the issues that are currently around.

References:

Aviation’s second golden age: Can the US aircraft industry maintain leadership? (2013, December). Retrieved March 14, 2015, from http://www.themanufacturinginstitute.org/Research/Other-Institute-Reports/~/media/D52A363E0D804DDBA5C76856DA9FA182.ashx

Bellamy III, W. (2013, December 12). US Aviation Industry Faces Global Challenges. Aviation Today.

Bunce, P. (2012, July 18). Hearing: The Global Competitiveness of the U.S. Aviation Industry: Addressing Competition Issues to Maintain U.S. Leadership in the Aerospace Market. Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://www.gama.aero/node/11517

Commercial Aviation: Global Outlook, Opportunities, and Challenges. (2013, August 12). Retrieved March 14, 2015, from https://www.aiaa.org/Secondary.aspx?id=18317

Karp, G. (2015, March 5). U.S. airlines to Gulf carriers: 'Compete fairly' Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 14, 2015, from http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/ct-airline-subsidies-0306-biz-20150305-story.html

UAVs

The use of drones in the United States has grown significantly in the past decade as the technology and popularity continues to grow in the field.  These drones are used for various tasks including recreational use, aerial photography, film making, and surveying.  As the technology continues to grow, it is also becoming more affordable to the average person.  The LA Times reports that drone use is becoming an issue as they note that drone crashes are becoming more frequent (Serna, 2014).  Eric Hansen stated in an article for Outside Online that the United States National Parks Service banned the use of all drones within any of the national parks (Hansen, 2014).  There are little to no regulations on civilian use of UAVs in the United States and this is a growing concern for some.

In order for UAVs to continue to be used by civilians for personal use I feel that they will need to be integrated into the NAS.  As the technology continues to become more advanced, some regulations or restrictions will have to be placed on civilian use.  It is only a matter of time before civilian UAVs become large enough to cause potential harm to aircraft in the skies.  If these UAVs remain out of the NAS, accidents and incidents are practically inevitable.  Communication would be a big potential problem between UAVs flying near airports because of landing and departing traffic. A system would have to be implemented to prevent this issue.  The FAA is already working to propose regulations to attempt to regulate UAVs for the civilian market in order to make the system safe.

The military has seen a large rise in the use of UAVs.  These are very popular in our overseas campaigns to assist the war being fought outside of the United States.  The application of drones for military use is huge since it prevents having to put a human life in the way of danger in order to carry out tasks such as military strikes.  A plan drawn up for the future of the US air force shows a plan to continue to implement more UAVs and fewer manned aircraft as well as aircraft that can enter combat without human intervention (Pappalardo, 2010).  As for cost of military UAV operation, it is much more cost effective.  Given that the new F-35 fighter jet can cost roughly $91 million USD with an operating cost of $16,500 per flight hour.  The Reaper drone used in many attacks in Pakistan has a unit cost of nearly $6.5 million USD plus an operating cost of about $3,250 per flight hour to operate.  This is not to mention the benefit of not putting the pilot in danger during operation.

I found a local position available for a start-up company looking for a software engineer to assist designing algorithms for UAVs that will be designed to assist in disaster relief.  The potential for UAVs is large given they can pretty much replace any job that would require air transportation of goods.

References:

Bennett, W. (2014, September 1). Civilian Drones, Privacy, and the Federal-State Balance. Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports2/2014/09/civilian-drones-and-privacy

Ehrenfeld, R. (2015, February 20). Drones in the U.S. National Airspace System. Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://acdemocracy.org/drones-in-the-u-s-national-airspace-system/

Hansen, E. (2014, August 20). Drones Grounded. Retrieved February 28, 2015, from http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/gear-shed/design-tech/No-More-Drones.html

McLean, W. (2014, June 25). Drones are cheap, soldiers are not: A cost-benefit analysis of war. Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://theconversation.com/drones-are-cheap-soldiers-are-not-a-cost-benefit-analysis-of-war-27924

Pappalardo, J. (2010, February 25). The Future For UAVs in the U.S. Air Force. Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a5383/4347306/

Serna, J. (2014, June 21). As hobby drone use increases, so do concerns about privacy, security. LA Times.

NTSB Most Wanted List for 2015

1.  Do you think that the issues identified by the NTSB are in fact significant problems? 

The NTSB attempts to advise the public on ways to be more safe when it comes to transportation safety.  One of the items on the NTSB 2015 "Most Wanted" list is to Prevent Loss of Control in Flight in General Aviation.  While I do believe this item is significant in preventing the cause of a lot of general aviation accidents, stating the problem is not very significant.  Stating that pilots should be able to identify and prevent entering an aerodynamic stall situation should be common knowledge to all pilots.  It is one of the primary areas of focus for the private pilot checkride that all applicant must show they know stall recovery techniques before being approved for their certification.  While recurrent training would be a good way to refresh stall prevention, stall prevention should always be a concern while flying a plane.  

