Have Career Aspirations Changed Over the Semester?

            Throughout this semester my career aspirations have not changed but I definitely have a better understanding of many jobs in the civilian sector. 

Four career goals within the next five years…

1.     Graduate flight school in the top 10% of my class

2.     Join the Women in Aviation organization

3.     Deploy

4.     Get my CFI on the side as well as begin working on masters

Little Airlines Article Response

         The company La Compagnie fly all business class B757s between NYC and Paris for less than half the round trip price on a larger carrier. Being said they are not trying to be the most luxurious business class but they are all about being the best for the price.

Iceland based WOW Air uses narrow-body Airbus 320s and has launched a 4x a week service from Baltimore and Boston to Reykjavik for only $400. The article says using smaller jets means you need fewer passengers to fill them, so there’s less capacity risk; charging 400 bucks round-trip almost guarantees you’ll get all the passengers you need. This model though is $400 dollars for the seat, while there are extra fees for baggage, meals, seat location, and even printing boarding passes. This model is the opposite of Norwegian Air Shuttle, which we have already studied as a class. Norwegian is all about long-haul, low-cost.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/garywalther/2014/09/25/la-compagnie-the-upstart-business-class-only-airline-with-the-best-ny-paris-business-class-fare/

I think La Compagnie business model will be more successful because having those extra costs on top of ticket price I believe will deter many people from thr WOW Air model type. I find it appealing that La Compagnie doesn’t try to claim to be the best but the best for the price. They also don’t require an advanced purchase of tickets which means for people who last minute need to travel this is a huge perk, saving them thousands if they were to fly one of the main airliners.

Overall, these new airlines bring a lot of competition and new ways of operating to the industry. I think I will still take time for the populous to build trust with all the new company names and how they do things. If these companies can stay afloat it could greatly expand the airline industry and cause American companies to thoroughly look at how they operate.

Space Tourism

On 31 October, Virign Galactic SpaceShipTwo crashed due to the rudders unexpectedly moved into a feathered position too early. Below is a more detailed explanation.

http://www.space.com/27641-virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-accident-investigation-infographic.html 

Virgin Galactic is the world's first commercial space line. 

     "The 2004 Ansari X Prize called for private sector innovations in the field of manned space exploration. Specifically, participants had to design and manufacture a privately funded vehicle that could deliver the weight of three people (including one actual person) to suborbital space. The vehicle had to be 80 percent reusable and fly twice within a two-­‐week period."

 -http://www.virgingalactic.com/uploads/141501863048197/original.pdf 

All regulations mandated by the FAA in regards to space tourism are about safety and the notification to passengers of the risk they are going to assume in participating. They also require flight testing of the vehicles. Specifics can be found in the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004.

I do believe space tourism will be available to the general public within the next 50 years. The expense and associated risks are what I think will limit the industry from growing rapidly, both technologically and in number of people taking part in space tourism.

 

Cargo Carriers Post Colgan 3407

          As a result of the Colgan Air flight 3407 accident the NTSB made many recommendations especially in regards to pilot training. One of the most prominent results is that pilots now must have 1500 hours before they are able to obtain an ATP certificate. Some other changes as a result of this accident include better training on how to prevent and recover from aerodynamic stalls including flight simulator training. Also, remedial training for pilot who demonstrates deficiencies in skills tests must be implemented.

   Recommendations from the final NTSB report from the accident include but are not limited to certain airspeed indicator systems being required to have yellow/amber cautionary band, those in commercial operations being required to install low airspeed alert systems, emphasis on leadership training, and address tailplane stall recovery.

       From USA TODAY, "The new rule requires that pilots get at least 10 hours of rest between shifts. Eight of those hours must involve uninterrupted sleep. In the past, pilots could spend those eight hours getting to and from the hotel, showering and eating. Pilots will be limited to flying eight or nine hours, depending on their start times. They must also have 30 consecutive hours of rest each week, a 25% increase over previous requirements."    

       

http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/2010/AAR1001.pdf

http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2014/01/03/pilot-fatigue-mandatory-rest-new-faa-rules/4304417/

     Currently cargo carriers do not have a specific rest requirement for their pilots if they are flying eight or less hours in a 24-hour period. Flight time limitations for cargo flight crew members are based on scheduled flight time; though operational or maintenance issues can extend actual flight time to an unreasonable length. 

       Cargo carriers were most likely excluded from this rule unfortunately due to money. Another reason may have been the fact that cargo carriers purpose is not to carry passengers so therefore the general public is not as concerned with the safety of the cargo pilots and whether or not they are fatigued. 

       I do believe this rule should be applied to the cargo carriers because who is to say that their safety is not just as important as that of airline pilots, crew members, and passengers. This would not effect my career since the military has its own rules, regulations, and operating procedures. 

Norwegian Air International

Norwegian Air International can't really even be called Norwegian because they operate and have certifications in multiple countries. Their headquarters is in Dublin, Ireland, which is part of the EU, and allows them to benefit from various EU operations. Norway is not a member of the EU and has strict labor laws that do not align with NAI's operations. Their website says they have operational bases in Europe, the U.S., and Asia. They hire most employees through a hiring firm in Thailand which means they are taking part in imported labor. Their destinations include flights all over Europe, Middle East, North Africa, Thailand, and some to the U.S.

http://www.norwegian.com/en/

U.S. Carriers are opposed to Norwegian Air International operating routes into the U.S. because to compete with their low fares, U.S. carriers would have to prices, which leads to cutting services. This could potentially lead to many U.S. carriers having to lay off employees, meaning many American pilots would lose their job. Also, the question of who to investigate if there were to be an accident involving NAI is unclear due to the major operations and subsidiaries in multiple countries.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/05/21/safety-concerns-shadow-discount-norwegian-airline-your-say/9396643/

It seems as though Norwegian Air finds as many loops holes as possible in order to operate cheaply and with little disregard for safety and customer service. In 2013 Norwegian Air received criticism for a very high percentage of flight delays which resulted in many unsatisfied customers. Unfortunately there is not much we can do until we can prove NAI is doing something unsafe or illegal.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/05/18/norwegian-air-cheap-flights-pilots-union-editorials-debates/9255831/

Due to the complexity of NAI's operations their request to operate in the U.S. has been temporarily denied. I agree that the U.S shouldn't allow NAI to operate into the U.S. because we would eventually be hurting our own economy since our airlines would not be able to compete with their low fares.

