Final Blog: Aircraft Emissions

For my Final Blog, I decided to revisit the issue of aircraft emissions across the globe When discussing what we posted about this blog in class, it seemed that everyone was on the same page that aircraft emissions were not an issue. Although it may seem like this can be looked over because of this trend, I went back to some of my fellow classmates blogs to view their sources. I found that  most of us used the same sources when researching this topic. After doing further research, it almost seems as if aircraft emissions are a bigger issue than it may seem.

In our class discussion, it seemed that many other forms of transportation had a greater affect on climate change than the aviation industry. However, that doesn't really seem to be the case. According to the Center of Biological Diversity,"Airplanes could generate 43 gigatonnes of planet-warming pollution through 2050, consuming almost 5 percent of the world’s remaining carbon budget. Aircraft emit staggering amounts of CO2, the most prevalent manmade greenhouse gas. In fact they currently account for some 11 percent of CO2 emissions from U.S. transportation sources and 3 percent of the United States’ total CO2 emissions. All told, the United States is responsible for nearly half of worldwide CO2 emissions from aircraft." (N.d.) The argument was also made in class that the aviation industry contributed the least amount of CO2 when being compared to other industries. One negative to this approach is that these statistics are mainly given only within borders. Most forget the the aviation industry is being used much more frequently now, due to is capability to travel around the globe very quickly. The David Suzuki Foundation states,"Compared to other modes of transport, such as driving or taking the train, travelling by air has a greater climate impact per passenger kilometre, even over longer distances. It's also the mode of freight transport that produces the most emissions. (N.d.) International flights, both passenger and cargo, fly for long periods of time all throughout the day. Flying for such long periods of time contribute more emissions than people actually believe. On top on this, there is no real way yet of finding how much emissions aircraft produce on a global scale. With that in mind, most statistics can be skewed and less than they may actually seem. 

The UN recently adopted an agreement that will help cut down on aviation emissions. As stated in my previous aircraft emissions blog,"The deal, aimed at reducing the growing climate impact of plane travel, follows years of disagreement between nations on how to slow emissions from the sector. Instead of facing a cap or charge on emissions, airlines will be involved in an offsetting scheme whereby forest areas and carbon-reducing activities will be funded, costing about 2% of the industry’s annual revenues. Global aviation emissions in 2020 will be used as a benchmark, with around 80% of emissions above 2020 levels offset until 2035." (Milman, 2016) There are a couple downsides that come to this agreement. The first negative is that it is voluntary for countries to join until 2027. This leaves almost ten years with no improvement, and more damage to our environment. On top of this, this plan still fails to measure to amount of aviation emissions on a global scale. With that in consideration, there needs to be a way to monitor all types of flights, as well as flights that venture out of a countries own borders. This way, aircraft emissions can be more accurately tracked.

The Paris Agreement has been looked at very carefully since Trump has won the presidential election. In my previous blog, Trump took a stance that seemed he would remove the United States from this agreement. Most of this information was just he said she said. With being able to shift focus from the election to current global issues, Trump has been able to figure out where he currently stands with the Paris Agreement. ""I’m looking at it very closely," Grynbaum reported Trump as saying. "I have an open mind to it."" (Cama, 2016) I felt that Trump took a very strong stance on policies that most republicans agreed with during his election. After the election however, I feel as if he has been able to get more time to actually sit down and think about policies he thought to enact. There are leaders and diplomats across the world who previously criticized Trump for his strong views on climate change being false. We can now see some of these views starting to fall off and adhere to modern ideas of climate change.

In conclusion, I feel that these new laws being put into place are a good start to solving a global issue. Though they have good intentions, there is still is a long grace period for countries to opt into the agreement. Also, there is still a major gap on monitoring emissions on a global scale. There has to be a way to be able to monitor every aspect of an industry before changes can be made. Being an overlooked industry due to inaccurate date, diplomats across the world should find changes to this and act appropriately.

