Final Blog (Unmanned Aircraft)

Final Blog (Unmanned Aircraft)

            

            With the drone market exploding, unmanned aircraft seem to be a hot topic in the aviation world. Drones are being used for all types of work and pleasure. There are new regulations and law that makes the unmanned market a difficult market to comply with. Another interesting topic that comes along with unmanned aircraft is the process of taking the pilot out of the cockpit. It seems to be something that will happen but how soon? How will the general population react to it? Is the technology capable for being 100% safe? All questions that we have to look at for the future of commercial aviation.

            

            According to CNN, CEOs believe that unmanned passenger flights are about 5 years away. In a CNN article from 2015, there is a video of robot arm the controls a small aircraft. The technology seems to be there and reliable but currently the FAA only allows for large unmanned aircraft for the military. If this becomes reality, the FAA will have to come up with new regulations. (Patterson, 2015). Many people believe it will make the industry safer as it takes out the human factor that have caused many accidents in the past. Most accidents now look at human factor because they are getting tougher and tougher to solve (Robinson, 2016).

            

            Personally, it would feel very weird to be on a pilot-less airliner. I feel the pilot is the last line of defense which gives all passengers a good feeling if something goes wrong. We would be relying on technology that yes is proven but could always fail. If it does fail who fixes the problem? There will have to be a backup system that fixes the computers problems. Like every change in life however, people get used to them. Once this becomes the norm, people will still fly and people in the far future will think it was crazy that humans actually flew the aircraft.

            

            This technology can also solve the ongoing problem of the shortage of pilots. "As many of 30,00 pilots will reach the mandatory retirement age of 65 by 2026" (Schmidt, 2017). With all these pilots leaving and not many people interested in aviation, the pilot less aircraft can help solve this problem. It can also help save airlines money as veteran pilots make great money. More flights will be able to be booked as airlines don't have to worry about rest time and pilots schedules. There will be less time having to wait for the crew which will help keep every flight on time without human factor delays. Maintenance will be a problem I believe because there won't be a pilot to do the walk around of the aircraft and daily checks. Airport workers might be held responsible for duties such as these.     

           

             There are many opinions on this matter and all have good points. Pilots will hate it as it takes away jobs from thousands of pilots. Others believe that we are not even close to a pilotless airliner. May be 15 years away (Toronto Globe Mail, 2015). Regardless of how far away it is, we still have to start looking at an industry without pilots. We will be much more prepared if we accept it as reality because it is coming, eventually.

References:

Patterson, T. (2015, June 27). Company: Pilotless passenger planes 5 years away. Retrieved April 19, 2017, from http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/26/travel/remote-controlled-passenger-airplane/

BBC - Future - Would you fly in a pilotless airliner? (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2017, from http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160912-would-you-fly-in-a-pilotless-airliner

Ally Schmidt  | Jan 30, 2017 1:53 pm EDT. (n.d.). What Are Airlines Doing to Solve the Pilot Shortage? Retrieved April 19, 2017, from http://marketrealist.com/2017/01/what-are-airlines-doing-to-solve-the-pilot-shortage/

Pilotless Planes? Not So Fast. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2017, from http://www.askthepilot.com/pilotless-planes/

Aviation Organizations

            

Aviation Organizations  

            The first organization that would be good to belong to is the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). This organization is meant for airport managers and executives for commercial and general aviation airports. AAAE members represent around 850 airports. The primary focus on developmental opportunities through training, meetings/programs, and accreditation programs. This programs gives advice on current airport needs and can create funds to help with the future on airports. It is important for me to belong to this organization because becoming an airport manager could be a possibility for me in the future. This organization will be able to give me the inside scoop of industry needs and where airports are headed in the future such as technology development.

