Once I am able to build enough time, I plan on getting hired by a regional in order to build enough time to get hired by a major. After doing some research although they require even more time, my goal is to get hired at Shuttle America or Compass Airlines. These two regional airlines fly Embraer 170 which are very nice aircraft. Hopefully I wont have to stay with the regional airlines too long, but after the regional I would love to fly for Delta Airlines. Ever since I was little I wanted to fly for Northwest Airlines, but since they merged with Delta, that will have to do. Once getting hired with Delta I realize I am going to have to make my way up to the ultimate goal of flying Boeing 777. Boeing 777 is my favorite airplane and is my ultimate goal to fly one one day. I enjoy seeing other places and especially other countries, so flying internationally would be a dream come true. Where I am at in my career is the very beginning, but is a step in the right direction in order to fulfill my childhood dream.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Career Plan
My career plan was and still is to be a commercial airline pilot. Its something that I have wanted to do since I was young, and nothing has changed. I currently have 230hrs and am currently working on my Commercial Single Engine. I am planning on having that wrapped up within the next 2 months. After my commercial I am going to start training for my CFI, once I get my CFI then I will work on getting my Multi. With the new NPRM for August 2013, requiring an ATP to get hired, I am still up in the air whether I want to flight instruct or find another way to build my time such as banner towing, skydiving etc.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
American Airlines Merger
American Airlines was once the largest airline in the world, ten years later they have filed for bankruptcy and are potentially on the verge of merging with another airline for the first time since the merge with TWA. On November 29th American Airlines filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy, that will eventually cut up to 13,000 jobs, most of them being management positions. According to American Airlines they operate an all Boeing fleet with an MD-80 as well. In 2011 American announced the purchase of 10 777-300's and an additional 200 boeing 737-800s both are supposed to be in service by 2012 and 2013. It is going to be very interesting to see how and what American will do with these new aircraft considering they just filed for bankruptcy.
After talking to a ton of American Airlines pilots they all agreed on one thing and that was American needs to do something, but one thing they all were very negative about was the potential merge with U.S. Airways. Every pilot I talked too said if they merged with U.S. it would be very disastrous, they never gave me a definite answer of why, but for whatever reason they all agreed. When I asked what should happen, most agreed that American should merge with Alaska Airlines or JetBlue. Jeremy Lemer wrote a great article in the Financial Times with the title "Rivals say AMR must find merger-or perish". He suggests all sorts of different merger solutions from every US airline possible.
According to Dallas News " 94% of AA pilots are at 12th year of pay longevity. That's the top of the pay scale, meaning that they aren't getting pay raises unless they move to a bigger airplane or move from first officer to captain." The average age of AA pilots is 51.6, and for captains its 54.4years. American is so senior in aircraft and pilots that 70% of their pilots have to retire within the next 7-10 years. Its hard to believe that just 10 years ago American Airlines was the largest Airline in the world, and now there bankrupt laying 13,000 jobs off. No one has a definite solution to fix there problem, from a potential merge with U.S Airways to JetBlue or Alaska, but everyone can agree that something needs to happen before its too late.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
UAV
1) What is the current status of this sector of the industry?
UAV (Unmanned Air Vehicles) are becoming more and more popular with the growth of today's technology. UAVs are primarily used for military operations, but is also used for surveillance and scientific research. The reason UAVs are becoming more and more popular in the military and for civilian use, is it takes the pilot out of the aircraft which is the safest method for bombings, surveillance etc. According to UAV there are 12 different types of UAVs such as Global Hawk, X47-A, Mariner, Predator along with others. The technology on these modern UAVs are incredible. The Predator for example can fly over 220kts at 50,000ft for over 30 hours. That's much loner than any commercial airliner/ military jet. UAVs are in the beginning stages of what can and will be a long and lasting career.
2) What are the issues in these sectors that must be evaluated while moving towards the future?
Since UAV's are just in the early stages, there are many issues that must be evaluated moving towards the future. According to BML he points out scenarios that could cause major issues such as, since there is no pilot in the cockpit what happens if the UAV losses communications, or a loss of engine or power you don't have a pilot in the cockpit to control it. Another issue especially in crowded areas is what about a mid air collision with a airliner, although the UAV has no pilot in the cockpit the airliner is full of people and some of those UAVs are as big if not bigger than a Cessna.
3) What is the 5-10 year outlook for this sector?
The 5-10 year outlook for the UAV is very promising. With the increase in technology, our military is putting alot of time and money into UAVs. A UAV guest speaker came and talked at a conference last year at EMU and said that the current state of UAVs is equivalent to just after the Wright Brothers for airplanes, which is pretty crazy to think about. If they already have UAVs flying at 50,000ft at almost 500mph, whats UAVs goin to look like in the next 10 years.
4) What is/will the government's involvement be in this sector?
