In aviation today, long haul carriers are a big part of traveling. And there is a big dispute from the American Airlines saying international airlines are receiving subsidies. The big 3 international airlines competing for government subsidies Emirates, Qatar as well as Eithad airlines. American Airlines, Delta Airlines as well as United Airlines all had their executives meet with the Obama Administration to talk about how the big three international airlines are receiving these subsidies. According to an online article, "They allege that since 2004, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways have received $40 billion in hidden subsidies from their governments." 40 billion dollars is no small number especially when you think about how many passengers fly these airlines every year.
Airlines based in the united states are no strangers to receiving subsidies either. Boarding Area.com says that, "Between 1918 and 1998 the federal government spend $150 billion in support of aviation." $150 billion spread over 100 years is not on the same scale as $40 billion spread over the last few years but its still money to consider. Another topic of discussion in this debate is when aircraft are purchased under market interest rates. Selling aircraft through the Export-Import Bank is something both American as well as international airlines do. "Boeing, which has sold hundreds of large jets to Emirates and other Middle Eastern airlines, strongly defends the Ex-Im Bank." So it is possible for American airlines to sell through the bank, but purchasing aircraft via this option is not as available. All in all, I don't believe that the global playing field is fair. I do feel like the field is tipped in the international favor as they are more susceptible to receiving larger amount of government subsidies. This is a very controversial subject that has been an ongoing issue for years and will probably continue to be an issue for years to come.
References
1. LINDENBERGER, M. (n.d.). American Airlines leading fight against three foreign rivals. Retrieved October 26, 2015, from http://www.dallasnews.com/business/airline-industry/20150304-american-airlines-leading-fight-against-three-foreign-rivals.ece
2. US Airlines Have Received More Subsidies than Middle East Ones - View from the Wing. (2015, April 8). Retrieved October 26, 2015, from http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2015/04/08/us-airlines-have-received-more-subsidies-than-middle-east-ones/
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Cargo Carriers
After the Colgan accident, a lot of regulations changed in the industry. Some of what changed is flight and duty requirements based on when the pilots day begins. According the FAA website, "The new rule incorporates the latest fatigue science to set different requirements for pilot flight time, duty period and rest based on the time of day pilots begin their first flight, the number of scheduled flight segments and the number of time zones they cross." This is different from the previous regulations because they did not take into account time zones and other factors involved in the new regulations. There is also a 10 hour minimum rest rule. Within this 10 hour minimum rest rule, pilots must be able to get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. This regulation has changed since the old rule was only 8 hours of minimum rest.
Cargo carriers have a different set of rules and regulations which has caused a bit of controversy. According to ALPA.org, "U.S. domestic pilots have a flight-time maximum of 30 hours in 7 days, while flag pilots are allowed up to 32 hours in 7 days. Supplemental pilots can fly 48 hours in a 6-day period, or 60 percent more than domestic pilots." This has caused a controversy because cargo pilots believe that isn't fair that they don't have the same rules as domestic carriers. I feel like cargo carriers were excluded from this rule for more then one reason. The main reason is that it would cost the carriers a lot more to hire more pilots to fill in the absence of the pilots they would have had if they were to switch to the new regulations. The other rule that I believe the cargo carriers have been excluded from the rule is because they do not carry passengers. Personally I don't agree with this rule because there are still lives on board the aircraft and all lives matter. With that being said, of course I believe they should be under the new rules. It isn't fair for them when they are doing the same job but they aren't carrying any passengers.
If cargo carriers were to change over to these new rules, from the management side you would have to hire more pilots immediately. All of the extra hours that would have been filled with pilots can no longer be filled because pilots get longer rest requirements. Also, needing more pilots affects your budget as a company which means you would have to increase your prices, or some aspect in order to make up for the new budgeting.
References
1. Press Release – FAA Issues Final Rule on Pilot Fatigue. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2015, from https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=13272
2. Flight Time/Duty Time for Air Cargo. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2015, from http://www2.alpa.org/alpa/DesktopModules/ViewAnnDocument.aspx?DocumentID=5524
Cargo carriers have a different set of rules and regulations which has caused a bit of controversy. According to ALPA.org, "U.S. domestic pilots have a flight-time maximum of 30 hours in 7 days, while flag pilots are allowed up to 32 hours in 7 days. Supplemental pilots can fly 48 hours in a 6-day period, or 60 percent more than domestic pilots." This has caused a controversy because cargo pilots believe that isn't fair that they don't have the same rules as domestic carriers. I feel like cargo carriers were excluded from this rule for more then one reason. The main reason is that it would cost the carriers a lot more to hire more pilots to fill in the absence of the pilots they would have had if they were to switch to the new regulations. The other rule that I believe the cargo carriers have been excluded from the rule is because they do not carry passengers. Personally I don't agree with this rule because there are still lives on board the aircraft and all lives matter. With that being said, of course I believe they should be under the new rules. It isn't fair for them when they are doing the same job but they aren't carrying any passengers.