Another recommendation for aviation of the NTSB 2015 "Most Wanted" list is to Strengthen Procedural Compliance.  I feel that this topic is a good area to focus on for promoting aviation safety for several reasons.  First, procedures are put in place to enhance safety in aviation and set a standard for a task.  Disregarding procedures that were put in place in aviation can have dramatic consequences.  For example, in 2013 a Boeing 777 crashed at San Francisco International Airport which resulted in the loss of two lives and the cause was determined to be pilot error by lack of following procedures.

2. In your opinion what is the greatest factor negatively impacting safety for the general aviation community?  For commercial aviation?

I feel that the biggest issue negatively impacting safety for the general aviation community would be lack of compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations.  The reason I feel this is a big issue because there is a large number of pilots that fly in and out of small airports all the time.  Many of them become relaxed with their flying and cut corners where they can.  There are incidents where people take off over max gross weight and crash.  This issue would have been nonexistent if the pilot did a weight and balance calculation before attempting the flight.  Other instances where people enter the traffic pattern at a non-towered field in ways not listed in the FARs without making traffic calls which causes a great hazard for other aircraft trying to take off or land at the same field.

I feel the greatest issue impacting safety for commercial aviation is the way the regional airlines operate.  This is because the regional airlines are currently scrounging for pilots to keep their operations running smooth.  The aviation industry is constantly changing and they are currently hurting for pilots.  They are still paying pilots low wages which results in the need for a crash pad.  This results in poor living conditions for the inexperienced pilots who cannot afford a comfortable lifestyle.  This can result in unsafe decisions on the pilots part since they need to do everything they can to make it to work in order to afford the poor living conditions they have.  The push from the regional airlines to make as many flights as possible to their intended destinations to continue making money is another way their operations impact safety.

3.  Review the NTSB's list of recommendations for each topic area.  Do they seem reasonable.  How can the industry implement these recommendations?  What, if any, impact do you think the implementations of these recommendations would have on system safety? Would you recommend something else?

I feel that their recommendations for each topic area are reasonable however I feel that their recommendations are things that should be mostly common sense to pilots.  One of their recommendations is to be prepared and recognize the impending signs of a stall.  This is really something that is taught to pilots before they receive their private pilot certificate.  There is really no way for the industry to implement these ideas to general aviation any further than they already have unless they implement more FARs that require tighter tolerances and more frequent recurrent training.  As for system safety, I feel that implementation of the strengthening of procedural compliance would enhance system safety since complying with procedures is a large part of what system safety revolves around.  One recommendation that can be made regarding prevention of loss of control of general aviation aircraft would be to make more intensive stall training for student pilots early on.  While there are many kinds of stalls that can be encountered, only a basic power-on and power-off stalls are tested while attempting to get a private pilot certificate.

References:

"FRONTLINE: Flying Cheap: Interviews: Roger Cohen | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N.p., 9 Feb. 2010. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/flyingcheap/interviews/cohen.html>

Jansen, B. (2014, March 31). Asiana Airlines says pilot flying too slow before crash. USA Today.

Jansen, B. (2013, October 30). Crash investigator urges better stall training for pilots. USA Today.

Karoub, J., & Williams, C. (2013, June 6). Plane Crash At Oakland County International Airport In Waterford, Michigan Kills Pilot, 3 Passengers. Huffington Post.

Prevent Loss of Control in Flight in General Aviation. (2015). Retrieved February 6, 2015, from http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/mwl/Pages/mwl7_2015.aspx

Strengthen Procedural Compliance. (2015). Retrieved February 7, 2015, from http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/mwl/Pages/mwl10_2015.aspx

Flying Cheap - Regional Airlines

          The regional airline industry is currently encountering a hiring spree in order to attempt to fill available positions.  This is the beginning of what many people are calling the upcoming pilot shortage.  I feel that the pilot shortage is real and that it is a result of a combination of the new regulations, the cost of entering aviation as a pilot, the compensation upon entering the regional airline industry, and the average age of the current airline pilot.

          The new regulations require a pilot to have 1500 hours of logged flight time in order to apply for an ATP certificate.  There is a way to have a reduced hour requirement by studying aviation and graduating an approved Part 141 collegiate program however at most this will reduce the hour requirement to 1000 hours.  This is still a considerable increase in time spent trying to get to the regional airlines.  With these requirements, it means more time and money must be invested by a person in order to get into commercial aviation.  A lot of people would find a hard time justifying the cost of entry when a pilot can expect to make $20,000 or less a year as an entry level first officer in the regional airline industry.  This salary comes with a rough lifestyle of working long days and getting paid for very little of your time given that a regional pilot is only being paid while in the aircraft.  