The governments involvement in UAV is very significant, it is already implemented in all military use from hand thrown UAVs to Predators the government is very involved. According to the FAA the reason the military wants UAV or UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) is because " In today’s military, unmanned systems are highly desired by combatant commanders for their versatility and persistence. By performing tasks such as surveillance; signals intelligence (SIGINT); precision target designation; mine detection; and chemical,
biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance, unmanned systems have made key contributions to the Global War on Terror." The government and military want to reduce the risk of our soldiers by taking the pilot out of the cockpit.
5) What are possible career opportunities in this sector (be specific, which may require you to find actual job descriptions)?
Since UAVs are becoming more and more popular in the military and civilian use, career opportunities are becoming more and more popular. According to the ARMY some job duties for flying UAVs are "Conduct air reconnaissance, surveillance, targeting and acquisition missions", Planning and analyzing flight missions and Launch and recover air frame from runway. Jobs in UAVs are endless, if you don't want to fly the UAV there are repair UAV repairers just like mechanics for airplanes. Each UAV employer has different requirements. According to Simply Hired the average salary in California for UAV pilots is $89,000, but will also vary on the company, location and experience. With UAVs becoming more and more popular the demand for UAV pilots is only going to increase with technology.
UAV (Unmanned Air Vehicles) are becoming more and more popular with the growth of today's technology. UAVs are primarily used for military operations, but is also used for surveillance and scientific research. The reason UAVs are becoming more and more popular in the military and for civilian use, is it takes the pilot out of the aircraft which is the safest method for bombings, surveillance etc. According to UAV there are 12 different types of UAVs such as Global Hawk, X47-A, Mariner, Predator along with others. The technology on these modern UAVs are incredible. The Predator for example can fly over 220kts at 50,000ft for over 30 hours. That's much loner than any commercial airliner/ military jet. UAVs are in the beginning stages of what can and will be a long and lasting career.
2) What are the issues in these sectors that must be evaluated while moving towards the future?
Since UAV's are just in the early stages, there are many issues that must be evaluated moving towards the future. According to BML he points out scenarios that could cause major issues such as, since there is no pilot in the cockpit what happens if the UAV losses communications, or a loss of engine or power you don't have a pilot in the cockpit to control it. Another issue especially in crowded areas is what about a mid air collision with a airliner, although the UAV has no pilot in the cockpit the airliner is full of people and some of those UAVs are as big if not bigger than a Cessna.
3) What is the 5-10 year outlook for this sector?
The 5-10 year outlook for the UAV is very promising. With the increase in technology, our military is putting alot of time and money into UAVs. A UAV guest speaker came and talked at a conference last year at EMU and said that the current state of UAVs is equivalent to just after the Wright Brothers for airplanes, which is pretty crazy to think about. If they already have UAVs flying at 50,000ft at almost 500mph, whats UAVs goin to look like in the next 10 years.
4) What is/will the government's involvement be in this sector?
The governments involvement in UAV is very significant, it is already implemented in all military use from hand thrown UAVs to Predators the government is very involved. According to the FAA the reason the military wants UAV or UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) is because " In today’s military, unmanned systems are highly desired by combatant commanders for their versatility and persistence. By performing tasks such as surveillance; signals intelligence (SIGINT); precision target designation; mine detection; and chemical,
biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance, unmanned systems have made key contributions to the Global War on Terror." The government and military want to reduce the risk of our soldiers by taking the pilot out of the cockpit.
5) What are possible career opportunities in this sector (be specific, which may require you to find actual job descriptions)?
Since UAVs are becoming more and more popular in the military and civilian use, career opportunities are becoming more and more popular. According to the ARMY some job duties for flying UAVs are "Conduct air reconnaissance, surveillance, targeting and acquisition missions", Planning and analyzing flight missions and Launch and recover air frame from runway. Jobs in UAVs are endless, if you don't want to fly the UAV there are repair UAV repairers just like mechanics for airplanes. Each UAV employer has different requirements. According to Simply Hired the average salary in California for UAV pilots is $89,000, but will also vary on the company, location and experience. With UAVs becoming more and more popular the demand for UAV pilots is only going to increase with technology.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Export-Import Bank
1) What is the Export-Import Bank?
According to EXIM Mission Statement the mission of the Export Import Bank is to assist in financing for export US goods to international markets. "Ex-Im Bank enables U.S. companies — large and small — to turn export opportunities into real sales that help to maintain and create U.S. jobs and contribute to a stronger national economy." 85% of their transactions go to benefit U.S. small businesses.
2) What is its relation to the aviation industry?
The relation that Export-Import Bank has with the aviation industry is terrible for US carriers and awesome for foreign carriers. The whole point of the ExIm bank is to create jobs in the US by exporting materials/airplanes to foreign countries for cheaper loans. According to senator DeMint Ex-Im costs U.S. airline industry up to 7,500 in job loss. "Delta estimated that ExIm cost the U.S. airline industry up to 7,500 jobs and $684 million a year." ExIm makes it so foreign carriers can buy newer and better aircraft cheaper than any U.S. competitors which is extremely ridiculous.