            The Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC) is another organization that will be beneficial in the future. The mission of this organization is to promote the employment of woman to all levels of the airport branch, as well as  the inclusion of the "Disadvantaged Business Enterprise". The organization will be involved with rule making and changes in airport procedures with regards to employment. The Canadian Prime Minister is creating a movement of woman in the workforce. This organization plays along with where I will be working  and can gain valuable information. If I was to ever be an airport manager, knowing rule changes and guidelines in the future will help me plan out who to hire and how to do it. Diversity is ongoing, and being at the forefront can only help me in the future. (AMAC, 2017)

 References:
Mission and History. (2015, July 22). Retrieved April 01, 2017, from http://amac-org.com/about-us/mission-and-history-2/

  International, I. A. (n.d.). History. Retrieved April 01, 2017, from http://www.aaae.org/aaae/AAAEMBR/About_AAAE/History/AAAEMemberResponsive/About_AAAE/History.aspx?hkey=9d0f3525-8a20-417e-b0be-66c7f68a5fab

Paths In Aviation Management

Paths in Aviation Management

            Jet Aviation is an interesting company I found that does a whole wide variety of services. They have to the ability to perform aircraft refurbishment, FBO services, aircraft management, and charter services. They have also have opportunity to become a flight attendant. This company has staffing placed under categories. Pilots, Flight attendants, technical personnel, schedulers and dispatchers, corporate and executive managers , and sales professional. I was un able to find if these departments are hiring. However, they have locations around the world, including US, Europe, Middle East, and Asia which could create a fair amount of potential jobs. (Jet Aviation, 2017)

            Being an FBO manager seems like a god job opportunity port graduation. I would be managing day to day operations with charter, commercial, and maintenance. I would also be involved with storage of fuel and safety. It would be a great start to gain experience before entering a large business such as the major airlines. Indeed has a fair amount of FBO management jobs posted such as BBA Aviation in Ohio. (BBA, 2017)

            Air Traffic Controller would be an interesting route to follow. The training process seems intense but it would defiantly play out once I get through. I would have to apply through NAV Canada once I graduate. A lot of management positions in the airlines require a fair amount of work experience so once I graduate, a job like a ramp agent or service agent would be a good position as it will get my foot in the door to maybe later apply for top positions within the same airline.  I have seen a few of the positions at Toronto Person Airport with Air Transat and Jazz airlines.

            This assignment has not really changed my plans for my future. Currently my plan is to ensure I get my foot in the door with an airline or a major airport. I understand I have to pay dues so I plan to start at the lower positions such as an ramp/service agent to help my resume when I apply for upper management positions. These early jobs will look good if I further my career in only 1 airline. This is why this assignment has confirmed what my current plan is after the coming years.

References:

Jet Aviation. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2017, from https://www.jetaviation.com/

Manager, Operations. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2017, from https://bbaaviation.taleo.net/careersection/13/jobdetail.ftl?job=23652

Open Skies

Open Skies

            The open skies agreement with the US-EAU allows for flexibility and freedom while flying into the members airspace. The agreement takes away government impact with routes, fares, and capacity which allows for cheaper and more convenient flights around the world (U.S Department of State, 2016). According to Americans for open skies, both Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways have subsidies that value close to 18 billion each.

            I couldn't find an airline that is subsidized for long haul flight. Since the deregulation, US airlines have freedom and are not so bound by the government. I did find an article in which Delta, American Airlines, and United Airlines are discussing issues with U.S officials that government owners of the airlines apart of the EAU are receiving a large amount of cash which goes against the open skies agreement.(Britton, 2016)

            With new aircraft being built such as COMAC in China, there is starting to become a competition in the US with other markets. The EXIM bank supports sales to the foreign markets to help lower the playing field. With the new aircraft insight, American suppliers are seeking help from EXIM to support sales to Airbus airline customers. EXIM will finance the export of U.S produced goods and services for aftermarket (post-manufacturing) use on foreign-manufactured large aircraft for U.S. exporters of all sizes. (EXIM, 2017)

            Norwegian Air has caused a lot of controversy between the US and Europe. There are labor concerns as well as pricing concerns. As of now, they are approved to be a member of the open skies agreement and are currently working out approval from Ireland which has caused a lot of back lash due to issues within the company. There ridiculously cheap flights will be a problem for the competition. This airline could drive down the cost to fly overseas from all American Airlines. (Posaner, 2016)

            I personally feel there is somewhat of a disadvantage of long haul carriers. Every Country has laws to follow and they may be different from other countries. No 2 countries will have exact regulations on Airlines which makes it had for there to be a level playing field. Cheap airlines such as Norwegian can become a force in the long-haul carriers making it hard for many other airlines to compete with. For these reason I feel there will never be a level playing field in this industry.  