UAVs

     Well first of all in case anyone actually believed the "pizza delivery" by an UAV this is not a continuous operation, it was only a video promotion. This service would be illegal in the U.S. anyway since according to news.nationalgeographic.com the FAA would not even consider allowing a UAV to fly beyond the operator's sight for civilian purposes because of security and safety concerns. The same website states that only government agencies, some public universities, and a handful of private companies hold the few hundred existing FAA permits to fly private UAVs. This article was published in June 2013 so I would assume the numbers are increasing.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/06/130606-drone-uav-surveillance-unmanned-domicopter-flight-civilian-helicopter/

     They have to integrate in NAS, UAVs can't fly where manned aircraft fly with a completely different set of rules and regulations. It has to be at least partially integrated so that all parties understand what is going on around them. The process will probably be long and tedious just like anything else that is new and complex. According to FAA.gov unmanned aircraft are currently flying in the national airspace system under very controlled conditions for example they are currently not authorized in Class B airspace. Issues with this integration may include advanced technology considerations and operational specifications.

http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=14153

     UAVs Allow military units to send in a force to gather intelligence or take out specific targets without ever putting boots on the ground. I believe so far the use of UAVs in the military sector has been efficient and there is still room to grow and expand the use of UAVs by the military.

Jobs available to civilians include numerous engineering jobs dealing with the various systems and software of UAVs. Also posted are some contractor type jobs. http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/uav

Careers in Aviation: Corporate

     Careers in a corporate company are very different from a career in the airlines. As a corporate pilot you fly aircraft owned by business and industry firms, transporting clients and company executives. Corporate pilots can arrange for in-flight meals, ground transportation once landed, and are responsible for supervising the servicing and maintenance of the aircraft and keeping aircraft records. So with corporate you have many more tasks than just flying the aircraft. Working in the corporate field is much smaller than in the airlines, you work with smaller group of people and fly many of the same passengers opposed to hundreds of different people each month. 

     Forbes.com says that business aviation is saving companies money by eliminating the down time and frustration of commercial air travel. This creates the potential for increased productivity and profitability while at the same time allowing for a healthier and less stressful work environment for employees. As long as a company has a fleet proportional to its staff and financial capabilities the cost over time will be less than continually spending money on commercial air travel. Since you are on the airlines watch you must also factor in overnight expenses, car rentals, and a greater amount of time spent away from family. Corporate aviation has access to many more airports than major airlines which also saves a business time and money. 

 http://www.forbes.com/sites/businessaviation/2012/08/06/business-aviation-the-unfair-advantage/

Pfizer Chief Pilot - Fixed Wing

	Role Description
	The Fixed Wing Chief Pilot reports directly to the VP of Corporate Aviation. The F/W Chief Pilot is directly responsible for the management and supervision of assigned crewmembers.  The F/W Chief Pilot works closely with SOC, flight attendants, maintenance, and line service personnel in order to ensure a safe and legal flight environment for passengers and crews in fulfillment of the air transportation needs provided by Pfizer corporate aviation.
	Responsibilities
	• Provides leadership and direction to flight personnel to ensure personal performance and competence meet company standards and regulatory requirements. • Coordinate with the VP of Aviation to meet the needs of the flight department • Ensure a high level of compliance with the FAR, company policies, department policy and procedure, LOA’s, ICAO rules of the air, and other applicable federal, state, and local laws. • Work with departmental colleagues to define and establish operational policies which are conservative and consistent in nature to promote safe, efficient flight operations. • Participate in the development of the annual operating budget. • Responsible for the upgrade, promotion, and transfer of assigned colleagues. • Maintain proficiency in Pfizer aircraft and perform the duties of a PIC or other required crewmember as needed. • Liaison for assigned colleagues with other departmental groups. • Ensuring completion of all company and flight training programs for assigned crewmembers • Develop crew scheduling strategies that allow for proper aircraft crewing and management of time off. • Ensuring that flight crew qualifications are current and that records are properly maintained • Conducting performance reviews and ensuring that Direct Reports understand performance expectations • Assuming any responsibilities as delegated by the VP of Corporate Aviation
	Qualifications
	• Bachelor’s degree required • Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, First Class Medical, FCC Restricted Radio Operator Permit • 10,000 hours total time, 7500 hours Jet, 5000 hours PIC, one or more type ratings • Minimum of five years experience in aviation management • Extensive international operating experience • G450/G550 type rating preferred • Working knowledge of MS Office suite • Excellent written and verbal organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills. • Position requires sitting for extended periods • Lifting up to 70 pounds is required on occasion • Extensive travel is required • Rotating shifts, holidays, weekends, and on-call status are routine https://jobs.pfizer.com/psc/recruit/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/LSYS_DEVELOPMENT.Z_PFIZER_JOBS.GBL?languagecd=ENG&PostingID=91551