3) Why has it been in the news lately?
ExIm bank has recently been in the news lately due to the new purchase of aircraft of Air India. Air India according to Business Standard is in "deep red" and without the help of ExIm there is no way they would purchase these 30 brand new Boeing Aircraft. This is extremely bad news for competing US airlines such as Delta Airlines who is competing with Air India for certain Middle Eastern routes. According to the Business Standard "The Bank's support for foreign carriers puts ATA's operator members, including Delta, at a competitive disadvantage because, among other things, the Bank's foreign beneficiaries have access to cheaper capital to finance their aircraft purchases."
4) What is the ATA stance on this? What about Boeing?
ATA stance on this Export Import bank issue is very strong. On November 17th ATA sued the Export Import Bank of the United States seeking to halt the $3.4 billion in loan guarantees for aircraft financing for Air India according to Business Week. ATA is obviously not happy that airlines like Air India who are getting these great loans for Boeing newest aircraft such as the 787, which is going to cost US Airlines a ton of money not to mention a loss of employees. This statement for Business week really sums up the whole problem "“When ATA’s operator members purchase such aircraft, they must do so without the United States as a guarantor for their financing,” the association said in the lawsuit. “As a result, ATA’s operator members pay substantially more than the bank- backed foreign carriers pay to finance the same Boeing aircraft.” Boeing on the other hand is on the other side of the street. Boeing believes that if the there were no Export Import Bank that these new purchases by foreign air carriers would not be purchased. According to WCARN "Boeing said in a statement that the bank is "vital to helping level the playing field" globally." This is a very tough situation, where as Boeing is creating more jobs to build these new aircraft for foreign air carriers, U.S. carriers is throwing a fit because they are losing money, and not getting these beneficial loans such as Air India.
According to EXIM Mission Statement the mission of the Export Import Bank is to assist in financing for export US goods to international markets. "Ex-Im Bank enables U.S. companies — large and small — to turn export opportunities into real sales that help to maintain and create U.S. jobs and contribute to a stronger national economy." 85% of their transactions go to benefit U.S. small businesses.
2) What is its relation to the aviation industry?
The relation that Export-Import Bank has with the aviation industry is terrible for US carriers and awesome for foreign carriers. The whole point of the ExIm bank is to create jobs in the US by exporting materials/airplanes to foreign countries for cheaper loans. According to senator DeMint Ex-Im costs U.S. airline industry up to 7,500 in job loss. "Delta estimated that ExIm cost the U.S. airline industry up to 7,500 jobs and $684 million a year." ExIm makes it so foreign carriers can buy newer and better aircraft cheaper than any U.S. competitors which is extremely ridiculous.
3) Why has it been in the news lately?
ExIm bank has recently been in the news lately due to the new purchase of aircraft of Air India. Air India according to Business Standard is in "deep red" and without the help of ExIm there is no way they would purchase these 30 brand new Boeing Aircraft. This is extremely bad news for competing US airlines such as Delta Airlines who is competing with Air India for certain Middle Eastern routes. According to the Business Standard "The Bank's support for foreign carriers puts ATA's operator members, including Delta, at a competitive disadvantage because, among other things, the Bank's foreign beneficiaries have access to cheaper capital to finance their aircraft purchases."
4) What is the ATA stance on this? What about Boeing?
ATA stance on this Export Import bank issue is very strong. On November 17th ATA sued the Export Import Bank of the United States seeking to halt the $3.4 billion in loan guarantees for aircraft financing for Air India according to Business Week. ATA is obviously not happy that airlines like Air India who are getting these great loans for Boeing newest aircraft such as the 787, which is going to cost US Airlines a ton of money not to mention a loss of employees. This statement for Business week really sums up the whole problem "“When ATA’s operator members purchase such aircraft, they must do so without the United States as a guarantor for their financing,” the association said in the lawsuit. “As a result, ATA’s operator members pay substantially more than the bank- backed foreign carriers pay to finance the same Boeing aircraft.” Boeing on the other hand is on the other side of the street. Boeing believes that if the there were no Export Import Bank that these new purchases by foreign air carriers would not be purchased. According to WCARN "Boeing said in a statement that the bank is "vital to helping level the playing field" globally." This is a very tough situation, where as Boeing is creating more jobs to build these new aircraft for foreign air carriers, U.S. carriers is throwing a fit because they are losing money, and not getting these beneficial loans such as Air India.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Corporate Aviation
The corporate aviation company I chose to discuss is one that is even though really big, it is a dream job that I would love to have one day and that is NetJets. NetJets is a fractional aircraft ownership that was introduced to the NBAA (National Business Aviation Association) in 1986. NetJets is open to anybody that is willing to pay the money necessary.
According to NetJets Fleet they offer the "largest, most diversified private aircraft fleet in the world." They offer jets in 3 different categories, the light cabin which consist of six different aircraft, midsize cabin and large cabin. All together NetJets offer 14 different types of aircraft from Cessna Citations to Hawkers to Gulfstream. With a fleet size of over 340 airplanes. The largest aircraft they offer is the Gulfstream 550.