References

Britton, R. (2016, October 24). Subsidized Gulf Airlines Continue To Dump Seats In The U.S. Retrieved March 11, 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-britton/subsidized-gulf-airlines-_2_b_12588256.html

The Facts About Open Skies. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2017, from http://fairskies.org/the-facts/

Posaner, J. (2016, September 02). Norwegian airline clouds open skies. Retrieved March 11, 2017, from http://www.politico.eu/article/norwegian-airline-nai-ireland-us-open-skies/

Chinese Aviation Competition

Chinese Competition

            I firmly believe that the C919 will be FAA certified. I feel COMAC will do whatever it takes to ensure the aircraft is certified. "The CFM international LEAP-1C engine, which will power the COMAC C919, has gained type certification from both FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)" (Karp, 2016). This right here shows me that they are on the right path for full certification from the FAA. China knows the benefits from being certified in North America and also Europe. Once certified they can make a lot of money from American companies.

            I feel if certified, there will be great competition with Boeing and Airbus due to the price of the C919 which is said be around 10% less than Boeing at 90 million (Aeronnews, 2015).  This can help save American airlines a lot of money. Companies will be able to buy more aircraft at a cheaper price. This cite also describes the differences with mileage.  The C919 lacks distance compared to Boeing and Airbus. This could be a reason not to purchase the C919 due to the potential increase is fuel prices. I feel this may not be enough not to by the C919. I don't think the public will be a problem. No of days, people don't really know what aircraft they are on unless they follow aviation. People buy from china for a majority of their purchases so I don't think it will be an issue.

            Chinese airlines are starting to buy and use China made aircraft. USA today discusses another aircraft that is acting as a regional jet. The ARJ21. This aircraft marks the first domestically used regional aircraft used by Chinese airlines (Mutzabaugh, 2016). COMAC is bringing a good relationship to be the provider of aircraft for domestic airlines. The C919 is receiving orders by Chinese airlines. One of these airlines includes Chengdu Air.

            If certified I do not believe that other companies will come out as competitors. It is hard to go up against Boeing and Airbus as it is, The C919 will make it that much harder for other companies to win the purchasing battle between airlines. The C919 I believe will not over take Boeing and Airbus as these companies still have a good reputation and dominate most of the market.

            Boeing and Airbus plane to roll out new variants of the best selling aircraft, the 737 and the A320. This means there will be stiffer competition for the C919 (Cendrowski, 2016). Boeing does not plan to let the C919 affect them and plan to ensure they stay at the top of the global market.

References:

Dec 21, 2016 Aaron Karp, A. K. (n.d.). CFM LEAP-1C powering C919 gains FAA, EASA certification. Retrieved March 04, 2017, from http://atwonline.com/engines/cfm-leap-1c-powering-c919-gains-faa-easa-certification

A. (n.d.). Comac C919, Boeing 737, Airbus A320: how do they differ? Retrieved March 04, 2017, from http://www.aeronewstv.com/en/industry/commercial-aviation/2944-comac-c919-boeing-737-airbus-a320-how-do-they-differ.html

Mutzabaugh, B. (2016, June 30). Now flying: China's first modern passenger jet enters service. Retrieved March 04, 2017, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2016/06/30/now-flying-chinas-first-modern-passenger-jet-enters-service/86549178/#

Cendrowski, S. (2016, February 16). China's Delayed Answer to Boeing Loses Spotlight. Retrieved March 04, 2017, from http://fortune.com/2016/02/16/china-comac-c919-delay-delivery

Commercial Space Travel

Commercial Space Travel

            In 1961, the first satellite was launched with an American rocket. Through the 1960s till 1975 multiple satellites were launched for multiple uses. In 1962, President Kennedy singed the Communications Satellite Act of 1962 which allowed private companies to own and operate their own satellites. Later on in 1984, President Reagan signed the Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 which encouraged space flight along with private space travel. The office of commercial space transportation was responsible for regulations of private flight. This changed however in 1995 when the power of regulation was transferred to the FAA. Since the 2000s, there has been a few "private paid seats" such as Dennis Tito who took flight to the ISS on a Russian spacecraft using the American Company Space Adventures. Most recently, in 2015 President Obama signed the U.S Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act which allows companies to own resources in the outer space. (FAA.gov 2016)