If cargo carriers were to change over to these new rules, from the management side you would have to hire more pilots immediately. All of the extra hours that would have been filled with pilots can no longer be filled because pilots get longer rest requirements. Also, needing more pilots affects your budget as a company which means you would have to increase your prices, or some aspect in order to make up for the new budgeting.
References
1. Press Release – FAA Issues Final Rule on Pilot Fatigue. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2015, from https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=13272
2. Flight Time/Duty Time for Air Cargo. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2015, from http://www2.alpa.org/alpa/DesktopModules/ViewAnnDocument.aspx?DocumentID=5524
Friday, October 9, 2015
Flying Cheap
Watching Flying Cheap documentary was very informative. It really opened my eyes to how bad the regional airlines specifically Colgan Air is. There are also other problems with the aviation industry as well. Right now is the beginning of a pilot shortage which is great for all of the current college students who are in training to become pilots. In an article that was written this year found online, "Boeing, the plane manufacturer, projected a need for 558,000 new pilots worldwide during the next 20 years, including 95,000 in North America." A lot the baby boomers that all came back from the war and entered the aviation industry are now reaching the age of retirement, which is good for us college aviation students but not good for the industry that is going to need to fill these vacancies. Although I agree with the second statement I still believe that pilot pay is also an issue with today's aviation society. According to Bloomberg business, "The starting salary for a first officer at a regional airline is a little more than $21,000 per year—about $40,000 lower than the same job at Delta (DAL) and United (UAL), according to the Air Line Pilots Association, the largest U.S. pilot union." Personally, I wouldn't want to spend thousands of dollars to become a pilot and then start off making next to nothing. Even though their pay does not stay like that, it is rough for the first few years not making a lot of money.
After the Colgan accident in 2009, a lot of the regulations changed. People are now concerned because people say that the new pilots wont have enough experience. After the Colgan crash, people were upset about the requirements needed to become a pilot. Possible solutions for regional airlines as well as prospective pilots would be to have a training period where they just observe the flight deck for "X" amount of hours and once they feel comfortable they take the right seat and become a first officer.
As we already know, ALPA represents regional pilots. There are other organizations that represent the rest of the industry as well. American Association of Airport Executives represents a lot of the management side of the industry. And the AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) also represents a lot of the industry as well.
If I had to define professionalism in my own words I would say that it is how well mannered someone carries themselves in the workplace. In the documentary, there were many ways that lacked professionalism. The first major example is when they altered the documents to make it seem like the flights they were operating were legal as far as weight and balance goes. The second example is when one of the first officers spoke out against one of the Colgan captains and how he was unethical and how Colgan still decided to back the unethical Captain instead of the first officer who was trying to do the right thing. I do feel like pilot pay plays a big factor in professionalism in the regional airlines. If pilots don't feel like they are being properly compensated, they wont work up to the standards they are supposed to be at. The documentary talked about how some regional pilots live with up to 8 other people at a time because they cant afford anything by themselves. So its hard to keep a level of professionalism when that is their living standards. Being an operations manager at an airport, having professionalism means treating people with respect and being on time. Being on time is huge considering it creates a big first impression and being late to meetings shows that someone isn't professional and creates the wrong first impression. Also being fair to all of your employees and treating them with respect goes a long way. If someone treats their employees with respect then they will turn around and be loyal employees for you.
References
Jansen, B. (2015, August 27). Airline fears of pilot shortage spark Congress fight over required training. Retrieved October 9, 2015, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/08/27/pilot-shortage-faa-1500-hours-required-colgan-crash-alpa/32008451/
Pilot Shortage: Regional Airlines Are Cutting Flights. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2015, from http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-02-11/yes-theres-a-pilot-shortage-salaries-start-at-21-000
After the Colgan accident in 2009, a lot of the regulations changed. People are now concerned because people say that the new pilots wont have enough experience. After the Colgan crash, people were upset about the requirements needed to become a pilot. Possible solutions for regional airlines as well as prospective pilots would be to have a training period where they just observe the flight deck for "X" amount of hours and once they feel comfortable they take the right seat and become a first officer.
As we already know, ALPA represents regional pilots. There are other organizations that represent the rest of the industry as well. American Association of Airport Executives represents a lot of the management side of the industry. And the AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) also represents a lot of the industry as well.
If I had to define professionalism in my own words I would say that it is how well mannered someone carries themselves in the workplace. In the documentary, there were many ways that lacked professionalism. The first major example is when they altered the documents to make it seem like the flights they were operating were legal as far as weight and balance goes. The second example is when one of the first officers spoke out against one of the Colgan captains and how he was unethical and how Colgan still decided to back the unethical Captain instead of the first officer who was trying to do the right thing. I do feel like pilot pay plays a big factor in professionalism in the regional airlines. If pilots don't feel like they are being properly compensated, they wont work up to the standards they are supposed to be at. The documentary talked about how some regional pilots live with up to 8 other people at a time because they cant afford anything by themselves. So its hard to keep a level of professionalism when that is their living standards. Being an operations manager at an airport, having professionalism means treating people with respect and being on time. Being on time is huge considering it creates a big first impression and being late to meetings shows that someone isn't professional and creates the wrong first impression. Also being fair to all of your employees and treating them with respect goes a long way. If someone treats their employees with respect then they will turn around and be loyal employees for you.