The thing that I like the most about NetJets is they don't have a specific route they fly. They will fly all over the world as long you purchase it. The benefit of purchasing a fractional ownership from NetJets is one you get to fly on your own private aircraft but it also will save time compared to a regular commercial carrier. An example of this is a route from Miami to Chicago on a airliner takes approximately 7.5 hours (which takes into account driving to the airport, security, waiting etc.) compared to 3.1 hours if you fly on a NetJets aircraft.
In order to even apply for a pilot position at NetJets they require a minimum of 2500 hours total time, 500 hours multi and 250 hours instrument time according to NetJets Qualifications. Each aircraft requires different qualifications. NetJets pilots salary range from a wide range. For a first officer salary ranges from $56,875-107,768 and captain salary ranges from $87,500-187,260. Salary for NetJets is just like the airlines ranging from type of aircraft and years of service. NetJets is a dream job for most pilots due to the freedom of going to different places, meeting some interesting people, and having a very nice corporate aviation fleet.
According to NetJets Fleet they offer the "largest, most diversified private aircraft fleet in the world." They offer jets in 3 different categories, the light cabin which consist of six different aircraft, midsize cabin and large cabin. All together NetJets offer 14 different types of aircraft from Cessna Citations to Hawkers to Gulfstream. With a fleet size of over 340 airplanes. The largest aircraft they offer is the Gulfstream 550.
The thing that I like the most about NetJets is they don't have a specific route they fly. They will fly all over the world as long you purchase it. The benefit of purchasing a fractional ownership from NetJets is one you get to fly on your own private aircraft but it also will save time compared to a regular commercial carrier. An example of this is a route from Miami to Chicago on a airliner takes approximately 7.5 hours (which takes into account driving to the airport, security, waiting etc.) compared to 3.1 hours if you fly on a NetJets aircraft.
In order to even apply for a pilot position at NetJets they require a minimum of 2500 hours total time, 500 hours multi and 250 hours instrument time according to NetJets Qualifications. Each aircraft requires different qualifications. NetJets pilots salary range from a wide range. For a first officer salary ranges from $56,875-107,768 and captain salary ranges from $87,500-187,260. Salary for NetJets is just like the airlines ranging from type of aircraft and years of service. NetJets is a dream job for most pilots due to the freedom of going to different places, meeting some interesting people, and having a very nice corporate aviation fleet.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
FAA Reauthorization Bill
The new FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 aka The FAA Reauthorization Bill which was released on February 14 2012 has set the stage for major improvements in the airline and cargo industry. Although the bill is over 400 pages of material highlighted with important information, I will chose 3 of the main topics that I believe will have the largest impact on the industry.
The first one I will talk about is pry the most important and will have the most impact on the industry over time and that is the Next Generation Air Transport System aka NextGen. NextGen according to the FAA is a way to update navigation using surveillance technology. It will increase safety significantly and save airlines alot of money by " shaving minutes off flight times as we enhance the airspace around our busiest clusters of airports." Which translates into shorter flights to help save fuel and help the environment. In the new FAA Reauthorization Bill it pushes for a faster timeline to implement NextGen. It will mandate precision navigational procedures at 35 US airports by 2015. The Reauthorization Bill will implement the NextGen faster then originally thought.
The second point which I believe will be most beneficial for the industry is Runway Safety. In the new bill the FAA pushes to develop and implement a plan to improve runway safety. This new runway safety will scientifically reduce runway incursions within six months. The new bill which is planned to be in place by June 30 2012 will alert pilots and controllers of potential runway incursions. This is great news for everyone in the industry. Runway incursions are a very dangerous situation that could lead to a incident or accident. According to FAA Runway Safety there were 954 runway incursions in 2011. With then new bill the new Runway Safety will improve runway safety and reduce the number of runway incursions.
The last point in the FAA Reauthorization Bill that I believe is a good implement is putting cockpit doors for all-cargo aircraft. You may think whats the point of putting doors on planes when the only thing on the airplanes are the pilots and boxes, but with terrorism in the world increasing every day cargo airplanes are an easy target. With cargo companies not having enough man power to check every single cargo on the airplane they just do a random check. There have been rumors going around that the next target for terrorists is putting people with bombs in the cargo. With the new bill implementing cockpit doors, this will eliminate the potential danger of people fitting in cargo and busting in the cockpit. This was never a discussion before the new FAA Reauthorization Bill came out. I strongly believe this is very smart, and in the industry and the way the world is today, it is defiantly better to be safe then sorry.
