Professionalism in the Aviation Industry

Flying Cheap- Professionalism in the Aviation Industry

     The so called "pilot shortage" is almost upon on. According to a study by the University of North Dakota, "That looming pilot deficit will soar to 15,000 by 2026  as more captains reach the mandatory retirement age of 65 and fewer young people choose commercial aviation as a profession." (Sasso, 2016) With such a drastic shortage looming over the industry, some look to find out what is the reason behind this issue. There are two reasons people believe why such a drastic shortage is going on.
     The first reason is due to pilot pay. Yes captain's of major airlines can make well over hundreds of thousands of dollars, but his wont happen until the pilot is well established in their career. "the Air Line Pilots Association estimates that the average starting salary is even lower than that — $22,500 per year, which for a 40-hour work week equals an hourly rate of $10.75." (Zillman, 2014)
     The other side of the argument is older pilots are hitting the mandatory retiring age. "aircraft manufacturer Boeing predicts a need for 112,000 new pilots in North America—and 617,000 worldwide—over the next 20 years. The report also predicts a growing need for aircraft mechanics and cabin crew." (Orr, 2016) over a hundred thousand people are need within the next 20 years is staggering. Too many pilots are leaving the industry, and too little pilots are flowing into it.
     The reason I believe no new pilots want to enter the industry is due to the very low salary starting at a regional. Student loans almost seem impossible to avoid this day in age. From experience, I have witnessed  first hand how expensive flight school can become. Knowing that I get paid so little starting off, it will make me wonder if I will even be able to eat with the amount of debt I would have to pay off after graduation. Many people just don't see incentive to accumulate so much debt, live on a fairly low wage for an extended period of time, and just wait until the expected wage of a pilot comes around ten years later. More incentives need to be made in order to help pilots want to join the industry. If not, many aviation businesses may end up seeing their doors close.
     The regionals have a legitimate concern with the hiring pool. "the heightened training rules imposed in 2013 following the investigation into the Colgan Air crash" (Orr, 2016) Before the Colgan crash, pilots could go from flight schools to a first officer at a regional at 250 hours. After this accident however, pilot's much now have at least 1,500 hours of flight time before going to the airlines.This causes a lot of back up and a lot of time waiting for a large group of pilots to get all of their training done. When pilots get all that training done, which is a small number, every regional airline now has to pick from the same pool. It also come to the issue that pilots are leaving the regionals for the majors much faster than pilots are entering. This difference in the input/output causes more stress for regional airlines to try and find pilots to fill these seats.
     There are already some resolutions to the small hiring pool. The FAA allows for certain acceptions to the "1,500 hour" rule. For example, our flight school at Eastern Michigan just approved as a part 141 flight program. This allows for our hour requirement to go from 1,500 to 1,000 hours. This is huge because it will allow for many students to get industry experience much earlier in their career. Airlines are also trying to step up as well. "Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta, currently advertises a first-year salary of $50,000 for first officers." (Orr, 2016) This major raise in pay is huge to pilots who are just entering the industry. This allows more support to combat student loan payments. It almost acts like a light at the end of the tunnel. You are able to get a fairly decent wage just a few years after graduating. It will help encourage pilots that student loans aren't so bad. It also will help get a glimpse of watch actual aviation wages may seem like.
     Just as the ALPA represents regional pilots, there are other organizations that represent other parts of the industry as well. For example, the General Aviation Manufacturer Association (GAMA), exists to foster and advance the general welfare, safety, interests, and activities of the global business and general aviation industry." (GAMA, N.D.) There is also a portion that is in charge of management as well called, the GSA. Their purpose is,"to collect, analyze, and report information on the inventory, cost, usage, and safety of Government aircraft" (GSA, N.D.) 