            Parts 400 to 460 of title 14 of the CFRs hold the regulations for commercial airspace. The FAA oversees and regulates all launches, reentries, and reentry vehicles. The Commercial Space launch act of1984 was put in place to give responsibility of public health, safety, safety of property, and national security.(FAA.gov 2016) I feel the regulations are enough for people to feel safe about it. I feel the regulations will become more strict as the industry booms. We are not at the time where it's a "normal thing to do". Once it becomes more popular, the FAA will have to start ensuring everything is covered responsibly. It is almost similar to the increasing regulations of the drone industry as it gets bigger and bigger.

            I personally see the industry becoming large in the near future. In 10 years or so, I feel there will be the technology and safety that will allow for passengers to go to space for a price. At first I think prices will be outrageous but as the demand gets higher the prices will go down. The general public will have to sign a waiver as noted in the regulations but I do think anyone with money in the general public will be able to go to space. These people will have to pass medicals in order to maintain safety and limit risk. I don't think transportation will be in the near future but I do think the "one time thing" will be in the near future.

           

            NASTAR Center display multiple programs pilots use for training of commercial flight. Programs include Launch and G force training, Situation awareness training, Spatial Disorientation training, Recovery training, and rapid decompression training. (NASTAR, 2017) Pilots must have an FAA certificate but I am unsure the flight hours required. These programs seem like they are essential to all hired commercial space pilots.  Medicals will be needed but as far as I have seen its almost the same requirements for commercial airline pilots.

References:

   N. (n.d.). PILOTS AND CREW. Retrieved February 24, 2017, from http://www.nastarcenter.com/aerospace-training/space/pilots-and-crew

 F. (2016, October 03). Office of Commercial Space Transportation. Retrieved February 24, 2017, from https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/regulations/

           

             

Current Status of UAVs

Current Status of UAVs

            UAVs are currently being used to today for recreational use. This includes film and photography. There is also a racing league which puts drones in its own sport. The military has also been using drones for some time now for top security mission and surveillance. Drones are starting to be used more for delivery for companies such as Amazon. There are jobs where operators get paid to take photos of properties, homes, etc. Each operator has to take a written exam and have an FAA certificate along with being 16 years of age. The drone itself has to be under 55 pounds and not fly above 400 feet. (Nyshka Chandran, 2016).

           

            I think implementing the UAVs into the national airspace can create a traffic jam. There will have to be a full plan on how they will not affect commercial and GA aircraft. Eventually I feel they will be implemented due to their efficiency and capabilities. There will be the need for flight plans and monitoring systems that will be able to track each drone. This could cloud the airspace taking the focus off of the airliners. People of the general public could also have the perception that if multiple drones are flying in the airspace, their privacy could be violated. This could cause some ethical problems amongst the public.

            The military has multiple uses for UAVs. Security, Search and Rescue, Monitoring, Disaster Management, Communications, and Attack functions (Unmanned Ariel Vehicle System Association, 2017). Having an aircraft in which there cannot be fatality is awesome. Being able to complete mission without an expensive jet or pilot can be very beneficial to the cost and men/woman of the military. UAVs help save lives and gather key information for the countries military. The mission of the UAV is to ensure safety of the Country and there if is means to use them when there is danger, it is perfectly ethical to do so.

             https://www.indeed.com/q-Unmanned-Aerial-Vehicle-jobs.html . Indeed jobs has a large sample of jobs in The UAV world. From technician to operator to research. There are multiple avenues that these UAVs have created. Salaries range from 30,000 to 105,000 on indeed.com. I feel once drone delivery becomes a full time thing, there will be more job opportunities in the future. The drone world is starting to boom and that is why the FAA has to start regulating it or else it will become out of control.

References:

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Association Military Applications. (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2017, from https://www.uavs.org/military

Nyshka Chandran, H. (2016, August 29). US drone innovations to take off with new laws. Retrieved February 10, 2017, from http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/29/faas-new-drone-laws-go-into-effect-monday-allowing-us-companies-to-innovate.html