What to be when I grow up

EMU, my career, and what to be when I grow up

Shonk, Joseph

Becoming a pilot became a goal of mine somewhere in the mid 1990’s, and remained as my intended achievement unerringly ever since.  It was not until 2008 that I realized that the military was the more specific route I wanted to travel.  Eastern Michigan University (EMU) has not changed my career goals, but rather facilitated them.  There are some amazing people in the program, and I sincerely hope they have been affected as positively by my attendance as I have by theirs.  The best advantage has been the people I have made contacts who have broadened my perspective of the industry.  My enrollment at EMU occurred after completing all general education requirements at various community colleges, and so my experience with the college is limited to the Aviation Flight Technology program only. 

These blog posts have heightened my awareness of current events within the industry developed a perspective of dynamic nature of aviation.  The merger of American Airlines and Boeing vs. Airbus were the two most interesting to write, learning the political and financial machinations that take place within companies to produce a working (and sometimes profitable) airline was most revealing.  In contrast, the new rulemaking concerning electronic devices on airlines lacked any actual industry action or changes for the passengers.  While staying ahead of proposed changes to come is significant, this topic did not lend itself to any substantial consequence.

Having the opportunity to interact with professionals from the industry was the most stimulating part of the class.  While all were interesting and appropriate, Mark Johnson’s presentation was impressive.  Mr. Johnson showed a wealth of knowledge and experience of airport operations, as well as a passion for aviation.  His 20 year battle to improve Livingston County Airport demonstrated his dedication to aviation.  Additionally, learning all the intricacies of what goes into owning an airport and developing the field was extremely interesting and revealed the bureaucracy and behind the scenes effort that goes into maintaining a general aviation airfield. 

For the future: I have been told there are many things that cannot be done without a degree, and soon I can consider this restriction dropped.  Among them, becoming an Air Force officer and more specifically a pilot in the A-10.  As an enlisted Airman I will seek work on base full time while applying for this position.  In addition, I am now equipped to define, maintain, and comport myself as a professional within the industry.  The importance of presenting oneself as a professional has been taught to us all, and will no doubt encourage the positive contact of others in aviation, opening more doors that we do not yet know exist. 

References

Shonk, J. (December 10, 2013). Graduating and moving on to greater things. How to be awesome, 19(88), 13.

Professional Organizations

Professional Organizations

There exist thousands of professional organizations for every industry, and aviation is no exception.  These many organizations are not only specific to aviation, but also to a particular business, individual, or enthusiast group.  Being involved with organizations that are tailored to any individual’s aviation aspirations is essential to maintaining industry awareness, and also provides ample benefits along the way.  Many professional business organizations provide companies assistance in regulatory compliance to maintain safety in the workplace and industry standards.  In addition, they supply guidance to growing businesses and represent them professionally.  An organization such as the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) is a pilot union representing roughly 50,000 pilots across 32 airlines.  They promote and protect airline pilots’ interests by providing a single organized voice to Congress and Federal Agencies.  Another organization well known in the aviation community, although less serious on the business end, is the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) which caters to the individual aviation enthusiast and supports general aviation (GA) communities with flying clubs introduces newcomers to flying.  Being a part of any professional organization related to your interests is a great way to stay connected and abreast of new information.  An especially important part is making new contacts: in the small world of aviation making good impressions is paramount.  Just about any professional aviation organization will help put you in touch with the right people.  The EAA can be considered as an enormous flying club where pilots keep in touch and share industry news.  The organization advocates for community involvement in aviation and sharing amongst aircraft owners, builders, and pilots. 

The associations that professionals choose to belong to are decided in part by the career path of the individual, and also by the passions the individual harbors for their profession.  If you are an airline pilot, joining ALPA may be an intelligent career choice, rather than out of passion for airline pilots’ duty hours and seniority lists.  Belonging to Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is an organization that contributes to both a pilot’s career and love of aviation.  Boasting approximately 400,000 members, AOPA has substantial influence in the GA world, supporting airport and pilot growth, and protect the image of aviation in the media.  The association also includes the Air Safety Institute, online interactive courses to improve safety and pilot knowledge.  Every pilot trained in America began in the general aviation community flying a small single-engine aircraft, regardless of progress in one’s career path AOPA is appropriate to all aviation enthusiasts.