     Professionalism, in my own words,  is the skills expected from a given individual during their shift. It also means conducting certain business practices in a proper and timely manner. 
     There were two major events that showed lack of professionalism during the Colgan crash. The first one being breaking sterile cockpit. There was a lot of impertinent conversation about how the first officer was very under the weather. This distracted both pilots which lead to work overload once an emergency in the air occurred. The second would be that the first officer commuted all night to get to her departing aircraft. Any pilot knows you need a adequate amount of rest to be able to focus on simple tasks. The first officer was very fatigued and should not have gone flying.
     I do feel that the structure of regional pay could have been a leading cause of the Colgan accident. The first officer was recorded on the blackbox saying that she couldn't miss a day of flying because the money meant so much to her. It's sad that pilots at this time were living paycheck to paycheck. If regionals did offer more benefits, or were able to offer higher wages, pilots who know they shouldn't fly may be more apt to taking the day off.
     There can be a number of ways someone can expand their professionalism in their given field of work. Myself, I would like to think being more proactive with tasks would be a start. After completing my instrument rating, i realized how easy it is to fall behind the aircraft. If I were more proactive, it would help lower my workload during critical phases of flight. Once, stepping into an airplane carrying more lives than my own, i believe that could help my professionalism as well. Rather than just flying around with myself in a Cessna, I will be in charge of making sure civilians get from to there destination safely. Knowing that I am in charge of keeping others safe will help me become more professional.

SOURCES:
Aviation Management Policy Overview. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2016, from http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104520

GAMA. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2016, from https://www.gama.aero/

Orr, S. (2016, September 3). Retirements, stiffer training requirements fuel pilot shortage. Retrieved September 30, 2016, from http://www.ibj.com/articles/60177-retirements-stiffer-training-requirements-fuel-pilot-shortage

Sasso, M. (2016, July 29). Shrinking Pool of Future Pilots Keeps Major Airlines on Edge. Retrieved September 30, 2016, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-29/shrinking-pool-of-future-pilots-keeps-major-airlines-on-edge

Zillman, C. (2014). Why airlines are running out of pilots. Retrieved September 30, 2016, from http://fortune.com/2014/03/03/why-airlines-are-running-out-of-pilots/

ATC, The Big Jump

     Our current Air Traffic Control System in the United States is comprised of a forty year old system called, Host. Host was comprised in the 1970's. This system uses ground based radar station in order to track aircraft while they are en-route. Although it may seem that air travel is quick and efficient once you get past the security gate, but there is a whole other story behind the roots of this system.The system as a whole is inefficient and incredibly outdated. Sara Breselor states in her article that, "Host is still safe, in terms of getting planes from point A to point B. But it's unbelievably inefficient. It can handle a limited amount of traffic, and controllers can't see anything outside of their own airspace—when they hand off a plane to a contiguous airspace, it vanishes from their radar." (Breselor, 2015) From experience I understand what she means from this statement. I flew a cross country to Saginaw last week. Throughout the flight, which was only two hours, I was handed over to three different controllers. With that in mind, think about how many other aircraft are going through that given airspace that the same time as well. It almost like controllers have the possibility of having a giant workload on them, without knowing ahead of time. It seems it would almost be time for a new system to be created, one that allows all aircraft to be monitored on one massive screen. That's where NextGen comes into play. NextGen works under the same principles of the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). This system uses satellites equipped with GPS capabilities. The GPS signals are then sent to ground stations, where the information is gathered and processed to air traffic controllers. The hope is that this system is much more accurate, and that it will allow for more direct flights around the world. According to the Global Business Travel Association, "NextGen will reduce flight delays by 35% and provide $23 billion in delay reduction benefits. In a 2011 business case study, Deloitte estimates $29 billion in net benefits in the U.S. each year the new system is in place, beginning in 2026." (NA, 2016) 

      The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also been in talks about the privatization of the ATC system. Though it may seem like a good place to add revenue, this could mean bad news for General Aviation.  