References:

(n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2016, from http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/climate_law_institute/transportation_and_global_warming/airplane_emissions/

   Air travel and climate change. (2014). Retrieved December 14, 2016, from     http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/climate-change/science/climate-change-basics/air-travel-and-climate-change/

Cama, T. (2016, November 22). Trump softens stance on Paris climate pact. Retrieved December 14, 2016, from http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/307211-trump-i-have-an-open-mind-on-paris-climate-pact

Milman, O. (2016, October 06). First deal to curb aviation emissions agreed in landmark UN accord. Retrieved December 14, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/06/aviation-emissions-agreement-united-nations

Job Plans and Topic Review

My plans were, after graduation and flight instructing, to go to the regionals. From there, I would move up with a final goal to go to the majors. After taking this class, I still believe that my future goals are still the same. Ever since I became interested in the field, i have always been interested in flying in the majors. Throughout the middle of the semester, I really began to consider joining the military. However, I really started to veer from this idea. This is because I would be joining only for the monetary benefits for student loans. I began to realize this was the wrong decision.

Once I graduate, I plan to be a flight instructor; hopefully with the flight center. I want to get my hours built up to the point where I can move on to the regionals. I want to get into the industry as fast as possible in order to get experience quickly.

I felt that talking about aviation organizations. Joining an organization is crucial to both, keeping updated on current events and making connections. With an industry all about having experience and knowing the right person, it is crucial to meet all sorts of people. You never know who you may stumble upon.

Aviation Emissions, in my opinion, was the least useful topic we discussed. As an industry with very little emissions to begin with, it almost seems a topic that doesn't need much attention. I feel that many other forms of transportation contribute much more emissions.

Aviation Organizations

     There are numerous aviation organizations around the globe. All of these, help further involve pilots in the aviation field. Whether it be establishing connections or keeping up to date on new topics, joining an organization is always a good idea. There are only a few organizations I could see being beneficial throughout the course of my career. Two of the organizations that would be on the top of my list would be the Aircraft and Owners Pilot's Association (AOPA), and the Air Line Pilot's Association (ALPA).

   

  According to the AOPA website, their mission statement is:

We protect your freedom to fly by…

• advocating on behalf of our members,
• educating pilots, nonpilots, and policy makers alike,
• supporting activities that ensure the long-term health of General Aviation,
• fighting to keep General Aviation accessible to all, and
• securing sufficient resources to ensure our success. (AOPA, n.d.)

     To my understanding, it almost seems that the AOPA is a representative of the general aviation community. It allows recreational pilots to be able to feel that they have a say  with change being made in the industry. The AOPA also provides many services that range from insurance, to legal and medical services.

     "ALPA's mission is to promote and champion all aspects of aviation safety throughout all segments of the aviation community; to represent the collective interests of all pilots in commercial aviation; to assist in collective bargaining activities on behalf of all pilots represented by the Association; to promote the health and welfare before all governmental agencies; to be a strong, forceful advocate of the airline piloting profession; and to be the ultimate guardian and defender of the rights and privileges of the professional pilots." (ALPA, 2015) The ALPA is regarded as the largest air line pilot organization in the world. Some services ALPA offers are: aviation safety, security, pilot assistance, representation, and advocacy. The ALPA works under the same principles as the AOPA. The purpose of this organization is to give air line pilots a voice to offices that make changes in the aviation industry. It also allows air line pilots to be able to become more involved in the industry by keeping them up to date.

     Both the AOPA and the ALPA are organizations, I believe, are important to be a part of during my career. With a rapidly changing industry like aviation comes many new rules being implemented. To make sure these rules are practical to the everyday pilot is extremely important to me. If changes are going to be made, giving the people who deal with these rules a say is critical to the growth and prosperity of this industry.

SOURCES:

Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association. (n.d.) About aopa. Retrieved from https://www.aopa.org/about

National Business Aviation Association (n.d.) About nbaa. Retrieved fromhttps://www.nbaa.org/about/ 

Aviation Emissions

Aviation Emissions

     Keeping carbon emissions to a minimum, has become a major concern within recent years. there have been many new regulations implemented to make sure aviation to a minimum. Although aviation is focused on more than other forms of transportation. It seems that the aviation industry shouldn't be the primary focus. According to the Air Transport Action Group, "The global aviation industry produces around 2% of all human induced carbon-dioxide emissions." (Air Transport Action Group, 2016) When breaking this statistic down to an industry level, the number are still much lower. "Aviation is responsible for 12% of CO2 emissions from all transport sources, compared to 24% from road transport sources." ( Air Transport Action Group 2016) With these statistics given, it really does seem that the aviation industry is rather efficient in keeping carbon emissions down.  The spotlight should be put on industries that involve road transportation, which has much more contribution to carbon emissions than aviation.