References
Jansen, B. (2015, August 27). Airline fears of pilot shortage spark Congress fight over required training. Retrieved October 9, 2015, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/08/27/pilot-shortage-faa-1500-hours-required-colgan-crash-alpa/32008451/
Pilot Shortage: Regional Airlines Are Cutting Flights. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2015, from http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-02-11/yes-theres-a-pilot-shortage-salaries-start-at-21-000
Friday, October 2, 2015
UAV's
UAV's are becoming a bigger and more prevalent part of modern day technology. Many people believe that one day UAV's will be a huge part of modern day aviation operations. But as of right now, its still a growing business. UAV's originally were just used in military operations but now have started making their way to the civilian side of things. According to a website online, "A North Dakota court has approved the use of drones to help arrest citizens on US soil. UAVs have primarily been used to conduct strikes against purported militants in countries like Pakistan, but their use at home has been on the rise as of late." This is a big advancement and could definitely be applied across the US. Also, many people have heard of Amazon using UAV's to deliver packages via UAV's. Jeff Bezos said that he "estimates that delivery-by-drone, called Amazon "Prime Air," will be available to customers in as soon as 4-5 years." This could be very beneficial but also very hectic seeing multiple drones flying around so close to the ground. UAV's are also regulated by the FAA. Specifically for first responders, "The bill further specifies these UAS must be flown within the line of sight of the operator, less than 400 feet above the ground, during daylight conditions, inside Class G (uncontrolled) airspace and more than five miles from any airport or other location with aviation activities." Which to me makes sense because that's not affecting as much of the NAS as it could be.
As far as UAV's integrating into the NAS I can definitely see that happening. Maybe not until 10-15 years from now but it will happen sometime and at first there will probably be some issues that need to be worked out. Line of sight will be an issue and the fact the drones are a lot smaller then all other aircraft will make them harder to see especially at night. And another issue is that could arise is that traffic at airports is already busy as it is and with UAV's flying around it will only make traffic more congested.
Military is another aspect that utilizes UAV's heavily. Everything from surveillance, to air support and even carrying supplies, drones have been big part of todays military. One of the negatives with UAV's are cost. Not every UAV created for military is still flying today. Being in a warzone, UAV's either are shot down or crash or just aren't able to fly anymore and they are not cheap pieces of technology which makes the cost go up every time one is destroyed.
There are also opportunities for jobs in the UAV markets. I found an interesting article saying the requirements needed to be a UAV pilot with customs and border protection. There were many different requirements but the main ones were that you needed to be, under 40 years old, be a US citizen and have your commercial pilots certificate. Which to me seems fair especially when you realize the type of aircraft you are flying and the kind of operations you will be doing.
References
Amazon Drones: Amazon Unveils Futuristic Delivery Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-unveils-futuristic-plan-delivery-by-drone/
Domestic drone justice: US court green-lights police UAV use. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from http://www.rt.com/usa/domestic-drone-court-ruling-743/
FAA Regulations for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Drones. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from http://www.hse-uav.com/faa_regulations.htm
How to Become a UAV Pilot with Customs and Border Protection. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from http://www.borderpatroledu.org/become-uav-pilot/
As far as UAV's integrating into the NAS I can definitely see that happening. Maybe not until 10-15 years from now but it will happen sometime and at first there will probably be some issues that need to be worked out. Line of sight will be an issue and the fact the drones are a lot smaller then all other aircraft will make them harder to see especially at night. And another issue is that could arise is that traffic at airports is already busy as it is and with UAV's flying around it will only make traffic more congested.
Military is another aspect that utilizes UAV's heavily. Everything from surveillance, to air support and even carrying supplies, drones have been big part of todays military. One of the negatives with UAV's are cost. Not every UAV created for military is still flying today. Being in a warzone, UAV's either are shot down or crash or just aren't able to fly anymore and they are not cheap pieces of technology which makes the cost go up every time one is destroyed.
There are also opportunities for jobs in the UAV markets. I found an interesting article saying the requirements needed to be a UAV pilot with customs and border protection. There were many different requirements but the main ones were that you needed to be, under 40 years old, be a US citizen and have your commercial pilots certificate. Which to me seems fair especially when you realize the type of aircraft you are flying and the kind of operations you will be doing.
References
Amazon Drones: Amazon Unveils Futuristic Delivery Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-unveils-futuristic-plan-delivery-by-drone/
Domestic drone justice: US court green-lights police UAV use. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from http://www.rt.com/usa/domestic-drone-court-ruling-743/
FAA Regulations for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Drones. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from http://www.hse-uav.com/faa_regulations.htm
How to Become a UAV Pilot with Customs and Border Protection. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from http://www.borderpatroledu.org/become-uav-pilot/
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