it also contains user fees for the commercial segments of GA, as well as the proposal to create a federally chartered air traffic control corporation that would be governed by a board of representatives from the aviation industry, with airline interests making up the majority. And that’s what makes GA advocates nervous. They worry that this will ultimately result in restricted access to the skies for private pilots ( Wood, 2016) 

This is the biggest concern growing from the GA. They want to make sure that this change does not become a "pay to fly" type of controller. They believe that this is just an easy way to create a new form of revenue for the FAA. Since NextGen has been pushed back and delayed for so many years due to funds. This would be a new way to fund the project. It would also leave airlines first pick on access to certain airports. This may restrict recreational pilots to land elsewhere because they don't want to pay to have access to certain airspace. The airlines seem to have the same opinion on the issue as well. Kate Modolo, spokeswoman for America Airlines, stated, "We know all too well the risks of losing momentum on the progress we’ve made to improve the airspace by switching to a privatized air traffic control model with no evidence that doing so would improve air travel.” (Schlagenstein, 2016) It seems that even the airlines view aviation as a community more than an industry. Every pilot has had to fly recreationally or through a flight school to build up hours. They would much rather have aviation continue to be government regulated than privatized. They also believe that privatization is just an easy way for money to go into the FAA's pockets. As stated is the previous quote, there is no proof that the system would even work. It could cause a total collapse in progress made for NextGen to finally come into effect. 

       ATC has been privatized in other countries such as: Canada, Germany, The United Kingdom, and France. Canada's ATC system is run by NAV Canada. NAV Canada is funded by aviation customers.   This allows for a faster stream of revenue, leading to faster upgrades in infrastructure.

Canada and the North Atlantic airspace it manages already have controller-pilot digital messaging, which the FAA hopes to have in service by early next decade. NAV Canada is also the leader in bringing about global space-based flight surveillance via its investment with Iridium NEXT in the global company Aireon. (Poole, 2016)

This shows that privatization is proven to help create funding for better equipment, which ultimately leads to safer travel. NAV Canada is also one of the safest Air Traffic Controllers in the world. The question also asked is if privatization actually boosts flight efficiency, and that answer is yes. The same Wall Street Journal article states,

The FAA’s cost per instrument flight rules flight hour is $450, much higher than NAV Canada’s $340 (prices in U.S. dollars). One might expect that the FAA, with nine times more traffic than NAV Canada, would have higher productivity, but the numbers say otherwise: NAV Canada achieves 1,760 flight hours per controller a year versus 1,725 for the FAA. (Poole, 2016)

Essentially, NAV Canada surpasses the US's air traffic control system due to the fact that it is privatized. With the ability to generate more revenue through consumers. This allows for more state of the art equipment. With new equipment, air traffic can be routed more directly from point A to point B. This drastically saves money on fuel and maintenance costs for airlines, boosting the industry as a whole.

      The United States is already in the works of making the transition towards privatization. On February 3rd, 2016, The AIRR Act was presented to congress by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairmen, Bill Shuster. This bill would, "transfer operation of air traffic services currently provided by the Federal Aviation Administration to a separate not-for-profit corporate entity, to reauthorize and streamline programs of the Federal Aviation Administration, and for other purposes." (NA, 2016) This was also the major topic of discussion during the FAA Re-authorization, and this proposed bill was the outcome of it. It is up to Congress to make the final vote on the bill, but it seems that the sooner it passes, the sooner we could see privatized ATC.

      I believe that a privately funded ATC system would work well in the United States. The FAA has made zero progress on making NextGen a reality due to funding. With aviators around the country seeking easier ways to get to their destination, many would be more than willing to help fund for better technology. With the government involved in the industry, it seem that it has put any chance of advancement to a dead stop. It is only a matter of time before there is no money left to create a more efficient way for air travel. In order to further this industry in the US, we need to make a change in how it is funded.