The first one I will talk about is pry the most important and will have the most impact on the industry over time and that is the Next Generation Air Transport System aka NextGen. NextGen according to the FAA is a way to update navigation using surveillance technology. It will increase safety significantly and save airlines alot of money by " shaving minutes off flight times as we enhance the airspace around our busiest clusters of airports." Which translates into shorter flights to help save fuel and help the environment. In the new FAA Reauthorization Bill it pushes for a faster timeline to implement NextGen. It will mandate precision navigational procedures at 35 US airports by 2015. The Reauthorization Bill will implement the NextGen faster then originally thought.
The second point which I believe will be most beneficial for the industry is Runway Safety. In the new bill the FAA pushes to develop and implement a plan to improve runway safety. This new runway safety will scientifically reduce runway incursions within six months. The new bill which is planned to be in place by June 30 2012 will alert pilots and controllers of potential runway incursions. This is great news for everyone in the industry. Runway incursions are a very dangerous situation that could lead to a incident or accident. According to FAA Runway Safety there were 954 runway incursions in 2011. With then new bill the new Runway Safety will improve runway safety and reduce the number of runway incursions.
The last point in the FAA Reauthorization Bill that I believe is a good implement is putting cockpit doors for all-cargo aircraft. You may think whats the point of putting doors on planes when the only thing on the airplanes are the pilots and boxes, but with terrorism in the world increasing every day cargo airplanes are an easy target. With cargo companies not having enough man power to check every single cargo on the airplane they just do a random check. There have been rumors going around that the next target for terrorists is putting people with bombs in the cargo. With the new bill implementing cockpit doors, this will eliminate the potential danger of people fitting in cargo and busting in the cockpit. This was never a discussion before the new FAA Reauthorization Bill came out. I strongly believe this is very smart, and in the industry and the way the world is today, it is defiantly better to be safe then sorry.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Emissions Trading Scheme
EU ETS is the European Union and Emissions Trading Scheme. According to The European Commission was launched in 2005 it is a way to limit greenhouse gasses. Emissions are given off in factories and power plants. Each airline is required to keep record of emissions given off for each flight and turn the information in at the end of the year. Every airline is given an allowance to cover, but if they go over they are fined heavily. The EU ETS not only effects aviation in a major way, but covers all businesses in Europe. Carbon Trust states "it covers 45% of EU emissions, including energy intensive sectors and approximately 12,000 installations". This will have a large impact on aircraft flying to Europe from a money standpoint. Airlines for America (A4A) estimates it will cost U.S. Airlines between $1.3 and 3 billion by 2020.
The US is upset about the implementation of the ET ETS because it has been a "diversion of ICAO's energies". US among other countries are trying to work with the EU to come together in coming up with something that is not so significant. On November 2nd the US joined in passing a resolution in ICAO that approved opposition to the ETS. 21 countries including China, India, Japan and the United States opposed the application of the ETS to their airlines. The US government is trying to fight with other countries in court, while trying to come in the middle with the EU to come up with a solution. In 2009 the Airlines of America used the EU claiming that ETS is a violation of customary international law.
According to Centre for Aviation ICAO is developing global framework for market based measures. Pretty much no one is happy with the current EU ETS, ICAO is in the middle of it and has to come up with a solution to get the majority in agreement. The Centre of Aviation states "The technical study will be completed by the end of this month and ICAO’s work in 2012 will be dedicated to the identification and development of a framework for market-based measures and a global scheme."
My response to the EU ETS is a little over board. Too think that will cost billions (over years) all for something that can not be prevented. It says something when 21 countries are opposed to the ETS. I feel like its a scam for the EU to get money. It would be different if we had a solution to get rid of the emissions but technology has not got that far yet. I think the EU just needs to sit back and relax and realize how big of an impact this will have not only on the world airline industry, but also businesses and factories who this will affect as well.
I have mixed feelings on how ICAO should handle global aviation emissions. You cant treat every place the same because its not. More emissions will be given off according to the location. The hotter it is more emissions will be given off, so how can you treat Africa and the Middle East where it is hot pretty much all year long to somewhere cold. ICAO is in a tough situation to handle global aviation emissions. But I believe ICAO should implement greener flying. With newer aircraft coming out giving out less emissions just let technology come and be patient, I believe ICAO should invest into alternative ways for fuel i.e algae, soybeans, corn. We will never be able to get rid of emissions but investing into greener flying, it will make our world a cleaner place.
According to Centre for Aviation ICAO is developing global framework for market based measures. Pretty much no one is happy with the current EU ETS, ICAO is in the middle of it and has to come up with a solution to get the majority in agreement. The Centre of Aviation states "The technical study will be completed by the end of this month and ICAO’s work in 2012 will be dedicated to the identification and development of a framework for market-based measures and a global scheme."
My response to the EU ETS is a little over board. Too think that will cost billions (over years) all for something that can not be prevented. It says something when 21 countries are opposed to the ETS. I feel like its a scam for the EU to get money. It would be different if we had a solution to get rid of the emissions but technology has not got that far yet. I think the EU just needs to sit back and relax and realize how big of an impact this will have not only on the world airline industry, but also businesses and factories who this will affect as well.