     The United Nations recently came up with an agreement that would help reduce carbon emissions in the aviation sector. This became known as the Paris Agreement. The goal of this was to keep the rate of global warming under 2 degrees Celsius per year. This agreement " sets airlines' carbon emissions in 2020 as the upper limit of what carriers are allowed to discharge. Airlines that exceed that limit in future years, as most are expected to do, will have to offset their emissions growth by buying credits from other industries and projects that limit greenhouse gas emissions." (The Associated Press, 2016) It shows that the aviation industry is making a conscious effort to help reduce carbon emissions on their end.

     With President-Elect Trump in the transition process, he has given a good amount of his time talking about the Paris Agreement. Under his new plan he wants the US to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Before this speech, he had said,"He would renegotiate the global agreement involving nearly all countries, but this time he went further and said the US would pull out .The climate change deal is bad for US business and said the pact allows foreign bureaucrats control over how much energy we use." Since Trump is not in office yet, he hasn't been able to take any action regarding the Paris Agreement. Once he steps into office, we will be able to gain a grasp on what President-Elect Trump's intentions are.

      I personally feel that there needs to be a healthy balance between making sure that aviation carbon emissions are reduced, and that we make sure that the economy is jeopardized. As stated previously, I don't believe that the aviation industry should be the central focus on trying to cut down carbon emissions. It seems that road transportation is a much larger problem and we should work on finding away to reduce this form of emissions. I feel that is necessary to regulate emissions to an extent, but you have to make sure that the US economy does not hurt from it in return.


SOURCES:

Facts & FIGURES - Air Transport Action Group (ATAG). (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2016, from http://www.atag.org/facts-and-figures.html

News, B. (2016, May 27). Donald Trump would 'cancel' Paris climate deal. Retrieved November 18, 2016, from http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-36401174

 (2016). U.N. agreement reached on aircraft emissions curbs. Retrieved November 18, 2016, from http://triblive.com/business/headlines/11267400-74/agreement-emissions-aviation

Global Airlines- Is it a fair playing ground?

     The open skies agreement is exactly as the same makes it seem. "Open Skies agreements do this by eliminating government interference in the commercial decisions of air carriers about routes, capacity, and pricing, freeing carriers to provide more affordable, convenient, and efficient air service for consumers." ( US Department of State, N.d.)  There are hundreds of companies across the world that are a part of this agreement. One of the downsides to this act is that some foreign carriers receive government subsidies. Two major carriers that receive these bonuses are Emirates and Qatar airways.

      It seems to be a split controversy, but U.S. carriers were, and still are being subsidized. "The very first large aircraft order by American Airlines was subsidized by the Reconstruction Financial Corporation. It was hardly a coincidence that future Democratic administration Secretary of Commerce C.R. Smith, then chairman of American Airlines, was best man in FDR’s son’s wedding.Delta Airlines and United both have their substantial Tokyo operations as a result of the spoils of World War II.In recent times airlines received big fuel tax breaks, and Delta has an oil refinery in Pennsylvania that received nine-figure tax breaks." (Leff, 2015) Although some airlines in the Middle East region are receiving money from their governments, US air carriers are getting many benefits that help save them money. These benefits help keep US carriers in competition with the higher end airlines from around the world.

     Another major issue rising from the Open Skies Agreement. This complaint is that foreign carriers are buying aircraft below the market interest rates. This is essentially an incentive for foreign carriers to buy american. "Those are low interest rate loans that entice foreign businesses only to buy Made in U.S.A. manufacturing. The U.S. government sees those loan programs as a way to subsidies foreign buyers of high paying U.S. jobs." (Rapoza, 2015) There shouldn't be an incentive for US air carriers to buy from their own country. In order to keep money flowing around our economy, we should invest in companies that are in the United States. This subsidy is only to get foreign carriers to buy american products. This enables job security for american aircraft manufacturers.