Taking things a step further than AOPA is the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), an organization that supports the business side of GA.  For all the fields of employment that is generated from light aircraft, this association supports the fixed base operators (FBO), charters, flight training, and airport services.  In addition, the maintenance and repair stations that keep the industry flying receive support from NATA.  The primary focus of the organization is supporting these general aviation businesses while recognizing the crucial role they play within the community.  The media will always sensationalize an aircraft accident, and NATA works diligently to counter these events casting a negative perspective on aviation.

References

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (2013). Mission and History of AOPA. Retrieved from http://www.aopa.org/

Airline Line Pilots Association International (2013). History of ALPA. Retrieved from http://www.alpa.org/

Experimental Aircraft Association (2013). The History of EAA. Retrieved from http://www.eaa.org/

National Air Transportation Association (2013). About NATA. Retrieved from http://www.nata.aero/

Mobile Devices are Changing the Aviation Travel Experience

Who Owns the Passenger?  How Mobile Devices are changing the Aviation Travel Experience

As technology has been rapidly advancing and the proliferation of more electronic devices in the hands of the public becomes the norm, the airlines, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have dealt with the safety issues associated with these devices and flying.  Several safety concerns have surfaced and subsided as the technology in the public’s hands and in the cockpit have changed substantially over the years.  Opinions considerably differ between agencies influential to regulating the use of Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) on commercial flights and recent rulemaking from the FAA has determined that expanded use of PEDs on flights will not pose risks to safety. 

Primarily the concern of using PEDs during flights is the possible interference with the aircraft’s avionics and instruments.  The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) compiled a list of pilot submitted Airline Safety Reporting Systems (ASRS) reports of incidents arising from passengers using their PEDs.  Most notably in the report are incidents of radio communication interference, directional instrument deviations, and Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) anomalies.  Additionally, several cases of devices catching fire or emitting electrical smoke fumes in-flight are of concern in the future.  It is important to note that none of these reported cases were the cause of, or contributed to an accident flight. 

The NASA report above also highlights another concern for use of mobile phones on flights: unruly passengers.  A number of the cases reported involved a passenger’s unauthorized use of their mobile device, and a subsequent confrontation with a flight attendant.  It is apparent to almost everyone who travels on commercial airlines that complete cooperation from passengers to turn off their PEDs during critical phases of flight is never complied with.  The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) supports the expansion of devices that passengers can use, but press the FAA for a standardized procedure to impose on flights, such as standard for stowage and PED tolerance.  The AFA’s first concern is cabin safety, and they were given a voice in the rulemaking hearing due to years of experience in the cabin environment.  While their position is supportive, they require standard stowing procedures of devices such as laptops, having a number of these devices loose during emergency situations may cause further injuries.

The recent rulemaking, however, is somewhat misleading and in a general sense does not permit passengers significant new freedoms.  It is feared that FAA’s ruling will be misinterpreted, as it does not grant passengers to use two-way voice communications and are still recommending devices be turned off during the taxi, takeoff, and landing phases of flight.  More accurately, the regulation change will grant airlines that are approved by the FAA the option to lessen restrictions on PEDs.  The airlines wanting to take advantage of this rule must undergo a technical evaluation that will determine how their fleet of aircraft will react to transmitting devices. 

I suppose having this blessing from the FAA will make an airline somewhat more appealing to customers, but have passengers not been using their devices at their whim already?  It seems to me the FAA is approving of passenger actions that have been occurring for years, and all in the name of safety.