I have mixed feelings on how ICAO should handle global aviation emissions. You cant treat every place the same because its not. More emissions will be given off according to the location. The hotter it is more emissions will be given off, so how can you treat Africa and the Middle East where it is hot pretty much all year long to somewhere cold. ICAO is in a tough situation to handle global aviation emissions. But I believe ICAO should implement greener flying. With newer aircraft coming out giving out less emissions just let technology come and be patient, I believe ICAO should invest into alternative ways for fuel i.e algae, soybeans, corn. We will never be able to get rid of emissions but investing into greener flying, it will make our world a cleaner place.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Flying Cheap
My specific job and company in the aviation industry that I would like to end up at is Delta Airlines. My dream job is flying the Boeing 777. The 700-300ER is my favorite airplane even though at the current moment no American Airline has the 300's yet. I am open to moving but flying out of DTW would be perfect. Even though routes change all the time, flying the 777 from DTW to HKG (Hong Kong) and flying the ATL-JNB (Johannesburg) is my goal. According to FlightAware the DTW-HKG route ranges from 15-16 hours, and the ATL-JNB route is around the same time.
According to Ask Captain Captains on the Delta 777 make a base annual salary of $220,000 and on average the first officer depending on his seniority will make about half of that. Every airline has around the same pay, but all of it depends upon where you are on the seniority list. Delta who merged with Northwest in 2009 was the Worlds largest airline until the recent merger of United and Continental. Northwest used to be my favorite airline but since its recent merger, Delta is my favorite. The reason Delta is my favorite airline besides the fact that it has a DTW hub, is the variety in aircraft, Delta flies both Airbus and Boeing. I love the wide bodies of the A330,B767,B777 and the B744.
The concerns I have with Delta and specifically flying the B777, by the time I make my way up there which could be over 20 years is who even knows if the B777 will still be in production, with the aviation manufacturing business in a boom at the moment creating better fuel efficient airplanes no even knows for sure which aircraft will be in production. My other concern is just the industry itself, when it comes to Delta, just 10 years ago American Airlines was the largest Airline and now there bankrupt and could eventually merge with someone or just go totally under. The Airlines industry is so hard to predict, with new airlines on the move there will always be movement and mergers in the industry.
In the Colgan accident there was many ways in which a lack of professionalism was demonstrated. 1 being the pilots were not mentally ready for the job at hand. In the cockpit voice recorded you heard the pilots talking and joking around which you could tell they were not mentally in the cockpit. Another way a lack of professionalism was demonstrated was on the management side, they are scheduling these pilots to the point that they were not physically ready. Both pilots were flying on barely any sleep and were fatigued to the max. The pilots and management side did not understand fatigue and how dangerous it is. Some 50 lives could have been saved if pilots and management showed any lack of professionalism.
Two ways I plan to expand my level of professionalism once I am hired is to stay connected. If your getting into aviation its because you love it. In order to expand my level of professionalism is to stay in touch with the industry through blogs, news and Aviation articles, the industry is changing everyday and if you don't stay connected you will soon be out of touch when it comes to Aviation. Another way I am going to expand my level of professionalism at Delta is to enhance myself with every opportunity to be involved with the Airline. Voluntary involvement in Delta is a key to professionalism, ASAP (Aviation Safety Action Program) is a good voluntary program to expand my professionalism to improve our number one thing in aviation, Safety!
According to Ask Captain Captains on the Delta 777 make a base annual salary of $220,000 and on average the first officer depending on his seniority will make about half of that. Every airline has around the same pay, but all of it depends upon where you are on the seniority list. Delta who merged with Northwest in 2009 was the Worlds largest airline until the recent merger of United and Continental. Northwest used to be my favorite airline but since its recent merger, Delta is my favorite. The reason Delta is my favorite airline besides the fact that it has a DTW hub, is the variety in aircraft, Delta flies both Airbus and Boeing. I love the wide bodies of the A330,B767,B777 and the B744.
The concerns I have with Delta and specifically flying the B777, by the time I make my way up there which could be over 20 years is who even knows if the B777 will still be in production, with the aviation manufacturing business in a boom at the moment creating better fuel efficient airplanes no even knows for sure which aircraft will be in production. My other concern is just the industry itself, when it comes to Delta, just 10 years ago American Airlines was the largest Airline and now there bankrupt and could eventually merge with someone or just go totally under. The Airlines industry is so hard to predict, with new airlines on the move there will always be movement and mergers in the industry.
In the Colgan accident there was many ways in which a lack of professionalism was demonstrated. 1 being the pilots were not mentally ready for the job at hand. In the cockpit voice recorded you heard the pilots talking and joking around which you could tell they were not mentally in the cockpit. Another way a lack of professionalism was demonstrated was on the management side, they are scheduling these pilots to the point that they were not physically ready. Both pilots were flying on barely any sleep and were fatigued to the max. The pilots and management side did not understand fatigue and how dangerous it is. Some 50 lives could have been saved if pilots and management showed any lack of professionalism.