     Overall, I do feel that the global "playing field" of long haul carriers is fair. While some governments give money to companies for their services, the US government offers the airlines large amounts of benefits in order to stay competitive. I do not see an issue with the government also "discounting" fleets for foreign carriers. This is an easy way to make other countries want to buy our products. It also allow for job security for working men and women in the United States.

Sources:

Leff, G. (2015). US Airlines Have Received More Subsidies than Middle East Ones - View from the Wing. Retrieved November 04, 2016, from http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/04/08/us-airlines-have-received-more-subsidies-than-middle-east-ones/

Open Skies Agreements. (n.d.). Retrieved November 04, 2016, from http://www.state.gov/e/eb/tra/ata/

Rapoza, K. (2015, May 16). Etihad Airways Sticks it to American Airlines. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2015/05/16/etihad-airways-sticks-it-to-american-airlines/2/#34bd54104ffa

Chinese Competitor to Boeing and Airbus?

      I do see that the Comac C919 could eventually receive FAA certification. However, it will take time. China has had struggles in the past receiving certification in the past. "The problem emerged in 2011 and is still unresolved. Delays in Comac's earlier program, the ARJ21 regional jet, are holding up FAA recognition of the certification competence of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. That casts doubt on the FAA's eventual acceptance of the CAAC's current work on C919 and therefore the Chinese type certificate. Without Western airworthiness endorsement, the C919 cannot be sold in main commercial aircraft markets outside of China." (Perrett, 2013)

The main issue, as of right now, is the way the CAAC and the FAA certify their aircraft. It almost seems the the FAA has seen airworthiness issue of Chinese aircraft in the past."In China, certifying products has been a learning curve, not only for the CAAC as it adds staff but also for the manufacturers attempting to win their first validations." (Lynch, 2013) China has sent many applications for aircraft in the past. Every one of these has not been able to become certified in the United States. Until the CAAC is up to par on certification standards with the FAA, Chinese aircraft will most likely continue to have their certificates delayed in the US.

     I believe once Chinese aircraft finally become certified by the FAA, the C919 will be a favorite for low budget regional airlines. Comac will have to do something in order to set their product apart from Boeing and Airbus. What I believe being the difference would be prices. Chinese products have been known for being cheaper than their American counterparts. With that in mind, many regional airlines may invest in the C919 to help cut down costs even more. The public may have a different take on a Chinese aircraft flying in the United States. The general public gets stressed enough already when they hear about aviation accidents. I think that this problem will only get worse with airlines flying new aircraft that were just recently certified. At the same time, most passengers on aircraft probably don't even know what type of aircraft they are flying on. It's hard to assume what the public will think about the C919 until it actually receives FAA certification.

     The Commercial Aircraft Corporation on China (Comac), is state owned. Comac is also government subsidized. This means that the company receives funding from the Chinese government. The C919 is not the only aircraft in the works right now. The ARJ21 in another aircraft being manufactured, and this is much farther along than the C919. " the second ARJ21 aircraft (Registration No.: B-3322) delivered to Chengdu Airlines flew from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao Airport with 63 passengers to conduct the first commercial flight at 9:45 am on October 13th, 2016. The aircraft landed at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport successfully at 11:59 am." (Comac, 2016) I think that this flight ultimately helps pleads China's case that it can make an economical and safe aircraft.

     Once Comac's aircraft do become certified, I think it would be very hard for it to set itself apart from competitors. Airbus and Boeing have both been in the business for a very long time. Jumping into an industry with two very established and well known companies may be tough on Comac. The aircraft is already heavier then their counterparts and the engines work at about the same caliber. "The C919’s total weight wasn’t planned to be lighter than comparable Boeing's or Airbuses', and Aviation Week says the first assembled plane is heavier than forecast. The efficiency of the engines, produced by a GE  joint venture with France’s Safran called CFM, was not forecast to be better than the competition either. (Cendrowski, 2016) With all of this into consideration, I don't feel that airlines will be rushing to buy the C919. The best chance Comac has at making a profit, would be to sell their aircraft elsewhere. They should try and boost their reputation before trying to enter the US market. That way, the company would have a greater track record, and can be shown to compete with Boeing and Airbus.