          An article in the Wall Street Journal states that the average age for an american pilot is 53 years old.  This means that there will be a lot of retiring senior pilots in the coming years that will need replaced by other pilots.  This will mean there will be a lot of pilots moving up from the regional airlines to fill the positions and the there will be a need for a lot of pilots entering the industry.  Several organizations and groups would argue that the real problem is simply the lack of qualified pilots willing to work for so little pay.  The Air Line Pilot's Association stated that the GAO, a third party organization dedicated to investigation services to the U.S. Congress, found that there are currently enough qualified pilots to fill current demand and that they are just not willing to work for the low wages.  While I do believe this is an issue, I have no doubt that this is a contributing factor to deter people from entering the industry in the first place.  If this trend continues then a steady decline in people going through training to become a commercial pilot will occur while the average age of pilots increases to a point where the retirees will overtake incoming qualified pilots.

          The hiring pool for regional airlines is suffering currently. With the recent addition of the "1500 hour rule," the time it took to finish training and make it to a regional airline has increased significantly.  This means that it is taking much longer for student pilots to finish their training and become available for an ATP certificate which is required to fly for a regional airline.  Compounding the problem is the issue that regional pilots tend to stick around until they can move on to the major airlines, so those pilots are still looking to advance to the majors when able while the incoming pilots to the regional airlines are taking longer to become qualified.

          ALPA, Air Line Pilots Association, represents the majority of regional airline pilots.  As for other parts of the aviation industry, the organization that represents a lot of manufactures is GAMA, or General Aviation Manufacturers Association.  They represent over 80 of the world's general aviation aircraft manufacturers.

          Professionalism in my opinion is the behavior of one to act in the best interest of their profession.  The documentary "Flying Cheap" focused heavily on the Colgan Flight 3407 crash in Buffalo, New York.  This documentary showed the conditions of the regional airline Colgan Air.  While I would say the documentary was biased, it did show how the company lacked professionalism in many ways where corners were cut.  Rapid expansion of the regional airline resulted in the inability of the airline to keep up with the growing demands.  Since Colgan would only make their money if flights were completed, this urged the company to do everything it could to make sure that happened, even if it resulted in breaking Federal Aviation Regulations.  Safety was not the top priority of Colgan and it resulted in the death of 50 people.  There was one first officer interviewed in the documentary who stated that one of the Colgan Air Captains told him to alter the weight and balance numbers so they could complete their flight.  Another interview in the documentary stated that Colgan wanted to put a check-airman on a flight of an aircraft that he was not qualified in.  I firmly believe that the low wages for pilots in the regional airlines is a contributing factor for the lack of professionalism in the Colgan Air Company.  The pilots in the crash of Colgan 3407 both showed signs of fatigue and the first officer of the flight was seen sleeping in the pilot lounge the night before the flight.  The cockpit voice recorder captured a conversation where the first officer and the captain complained about the low wages and the first officer was unable to take the flight off since she was not feeling well because she could not afford a hotel.  The captain stated he was just buying his time until he could move on to a better paying job.  If these issues did not exist then the Colgan crash of flight 3407 may have never occurred.

          Maintaining professionalism is key in aviation in order to prevent accidents and keep the overall image of the industry positive.  Once I make it into the industry I plan to keep up on innovation in the industry since it is constantly evolving and changing.  I also plan to follow the Federal Aviation Regulations even if it means going against what the company is pushing.  The regulations were put in place to keep the industry safe and save lives.

References:

ALPA Staff. (2014, April 1). A Pilot Shortage? Nope. Its All About the Money. Retrieved January 25, 2015, from http://www.alpa.org/portals/alpa/magazine/2014/April2014_PilotShortage.pdf

Bachman, J. (2014, March 7). Pilot Shortage Adds to Regional Airlines' Woes. Retrieved January 25, 2015, from http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-03-07/regional-airlines-suffer-a-pilot-shortage

Carey, S. (2014, February 3). Airline-Pilot Shortage Arrives Ahead of Schedule. Retrieved January 25, 2015, from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304851104579361320202756500

"FRONTLINE: Flying Cheap: Interviews: Roger Cohen | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N.p., 9 Feb. 2010. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/flyingcheap/interviews/cohen.html>.

GAMA. (n.d.). GAMA. Retrieved January 25, 2015, from http://www.gama.aero/

Sumwalt, R. (2010, February 12). The anatomy of an accident: Colgan Air Flight 3407. Retrieved January 25, 2015, from http://www.ntsb.gov/news/speeches/RSumwalt/Documents/SCAA-100212.pdf

Personal Introduction

My name is Aaron Rehm. This is my second year in Eastern Michigan University's Aviation program.  I am a transfer student from Ohio that found out about the program through a family member who was working on their private pilot certification.  I have always had an interest in aviation as my family would attend the Cleveland Airshow every year.  I never thought about pursuing aviation as a career until I was informed of the program here at EMU.  Going on a discovery flight at Eagle Flight Center really sold me in the idea and I started the program shortly after in the fall of 2013.  I am currently working on my commercial pilot certification with the hope of finishing that up within the next two months.  I'm looking to make a career as an airline pilot.