Two ways I plan to expand my level of professionalism once I am hired is to stay connected. If your getting into aviation its because you love it. In order to expand my level of professionalism is to stay in touch with the industry through blogs, news and Aviation articles, the industry is changing everyday and if you don't stay connected you will soon be out of touch when it comes to Aviation. Another way I am going to expand my level of professionalism at Delta is to enhance myself with every opportunity to be involved with the Airline. Voluntary involvement in Delta is a key to professionalism, ASAP (Aviation Safety Action Program) is a good voluntary program to expand my professionalism to improve our number one thing in aviation, Safety!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Airline Industry
In 2009 Delta and Northwest decided to come as one. According to Delta's website it took $500 million in investments to make this happen. Challenges that occurred during this process included painting over 80 Northwest Aircraft combing the hubs. Northwest hubs were Detroit, Minnesota among others, were combined with Deltas hubs of Atlanta and JFK. Delta is the worlds largest airline and according to Deltas website employees over 70,000 employees worldwide. Some challenges from the pilots perspective, is Delta and Northwest pilots did minor things differently, such as items on the checklist. I have spoken to many old Northwest pilots who believe that Northwest was more strict as an employer. But that could be just a bias answer. In my opinion the benefits outweigh the consequences between the merger.
United and Continentals merger is one very similar to the one between Delta and Northwest. Its a major shift in the airline industry as two of the major legacy carriers combine into one. The United/Continental merger happened in 2010, and like most mergers the first decision must be made as too which name to use. Usually the name chosen is the one with the best reputation (which is everything in aviation). The most difficult part for the pilots in the merger is how there seniority will be infected especially for the Continental pilots. According to iam141 the seniority for the airline is by the date you were hired no matter which airline you got hired by, whether it was United or Continental and implement them together. Like the Delta/Northwest merger I also believe that the United/Continental merger will eventually be a beneficial one.
The future of American Airlines is not looking too bright at the current moment. In November of 2011 American Airlines filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. The thing that lead to bankruptcy for American Airlines is just bad business. American Airlines has a very old fleet and very old flight crew. According to Aviation Blogs Dallas News the average age of American Airlines pilots is 51.6 years old. American has 560 pilots that are over the age of 60, and with the new FAA rules of mandatory retirement at 65, American is really going to be a shortage of pilots in the next 5-7 years. Theirs rumors rumbling around the industry and maybe merging with Delta or merging with JetBlue. I predict that American is in just such a huge financial whole that they will eventually merging with somebody if not more than one airline. I think that due to the age of their pilots and airplanes, they will have to make some type of merger or they will be in a world of hurt.
I believe these mergers throughout history will have a huge affect on our future. As a pilot standpoint I think all these mergers maybe hurting the pilots now with all the adjusting going on in the industry, but once all the smoke settles down and all the airlines get settled down, I believe it will strongly benefit pilots and management students. With the 65 year old mandatory retirement and such senior crews on American and Delta, in the next 5-10 years airlines will have to a hire a ton of pilots, which is great for us!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing
Boeing 787 is a long haul wide body aircraft that is currently being operated for ANA. According to Boeing the first flight was December 2009. The Boeing 787 is configured to hold 200-300 people. The thing that makes the 787 different than previous aircraft, is that its 20% more fuel efficient than aircraft similar to its size, the Boeing 787 is made of 50% composites. Airbus A380 is the largest commercial airliner in the world. As of December 2011 The Airbus Company has reported 67 in operation. The A380 was introduced by Singapore Airlines on October 25 2007. The Boeing 747-8 has two different models, the 747-8F for Cargo and the 747-8I which is for commercial. The 747-8F is out and being operated for a multiple of cargo carriers, the 747-8I is coming out sometime early this year. What makes this aircraft different then what Boeing is used to making is the 747-8 will be the longest airplane ever made, and is more fuel efficient saving the airlines money. Airbus is coming out with a A350 to try and compete with Boeing with its 777 and 787. The A350 is currently not out and not supposed to come out for a while. The first flight is "supposed" to be sometime in 2014. Airbus is having a fit with this aircraft as potential customers have already rejected there supposed model. The Airbus A350 is similar with all of these aircraft as it is made of composites, which will make it lighter saving the airline money.
I see Boeing leading in the commercial jet manufacturing. Since Boeing has introduced the 787 after it took awhile I believe its going to "take off" the customers have giving nothing but good reviews for the new aircraft. Boeing is also coming out with the 747-8I shortly, which I believe airlines will fall in love with. Airbus is taking off their A340's out of production and have got nothing but bad reviews for there new aircraft (A350). Not to mention Airbus is a European company where as Boeing is American.
China is trying to make a aircraft manufacturer called China Aviation Industries Corporation (AVIC-I). According AIN Online they debuted a 56seat turbo prop at the Dubai Airshow this year called the MA600.