SOURCES:

Cendrowski, S. (2016, February 16). China’s Answer To Boeing Loses Shine. Retrieved October 28, 2016, from http://fortune.com/2016/02/16/china-comac-c919-delay-delivery/

Lynch, K. (2015, March 14). Certification Crunch in China. Retrieved October 28, 2016, from http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2015-03-14/certification-crunch-china

Perrett, B. (2013, December 16). C919 May Be Largely Limited To Chinese Market | AWIN ... Retrieved October 28, 2016, from http://aviationweek.com/awin/c919-may-be-largely-limited-chinese-market

The second China-made ARJ21 aircraft completes the first ... (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2016, from http://english.comac.cc/news/latest/201610/18/t20161018_4392030.shtml

The Commercial Space Industry

     The idea of space tourism came about around the time of the Cold War. As the United States and Russia were racing to put a man on the moon, both countries were practicing by launching satellites into space. With a new frontier being uncovered, the general public wanted to visit space themselves. Although space tourism is not available to the general public right now, some wealthy individuals helped show space tourism is a reality. The whole idea began on April 28th, 2001. "On that date, American businessman Dennis Tito became history's first space tourist, paying his own way to the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft." (Wall, 2011) Though this is a major accomplishment, there are still many obstacles ahead for the industry. It is very expensive. Tito, "plunked down a reported $20 million for his flight." (Wall 2011). With the price being that high, it is near impossible for anyone in the general public to enjoy this luxury. It also requires a lot of money to research the technology required to conduct such practices. Space tourism also requires a lot of natural resources in order to acquire materials for the rockets. With that being said, the space program is not good for the environment, and is very expensive.

     As of right now, public travel to space is not permitted. The FAA is in charge of all commercial space operations, There are a limited number of rules a regulations set on the space industry. One major law was the Commercial Space Act of 1997. This act states, "to amend the earlier Commercial Space Launch Act to license commercial space transportation vehicles to reenter Earth's atmosphere and return space payloads to Earth." (Collins, 1998) Other regulations help maintain the amount of space debris the re-enters Earth's Atmosphere. 

     Currently, I believe that we are only scratching the surface with commercial space travel. Like all other new technologies, I would like to see the space industry become reality within 25 years.  In that time frame, I think that commercial industry will be a luxury only. It could be a faster way to travel around the globe. It may take more time and trials to see if commercial space travel would be a safe and viable means of travel. The industry needs more time to mature before people can try and achieve this goal.

      There are certain qualification's a person must meet in order to consider working in the space industry. The FAA states that the pilot must have a certificate with an instrument rating. Along with this, there pilot's must also have a current first class medical in their possession. 

     Given the high-altitude of suborbital flight, pilots and passengers will doubtless wear pressure            suits, so previous experience and training in operating aircraft while wearing a pressure suit (as is        the case for fighter pilots) will be a desirable pilot attribute. Another desirable qualification will be      extensive training in emergency procedures and crew coordination, something shared by both              commercial airline and fighter pilots. However, since suborbital flight involves high speeds, it            could make sense to select pilots with experience in jet fighters, which also travel at high speed          and require quick decision making. (Goelich, 2011) 

This almost seems as if the requirements, from a pilot's perspective, are very basic. This may be due to the face the the industry is still fairly new. Once it begins to mature and become a viable source of transportation, I feel the qualifications will become more strict.

Sources:

Collins, P. (1998, October 28). Space Future - Legal and Regulatory Issues for Passenger ... Retrieved October 21, 2016, from http://www.spacefuture.com/archive/legal_and_regulatory_issues_for_passenger_space_travel.shtml

Goehlich, R. (2014, April). Pilots For Space Tourism. Retrieved October 21, 2016, from http://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=ww-graduate-studies

The pros and cons of space tourism - Travel Guide by Dr ... (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2016, from http://drprem.com/travel/pros-cons-space-tourism/

Wall, M. (2011, April 27). First Space Tourist: How a U.S. Millionaire Bought a ... Retrieved October 21, 2016, from http://www.space.com/11492-space-tourism-pioneer-dennis-tito.html