Sources:

Breselor, S. (2015). Why 40-Year-Old Tech Is Still Running America’s Air Traffic Control. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from https://www.wired.com/2015/02/air-traffic-control/

NextGen – Air Traffic Control Modernization. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2016, from https://www.gbta.org/usa/governmentrelations/Pages/NextGen–AirTrafficControlModernization.aspx

Wood, J. (2016, February 17). GA raises concerns over proposal to privatize ATC. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from http://generalaviationnews.com/2016/02/17/ga-raises-concerns-over-proposal-to-privatize-atc/

Schlagenstein, M. (2016, April 12). American Air CEO Assails Delta on Air Traffic Control Plan. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-12/american-airlines-ceo-assails-delta-on-air-traffic-control-plan

Poole, R. (2016, June 29). US, Canadian Air traffic Control Compared. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-canadian-air-traffic-control-compared-1467219369

Transportation & infrastructure Committee. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2016, from http://transportation.house.gov/airr-act/#top1

Personal Introduction

Hello Everyone,

My name is Brandon Weise. This is my first ever blog for my aviation senior seminar. I think it would be best to start by giving a little bit of background information , and how I became involved in this field of work.

Ever since I was little, I have always been fascinated with the military. To be more specific, I was fairly interested in planes. I loved that someone could go in such a sophisticated piece of machinery and travel wherever they please. The real thing that drove me to this field of work was back in eigth grade. I grew up in a small farm town in Southeast Michigan called Monroe. In this city, we had a small airport just outside of downtown. One day my dad decided to let me go on a fly along in a Cessna 150. We ended up just flying around in the pattern at Monroe's airport for an hour. One fun fact about the flight was that the pilot who took me up, Jerry Delaney, ended up being my professor for two of my classes. Its crazy how someone you think will never have an impact on your life in the future ends up becoming one of your teachers. I remember throughout high school, I continued to change my major, and what career path I wanted to follow. I debated on nursing, education, and even criminal justice. One night I was thinking, and remembered about how much fun I had sitting right seat in a Cessna back in elementary school. Although I had very minimal exposure to actually flying, I knew this was always my dream.

Currently, I am enrolled at Eastern Michigan University. My major I am working on is Aviation Flight Technology. I am a fourth year currently working on my Commercial Rating. I recently passed my instrument check ride two weeks ago. If I stay on the same pace I am currently at now, I will graduate fall 2017. It may be earlier or later depending on where i am in my flight training.

For my future plans, I would like to finish my commercial rating by the end of this academic year. After that, I plan on dispatching over at Eagle Flight Center until i finish my multi-engine and CFI. Once I have accumulated enough hours, I want to move on to ExpressJet to build more time. Once I reach Captain status, I would like to move on to the majors. My end goal would be to work for Delta Airlines. One other goal of mine would be to fly international routes. It has always been my dream to travel and see what else is out there in the world. I would also like to retire at Delta. If I get bored of doing nothing, which I tend to get bored fast, I may just fly recreational for as long as I can.

I am really interested in two upcoming topics. One beings UAV's. At some point in the near future. Unmanned aircraft will be a fairly dominant portion of the industry. I think it is fairly interesting, that we can operate such complex machinery without man being present. I am also interested in the Pilot Shortage topic. Aviation students picked the right time to jump into this booming industry. I hear this statement all the time, but I am not really sure why it is such a good time to join. I never had heard a real reason behind the pilot shortage, so it would be nice to gain some information on the particular subject. Some current aviation topics of interest in would have to be commercial space travel and China releasing their own commercial airliners. We are knocking on the door to being able to travel outside of our atmosphere. It would be such a tough yet amazing feat to accomplish for the human race. China aircraft grabbed my attention recently as well. With a new fleet of aircraft soon to be on the market, this will create a change in market competition. Maybe one day when I am in the airlines, I might find myself behind a piece of Chinese ingenuity.

The field of aviation industry is a very in depth piece or work. Not a single person in this field just one day decides they are going to be a pilot. We are share a similar characteristic that drove us to this passion, no matter how we discovered it.