I do not feel AVIC will be a competitor of Boeing and Airbus, at least not for a long time. I feel that Boeing and Airbus have such a big head start on AVIC that it will take along time in order to compete with them. Boeing and Airbus have been manufacturing aircraft for almost 80 years. But I do believe China has money and power and with those two combinations, who knows what can happen!
I see Boeing leading in the commercial jet manufacturing. Since Boeing has introduced the 787 after it took awhile I believe its going to "take off" the customers have giving nothing but good reviews for the new aircraft. Boeing is also coming out with the 747-8I shortly, which I believe airlines will fall in love with. Airbus is taking off their A340's out of production and have got nothing but bad reviews for there new aircraft (A350). Not to mention Airbus is a European company where as Boeing is American.
China is trying to make a aircraft manufacturer called China Aviation Industries Corporation (AVIC-I). According AIN Online they debuted a 56seat turbo prop at the Dubai Airshow this year called the MA600.
I do not feel AVIC will be a competitor of Boeing and Airbus, at least not for a long time. I feel that Boeing and Airbus have such a big head start on AVIC that it will take along time in order to compete with them. Boeing and Airbus have been manufacturing aircraft for almost 80 years. But I do believe China has money and power and with those two combinations, who knows what can happen!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
FAA Final Rule on Pilot Fatigue
After reading the FAA press release, the key point that I believe will have the largest impact on safety in the industry is the 10-hour minimum rest period. The new rule mandates that pilots must have an opportunity of eight hours of "uninterrupted" sleep. This is a two-hour increase over old rules. I believe this will have the largest impact on safety because pilots will be able to get an extra hour or 2 hours of extra sleep. Pilots will now have the opportunity to wake up and maybe get a workout in or eat some food before they go on there day. I work at a hotel and I see every morning pilots walking out the door with a cup a coffee and look half a sleep. In my opinion there is nothing worst then waking up and knowing that you are going to be tired through out the day. With this new rule, pilots will have the opportunity to get there full proper amount of sleep and wake up with the attitude of not being sleeping or fatigued.
Previous regulations stated a minimum of 8-hours rest period, with this new regulation, it will increase the rest period by 2 hours. Which doesn't sound much, but it also states that pilots must have an opportunity for eight hours of uninterrupted sleep within the 10-hour rest period. I'm sure every pilot is going to be absolutely thrilled that this new regulation passed!
According to USA Today Travel the FAA estimates the change will cost the airlines nearly $300 million over 10 years. An airline trades group estimates it could cost $2 billion more each year. The second figure seems high in my mind, but the FAA estimate I totally agree with. Due to the new regulations and preferably the 10-hour minimum rest will have airlines scattering to hire pilots, managers and dispatchers. Due to this new regulation airlines will have to hire more pilots to fill in the slots of just the new 2 hour adjustment from the old regulation. USA Today Travel also states that Pilots will be flying shorter routes to accommodate the new rules. This is have a huge impact on the industry, but also very beneficial for future pilots. Airlines will have to lower there minimums to get pilots hired in the next 2 years.
I agree with the exemption of cargo carriers from the new regulations. If cargo carriers were covered in the new regulations all cargo carriers would go bankrupt and that would include UPS and FedEx. Cargo carriers primarily fly at night and most of the time fly at the last minute. The new regulations is huge with limiting pilots from back to back shifts from a night shift to a morning shift. Cargo carriers would have to hire so many pilots in order to follow these regulations it would run them into the ground. My solution to the fatigue issues that continue to exist within the cargo industry is to hire more pilots (not as much as airlines will require to) and implement the Fatigue Risk Management System so pilots are aware of there situation. Instead of having them on call for 48 hours straight, limit it to a day at a time, improve there facilities, maybe put some beds where they can catch up on sleep at the facility instead of driving home. I believe improving the facilities and not having the pilots on call for so long will improve safety and limit fatigue in the cargo industry.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Introduction Blog
I have always loved aviation ever since I can remember. I have a family friend that has been flying for Delta/Northwest for over 20 years, is currently flying the 757. I have always had an interest in airplanes and can usually name the type of plane in the sky.
Im planning on graduating in the fall and will have a little more time to finish up all of my ratings. I have always wanted to be a commercial pilot, but the way the industry is (like a crazy roller coaster) I may be leaning more toward corporate after I build my hours.
My favorite airplane is the Boeing 777-300ER which no American air carrier has at the current moment, but the thing that interests me the most is the size of the 777 engines, which is the largest and most powerful in the world putting out over 115,000lbs of torque which is truly unbelievable.
Im planning on graduating in the fall and will have a little more time to finish up all of my ratings. I have always wanted to be a commercial pilot, but the way the industry is (like a crazy roller coaster) I may be leaning more toward corporate after I build my hours.
My favorite airplane is the Boeing 777-300ER which no American air carrier has at the current moment, but the thing that interests me the most is the size of the 777 engines, which is the largest and most powerful in the world putting out over 115,000lbs of torque which is truly unbelievable.
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