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

On NextGen

 1) In 1-2 paragraphs, describe what NextGen is and when it will be implemented.
      NextGen is a series of programs that will be utilized to increase the efficiency and safety of the aviation community. These programs include: Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), Collaborative Air Traffic Management Technologies (CATMT), Data Communications (Data Comm), Common Support Services-Weather (CSS-Wx), The National Airspace System Voice System (NVS), and System Wide Information Management (SWIM). These programs will give us more precise aircraft location, controllers will be able to send digital instructions to pilots, more accurate weather services, and other technological advances. By the end of fiscal year 2015, the FAA expects to complete their first set of operational improvements, establishing NextGen's foundational infrastructure.
   There is a deadline of January 1, 2020 for tens of thousands of aircraft to be equipped with ADS-B.
 
Reference:
   http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/programs/
   http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/media/NextGenUpdate2014.pdf
  http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2012/September/12/General-aviation-testimony-offers-NextGen-priorities

 2) Also discuss the impact of NextGen on both GA and commercial aviation (positives and negatives).
     Cost is the main concern for both GA and commercial aviation. General Aviation benefits from expanded availability of instrument approaches.  For commercial aviation, NextGen will speed traffic, reduce travel routes, and allow less distances separating flights. In order to accommodate for this increased traffic many major airports will need to make improvements and be able to provide additional capacity. This is a concern as airport construction is long and tedious work.

 3) NextGen will cost a lot of money. This money will be obtained through fees/taxes. How do you think these fees/taxes should be applied and why?
     There are already organizations, such as NextGen GA Fund, aiming to help those in the general aviation community finance NextGen equipment. According to enotrans.org, Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF) has been the primary funding source for NextGen to date. The FAA and its associated programs have proposed more money in the budget for NextGen funding compared to fiscal year 2014. Some taxes and fees that have been suggested are baggage tax, increasing jet fuel tax, increasing passenger ticket tax, and imposing a NextGen fee. I think this may be a necessary way to obtain funds for NextGen, at least for a period of time, not permanent taxes/fees. As long as it does not because unreasonably expensive to fly then this method of funding can be validated.

 4) How will NextGen affect your career?
      It won't, from what I have read, the military will not be effected.

Professionalism

Post #2

1) What is the specific job and company in the aviation industry that you would like to end up at? 
     In the case that I am approved for a flight contract in the Marine Corps, I will be attending Naval Flight School in approximately two years from now. Training begins with fixed-wing aircraft and I hope to select for either F/A-18, F-35, or AH-1 Cobras, depending on how well I do in flight school. 

2) Provide a basic description of the job and company that you listed in 1).
     With this career path I will be continually training to be a part of the nation's "force in readiness". 

3) Are there any safety/liability concerns with the job you listed in 1)? If so, what are they and how do you plan on mitigating these concerns?
      With any job in the military you assume the risk of being deployed to a combat zone in addition to the risks of flying some of the world's fastest aircraft. I plan to mitigate that risk by continually putting forth a great effort in all training I receive. 

4) I proposed that one theme in the events that led up to the Colgan accident was the lack of professionalism.  Answer the following three questions related to professionalism:

    * 1) Define professionalism in your own words.
                Professionalism is always conducting yourself in a respectable manner, obeying the rules and regulations of your organization, having integrity, as well as pushing yourself to go above and beyond your required tasks/responsibilities. 

    * 2) List two ways in which lack of professionalism was demonstrated in this documentary. Remember: Both pilots and management can lack professionalism.       - When the high ranking staff member suggested to a subordinate pilot to knowingly forge the records of when he arrived at work in order to get him on a flight home. 

      - When a Captain crossed out and edited a FO's weight and balance calculations to make it seem within regulations for the plane to takeoff. 

    * 3) List two specific ways you plan on maintain and expand your level of professionalism once you are employed in the job that you listed in 1). These ways must be independent of the requirements of the job.


      - I plan to maintain my level of professionalism by always completing any required education and professional development in a timely manner.
      - I will expand my level of professionalism by taking any opportunities for further and various training as well as continually pushing myself physically and mentality in order to set a great example. 

Introduction

    I was first introduced to aviation by my father at a very young age, which originally consisted of attending air shows in a Radio Flyer. In first grade I went up in a small plane and I remember the pilot (my teacher's husband) flying over my house and showing me where my school was. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I can't recall ever wanting to do anything but fly since. 

     As I continued to learn more and more about aviation I made the switch from wanting to pursue a career in the civilian sector to military in high school. I applied and got accepted into the Naval ROTC program at the University of Michigan. I am currently in my final year of the program and pending an approval for an air contract with the Marine Corps. 

    I am currently a member of EAA and have camped out at AirVenture in Oshkosh twice with my dad and friends. Both summers I had a fantastic time, learned a lot, meet awesome people (i.e. Kirby Chambliss), and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the aviation community. 

   I try to keep up on recent events in the aviation community but tend to focus on military aviation as it directly pertains to my future career. 

                   Summer 2013  --- flight in the Ford Tri-Motor that I saw being restored at
                                  Kalamazoo during my senior year of high school!