References

Association of Flight Attendants. (2013, October 31). Coalition of flight attendants unions calls for standardization of PED policies for consistent flight experience. Retrieved from http://www.afacwa.org/

Federal Aviation Administration. (2013, October 31). Press release – FAA to allow airlines to expand use of personal electronics. Retrieved from http://www.faa.gov/

Friedrich, J. (2013, November 1). Airlines are misleading passengers about new electronic-device rules. Slate. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/

National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2013, July 31). ASRS database report set passenger electronic devices. Retrieved from http://www.asrs.arc.nasa.gov/

The Merger of American Airlines and US Airways

The Merger of American Airlines and US Airways

Ever since the Deregulation Act was passed in 1978 airlines have been merging with one another to reduce costs, avoid bankruptcy, increase revenues, and remove redundant and competitive flight schedules.  The benefits from a merger is intended to outweigh the consequential aspects such as combining aircraft types and labor forces, and differences in technologies onboard each company’s aircraft.  Consideration must also be made in regards to the consumer, and how a merger will change his or her air travel experience and ticket price.  Once American Airlines and US Airways are combined, there will be substantially less competition, and may cause ticket prices and baggage fees to increase.  Consolidation of the two airlines could cause airport hubs in relatively smaller cities to close as flights are cut, costing jobs and downsizing suburban airports.   Opponents of the merger are chiefly concerned with the potential raise in airfare and the reduction of in-flight services; all costing the consumer more money for less service.  In contrast, the Government Account Office determined there are only twelve routes that overlap between the two companies, making the two airlines complimentary to one another.  Additionally, once the merge is concluded the airline network created will offer more choices to customers for both domestic and international connections.  As the airlines combine their respective connections they will be able to offer more efficient routing options, providing a better service to customers.

A significant task when merging two airlines is integrating the seniority lists of both company’s pilots.  A commercial pilots’ place on the seniority list determines what schedules and routes are available to them, income levels, types of aircraft flown, and upgrades to captain.  It is clear why pilots of merging airlines do not take this issue lightly.  There are four essential goals when merging the seniority list of two companies.  The first is to preserve jobs and avoid any and all layoffs or furloughs.  Second, do not favor the seniority of one company’s pilots over the other, it creates a hostile environment.  The third goal for pilots merging is maintain their status at the very least, if not improve it.  Finally, do not hinder a pilot’s career expectations once the companies are successfully combined.  It is painfully obvious not all of these goals will be achieved in the process of merging two airlines, as was the case with US Airways and American West airlines.  The merging of these two companies took place in 2005 and is yet to compile a pilot seniority list that fairly represents pilots from both airlines.  Proposed agreements have strongly favored those of American West airlines, causing US Airways pilots to create their own union in opposition.  Integrating seniority lists cannot be given the same approach to each merger and with the four goals above in mind a dynamic solution can be reached.  Some aspects to consider when making a seniority list as fair as possible include pilot status and category before the merger, and avoid placing them lower in order if possible.  A pilot’s longevity with the company is also important to note, and includes time in service, date of hire, and furlough time (if any).  If any substantial safety record exists on a pilot’s record, this too may be a factor affecting their seniority. 

As the American Airlines and US Airways merger continues toward completion, the next process will be gaining approval from the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division.   This is an essential step in determining economical outcomes from the merger include public interest.  Specifically, the Antitrust Division will decide if the combining of these two businesses will lessen competition to the extent the mergers are in a position to create a business monopoly.  It is likely the merger will happen and although the competition will be considerably less, it will also potentially benefit the consumer sufficiently to consider it a sound economical action. 

For anyone aspiring to a career in the airline industry, this merger is welcome news.  US Airway’s profits will very likely increase with the absorption of their chief competition.  The outcome will be an increase in routes, passengers, and aircraft, all of which demands more jobs to support this flying.  New pilots will be needed to fly an expanding fleet, which is complimentary to the looming pilot shortage we will possibly experience concurrent to the merged airlines acquisition of new aircraft and routes.  This means more baggage handlers, flight attendants, Boeing mechanics, and many more qualified personnel will be in demand throughout the next decade.

References

Perez, E. (2013, August 13). US government seeks to block American-US Airways merger. Cable News Network. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/

Reed, T. (2013, August 9). US Airways pilots look to endgame in seniority dispute. The Street. Retrieved from http://www.thestreet.com/

Steenblik, J. (2006, May). Managing the inevitable: What every pilot needs to know about mergers. Air Line Pilot, 14-17.

U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2013). Issues raised by the merger of American airlines and US airways (NIH Publication No. GAO 13-403T) Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/655314.pdf